The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Ekiti set to back entrepreneurs with cash

    The Ekiti State Entrepreneurship Week has given young entrepreneurs in the state the chance to showcase their talents and get grants to grow their businesses. RAZAQ IBRAHIM reports

     

    The maiden edition of the Ekiti State Entrepreneurship Week will linger in many people’s memories.

    During the three-day event, Ekiti people proved to visitors and industry leaders that they have human and natural resources waiting to be tapped. They also demonstrated that they have, in surplus, home-grown start-up that can be developed to big businesses.

    Experts and career mentors in fashion, photography and entrepreneurship, who served as resource persons at the event, were impressed by the vastness of the people in various areas of human endeavour. The event was chaired by wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Bisi Fayemi and powered by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry.

    Among other activities, participants at the event had the opportunity of participating in master class, job fair, fashion runway, financial empowerment session and talent hunts. There were also various exhibition stands which served as platform for the men and women to showcase their locally-made products.

    Aside individuals, entrepreneur unit of the Ekiti State University, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti and the College of Education, Ikere also identified with the initiatives as they displayed various products, ranging from agriculture, fabrics and art works. Also on display were natural resources such as kaolin, raw gold, local rice, local fabrics, art and craft materials and local farm products identified with various local government areas.

    On the importance of the initiative to Ekiti economy, heads of the Community Development Department of various local governments, commended the governor and his team, even as they observed that the publicity for this year’s edition was not enough.

    While acknowledging the fact that it would go a long way in showing to the world the abundant resources available in Ekiti, they urged the youth to leverage the platform to become self-reliant.

    One of the exhibitors, Mofebisola Oyebade-Omopeloye, a Princess of Ogotun Ekiti and Chief Creative Director of Extera Concept, a mat weaving Startup Company, said she decided to go into the business to re-awaken the mat weaving industry associated with the Ogotun Ekiti women.

    “What we do is to create contemporary items with mats because the ages of sleeping on mat are almost gone. That was why I decided to be producing what people can use every day with mats,” she said.

    Oyebade-Omopeolye, a holder of Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Pan-Atlantic University, said her decision to embrace the mat-weaving industry began after completing the National Youth Service Corps scheme in 2015.

    “I came home after the national service and realised that mat weaving was no more popular the way it was when we were growing up and I thought of reviving it. Few years after, I must confess that I have not regretted it as we have been able to produce many contemporary items from mat that can fit into any society and go with any dress,” she added.

    For the duo of Dr. Olujoke Akinrujomu and Mrs. Oladipupo Folakemi, Heads of Department of Fine and Applied Arts and Home Economics respectively in Ekiti State College of Education, the initiative was first of its kind in Ekiti.

    They admitted that with the entrepreneurial week, the state government has not only given exposure to Ekiti business owners but also has given many of them their meal tickets.

    The most exciting aspect of the event was the Fashion Runway, which brought to the fore the beauties of Ekiti fabrics and the creative ingenuity of fashion designers scattered across the state. Aside the fact that the dresses were locally designed, beautiful young men and ladies, who cat-walked to showcase the clothes were also drawn from various communities and institutions in Ekiti.

    On the uniqueness of the fashion parade, the President, Fashion Designers’ Association of Nigeria (FADAN), Funmi Ajila-Ladipo, said she was stunned by the products by Ekiti fashion designers and the dexterity of the hair stylists and makeup artists from the state, who worked on the models with little or no supervision.

    Ajila-Ladipo said: “With what I have seen in the last three days, I’m confident that Ekiti has what it takes to take fashion to the greatest height.  All the attires were made by local designers and the hairdos of the models were handled by a young man in Ado-Ekiti. We only told them what we wanted and they gave us the best,” she said.

    Corroborating Ajila-Ladipo’s position, Ronke Ademiluyi of African Fashion Week, London, Nigeria, Dubai and Brazil and Toyosi Bamisile of Orante both expressed their satisfaction with the outcome of the fashion show.

    Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi identified the development of entrepreneurship as a major solution to unemployment and various challenges facing the country in areas of health, housing, agriculture and security and other sectors of the economy.

    The governor said his administration had started implementing policies that will not just support education for the sake of holding certificates but equip holders of certificates to be capable of applying the knowledge gained to proffer solutions to numerous problems confronting the state and Nigeria in general.

    Dr. Fayemi noted that the nation’s academic framework had produced job seekers without any conscious attention to producing those who will create jobs. He said rather than follow the trend; his administration would encourage an education system which promotes harmonious relationship between the school system and the industries.

    Read Also: Union Bank holds leadership seminar for entreprenuers

    No fewer than 2,000 young entrepreneurs, drawn from different fields and vocations, would be supported during and after the three-day programme, aimed at re-igniting entrepreneurship spirit among Ekiti people.

    Fayemi  said: “It is in realisation of this universally embraced panacea to the rising global unemployment that the concept of hosting Entrepreneurship Week on annual basis was conceived. We have seen that many corporate leaders and global technology giants learned more outside the walls of the classroom just because of their innate curiosity to solve certain problems or challenges facing the society or the global community.

    “As we gather for this three-day programme incorporating training, capacity building and talent hunts, I am hopeful that through this programme we will be able to note the core areas that need the attention of policy makers and practitioners in promoting and developing entrepreneurship in Ekiti State.”

    The governor urged stakeholders to continue to support youth empowerment programmes that will enhance the potential of “our teeming youths and equally floods our society with more job creators and less job seekers.”

    The Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Entrepreneurship Week, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, said the planning committee was keen in exploring ways in which the unique skills and talents of Ekiti people could be highlighted, not just for showcasing but to attract concrete support and investments.

    She revealed that a number of the participants of the programme would get various forms of empowerment and employment opportunities from institutions such as the Bank of Industry, AGMEIS and Longrich, while there will be revolving loans for local creative artisans in the pottery, mat weaving and aso oke sectors.

    She expressed optimism that the programme would be a permanent feature since “Ekiti people cherish hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence.”

    Commissioner for Investment, Trade and Industries Olusoga David urged the participants to make good use of what they would learn from the programme; saying that the programme was aimed at raising entrepreneurs.

    Mrs. Fayemi revealed this at the closing session of the event. The support, according to her, includes providing them more opportunities to showcase their talents, assisting them with funds for expansion and linking them with mentors.

    Mrs. Fayemi, who presented awards to some participants with very outstanding and innovative business ideas and projects, said she was delighted at the enthusiasm of the participants, adding that government’s plan to enhance the capacity of young entrepreneurs to become providers of employment.

     

    “ I am hopeful that through this programme we will be able to note the core areas that need the attention of policy makers and practitioners in promoting and developing entrepreneurship in Ekiti State “

     

     

  • Businessmen sue Police over alleged rights violation

    Joseph Jibueze

     

    Two businessmen, Akinfolabi Akindele and Taiwo Oyewunmi, have sued the Inspector-General of Police at the Lagos High Court in Ikeja over alleged violation of their fundamental rights.

    Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Assistant Inspector-General of Police and the Lagos Commissioner of Police are the other defendants.

    Others are the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ali Mohammed, Taofik Tijani, Sergent Musa Mohammed, Ibrahim Dalatu and Biodun Aguda.

    The applicants are praying the court to declare that Oyewunmi’s arrest and detention on October 22 are unconstitutional, null and void.

    They are praying the court to declare that Akindele’s invitation by the IGP Monitoring Unit, Abuja, over a land matter is unconstitutional because it is outside the jurisdiction of the Police, being a civil matter.

    The applicants are praying the court to declare that they are entitled to their liberty, freedom of movement, right to dignity and compulsory acquisition of property as entrenched in Chapter IV of Section 34, 35(6), 36, 44 and 46(1) (2) of 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    They further want their rights protected under Articles 5, 6, 7, 12, 14 of African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement Law) of 2004.

    Akindele and Oyewunmi want the court to order the respondents to apologise to them for breach of their fundamental rights.

    The applicants seek an order of perpetual injunction restraining the first to eight respondents from further interfering on land in Alaka/Stadium area of Lagos.

    They also want the court to award N5 million damages for Oyewunmi’s unlawful arrest and detention on October 22.

    Read Also: Fake banker allegedly dupes depositors

    In supporting affidavits to the motion, Akindele, who is the Director of Adamakin Investment and Work Limited, and Oyewunmi, a Lagoon Park Global Resources employee, said the Trustees of the Estate of late Madam Efunroye Tinubu family donated a power of attorney dated August 27, 2012, to Adamakin Investment and Work.

    According to them, the Police arrested them based following the sale of the sixty plots of land by another family which had no right to sell it.

    Akindele said he was in Abuja when the invitation came and was received by his lawyer Mojisola Odulate.

    But Oyewunmi was not so fortunate as he was detained at SARS Cell at the Ikeja Police Command.

    “The first applicant has attached a lot of documents to buttressed that first and foremost this is purely a land matter and the applicants have not committed any criminal infractions on the land at Alaka/Stadium Area, Lagos State that warranted the IGP to use the instruments of the state to be pursuing the applicants to the extent of arresting and detaining the second applicant for 24 hours.

    “This is a total fragrant violation of their human rights,” their lawyer said.

  • Idris calls for more budgetary allocation to health

    By Adeola Ogunlade

    Former Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, has appealed to the government to increase its budgetary allocation to the sector to improve its universal health coverage.

    Idris said this at the bi-ennial conference of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), Lagos State chapter at Lagos Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja.

    The conference, tagged “Universal Health Coverage: Defining the bottom line”, featured speeches, presentations, and panel discussions on various aspects.

    Idris said increase in the health budget is germane because of the shortage of health facilities and human resources needed to expand access to health care for all irrespective of the social status in the state.

    He noted: “We need to prioritise our activities and funding towards public health as it has a ripple effect on the productivity of the people.”

    Admitting that the state does not have the funds to develop the sector, he advised that the government should partner the private sector because they have funds that can be tapped into.

    In her words, the Chairman of APHPN, Lagos chapter, Dr. Tolulope Olufunlayo, called on the federal and state governments to make the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) mandatory as it has remained a drawback in the structure in the NHIS programme.

    She noted that the insurance health care scheme was welcome and a pointer to the country’s resolve to ensure universal health coverage that captures everyone in the formal and informal sector. He however stressed that should be made mandatory for everyone.

    Olufunlayo, who lauded the state government that has made it mandatory for citizens to be registered, said it would encourage everyone to take advantage of the scheme.

    She challenged healthcare practitioners to engage the community members and serve as an interface between the government and the people. “When people don’t know they can change their health behaviour and even when they know, you can’t force them. We have not asked the community what they wanted and decide what they want and how they want it. We must engage the community and they must be the drivers of their own health. As community health physicians, we need to engage the community to own their health and make decision for their health.

    Read Also: Education, Health top Sanwo-Olu’s N1tr 2020 budget

    “Local government health chain is one critical structure in ward health committees. Without these committees, they will not be able to access community health provision fund. We need that structure,” she said.

    Also, the General Manager of Lagos State Health Management Agency, Dr. Peju Adewusi, appealed to residents to take advantage of the health insurance scheme in Lagos as it is mandatory for everyone.

    She noted that what causes mortality and mobility is the ability to take important decisions and the finance to pay for the service, adding that huge medical bill pushes people to poverty, especially in Lagos.

    “Sickness is no respecters of any person and health insurance is not about sickness as a pregnant woman is not sick nor a child taken for immunisation is not borne out of sickness. Health insurance gives peace of mind such that any health condition covered under the scheme; you know what to do should you be in a position to have such condition.

    “Over 500, 000 residents in Lagos have registered under the scheme. The formal sector has be able to experience health insurance mainly through NHIS and private insurance plans, but a big chunk of people in Lagos do not have access and they form about 70 per cent of the people living in Lagos,” she said.

     

    right to complaint. There will be call centers to address their concerns and needs”, she said.

  • Addressing troubling maternal mortality

    The worsening maternal mortality rates can be tackled by promoting family planning, use of contraceptives and making quality health care accessible to the people, reports MOSES EMORINKEN

     

    ACCORDING  to the World Health Organisation (WHO), maternal mortality is the death of a pregnant woman within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.

    According to the joint report by WHO, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Bank and United Nations Population Fund, which considered trends in maternal mortality from 1990 to 2015, in Nigeria, at least 800 women die in every 100,000 live births.

    The report further revealed that, in 2015, there were 295,000 maternal deaths all over the world; of this, 196,000 died in sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria, however, had the larger chunk of the numbers at 58,000 maternal deaths.

    By comparison, the total number of maternal deaths in 2015 in 46 most-developed countries was 1,700, resulting in a maternal mortality ratio of 12 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. In fact, a Nigerian woman has one in 22 lifetime risk of dying during pregnancy, childbirth or postpartum/post-abortion; whereas in the most developed countries, the lifetime risk is one in 4,900.

    What this really means is that for every five women, who die in the world as a result of pregnancy in childbirth, one is a Nigerian. The majority of maternal mortalities occur in sub-Saharan Africa, and we are the giant of sub-Saharan Africa. Over the last 28 years, there have been efforts to reduce maternal mortality globally. There has also been a gradual decline all over the world. According to a report by UNICEF, even Africa came down from 870 to  about 533 per 100,000 live births. But the report reveals that the country’s contribution to maternal mortality also fell in 2007. But since then, the numbers have continued to increase.

    However, delays in seeking help, accessing health and not enough resources (human and materials) to receive proper healthcare are the major causes of maternal mortality.

    According to the President, Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), Prof. Oluwarotimi Akinola, “If your health seeking behaviour is poor, you are in the village or you are not seeking attention when it is necessary, when that problem comes, you are not able to properly handle it. More than 50 per cent of women who die in child birth die within the first 24 hours of delivery; hemorrhage is about 25 per cent.

    “You must be delivering in a health facility, where they can help you, which means that there must be a skilled birth attendant present. Even after taking the decision to seeking health care, some cannot access it because of several reasons like distance from the hospital, lack of money, bad roads and communication etc. In the situation where the patient has taken the decision to seek health care, and has accessed it, when they get there, not a lot of our centres are kitted enough to manage the emergences that arise. Sometimes they get there and there is no blood or availability of blood products, and not enough manpower. Unfortunately, from the last data, only about 38 per cent of women in Nigeria have skilled birth attendant at delivery.”

     

    Nigeria’s troubling fertility rate,

    population growth

     

    Our population is growing by 2.6 per cent, total fertility rate is about 5.5 per cent; that is, about five children per woman, and 44 per cent of the population is under 15. Between 1950 and 2019, we have grown from over 38 million to 200 million; and it is estimated that we are going to reach 543 million by 2050, if the rate of growth continues. This is not very helpful because by 2050, we will overtake the United States and Russia to become the third most populous country in the world, after India and China.

    Akinola told The Nation: “The truth is if you don’t get pregnant, you won’t die of maternal mortality.This means in order not to get pregnant, something has to be done about your fertility rate. The average Nigerian woman is giving birth 5.5 times, which is an overkill. There is no doubt that the more deliveries you have the greater the risk, because the body system will be overburdened.”

    ” Gone are the days when people had more children because we were seen as an agrarian state when we needed more hands to till the ground. That time has gone. Young men and women now are not in the farms. The FP2020 initiative has said that by 2020 we should increase our contraceptive prevalence rate to 27 per cent and we are still at 12 per cent. We really need to put our hands on deck “

    For the Chairman, Coalition for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Accountability Mechanism (C4MAN), Dr. Ejike Oji, the most important thing is to “reduce our population growth; otherwise every year, we will add about 25 million people in the country, and then the income per capita of Nigeria will continue to reduce. Our annual population growth rate is about 3.2 per cent, which is so below our annual economy growth rate which is about 2.1 per cent. This way Nigeria becomes poorer.

    “The number one area that usually feels the heat is women’s health and life. Also, the opium of the masses is sex. Whenever a man finds out that he has nothing else to do, he takes it out on his wife, and that’s how the problem has continued to mount.”

    According to the Demographic and Health Surveys, in comparison to other countries, we are only better than Chad because our fertility rate is 5.3 children per woman. However, in comparison to countries like Ghana (4.0), Egypt (3.0), India (2.7), Brazil (2.5), and Iran (1.9), we are still very high in fertility rate.

     

    Family planning, use of contraceptives

     

    According to last year’s Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), access to modern contraception between 1990 and last year has only increased from 3.5 per cent to 12 per cent. This means that over 88 per cent of women, who are at risk of pregnancy, are not using contraception.

    Also, comparing by geopolitical zones, access to modern contraceptives in the Northcentral is 13.8 per cent; Northeast is 7.8 per cent; Northwest is 6.2 per cent; Southeast is 12.9 per cent; Southsouth is 15.8 per cent; Southwest is 24.4 per cent, while the national average stands at 12 per cent.There is higher acceptance of modern contraceptive use in the South compared to the North. According to the NDHS report, Iran, for example, which is a Muslim country, has a modern contraceptive rate use at 76.5 per cent; Egypt has a 57.6 per cent; Brazil has 70.3 per cent acceptance of modern contraceptive use. Furthermore, India has 48.5 per cent, and Ghana has 19 per cent.

    Data has shown that we can reduce maternal mortality by 44 per cent, if there is a national adoption of contraception. Forty-four per cent reduction due to family planning will reduce that burden to 32,480 maternal deaths.

    According to Dr. Collins Iyelobu, a Senior Registrar, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, “The optic of family planning in Nigeria is very poor. The truth is that most women do not know when they are safe or not, even if they did know, you cannot control when your spouse wants to make love to you.

    “The woman too cannot control her own emotions, so the failure rate of religious methods like the billings method of the Catholics is very high. With the failure rate comes a lot of pregnancy, and with a lot of pregnancy comes the inability to take care of these children or causes abortion rate. With these abortion rates come the complications that come with it being very high.

    “For family planning, we cannot say it is an issue of finance because most of these family planning methods, especially in government hospitals, are free. If not free, they are not expensive. A pack of condom is about N20, oral contraceptive pills you can get for N50. Other injectable you get for free; all you need to do is pay for syringe, which is N50.”

    In an interview, Oji recommended that family planning is the single bullet that can reduce maternal mortality by 30 per cent. “The reason is because most women are having children not by choice but by chance. What this means is that women are not having access to contraceptive services for them to plan their families properly. People reference India and China, but the only way they become great nations is that they reviewed their population laws. India says one man, one woman and two children. In modern times, nobody forces anybody anymore because it has been shown that right-based family planning properly done is much more prosperous for a country than using law.

    “Gone are the days people had more children because we were seen as an agrarian state when we needed more hands to till the ground. That time has gone. Young men and women now are not in the farms. The FP2020 initiative has said that by 2020, we should increase our contraceptive prevalence rate to 27 per cent. We are still at 12 per cent. We really need to put our hands on deck,” Orji said.

    For Akinola, contraceptives also prevent unwanted pregnancies. “So, if there is an unwanted pregnancy, there are several ways you can go at it. The contribution of unsafe abortion to maternal mortality is about 13 per cent. If you get pregnant when you don’t want to, you probably will attempt to have an unsafe abortion, and this will probably lead to death. For contraceptive prevalence rate, Jigawa State is about 1.3 per cent, Kano is probably around 6.3 per cent, Sokoto about 4.7 per cent, and Oyo State is about 34.2 per cent; so, it is the average that comes to 12 per cent.”

     

    Healthcare funding and maternal mortality

     

    According to the Abuja Declaration, every state in Africa should use a minimum of 15 per cent of its budget to intervene in the sector. Nigeria has never attained more than 4.6 per cent; there was a time it got to six per cent. In the budget proposal for 2020, allocation to the sector is 4.1 per cent.

    According to BudgIT report of 2019, with respect to budgetary allocation to health, only Kwara State allocated more than 15 per cent of its budget to health – 17.8 per cent. The report further showed that concerning the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in Nigerian states, Kebbi, Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, Taraba, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kano, Rivers, Enugu and Gombe are worst hit.

    The national average for maternal mortality per 100,000 live births is 233. Below are the averages for each state: Abia (115), Adamawa (160), Akwa Ibom (270), Anambra (71), Bauchi (205), Bayelsa (283), Benue (71), Borno (134), Cross-River (82), Delta (166), Ebonyi (126), Edo (32), Ekiti (31), Enugu (238), Gombe (224), Imo (139), Jigawa (590), Kaduna (184).

    Others are Kano (256), Katsina (547), Kebbi (696), Kogi (97), Kwara (49), Lagos (189), Nassarawa (41), Niger (152), Ogun (90), Ondo (93), Osun (20), Oyo (41), Plateau (106), Rivers (243), Sokoto (304), Taraba (367), Yobe (599), and Zamfara (324).

    On maternal mortality, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) set as the target 70 deaths per 100,000 live births. As it stands, only six states namely, Edo, Ekiti, Kwara, Nasarawa, Osun and Oyo states, are doing that or performing better than that right now.

    According to Oji, Nigerians should stop having babies by ‘chance’, and embrace family planning for healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies. What is needed is a political will and commitment to ensure that the huge burden of maternal mortality is reduced in the country.

    “Contraception and safe abortion services should not be donor-dependent; we need to buy our won contraceptives; have strong health systems with trained health workers and essential medicines; improved access to quality care before, during and after childbirth. No woman should die in pregnancy and childbirth.”

     

  • Rotary urges Nigerians to donate blood

    By Adeola Ogunlade

    President, Rotary Club of Palmgrove Estate, Jayashankar Nalode, has appealed to Nigerians to cultivate the habit of donating blood, saying this will go a long way in saving lives.

    He said this at a blood donation camp organised by the Indian Cultural Association, in conjunction with the Association of Indian Professionals, Rotary Club of Palmgrove Estate, Rotary Club of Lagos Island and Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee.

    The camp was held in commemoration of the 150th birthday of Mahatma Ghandi and 59th Independence of Nigeria, at the High Commission of India, Lagos.

    According to him, though Nigeria’s estimated blood need is about 1.8 million units yearly, voluntary blood donation is relatively low.

    He said the state Blood Transfusion Committee has only been able to generate about 40 per cent of blood required in Lagos.

    Nalode noted that Nigeria falls under the category of insufficient blood as blood is usually not available when needed for most patients.

    He lamented that due to inadequate supply of blood, most women die at child birth, adding that of 10 pregnant women, three will need blood at child birth. Although he said Nigerians religiously feel that they should not donate blood, and some believe that giving blood means given something out from their body, it is a wrong belief.

    Last year, Nalode said, Rotary donated about 2, 000 pints of blood.  ‘’We are looking at doing 3, 000 pints  this year so that we can help in our little way to address the short supply of blood.

    Read Also: Rotary takes free medical care to Abuja community

    He stated that there were benefits of donating blood, adding that whatever you give would come back as the blood regenerate itself.

    “It is very healthy to donate blood as the blood will replenish in few hours. You feel healthier,” he said.

    The Indian Cultural Association President, Chief Sanjay Jain, said the camp was also aimed at emulating the efforts of Mahatma Ghandi, the father of India, who was committed to a life of communal services, hard work, sincerity and service.

    ’We are committed to the cause of serving humanity and blood donation is an essential part of it. We are the largest blood donation organisation in Nigeria. We constitute 80 per cent of voluntary blood donors in Lagos.We are committed and proud of it. We have consistently run blood donation camps. This is our fifth donation camp. Our pints of blood save three lives and it is used directly for blood transfusion and for other illnesses,” Jain added.

  • Skin itching and how to manage it

    This week, we will take a look at one of the commonest complaints that is likely to bring a person to his or her doctor in our environment. It is skin itching (which doctors call pruritus) with or without rashes. Itching is a desire to scratch and it’s a common skin disorder. In some patients, itching and scratching that follows may be so severe to the extent of driving the victim to mental illness or depression. It may be possible that the sufferer may have frequented various medical practitioners without achieving a solution.  The good news however is that very often, the causes of the pruritus can be identified and thus helping the astute clinician to offer treatment.

    Let us now take a look at the causes of generalised itching with visible skin rashes in our environment. Chief among the causes would be parasitic infestation/infection like scabies. Scabies is common amongst children. Infestation by scabies produces a rash and intense itching that gets worse at night. Continuous scratching of the affected area can create skin sores that become infected.  Areas that are commonly affected by scabies are wrist, elbow, armpit, nipple, penis, waist, buttocks, and the area between the fingers. The rashes, if infected, may start to discharge fluids. Unfortunately, scabies can spread to others, both adult and children.

    Fortunately, treatment for scabies and the outcome is very good. However, other members of the family and school contacts should be screened for possible spread of the disease. One other disease, which doctors commonly encounter, is called onchodermatitis. Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, is a disease caused by infection with the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus. Symptoms include severe itching.  It causes blindness. Prevention is by avoiding being bitten by flies. This may include the use of insect repellent and proper clothing.  Other efforts include those to decrease the fly population by spraying insecticides.

    Body lice are common in poor hygiene in overcrowded places and amongst school children. Like scabies, they spread very easily to others and to family members. Cure is thorough personal hygiene and burning of affected linens. Gut worms could also cause generalized itching. Simply deworm your family every three months.

    Other forms of infection agents are fungus/yeasts that cause various skin illnesses. In my practice, I have seen a skin disease that patients frequently bring to my attention: it’s called Pityriases rosea.  This is best dealt with by a doctor knowledgeable with the disease.  It’s believed this is caused by a virus. The habit of some individuals may cause severe generalised itching in them. Example of this is the habit of vigorous toweling after shower/bath. Drug reaction is another common cause of itching. Any drug that the taker reacts badly to may lead to itching. Chloroquine and camoquine, which are used for treating malaria, are leading causes of severe scratching in our environment. The solution to this problem is to take the antidote (such as piriton) along with the medication at the same time, in the event that itching develops.

    Yet, in some individuals, severe itching can arise because of contact with chemicals (in factory workers, soaps, cosmetics, garden or farm plants and clothing). The best approach is to avoid contact with these items or wear protective items like gloves. When the itching has developed, the clinician will assess the cause and deal with it accordingly. Very often, an antidote will be offered. Some individuals may also be reacting to miscellaneous factors, such as food, changes in temperature, exercise and dry skin.  I have also seen some patients with generalised itching as a result of use of cold water, hot water in contact with the skin or been beaten by rain water. Rashes may also accompany these reactions. Innocent as it may first appear pregnancy may cause generalised itching due largely to changes in the hormones in the pregnant woman.

    Skin Manifestation of Systemic Diseases:  Generalised itching may also follow internal diseases. Examples are kidney failure, liver diseases (cirrhosis), cancer of the blood such as multiple myeloma, polycythemia vera), diseases of endocrine (thyroid, diabetes), cancer of the womb, of cervix, cancer of stomach, lung and of the breast.

    Psychiatric (mental) illnesses and deprivation of emotional upset could also lead to generalised itching. I am fully aware that even for trained clinicians, recognising and managing skin diseases can be challenging not to mention lay members of the public. The message in this articles is that if you feel strange or have itching or you notice rashes, it’s important not to dismiss the symptom of itching. The cause may be more serious than it may first appear to the victim. The attending doctor should investigate thoroughly and deal with it or refer the patient to the appropriate specialist accordingly.

    On the other hand, some skin rashes and itching may take a few minutes in the visit to the doctor to be dealt with. The key message is to take skin eruption and scratching very seriously in both children and adult alike. If you have been affected by the content of this article and you require clarification, kindly call the helpline 07087733114 for support.

     

    “ Body lice are common in poor hygiene in overcrowded places and among school children. Like scabies, they spread very easily to others and to family members. Cure is thorough personal hygiene and burning of affected linens. Gut worms could also cause generalised itching. Simply deworm your family every three months  “

  • Curbing waste culture on the Plateau

    Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong subjected his newly appointed Commissioners to a tour of rural communities, a training workshop and a strategic policy retreat, all in a bid to improve government’s performance and consolidate on achievements of his first term, YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU reports

     

    It is almost becoming a tradition in political leadership in Nigeria that elected political office holders, particularly governors, only do well in terms of provision of dividends of democracy in their first terms. This aims at impressing the electorate so that they can vote for them during their second term bid.

    Popular views are that the governors do show some commitments in serving the people in their first tenures as a way of encouraging them to believe in their abilities to deliver the benefits of democracy to them. But no sooner they are re-elected for second term than their level of commitment to duty begins to wane; leading to lull in performance.

    However, there are some governors who are genuinely committed to providing the necessary basic amenities for the people during their first term in office, irrespective of the fact that they may or not be voted for during their second term bid by the electorate.

    Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong seems determined to end the culture of waste in the state. To this end, Lalong organised a five-day policy retreat for members of his executive council, Permanent Secretaries and top government functionaries. The retreat, which held at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos, aimed at introducing government officials to his administration’s policy initiatives and the roadmap for proper implementation. This move could signal some level of credence Lalong brings to bear in order to surpass his governance performance during his first term.

    The executive council consists of some commissioners who served in Lalong’s first term and some new names. The nominees were screened and cleared by members of the Plateau State House of Assembly before they were sworn in by Governor Lalong on October 7, 2019.

    Before the swearing in ceremony, the governor led the new commissioners and other appointees on a three-day tour of the 17 local government areas of the state.

    The tour, according to Lalong, was aimed at providing the commissioners with the opportunity to familiarise themselves with some challenges at the grassroots and also to enable them to interact with political and community leaders at that level before assuming office.

    After the familiarisation tour, Lalong gave to each member document containing the five-year State Strategic Development Plan to study and get acquainted with the contents of the document.

    With the two initial tasks accomplished, the governor administered the oath of office on the commissioners.

    He said: “Let me state clearly that our Rescue Administration has so much to do within a short time and would ensure that every second counts as you settle down to deliver on the Next Level Agenda,” Governor Lalong said while swearing in the commissioners.

    He further committed members of the executive council to a week-long workshop immediately after their inauguration in which the governor took time to tutor members of his cabinet on the direction and policy trust of his administration’s second tenure.

    The workshop was also an opportunity to understand the agenda of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as well as the campaign promises the governor made to the people. Lalong said all these were preparatory to the just-concluded policy retreat, through which the governor equipped his commissioners and other top government officials with the machinery of government to enable them to “hit the ground running in service to people of the state in a result-oriented manner.”

    The theme of the five-day policy retreat was “New Initiatives for Sustaining the Rescue Agenda to the Next Level.”

    This, according to the governor, was “specifically arranged for participants to interact with one another, listen to experts, constructively engage one another in robust discourse and deepen their understanding of the vision and philosophy of the Rescue Agenda of my government.”

    Lalong believed that at the end of the retreat, all his appointees would demonstrate high level of synergy, collaboration and co-operation as they work together to harness the resources of government and the goodwill of citizens in delivering good governance throughout the period of the administration.

    He said: “It is for this reason that we have brought in not only members of the state executive council, but also Permanent Secretaries and Heads of key government agencies with a view to creating the needed understanding and synergy in meeting our objectives as a government.”

    On assumption of office for his second term on May 29, 2019, Governor Lalong rolled out a three-Pillar Policy framework for his administration which is centered on peace, security and good governance, physical infrastructure development and sustainable economic re-birth.

    From that moment, citizens became anxious to know what this three-pillar policy framework means, vis-a-vis the five-pillar policy trust of his first term. The people wanted to know how the new policy will impact on their living standards, and how soon they will begin to realise the evidence of this vision. It was in the quest to address these agitations of the electorate that the governor thought it worthwhile that all appointees needed to sit down and plan, review, discuss, strategise and project on what government needs to do to get the desired answers for those who elected them and to whom they are accountable.

    But as much as Governor Lalong desires to fulfill his campaign promises through the three-pillar policy framework, the state faces challenges of scarce revenue amid numerous challenges that are capital intensive.

    The first task before the government is to consider how to get the necessary fund to carry out its mission and accomplish its vision. Therefore, government needs to take a broad look at the state of the state’s economy and devise a formula to expand its revenue base. It is obvious that the current revenues accrued to the state from both external and internal sources may not be enough to provide needed social services to the citizens.

    The governor was not ready to play pranks with the intelligence of his people on the poor financial status of the state. He, therefore, made his appointees understand the economic reality of the state when he said: “And you all know the challenge of raising funds that are critical to achieving the goals of our administration in delivering better living standards for our people. Let me emphasise that boosting the state’s revenue generation capacity, strengthening partnerships and other aspects that are captured within the MDAs’ Medium-Term Sector Strategy (MTSS) as well as the Medium-Term Revenue Framework (MTRF) should be a thing of priority to us as government.”

    One of the cardinal principles of the Lalong administration which is also very central in the manifesto of the ruling APC is never to leave any project abandoned during any tenure. There are numerous abandoned projects all over the state right from the First Republic. This made the administration whose intention is to change the status quo, vowed never to start any project it will not complete.

    For this reason, Lalong has put in place a committee that monitors project execution. As a deliberate step to make the job of the monitoring committee effective, the governor charged participants at the retreat to also look at issues relating to planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects.

    He said: “As a government, we cannot afford to waste valuable time and resources nor condone the culture of waste that denies our people good life in the past. The Project Monitoring and Result Delivery Unit headed by the Chief of Staff has already been mandated to ensure that the state gets value for money and to track the implementation of all projects and programmes through the various Key Performance Indicators.”

    Having set the agenda for the retreat, the participants began with the review of government activities within the first term by analysing how the administration started in 2015; how it fared between 2015 and 2019; and the focus of the administration in the second term.

    In a communiqué issued at the end of the retreat, the appointees resolved to make agriculture, mining and tourism the main economic base of the administration by encouraging the governor to invest heavily in the three sectors where the state has comparative advantage. It is their belief that with good investment in these three sectors; the state will be able to boost its revenue generation, create jobs and sustain development.

    The participants also demanded a complete paradigm shift from dependence on the monthly federal allocation to run its administration and execute capital projects to reliance on its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

    The appointees resolved that beginning from 2020, all state ministries, departments and agencies must think of how to generate revenue. This is because the appointees believed strongly that there is no ministry, department or agency in the state that cannot generate revenue from the services they must render to citizens.

    Similarly, it was resolved that the project management unit under the office of the Chief of Staff saddled with the responsibility of monitoring and evaluation of performances of ministries, departments and agencies, should ensure quality tracking of set targets, just as they all agreed to work as a team in the interest of their people.

    These resolutions were reached by the participants with the view of consolidating on past achievements and further developing the new policy framework so as to achieve sustainable, feasible and implementable results for a legacy that will stand the test of time in the state.

     

    ” This retreat was specifically arranged for participants to interact with one another, listen to experts, constructively engage one another in robust discourse and deepen their understanding of the vision and philosophy of the Rescue Agenda of my government…It is for this reason that we have brought in not only members of the state executive council, but also Permanent Secretaries and Heads of key government agencies with a view to creating the needed understanding and synergy in meeting government’s objectives “

     

  • ‘Bill Clinton’s village’ Ushafa still without water to drink

    Ushafa, a fast-growing community tucked in the fringe of the Federal Capital Territory, hosts the Usuma Dam that supplies water to the entire capital city and satellite settlements downtown. It’s a community sited at the ‘river bank’ but the residents wash their hands with ‘spittle’. FRANCA OCHIGBO reports

     

    Ushafa played host to a former American President, Bill Clinton when he visited Nigeria in 2000. Clinton met a rustic community of peasants and artisans going about their daily activities with the hope of better living conditions in the future. But 19 years after Clinton’s historic visit, the residents of Ushafa have remained in the same situation the former American President met them – living without water.

    It takes the residents about 15 minutes’ walk to get to the Usuma Dam, the only source of water supply to the entire capital city and its adjoining satellite towns. Located in the Bwari Area Council, Ushafa and its neighbouring communities like Peyi, Kogo, Pambara and Bwari town, which is the council headquarters, have no water supply.

    A modestly bourgeoning community, Ushafa boasts good road network and beautiful landscape. Modern residential and commercial buildings, shopping complexes, schools and other structures under construction dot different parts of the town. For the community, the only source of water for drinking and domestic use is borehole, as countless promises by the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory to give them water have continued fall flat over the years. Many households and small businesses that cannot afford the cost of sinking boreholes rely on water vendors. More confounding to the residents is the fact that Kubwa, an adjourning satellite town within the same council area enjoys regular water supply from Usuma Dam. Same as Gwarimpa Estate, which is a few kilometres away.

    Some of the residents that spoke with our correspondent bemoaned the fate of the community. Mr John Paul Nwadibe who runs a small business at Ushafa deplored what he described as the insensitivity of the FCT authorities.

    Nwadibe said: “What we are suffering at Ushafa is the same thing as Bwari, Peyi, Pambara, Army checkpoint, then Kogo. All these areas have no pipe-borne water. It is not affecting Kubwa because Kubwa residents know their rights and they have rich people living there”. According to him, Ushafa is fast developing, which is clear to see. But even with that, the residents are all living at the mercy of boreholes and water sold by water vendors popularly called mai-ruwa in the Hausa language. Ushafa is right at the back of Usuma Dam where water is being supplied to the whole of Abuja, yet lacking pipe-borne water completely.

    “We are happy that you have come over to see what is happening to the residents of this community. Please get our message out to the Federal Capital Territory Minister and all those in charge that there is no water in these areas. We see water being supplied to the whole FCT but we do not have access to this water, which is very bad. How can an old woman be selling chewing stick and her children are suffering from tooth decay. It is not right at all.”

    Another resident, who simply gave his name as Solomon, likened Ushafa to a filling station that sells fuel and kerosene but has none of the products for its own use. “That is exactly what we are passing through in Ushafa. Usuma Dam supplies water to the whole of Abuja. Every house in Ushafa has a borehole”. When asked if the residents had approached the relevant authorities over their plight, Solomon said they did on several occasions but that the FCT Water Board appeared not keen in addressing the situation. “If you ask them, they will say they have the days which the tap runs, which is not every day. We all know that water is very important and everyone needs a constant supply of water.

    “That is the reason almost all the houses went into the drilling of boreholes. If you ask me, Usuma Dam, through the Water Board, is supposed to supply water to this area. There was a day I was asking myself that Ushafa here supplies water to every area in Abuja but we don’t have water, which is very disappointing.

    “It is just recently that they started laying pipes all over the place; that was two weeks ago. One of the pipes that are being laid got burst right in front of my shop a few days ago. The Water Board officials have been seeing it on their way to work every day but they have refused to repair it. The Water Board gives water occasionally, like Sundays and Wednesdays. But the water does not run for long on those days, just for a few hours.”

    Curiously, the residents have been receiving bills from the Water Board on a monthly basis despite the irregular or zero supply. And they are forced to pay the bills for fear of having the irregular supply cut off completely.

    “The Water Board finds it convenient to cut off supply. It’s the provision of water that is the problem. We need water to be centralised. The growth of any city requires three things; water, light and roads. If we can have water in Ushafa, I don’t think we will have many problems. Let them know what to do about it. We are not happy.

    “Excessive sinking of boreholes in this area may cause problem one day. Most houses in Ushafa now have boreholes and it is not good. Have you seen where they sink a borehole in rainy season? It is supposed to be during the dry season so that people can get water. But in Ushafa, people sink boreholes in the rainy season because they want to have water. Ushafa is drinking almost from the gutter.”

    Read also: Reps vow to evict illegal occupants of Abuja Cultural village

    Some of the residents told our correspondent that they have been engaging officials of the Water Board at frequent intervals with the view to knowing when the installations would be completed but that there has been no firm assurance from the authorities. “We see staff with Water Board jackets. We have been asking them questions but they have not given us any reasonable answer. Some say they are not in a position to answer. They will tell you they are only doing their work, often referring us to the authorities to answer us,” one of the residents said.

    The story is the same in nearby Bwari, which is the headquarters of the Area Council. The Bwari Area Council is strategic for the fact that it is home to some critical Federal Government agencies. The Nigerian Law School and the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) are located in Bwari, which is about 40 kilometres from the city centre.

    Also, the National Defence College has its permanent site close in the area. Similarly, the Department of State Services (DSS) also has its training school close to Usuma Dam. Just like the residents, these government agencies also rely on boreholes for their water requirements. A resident of Bwari, Udenna Kalu, who spoke with our correspondent, said water supply to the town has remained epileptic over the years.

    “If we get water today, we will not get it again until one month’s time. There are some that see water on a daily basis in Bwari. These are people who pay money to officials of the Water Board in Ushafa, particularly those that use water for their businesses. All these water vendors come to buy and sell. All over Bwari and its environs, it is water vendors that people buy water from. A 20-litre keg of water sells for N30, a trolley of water is N300, sometimes we beg to pay N500 or above when there is acute water scarcity”.

    Lamenting further, Kalu said: “There is always scarcity of water here during the dry season. We need water in Bwari. All the pipes around are mere decorations; there is no water in them. When you see these pipes, you would think they are working but they are not working at all. If they are serious, we will all look up to them to give us water. Ever since I moved to this part of Abuja called Bwari, there has never been pipe-borne water.”

     

  • ‘How to achieve better healthcare’

    From Moses Emorinken, Abuja

    Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has said respect, communication and empathy for patients, regardless of their social or economic status, are vital for quality health care delivery.

    Okowa spoke in Abuja during the National Health Summit organised by the Nigerian Medical Association and the Commonwealth Medical Association.

    He stressed that while improved funding, adequate equipment and facilities and  manpower play a critical role in health care delivery, focusing on the patient and creating an experience of respect, trust and confidentiality could significantly improve healthcare  delivery.

    In his keynote address at the event, where he received an award, Okowa,  pointed out that the patient-centered care (PCC) model will catalyse the healthcare to elevated heights.

    ”Patient-centered care is the practice of caring for patients (and their families) in ways that are engaging, meaningful and valuable to the individual patient. Whilst we have made little progress in the areas of increased budgetary provision for health, development of health infrastructure, improved life expectancy at birth and training of healthcare professionals, the healthcare system is still far from what it should be.

    “The PCC model acknowledges that patients should actively participate in health-related decisions in a manner that inspires trust and confidence in the healthcare system. Globally, the PCC model is emerging as a key dimension to providing quality healthcare. Hence, enhancing the patient experiences and delivering patient-centered care is on the agenda of virtually every country today.

    “In contrast to the more traditional medical care model where the patient’s role is passive and the patient is seen more as just a recipient of treatment, the PCC model gives a voice to the patient since the patient’s role as an active partner in the treatment plan is not in doubt,” Okowa advised.

    He explained that PCC emphasises the importance of understanding a patients’ health history, goals, choices, expectations, fears and anxieties as well as their perception of what they consider quality healthcare.

    “Statistics indicate that 70 per cent of litigations resulting from poor patients’ experiences and adverse outcomes are often due to poor communication. In such cases, patients felt they were misled, neglected in the decision-making process and lacked proper understanding of the services provided, especially in the case of surgical procedures.

    Read Also:  Stakeholders want better healthcare

     

    “To improve the experience of care and ensure quality and safety, the family is regarded as equal members of the team; they are not left out in the design and implementation of the care plan. But even more importantly, family members are treated as respectable members of the team, not as visitors who cannot access certain areas of the hospital such as the intensive care and emergency units.

    “Except for a few exemptions, most of our private and nearly public healthcare establishments in Nigeria still practise the traditional medical care model in healthcare delivery. There is hardly any communication as the patient and family play passive roles in the healthcare plan and, of course, the implementation.

    “Anyone who has lived in Nigeria long enough and has had to visit our hospitals has at one time or the other experienced the dismissive attitude of many of our healthcare providers especially those in the front office. Empathy is key on the part of the professionals in the healthcare industry to ensure the best patient experiences and expectations of quality service,”  Okowa said.

    He therefore urged doctors and other healthcare professionals to show exemplary character needed to build trust to provide the best available care and relationships with patients and families.

  • A walk against cancer

    Wife of Kebbi State Governor, Mrs. Zainab Bagugu and some celebrities have sensitised women to the dangers of cancer.  TONY AKOWE reports

     

    For the Kebbi State governor’s wife, Mrs. Zainab Bagudu, sensitising the womenfolk to the dangers of cancer has become a passion. For several years, her involvement in creating awareness about cancer and available treatment options has continued to wax strong.

    Expectedly, her major focus in the campaign is the womenfolk, who have been at the receiving end over the years, with little encouragement from the larger society.

    In a bold statement, Mrs. Bagudu has continued to inform the public, especially women, that having cancer isn’t a death sentence.

    So, when she stormed Abuja recently during her campaign against the disease, it did not require much effort to attract celebrities to join the one-day event that rekindled hope in many patients who shared their experiences about the scourge.

    Mrs. Bagudu, who is the founder of Medicaid Cancer Foundation, has continued to inspire patients with words of encouragement and hope. Her effort has been yielding positive results as patients, mainly women, have been coming forward to narrate their experiences and how they have been coping with treatment and therapy.

    According to her, the Medicaid Foundation has assisted more than 200, 000 people across the country since it was set up a few years ago.

     

    Patients narrate experiences

    Zainab Yakassai, who is an employee of Federal Judicial Service Commission, said she discovered a lump on her breast in October, last year and was diagnosed of breast cancer a month later.

    To her, it was a death sentence. But help came her way through series of chemotherapy and other forms of treatment. And by September this year, she was declared cancer-free and has been living a healthy life since then.

    Another patient, who simply identified herself as Ijeoma, said she was diagnosed of breast cancer in July, last year. And like Yakassai, she went through the rigours of cancer treatment and has just been declared cancer-free a few weeks ago. Ijeoma advised others in similar situation to face the treatment with courage and determination in order to be alive.

    Zainab Bagudu
    Zainab Bagudu

    Another patient, Ocheme said she discovered a lump in her breast while doing her National Youth Service a few years ago. “I went to the hospital and was diagnosed of cancer. Immediately I got the information, I was distabilised. But there was a voice that told me that was not the end of life and that voice came from Medicaid Foundation. Since then, they have been of tremendous help to me. They assisted me and I went through surgery and here I am today, cancer-free,” she said.

    Sandra Vee described her cancer story in a long narrative, saying that she had lived all her life running away from cancer but which she eventually suffered from. According to her, she grew up believing that eating meat causes cancer.

    In fact, the greatest fear in her family, especially her father, was the fear of cancer.

    She said: “Mine is a long and short story. Surviving cancer is a story that one doesn’t know how to narrate to the next person. It is a story one would want to keep to oneself. But sometimes, it is a story that one should share with others so that other women will know what to do when they notice something in their breasts.

    “I noticed a 2cm lump in my breast on January 2, 2019 and immediately rushed to the hospital. I went through scan and doctors revealed to me that it was fibroid enemas. With that, I was supposed to relax, but I did not. I went to different hospitals and they all told me the same thing. I went for leaptoctomy, an operation to remove the lump.

    Read Also: Aisha Buhari harps on cancer prevention strategies

     

    “Immediately I removed the lump, I went to the National Hospital, Abuja and did a histopathology test which confirmed that I had triple negative cancer. I was begging for death to come, I was begging for the ground to open and swallow me, but none of that happened. I never knew that a day will come when I will survive this cancer.

    “As a child, I was a vegetarian. So, when they say meat causes cancer, I never bothered. I didn’t even know how meat tastes. My parents told me from the onset that my mother’s family has a history of cancer. So, you must eat right. My father was afraid of cancer all his life and I woke up one day and discovered that I have cancer.

    “At the National Hospital, I remembered one of the doctors came and told me that even though it is triple negative, the drugs are there, and that I could make it. The same 2cm lump I found on January 2 had grown to 7cm a month after. That is how fast cancer spreads and it kills as fast as it comes.

    “But with the help of Medicaid Foundation, I was able to survive it. I became a vegetarian and ate limited kinds of foods for fear of cancer. While we lived in America, we never ate certain food just to avoid cancer. I came back to Nigeria to see my mother in-law and they refused to grant me visa to go back. It was like a death sentence.

    Currently, this foundation has given me hope and I am standing here today to tell you that you can become a cancer survivor, especially if you discover it early. I keep telling those who have cancer and have refused to go for chemotherapy that I went through eight rounds of chemotherapy and here I am. The only thing it turned me into is a glutton because I eat uncontrollably, not knowing when to stop.”

     

    Plea for cancer centres across the country

    Mrs. Bagudu pleaded with government at all levels to ensure the establishment and equipping of cancer centres in as many locations as possible, stating that she got involved in cancer care in order to save lives. The governor’s wife said even though she is not an Oncologist, she was motivated into establishing the foundation as her own contribution towards saving lives. According to her, only a few non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are currently involved in the cancer awareness campaign in the country.

    She lamented the cost of cancer treatment, describing it as very expensive.

    “We are here talking about Radiotherapy, which is about N400, 000. The world needs to do more to eradicate cancer. Take for example, when the issue of HIV/AIDS first broke, there were so many NGOs involved in the fight, apparently because people can easily be infected.

    “But cancer is not like that. The awareness level is low and many women are dying daily. This is what I like doing. That is why I prefer being called Founder of Medicaid Cancer Foundation to being addressed as wife of Kebbi State Governor because I became founder before becoming the wife of the governor. My being wife of the governor has a tenure because, after eight years, my husband will no longer be governor. I thank God that he has a second term now. But that will end in another four years,” she said.

    The President of Women Arise for Change Initiative, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin praised Mrs. Bagudu and her Foundation for bringing succour to cancer patients.

    Okei-Odumakin said: ”For eight years, you have been creating awareness and this Foundation is 12 years old. Cancer is the second largest killer disease. It knows no race, no tribe, no religious inclination and no age. That is why we must continue to create adequate awareness. I have been to the National Hospital and when I see those there who are suffering from cancer, I become convinced that they have hope. So, we must continue to create awareness on early detection, which is crucial.

    Celebrities at the event included Nollywood actress, Toyin Abraham and former Super Eagles Captain, Peter Rufai among others. Participants at the walk described it as the longest against the ailment on the African Continent.

     

    ” We are here talking about Radiotherapy, which is about N400, 000. The world needs to do more to eradicate cancer. Take for example, when the issue of HIV/AIDS first broke, there were so many NGOs involved in the fight, apparently because people can easily be infected. But cancer is not like that. The awareness level is low and many women are dying daily “