BREAST CANCER AND THE WOMAN

Women Urged to Self-examine Breasts

18 Oct 2012

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Steve Dada

Incidence of breast cancer believed to be one of the commonest cancers afflicting women worldwide, expert believed could be brought under check if women imbibe the culture of regular self- examination starting from the age of 20 years.

An Oncologist, Dr. Agnes Bamidele who delivered a lecture on how to check the spread of the disease at a recent sensitisation workshop organised in Lagos recently advises that women should self-examine their breast to avoid a last stage cancerous disease.

She said there are many reasons why changes may occur in the breast, but stressed that most of them are harmless. She warned that regardless of this, every change no matter how little must be checked by a doctor without delay, to know the cause for the change.

TACKLING PROSTATE CANCER

Immigration Officers’ Wives Tackle Prostate Cancer

18 Oct 2012

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Members of the Association Wives of Immigration Officers


Chiemelie Ezeobi
With the prevalence of prostate cancer in men, the Immigration Officers’ Wives Association (IMMOWA), Lagos Zone, has taken up the gauntlet to tackle the ailment even as it reiterated its commitment to ensure the wellbeing of the male folk.

In a recent seminar organised for officers of the service at the Immigration Office in Ikeja, Lagos, to create awareness, the group said the choice of the ailment as a seminar topic was because of its deadly but silent nature.

Speaking to THISDAY, IMMOWA Secretary, Mrs. Emordi said although women are usually more concerned with the cancer of the breast, the fact remains that few men are aware of prostate cancer which is quite deadly and leaves the victims permanently in pain.

She said the forum was held to educate the men on the signs to look out for to recognise prostate cancer, as well as its diagnosis and treatment options. “For someone to work effectively, he or she needs to be healthy and that is what we are promoting,” she said.

LEPERS COLONY'S HOPEFULS

A Lepers’ Colony Where Children Want to be Medical Doctors

16 Oct 2012

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Lepers’ children  at Amanawa Lepers’ settlement in Sokoto

Mohammed Aminu writes about the aspiration of Lepers’ children  at Amanawa Lepers’ settlement in Sokoto and the support of Leprosy Mission, a non-governmental organisation to help them actualise their dreams

It is a far distance from Sokoto metropolis. About 30 kilometres away from modern civilisation. They are shunned by the others. They are lepers in their own colony.

At   Amanawa Leprosy Hospital housing a population of over 1000 people, there is a different life of the lepers. The lepers at Amanawa live with their children who are not lepers.

“I want to be a medical doctor in the future so that I will be able to treat sick patients in our settlement and cater for my disabled parents and siblings. And that is why I have shown serious commitment to my studies and with the support of the Leprosy Mission of Nigeria, I hope my dream shall come to pass.”

FRSC'S EYE TEST FOR MOTORISTS

Eye Exam for Drivers Permit: The Good and the Ugly

15 Oct 2012

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A patient undergoing an eye test

The Federal Road Safety Commission’s (FRSC) plan to reduce road accidents by  providing free mandatory eye test to drivers, may suffer a ditch like the cost of treatment or even legality of barring those with defect which could frustrate the potential gains of the eye test, writes Chiemelie Ezeobi

As usual, the sun rose from the East and cast the streets of Lagos in a golden hue with its characteristics harsh weather accompanied by the stinging rays of the sun. Not surprisingly, the hot weather seemed to have affected motorists alike with impatience as they all struggled for the right of way to leave the canopy of the scorching sun.

Suddenly, the ambience of the busy afternoon was shattered by a screeching sound accompanied by a loud thud. A 46-seater- commercial bus had rammed into a Toyota Camry Saloon Car.

THE ATTACK DOGS AND ITS MASTER

Emodi Disowns Okupe over Attacks on National Assembly

18 Oct 2012

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Doyin Okupe

Onwuka Nzeshi and  Dele Ogbodo

The Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Joy Emodi, has disowned some presidential aides and cabinet ministers over  some negative  comments credited to them against the National Assembly.

This came as the Senate President, Senator David Mark, Wednesday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to checkmate two of his aides, Messrs Doyin Okupe and Ahmed Gulak, over their persistent inflammatory statements which he said were capable of straining the existing cordial relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government.

Addressing journalists on the issue yesterday, Emodi, said comments that  tended to portray any crises of confidence between the executive and the legislature, were unnecessary and that their promoters were on their own.

OK NOW! SOYINKA SPEAKS ON ACHEBE'S GENOCIDE ACCUSATIONS

Soyinka: Yes, Achebe Was Right; Igbo Were Genocide Victims

18 Oct 2012

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Professor Wole Soyinka

Nobel Prize winner, Professor Wole Soyinka, spoke last week at the Hay Festival in Mexico on the controversy generated by Chinua Achebe’s civil war memoir,  “There Was A Country,” Boko Haram insurgency and religion

You’re not an ivory-tower kind of writer. You are not a stranger to danger, and in fact you’ve been imprisoned on at least two occasions, once in solitary confinement. Can you tell me what that was like?

Writing in certain environments carries with it an occupational risk. When I was imprisoned, without trial, it was as a result of a position I took as a citizen. Of course I used my weapon, which was writing, to express my disapproval of the [Biafran] civil war into which we were about to enter. These were people who’d been abused, who’d undergone genocide, and who felt completely rejected by the rest of the community, and therefore decided to break away and form a nation of its own. Unfortunately, the nature of my imprisonment meant that I couldn’t practise my trade because I was in solitary confinement for 22 months out of the 27, and I was deprived of writing material. So I had to somehow break through the barriers, smuggle in toilet paper, cigarette paper, scribble a few poems, pass messages outside. I was able to undertake exercises to make sure that I emerged from prison intact mentally.

WEEP NOT CHILD

Weep Not Child

17 Oct 2012

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Realising the decline in the reading culture among youths, especially in the public secondary schools in Nigeria and the African continent as a whole, United Bank for Africa (UBA)  Foundation launched the project  ‘Read Africa’ and complements it with a national essay competition to support indigent scholars, writes AdeolaAkinremi

In his mind, “time and bad conditions do not favour beauty.” NgugiwaThiong’o, the renowned Kenya author, saw the future from the past and he captured it. His book ‘Weep Not Child’ has those lines.  Ngugi told a tale of a family’s struggle to acquire formal education in a short paragraph.

That struggle has remained. It is a struggle young people in Nigeria’s public secondary schools and their counterparts elsewhere in Africa are facing; low self-esteem, inadequate access to reading books, worn to shreds uniforms and decrepit classrooms; all combined not to favour the beauty of the young people.

The Many Troubles of Ifeanyi Uba

Ifeanyi Uba’s Capital Oil Petitioned over Another Fuel & Subsidy Scam

Ifeanyi Uba

Chiemelie Ezeobi

There is more trouble ahead for the beleaguered owner of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Mr. Ifeanyi Uba, who was remanded in police custody Thursday for fraudulently claiming N22.4 billion from  the Federal Government through the fuel subsidy scheme.  

As he is battling to extricate himself from the allegation, he faces a fresh allegation of fleecing his financier in a $289.517 million transaction between his company and an auto firm, Coscharis Motors Limited.

The auto company has petitioned the police to investigate the alleged criminal diversion of imported petrol by Capital Oil.

Coscharis, in the petition dated October 9 and addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Lagos, accused Capital Oil of reneging on an agreement between the two companies in which the auto firm would finance the importation and sale of petrol.

Coscharis, in the petition, signed by its President/CEO, Dr. Cosmas Maduka, to the Commissioner of Police, SFU, Mr. Tunde Ogunshakin, said his company entered into a joint venture agreement with Capital Oil in July 2011 to import petrol.

GUNMEN KILL 2 FRSC OFFICERS IN KANO

Gunmen Kill Two FRSC Officers, Injure One in Kano

 

Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris

By Ibrahim Shuaibu

Gunmen on motor bikes attacked a Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) patrol vehicle, killing two officers and injuring one seriously on Wednesday in Kano.

The incident, which occurred at Madobi Road, near Sani Abacha Youth Centre, caused panic in the ancient city.

Sector Commandant of the FRSC in the state, Shehu Alkali Zaki, who confirmed the incident, said there were four of his men in the vehicle when the gunmen opened fire on them.

He said: “Two officers died instantly, while one sustained bullet wounds, but the fourth person survived the attack unhurt. It is a very sad incident.”

Our correspondent reports that the attack is coming barely 24 hours after gunmen killed two police men on Polio Immunization exercise on Tuesday.

Police authorities also confirmed the incident saying a special squad has been deployed to comb the area in search of the gunmen.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, who spoke to our reporter on phone, also said his men have arrested eight suspects in connection to Tuesday’s attack by the gunmen during which two police men were killed.

The Police commissioner also added that his men are after the killers of the FRSC officers.

"we are on the lookout for them and I assure you that my men will soon round them up. We have also put in more effort in our desire to fight terrorism in the state."

Idris added: “I urge the general public to be on the alert and report any suspicious movement to security agencies. Kano is no place for them and we shall make sure that the hoodlums move out of the state.”

#ALUU: VICTIM'S BEREAVED PARENTS CRY OUT

Parents of Murdered UNIPORT Students Seek for Justice through BBC Radio Interview & Petition to the Senate

By Adeola Adeyemo. Culled from Bellanaija

The pain of losing a child must be one of the worst things any parent could ever face. It is hard to imagine the emotional pains the parents of the slain students of University of Port Harcourt must be facing at this time. We extend our condolences to the families and pray that God grants them the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.
The barbaric way the boys were murdered, though painful, is one that must be protested and some of the parents of the slain victims have made their voices heard, calling for justice.
In a telephone interview with the BBC  in London, the fathers of two of the victims, Lloyd Michael and Chiadika Biringa spoke about their sons, how they heard about their death and how they feel towards the people who murdered their sons.
When Lloyd”s father was asked if he ever thought something like this could happen, his response was: “Never in my life. I never ever thought this sort of thing could happen in my country in the 21st century. Never. This is barbaric.”