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Christmas 2023: Nearer my God to thee (2)

An Octogenerian asked me last week for the names of ArchAngels and their specific duties. I knew where he was heading. So, I told him it was unnecessary, probably wrong, to involve them in our “prayers”. We are human spirits and belong to the Spiritual specie of creation. ArchAngels and angels belong to a substantiate section of divinity, which is far, far above the spiritual realms, our orign. It is conceit and presumption, if not folly and arrogance, which makes a human spirit wish to wine and dine with an angel, and an archangel or to even wish to send them on errands. In my years of ignorance as an 11-year-old in a white garment church in 1961, I was taught that ArchAngel Michael was the angel of war. Thus, we beseechingly sang during serious congregations that He mightily descend into our midst with heavenly warriors in their fulsome fury against ethereal forces ranged against us by our enemies. When I had my first Out of Body Experience in 1974, which I understood only three or four years later, my maternal grandmother behaved no less. Somehow, I could not inwardly participate in her consuming, fiery prayers sent out as arrows and spears against imagined enemies of her grandson. About four years later, I learned of how a special specie of elemental beings gather our various ugly thoughts and spoken words and nurse them into thought and other forms known as demons and phantoms which are attached to us and attract similar degrading, dark entities in the Law of Sowing and Reaping. Space permitting, I should speak about them later.
The octogenarian was challenged with multiple vicissitudes of the twillight years against which he thought he had no control, and was searching for mantras or chants that could give his soul, nay spirit, a buoy. This must have been his way of life because he revealed that a certain ailment robbed his memory of the names of many ArchAngels.
It has been a long time since I thought about ArchAngels or any angel. I remember ArchAngel Michael nowadays after conversations with the octogenarian which led me on memory lane to the book of revelations Chapter 12. This chapter is connected with the Last Judgement, the Millenium, and of perdition awaiting many sleepy or non-challant human souls. For these reasons, the Lord Jesus undertook a journey to the earth to forewarn us earth-men. Revelations Chapter 12 reports a great battle in heaven among ArchAngels and Angels in which ArchAngel Michael had the onerous duty to protect the Queen of Heaven, Elizabeth, also known as The Primordial Mother or first mother Who was reported to be heavy with a Child.
The idea of a pregnant woman in Heaven should surprise attentive Christians for the Lord Jesus taught us that marriages and such things do not happen there. Accordingly, some Christian scholars have attempted figurative conception of the event. Some accounts say the child is Jesus Christ and that the attack on the woman represents an attack on the church as the Body of Christ. However, such accounts derecognise the fact that the revelations were made after the departure of the Lord Jesus from the Earth to which another Divine Mission was being prepared for the judgement and the Millenium. The Lord Jesus Himself promised the coming of Him Who would “reprove” the world of sin and proclaim the Judgement. Before I go on, I will like to suggest that I seriously doubt that the accounts of REVEALATIONS chapter 12 took place in the heavens above the spiritual realms, our own origin, called paradise. I say so, because the Abode of the queen of heaven is far, far above the orign of ArchAngels and no lower Being can cross from his or her own orign to a higher plane of existence Without dissolving because the energy potential above is far greater than the energy potential below. It is like an unprotected human being holding a naked, live 33 KVA cable! What we call the various worlds are energy voltages stepping down as we journey downwards from above. That is why a thousand years on earth would be no more than one day in velocity and energy quantum in some parts of the universe, as we are already told. This is in no way to suggest that the events in REVEALATIONS chapter 12 did not happen. It is being suggested that it probably took place not in the Divine realms but elsewhere in the material spheres or subsequent creation and it is allegorically depicted as efforts by Lucifer, the rebellious archangel, to attack a Divine Mission being tended and nursed from Heaven by the Queen of Heaven to end his misrule in subsequent creation.
The Lord Jesus promised us expansion in spiritual knowledge before the judgement. The knowledge of subsequent creation has been permitted us. Did he not severally attack the mission of The Lord Jesus on earth? The duty of subsequent creation is to provide the soil or a school in which immature spirit seed germs, you and I, may develop to our full potentials, which is like the school leaving testimonial which will admit us back home to Paradise. The Lord Jesus promised expansion in spiritual knowledge before the reprieve of sins and proclamation of the judgement by the Comforter or the Spirit of Truth. Perhaps only those human spirits still alert in spirit like the Five Wise Virgins with oil in the lamps of their souls, would recognise the new knowledge when they stand before it.

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It is in this light that it is now known that revealation Chapter 12 is a figurative rendition of efforts by ArchAngel Lucifer, depicted as the Dragon because of his heinous motives, to abort that Mission. “The pregnancy in Heaven” shows that the Mission that would lead to the Judgement was in its infancy or early stages of preparation. That mission was prepared for not only the earth but for all material spheres of existence as well and was to culminate in the Binding of Lucifer.
Where we human beings on earth should be careful about always assuming that the ArchAngels and other Angels are our servants and are at our beck and call is this: LUCIFER is an endowed ArchAngel many Archangels may be unable to subdue. The One Who can subdue Him has to come from an Orign higher than His. If it was possible for Lucifer to destroy the Mission tended and nursed by the queen of heaven, He would escape binding and his minions among mankind would continue to rule the earth. However, a triumph of Lucifer is impossible. Lucifer and His minions are not as powerful, however, as mankind believes. For there is only ONE GOD, and ONE POWER. God has bequeathed to mankind the gift of FREEWILL as an intrinsic part of every human spirit. All we need to do to overcome Lucifer and his minions is to excercise freewill against their entreaties. Freewill derived from the power of God lent to man for self defence and for forming his fate. The Lord Jesus told Lucifer: “Get thee behind me”. And Lucifer got behind Him without any Ado.
Lucifer was sent to lead the immature spirit specie into the material spheres where alone was the soil in which they could awaken to full consciousness, begin to flower and fruit before their return to the spiritual realms, PARADISE, their home.
The sediments
If a word as we follow is permitted in these matters, these unconscious spirit seed germs, that is you and I, were the Sediments of the spiritual spheres after paradise was created with the words, Let There be Light.
This throws up another misconception in Christian education. Being the sediments means we couldn’t be the spiritual beings in paradise who were created in The Image of God. If we were, we would not be what we are, immature, imperfect for the standard of our species, unable to love and govern ourselves, always ever promising in vain to fufil THY WILL ON EARTH AS IT IS DONE IN HEAVEN, and inning the risk of spiritual death in the judgement. The images of God were perfect spiritual beings at their creation simultaneously with the creation of paradise, and never had the need to come to the earth to perfect themselves. You and I were spiritual sediments or unconscious spirit seed germs in that first Creation who had to journey out to achieve self consciousness, flower and fruit. The subsequent Creation, that is the second creation to which we were led by Lucifer for our development, was brought about by the images of God, after whose likeness or image we were to develop. In that first creation, under the command of God, Lucifer led us down to the material spheres to grow up. It is when we have so grown, spiritually flowering and fruiting, that we can return to places provided in Paradise for our level of human spirits. Even in the state of perfection for our specie, we would not have the strength to live in the same realms of paradise where The Images of God abide. We would dissolve if we leave our level for their higher level. Our abode are the realms of paradise far, far, below their own. That was why the Lord Jesus said John the Baptist, a Created Spirit or an Image of God, Who followed him to the earth as his FORERUNNER, was greater in Heaven than all of us earthmen who are not Created Beings but developed beings, who are trying to develop after the likeness of created Beings.
Adam and Eve
This story of a couple begetting the world’s population is unreal except in the allegorical sense. The Garden of Eden, set in Perfection from which Imperfection was Rejected and Ejected, cannot be in this Imperfect realms of material existence. That is why literal renditions portend illogicalities such as Cain moving to a non existent town after killing Abel when there were supposed to be only four beings on earth…Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel. Orthodox Christian scholars have added illogicalities to illogicalities in trying to explain how Cain found a woman to marry. Would the creator have been Imperfect that he allowed a loophole for Incest which later became unlawful in his reckoning? We have a better perspective if we see the Adam and Eve story as an allegorical rendition. Lucifer led a myriad of human spirit seed germs out of the spiritual spheres to help them develop to the levels of perfection permitted their specie through the Princple of Supporting Love.
Someway through the journey to the physical world of which the earth is an Outpost, each of us freely decided how we would eternally like to function in creation. That was one of the potentials we were to develop in a state of consciousness. Attributes not germane to the decision withdrew from each soul. Thus emerged the male and female genders. We can explain lesbianism, gayism and heterosexualism from the perspective of distorted souls, that is souls which change or are attempting to change their original gender decisions. The distorted soul simply means there is a female soul in masculine body or a masculine soul in a female body or the transformation is just beginning to take form. This condition is one of the causes of gynaecological problems and may be easily detected by a knowing person from incongruent shapes in certain parts of the body. When women strive after the coarse life such as soldiering, footballing, boxing, etc and when men become effeminate instead of being manly, the stage gets set for a distortion of their make up.
Disatisfied with the slow pace of the growth of human souls under His charge, Lucifer abandoned the Creator’s plan for Supporting Love in exercise of His Free Will and introduced The Principle of Temptation which he assumed would hasten the task. He erred and became separated from the Almighty Creator. The principle of temptation led to the Fall of Man and inability of the human spirit species trapped in the material spheres to return home.
The Holy Spirit
Meanwhile, the material spheres were approaching the age of ripening and overripening after which decay and dissolution would set in as is the process in and with all things, including human existence on earth. This conception, too, may shed some light on confused Christian education and help adherents of other religions gain better understanding of their faith. The new light is that The Lord Jesus did not Create the World. One of the major churches in Nigeria confessed to this in the 1990s in a front page advertisment in The Guardian newspaper. The Almighty Father manifests to us in a TRIAD of Purity, Love and Justice. The first known to us in the creation story is justice, Who also bears the will and power of God. The Almighty Father is a triad of purity, love and The Holy Spirit. Love and The Holy Spirit are his two sons. Jesus came to us from the Love of God. The Holy Spirit is also known as the will, power and justice of God.
Under the command of The Almighty Father, The Holy Spirit made the world and enforces The Will and justice of God in it. The Creation story says(“…And the Spirit of God hovered over the land”). He is the one the Book of Revealations call the ALPHA and OMEGA, the beginning and the end in Creation, eternal mediator between the God Head and man in creation. He is not a son in the human sense but a part from out of the core of God who works independently out of Him but within him. The Lord Jesus told us our sins against The Almighty Father and against Him Jesus would be forgiven but sins against the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven. This is because the Holy Spirit brought Creation about in The Will of God which He enforces in the perfection of God, and is the eternal mediator between the GODHEAD and man.
Yoruba people understand this. In their culture, they name him as Esan (JUSTICE) and constantly remind themselves that Esan o gbo ogun, esan ni akobi Olodumare. (Justice has no remedy, justice is the first child of God). The Lord Jesus taught us emphatically that The Holy Spirit was coming to judge the world (And when he, the spirit of truth is come, he would reprove the world of sins and proclaim the judgement”). The Book of Revealations 1:4-6 announces “Peace from him which was, which is and which is to come”. This cannot be the Lord Jesus because the next verse says…And peace also from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness”…These verses speak clearly of TWO PERSONALITIES.
The Lord Jesus came from The Love of God to forewarn us that Judgement was coming to our part of the world and to teach us how to avert impending perdition by obeying The Will of God. His mission has been grossly misunderstood and distorted as a sacrificial atonement for the sins of man against God which He had forwarned could not be forgiven.
TO BE CONTINUED.

December 28, 2023
2023 N60b immunization fund: Healthcare stakeholders call out AGF over non-release

Healthcare stakeholders have called out the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) for refusing to release the N60b budget for national immunization in the 2023 budget by the Federal government.

The Vaccine Network for Disease Control, a non-profit organization, raised concerns that although the allocated funds have been cash-planned and all the necessary budgetary processes for its release have been concluded, the AGF is delaying its release with only two weeks left before the expiration of the 2023 Appropriation Act.

The stakeholders emphasized that the non-release of the funds, which may expire with the outgoing fiscal year if not extended, carries significant implications for the Nigerian government’s passionate healthcare delivery, the Universal Health Coverage (UCH) plans, and the immunization agenda.

Chika Offor, Founder, Vaccine Network for Disease Control, while expressing concerns during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, wondered how a government that has demonstrated clear determination to revitalize the country’s health sector could find itself in a situation where a crucial element for the success of its plans is being undermined by the non-release of funds that have already been cash-planned.

She said: “We believe vaccines save lives and money and are one of the critical tools to achieving Sustainable Development Goals, Universal Health Coverage and Immunization Agenda 2030.

“The proactive measures taken. including the introduction of new vaccines such as HPV and Rotavirus vaccines, reflect a forward-thinking approach to disease prevention and have significantly contributed to enhancing the nation’s healthcare landscape.

“In addition, looking at the 2024 proposed budget, Nigeria has also increased the immunization budget from N69b in 2023 to N137.21b in 2024,

“While acknowledging these positive strides, it is important to address a pressing matter that underscores the complexity of Nigeria’s commitment to immunization funding and co-financing obligations.

“Nigeria is yet to release any substantial fund from the appropriated immunization budget for the current year (2023), leaving the nation vulnerable to the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as diphtheria, and polio. Currently, there is an epidemic of vaccine-preventable diseases in Nigeria such as diphtheria, measles, yellow fever, etc”.

Offor said the implications of the non-release of the fund could be fatal noting that despite the global emphasis on vaccination as a vital public health tool, the delay in releasing funds earmarked for immunization programs raises serious questions about the government’s commitment to safeguarding the health of its population.

She said: “If the appropriated N60b immunization fund is released by 31 December 2023, it will expire and cannot be used subsequently for procurement of vaccines and devices.

“There is a possibility of a shortage of vaccines in Nigeria leading to a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases.

“This will be a serious blow to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“The poor and vulnerable, including children and the elderly, are particularly at risk of suffering the severe consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases.

“The absence of timely release of immunization funds jeopardizes the progress made in controlling infectious diseases and poses a direct threat to the health and well-being of those who are most in need.

“The immunization budget, a crucial component of the overall health expenditure, is designed to ensure the availability of vaccines, strengthen healthcare infrastructure, and support comprehensive vaccination campaigns across the country.

“With funds yet to be released, health authorities and stakeholders are growing increasingly concerned about the potential consequences for public health.

“Experts warn that a lack of funding for immunization programs could lead to a rise in vaccine-preventable diseases, putting vulnerable populations, particularly children and the elderly, at risk”.

“Failure to secure these funds could impede the implementation of these crucial vaccination programs, limiting the potential positive impact on the populace”.

She emphasized that the prompt release of the cash-planned N60b immunization funds is of urgent national importance, crucial to maintaining the momentum in the nation’s immunization efforts, directly impacting the health and well-being of the citizens.

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“We appeal to the Accountant General of the Federation to kindly approve the release of the immunization funds to ensure the seamless implementation of critical immunization programs, protecting the most vulnerable members of our society.

“We implore the Accountant General to consider the urgency of this matter and kindly grant approval to release the allocated funds.

“With her support, we can fortify our commitment to public health and continue the progress made in safeguarding our nation against preventable diseases.

“A swift and decisive response from the Accountant General will pave the way for financial stability, ensuring that budgetary allocations remain intact for critical health programs, including immunization and the introduction of new vaccines in 2024”, she pleaded.

The response from the AGF, Oluwatoyin Madein, could not be obtained at the time of filing this report as she was unavailable, being away on official assignment.

December 21, 2023
Christmas 2023: Nearer my God to thee (1)

Nowadays, every new Christmas season is unlike the last, and economically and socially more unfriendly, if not more brutal. It always appears as though everything is tumbling downhill. Foodstuff is scarce, and its prices are not only very high but outrageously beyond the roof. It would appear famine is looming. Transport fares are so high many people cannot afford bus or taxi rides. Medical bills are beyond reach. Who can afford new clothes? Many parents will owe school fees next year, and there may be higher education drop-outs.

Many average Nigerians are spitting fire, but they are looking in the wrong directions for the causes of their bewildering fate. Was it not in this season last year that everyone was hopeful that 2023 will be a better year than 2022? Was 2022 not prayerfully expected to be better than 2021 and 2021 better than 2020? Hasn’t that been the ritual since I was born about 74 years ago? Have Christians not always gone to church every December 31, abusing and cursing the outgoing year as the cause of their woes and hopefully beseeching the coming year for Eldorados? Why has it not occured to many people that neither a present year nor an incoming one is any serious factor in the human environment? Why is it not known that it is man who forms his environment, good or ill, and that the environment cannot form or to deform him? If man feels deformed by his environment, is it not that he formed deformity into the environment and he retroactively harvests the fruits of the seeds he sowed? Even new borns are not innocent humans and are born into the environment they deserve to be born into. Remember the statement: “I knew thee before I formed thee in thy mother’s womb”. This is telling us that our existence did not begin with our birth on earth this time around!

These principles and events which relate Effects with Causes in the eternal Law of Sowing and Reaping are no longer easy for man to understand because he is no longer a simple being. In reality, man’s aches and pains are not a falling apart, but interconnected opportunities for re-awakening and upbuilding homeward to paradise. The Christmas season offers a wonderful opportunity to inwardly disengage from all material distractions and properly focus on matters of the spirit. Afterall, the Lord Jesus, Whose Birth on earth and Divine Mission to the earth that we are being reminded of, taught that we “seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and all other things would be added unto you”. Unfortunately for many christians, over indulgence in revelry in this season deprives them of the opportunity to look upwards and to discover that they, and not anyone else, are responsible for whatever befalls them in the economy and in the social environment.

   Man is no longer a simple being. He has made his earth life so complex that he cannot anymore easily understand himself and the world in which he exists. Answers to questions remain unsatisfactorily unanswered regarding who he is, from where he came to this earth, what he is here for, wither he goes when he leaves the earth and what lies on the paths of his journey to that destination. To awaken him from this slumber so he can disentangle and free himself from self imprisonment in his ways and means and ideas, man is on a mounting scale lovingly provided those economic and social obstacle he often sees as undeserved troubles. The priests appear to have forgotten about The Law of Sowing And Reaping and deceive him with invocations of the Power of the Almighty Creator to arbitrarily rescue him from all the self inflicted troubles which menace him.

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Recepients of this desecration of the Name of The Almighty Creator are too inwardly dull and spiritually asleep, if not dead, to recognise that the Almighty Creator is not an arbitrary ruler of the Universe and no creature can obtain what is undeserved. Although the Creator envinces LOVE, He is also PURITY, LOVE and JUSTICE. How many priests today boldly tell the congregants that they are the causes of their sorrows and are the ones who must resolve them? The so-called prayers said at religious gatherings, like the lyrics of the songs, paint the picture of an Almighty Creator who is no more than an errand boy of humanity. They asked Him to follow them to their offices everyday so that the enemy will not smite them, and to accompany them back home for the same reason. They order Him to burn their enemies to Ash with “holy ghost fire”. They do not ask themselves why they had to have enemies and if they, too, are not seen as enemies by other christians. Are enemies not the fruits of seeds once sown?. These Christians do not remind themselves that the Lord Jesus taught them that a man cannot reap scorpions where he sowed butterflies. Nevertheless, the priests massaged their egos for the money they can get for the peurile invocations. Despirited, many christians sing the song Nearer my God to Thee but the meaning makes no imprint on their souls.The import is that it is man, the creature, who must seek and move nearer his God, and not the other way round. Nearer My God to Thee simply means I will unconditionally fufil Your Will. That was the message in the mission of the Lord Jesus to the earth. However, the content and the meaning of this will are still beyond the comprehension of many christians.

    A few days ago, I overheard one of my friends sing the song of Jacob…nearer my God to thee. I teased him that he could add the song of Philip Paul Bliss…IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL. Some christians believe these songs are for funerals. I consider them all- timers, particularly for this season in which many of us are like living- dead persons or walking corpses. I, too, feel the material, psychic and spiritual heat of this season. I merrily laughed at myself in the afternoon of December 17, 2023 as I was writing this column. What heat, what pressure would have so come over me that I would not have remembered the importance of this date. I had many things in my head to clear up. It was like I was living many lives in one earth life. Chief Adeyemi Lawson, spiritual leader of adherence of THE GRAIL MESSAGE in his days, once said many human beings would live many earth lives in one when the great Comet moves nearer the earth. In this season last year, I wrote the column… CHRISTMAS, THE RADIANT STAR AND THE GREAT COMET. There are many scriptural prophecies and scientific observations about THE GREAT COMET which is heading earthwards in a straight line from the orign of THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM, also known as THE RADIANT STAR. For human beings who know of it, THE FESTIVAL OF THE RADIANT STAR will be celebrated on 28, 29 and 30 December 2023, a constant period on the Gregorian December calendar every year. The Great Comet is expected to energise all events on earth in velocity, quantum and impact towards spiritual purification of the earth for the judgement and the millenium, giving to each creature in the remainder of the earth life mountain folds of the harvest of fruits from diverse seeds sown several earth lives ago. That is why many of us now appear to be chewing more than we think we have bitten, attacking the government, our neighbours and village people for our diverse karma.

Early on December 17, 2023, I made two routine calls to my wife. By mid afternoon, she, too, called back two times. I was still struggling with this column when she called a third time to ask if I did not remember December 17, 2023 was our 40th wedding anniversary! It had never happened in all 39 anniversary dates before now that I failed to write her a romantic letter delivered on the dot of 12 midnight before the dawn of an anniversary date. Both of us hung on the phone, laughing at each other. She, too, to whom it should matter more, had lost herself in work. We just hung on the phone, laughing. It was clear to us that we were running at full steam, like every struggling Nigerian, screaming against ever stronger economic and social currents to beat the tides.

   The songs: Nearer My God to Thee and It is Well with my soul are appropriate for this season when almost everyone is running helter skelter for material and spiritual survival. To these songs, I often reassure myself when the going goes tougher that… When the Need is Greatest, God’s Help is Nearest to me. I still do struggle, as my faith teaches me, to always open myself to high guidance in everything I think, say or do. This is the heart of WATCH AND PRAY in Christianity. We must watch the thought, the speech and the action to align them all with…THE WILL OF GOD which we promise in THE LORD’S PRAYER WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. We must align them with the WILL before we let them go forth from us because they are seeds we are planting and because the sowing is prayer, not all the haggling we do in a church chamber. NEARER MY GOD TO THEE was written in one week in 1841 by Sarah Flower Adams when her pastor requested a hymn for an urgent sermon he was to deliver based on Genesis 28: 11-19. This was the story of a runaway Jacob who, aided by his mother Rebecca, tricked his blind father to endow him with valedictory blessings meant for his elder brother Esau. Fearful of reprisal from an Esau expected to be angry, Jacob fled to the land of his maternal grandparents. Jacob developed the thoughts from which Sarah Flower Adams wrote nearer my God to thee. He spent one night in a deprived environment where a stone made up for his soft pillow. He had a dream in which a ladder connected the earth to heaven. Promises of this dream may have made Jacob penitent and decide to be nearer to his creator.

I learnt something interesting in the Jacob story which led to the writing of the song nearer my God to thee and, in my view, connects his experiences to the ones many of us are undergoing without really realising that they are self inflicted troubles. In the time in which we stand, we are given a simplified new law which can help us overcome all the complex problems which imprison and torment our lives today. Jacob cheated his elder twin brother Esau. What may be evidence of his penitence may be the message he left for us in the promise: nearer my God to thee. No debts goes unpaid we are always told. In the land of the forebears of his mother, Jacob overpaid with seven years of his life for the wife of his dream. He slaved faithfully and effectively over 20 years in hardwork for his uncle and father in law Leban who literally stole seven years of his life.

Today, many of us consider our years wasted on many grounds. We cheat in almost anything we do, and we are bound to be fulsomely cheated in return. The Yorubas say when one person hosts a nation to a feast, he is hardly impactful. However, if the whole nation cooks for him, he may die from over feeding. That is to say we may be smothered in the harvest of the evil we perpetuate everyday. The penitence of Jacob will have shielded him from other barrages of returning karma. In summary, we simplified new law for the approaching Millenium permits that we enjoy everything in this wonderful creation provided we do not hurt or injure our fellow human beings in the pursuit and achievements of our desires. This is a very serious law, which requires carefulness in everything we do if we are to not collide with it, stumble and fall or crash. Remember it: no one must be hurt in whatever we do! Jacob encouraged his mother to be unfaithful to her husband by deceiving him. They were bonded in sin against his father and against his brother. Jacob deceived his helpless father in collaboration with his mother and cheated his brother. We have no evidence of his relationships outside his family to determine if this was his basic nature. Do we not often behave like him? Who does not fulsomely cheat? The list is endless… housegirls, shop girls, farm hands, civil servants, husbands and wives, teachers, business persons, mechanics and drivers, elected public officials, bricklayers and other masons, home, office or factory security guards, generals, lawyers and judges, corporate office workers, pastors and general overseers, traders etc.

To achieve our desires, we breached trust and easily renege on agreements. We steal, we kill, we covet, damage the reputation of other people or destroy anything not in our favour irrespective of the hurt it causes other persons. When an armada of the fruits ripening for harvest rush on us, we beseech the pastor to invoke the power of the Almighty Creator to remove the irksome cup from us. This overflowing cups are the obstacles or experiences we require to knock us hither and tither for awakening from deep slumber.

   You must wonder why I link returning home to Paradise to 2023 CHRISTMAS in which millions of christians are lamenting that they have not had enough food to eat for months, to care for their health, or clear piling rents or buy rice, turkey, chicken or new clothes, or travel home for reunion with loved ones. We would be unable to answer these questions or understand what is happening to us if we do not ask , and understand, the question…WHAT IS CHRISTMAS? Many of us have been celebrating Christmas in the belief that we know what we are doing, and that may be why we are angry or bitter that we do not have enough money in our pockets at this time. I have an understanding of Christmas different from that of the merry go round Christian. Do not get me wrong. We may rejoice inwardly and outwardly in the knowledge of a reminder that THE LOVE OF GOD visited us on earth in a rescue mission as perdition approached. What we make of the reminder of that Mission is what I am after. Is it revelry imparting, dining, wining and dancing?

Withdrawal

   On the day before Christmas, on Christmas day and on the day after, I strive to withdraw inwardly from all bread and butter activities to examine myself for evidence that the Mission of the Lord Jesus to the earth has transformed, or is transforming, me into that being that He would like me to become. In other words,how do I stand in relation with the birth and mission of Jesus? In other words, HOW DO I STAND IN RELATION TO THE BIRTH AND THE MISSION OF JESUS? Does this have to do with how much rice or chicken and turkey on Christmas day? Rather, I may spend some time in joint worship with a congregation which shares this notion about christmas. Rarely will I be found where there is no such introspection, where all that is to Christmas is an opportunity to dine, wine and dance to let off steam, if stress from the hurly burly of daily existence. I also like to be in places where people are dissatisfied with prevailing opinions about everything and seeking to deepen their understanding of those ideas, so that they can emerge from Christmas as persons who are richly inwardly renewed in deeper life christianity. With the expression deeper life Christianity, I do not refer to Deeper Life Church but to the possibility of every Christian during Christmas becoming inwardly renewed to afterwards live deeper, clarified christian lives. It may very well be the intent of that church, as it may of several others with inspiring names, which beckon the spirit of man to an earthly existence filled largely with THE BREAD OF HEAVEN. What I mean is christianly existence which is freed from age old institutional dogmas which have distorted the pure teachings of the Lord Jesus.

These dogmas were conceived by the church elders of old from their limited understanding of various concepts in the days when humanity was in its spiritual infancy. The Lord Jesus promised us that our knowledge of existence and of LIFE would expand at a future date. Could that future date not be this era? Has our knowledge really expanded? This Christmas season, I like to examine some of those areas of Christian Life with grave knowledge deficits. One of them is… prayer.

December 21, 2023
Experts seek action on cervical cancer

Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecologist, Healthwize Consult, Lagos, Dr Olufunmilola Mojoyinola; Dr Geoff Ohen, and founder of Rock Foundation for Widows, Orphans and Less privileged (ROFWOL), Mrs Favour Chika-Okafor, have urged government to create more awareness on the danger of cervical cancer, screen and test women.

They spoke at an event in Lagos entitled: “Rock Foundation for Widows, Orphans and Less Privileged (ROFWOL), celebrating 22 years of touching lives and fundraising for five years project.”

Mojoyinola, noted that the government had done a lot but needed to do more by way of public enlightenment so that people would know that early detection could save lives.

She also lamented that women were not utilising provisions made for them in public hospitals to screen themselves. She, therefore, urged them not to turndown such opportunities.

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She said: “To void cervical cancer, the first thing a woman should do is to go for screening because it is the screening that will detect if a woman actually has cancer because it does not give symptoms in the early stages until it is about to be diagnosed.

So, every woman once you are sexually active must screen for cervical cancer. It can be every three years, using pap smear or using HPV, which is every five years. That is very essential. Then, of course, promiscuity should be avoided. Once a lady is exposed to a man, she should start screening.”

The convener of ROFWOL, Chika- Okafor, decried the huge cost of carrying out a test, while urging government to help cervical cancer patients by reducing cost.

She called for free screening in public hospitals.

She also advised corporate organisations to support free screening as part of their corporate social responsibility.

Ohen, who chaired the event, enjoined everyone to contribute his/her quota to help the foundation achieve its goal and aim of eradicating cervical cancer. The event was attended by many personalities including popular singer/songwriter, Onyeka Onwewu, among others.

December 21, 2023
Guinness breathes new life into LUTH’s Eye Centre

In a significant leap forward for the healthcare sector, the refurbished Guinness Eye Centre, a three-decades-old institution at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, was inaugurated last Thursday.

This initiative, part of the brewing conglomerate’s corporate citizenship endeavour, saw an investment of N161.3 million. The renovation included re-roofing and structural restoration, with the primary goal of preserving the building’s integrity and ensuring the provision of exceptional healthcare services.

Nigeria, grappling with eye health challenges, has 1.3 million visually impaired individuals, while an estimated 24 million people are living with treatable sight loss due to conditions such as cataract, pterygium, refractive errors, age-related degeneration, and glaucoma.

Notably, Nigeria accounts for half of glaucoma cases in Africa, according to Sight Savers. The centre not only breathes new life into a 30-year-old institution but also serves as a beacon of hope for many individuals grappling with visual impairments.

The commitment by Guinness through this revitalisation underscores the pivotal role of private-sector entities in contributing to the enhancement of healthcare infrastructure and accessibility in the country.

The initiative aligns with the broader vision of fostering a healthier nation and ensuring that essential medical services are within reach for all.

It would be recalled that the edifice, constructed in 1994, had not been handed over to the hospital.

Read Also: No noise, please

Chairman, Guinness Nigeria PLC, Dr. Omobola Johnson, emphasised the company’s recognition of the importance of sustaining and elevating the quality of healthcare offered by the Centre. This recognition motivated the company’s decision to embark on an extensive renovation project, coupled with the provision of state-of-the-art equipment.

Mrs Johnson underscored the corporate responsibility that Guinness Nigeria has embraced, extending beyond its brewing activities to the enhancement of critical healthcare infrastructure.

The decision to revitalise the Centre aligns with the company’s dedication to improving healthcare standards in Nigeria. The modernisation of the facility reflects a forward-thinking approach, ensuring that the centre remains at the forefront of delivering cutting-edge eye care services to the community it serves.

“It is our commitment to help the Nigerian people beyond what we do as a brewing company. It is a testament to our corporate social responsibility, what we like to see, what we like to do, and helping the community that has helped us to be successful. We expect that the Federal Government will do their part to support LUTH in maintaining the facility,” said Mrs. Johnson.

The in-coming MD/CEO Guinness Nigeria PLC, Mr Adebayo Alli, said the company realised the importance of eye health and is committed to supporting health facilities to bring excellent and affordable healthcare to Nigerians.

“The facility we are commissioning was built 30 years ago. And since inception, we have worked with LUTH Management to ensure its smooth and effective running,” said Alli, who added that there are three of such facilities in the country.

Alli assured LUTH management of continued support. “We give our word that the N5million annual grant will continue. What we expect in return is for the hospital to also maintain and keep the facility in good condition and then we can explore what the next frontier could be in terms of eye care. We will partner LUTH and see how we can take this across the nation, touching lives yearly. The Guinness Eye Centre is also a research centre. Our prayer is that we get more people internationally to come into the centre and explore treatment. It will be nice for Nigeria to be the centre for eye surgery in Africa and we will be more than happy to come in and assist in whatever way we can to make that a reality. The driving force is simply giving back to society,” Alli explained. Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, emphasised that the provision of quality health services is beyond the capacity of government.

“The government alone, even in developed countries, cannot fully fund healthcare. I therefore appeal to all well-meaning Nigerians, corporate bodies, multinational companies to emulate Guinness Nigeria PLC to also extend their Corporate Social Responsibility to us as an institution. I will like to appreciate this singular effort by Guinness Nigeria PLC to contribute their quota as part of their corporate social responsibility to improve the facilities in our hospital. We shall forever be grateful.”

Giving a background to the partnership, Adeyemo said: “In 1993, Guinness Nig PLC built and handed over the multi-million Naira Guinness Eye Centre to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Although no opening/commissioning was done, the Department of Ophthalmology moved into the complex in December 1993.

“In 1995, as part of the commitment of the management of Guinness Nig. PLC to maintain the standard of practice at the centre, a yearly grant of N5million (Annual Equipment support) was approved. This has been given to date (28 years), making a total of NI40million committed to equipment support.

“In 2011, N3.2million was released by Guinness Nig PLC for the renovation of the complex.

“This year (2023), the management of Guinness Nig PLC, in furtherance of their commitment to maintaining standard of practice at the centre, embarked on a comprehensive renovation of the centre. These include but are not limited to civil, plumbing, roofing and electrical works, furniture and aluminium works, and comprehensive renovation of the toilets and construction of water tanks, as well as painting of the complex. In essence, Guinness Nig PLC has committed a total sum of N161.3million to the renovation of the centre in 2023.”

The Guinness Eye Centre is one of three built and donated by the Guinness Nigeria PLC to provide high-quality eye care services to Nigerians as well as its capacity to train eye care professionals.

Data indicates that there is a high prevalence of blindness and severe visual impairment among Nigerians who are above 40 years.

Significant differences exist between the geo-political zones and experts have advised that emphasis should be on ensuring eye services across Nigeria, which means that planning at the regional level is necessary.

December 21, 2023
How to identify adulterated products, by NAFDAC

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said a comprehensive list of adulterated wines and drinks in circulation.

In response to this concern, NAFDAC said it will embark on an aggressive campaign to educate the public on effective measures to verify the authenticity of the original products. Acting on intelligence, NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, said in a statement that the agency conducted extensive intelligence gathering over several weeks. This proactive approach aimed to collect and collate data on the activities of individuals involved in the production and distribution of substandard and potentially harmful products.

“In collaboration with other security agencies, NAFDAC carried out a sting operation in the market to burst the criminal operations taking place there. It is worthy of note that this dastard activity has been going on for a long time and they operate like a cartel threatening anyone who dares challenge them,” Adeyeye explained.

NAFDAC’s list of identified adulterated products encompasses a broad spectrum, including various wines from popular brands such as Seaman Schnapps, Hennessey, Four Cousins, Carlo Rossi, Jenney, Chelsea London Dry Gin, Schnapp Dry Gin, McDowells, Black Labels, Gordons, Martell, Campari, Smirnoff Ice, Eva Non-Alcoholic Drink, Evra Non-Alcoholic Drink, Cartel, and others.

In addition to exposing the proliferation of fake products, NAFDAC highlights the presence of date revalidation for expired items like Peak milk, powdered milk, Ketchups, Yoghurt, Coca Cola products, and the deceptive packaging of counterfeit and substandard products. These substandard items find their way into the market and are consumed by the public.

Notably, NAFDAC recently intervened by intercepting counterfeiters engaged in the illicit production of various beverages, including wines, soft drinks, and consumables at Eziukwu Market (Cemetery Market) in Aba, Abia State.

As part of its extensive operation, the agency conducted raids on more than 240 shops that had been transformed into makeshift factories, where harmful products were being produced and sold.

Read Also: Three kidnapped while performing sacrifice at Enugu river

The DG highlighted the deplorable conditions of these makeshift factories, describing them as extremely unhygienic. The manufacturing process involved the use of water from unsanitary sources, harmful chemicals, saccharin, coloring agents, dirty recycled bottles, and counterfeit packaging materials mimicking other established brands. The adulteration of alcoholic beverages in the country by criminal elements typically involves the mixing of cheaper sources of sugar and starch, often substituting grapes or fruit. This process may also include the addition of various harmful chemicals that are unsuitable for human consumption.

“Over 1,500 cartons of the fake and substandard products were destroyed during the operation while 300 cartons were evacuated to NAFDAC warehouse. The street value of the confiscated and destroyed fake products is estimated at over N750million. Ten people were arrested on arrival at the scene of the crime and will be charged to court after thorough investigation,” she said.

Given the extensive scale of illegitimate activities within that section of the market, Adeyeye emphasised that NAFDAC took the drastic step of temporarily closing down the market to conduct comprehensive regulatory activities. The closure remained in effect until an agreement was reached with all stakeholders in the market, accompanied by signed undertakings pledging that the market would never be used for such illicit activities again. Adeyeye sternly warned about the severe health risks associated with consuming adulterated alcohol, citing potential adverse effects such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness, dizziness, blue-tinged or pale skin, irregular or slow breathing, low body temperature, unconsciousness, kidney and liver failure, or even death.

“Methanol, a substance which can be used in fake vodka, may cause permanent blindness. World Health Organisation (WHO) in their Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health estimated that more than three million people died all over the world as a result of alcohol poisoning. Furthermore, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) ascertained that one of every 10 cancer cases in Nigeria can be traced to Alcohol and 4.7 per cent of overall cancer cases in Nigeria in 2019 can be attributed to consumption of adulterated alcohol,” she disclosed.

Encouraging Nigerians to stay vigilant, the Director-General urged consumers to consistently scrutinise branded drinks carefully to distinguish genuine products from counterfeits before consumption. “NAFDAC wishes to advice that the members of the public should shine their eyes during this yuletide season. We are using this medium to appeal to Nigerians to buy only NAFDAC registered drinks from reputable and licenced retailers, bars and supermarkets. If the product is being sold well below its normal price, or doesn’t seem to include normal taxes on liquors, then it is probably fake. Check for poor quality packaging, spelling mistakes and unusually shaped bottles. Look for the contact information and address of the manufacturer. If it is missing, the alcohol is fake.

“Inspect the seal on the bottle. If the seal is broken or damaged, then the contents might have been interfered with and are not safe to drink. Check for fake bar codes. If you have an app on your mobile that scans bar codes, scan it and see if it’s listed as the correct product and beware of bad smells! If it smells like paint stripper or nail polish remover, then it probably is.”

NAFDAC advises the public to stay vigilant during this festive season. “We appeal to Nigerians to purchase only NAFDAC-registered drinks from reputable and licensed retailers, bars, and supermarkets. If the product is being sold significantly below its normal price or lacks the usual taxes on liquors, it is likely fake.

“Look for poor-quality packaging, spelling errors, and oddly shaped bottles.Verify the contact information and address of the manufacturer; if missing, the alcohol may be fake. Examine the bottle seal; if broken or damaged, the contents may have been tampered with and are unsafe. Check for counterfeit barcodes; scanning with a barcode app can help verify authenticity. Lastly, beware of unpleasant odors. If the drink smells like paint stripper or nail polish remover, it likely is fake.”

December 21, 2023
NACA advocates HIV test for every pregnant Nigerian

The Director-General (DG) of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Aliyu Gambo, has declared that Nigeria aims to halt the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) by 2025, surpassing the global target of 2023 by five years.

The DG said the agency plans to not only enhance the strategies employed in previous years, which led to a significant reduction in the prevalence rate of the disease in the outgoing year but also implement the community-centered strategy, designed to reach every household, determine the members’ status, and take immediate action.

However, he emphasized that a crucial aspect of achieving the 2025 goal is the imperative for every pregnant woman in the country to undergo HIV tests.

He stated that once identified, Nigeria possesses the capability to prevent mother-to-child infection, ultimately bringing an end to the spread of the virus.

During the annual end-of-the-year media parley on Tuesday in Abuja, Gambo emphasized that the HIV test for pregnant women is essential to guarantee that no child is born in Nigeria with the virus.

Acknowledging Nigeria’s significant progress in curbing the spread of the disease, as reflected in NACA’s database, compared to several decades ago when it first emerged, the DG underscored the importance of support from community leaders and the populace in achieving the goal, saying, “What support do we need?

“The support we need is for the community leadership to realize that there is absolutely no reason for any unborn child in our communities to be born with HIV and the only way we can ensure that is to make sure that our community, political, religious and traditional leaders are all alive to the reality that every pregnant woman within the community has to have HIV test.

“For one good reason – to make sure that that one child is the only one with HIV in that community. The goal is to make sure that no child is born with HIV”.

According to him, the latest community-based advocacy has been successfully deployed elsewhere, saying, “This has happened and is happening in other parts of the world.

“Even though these places are not as populous as Nigeria but then, even as big as our population is, if others have done it, of course we can do it.

“The only thing is to have the conviction within us and for our community leaders to take that responsibility of leading and telling every member of the community that every pregnant woman must have HIV test done on the pregnancy to make sure that the baby that is going to be born is born free of HIV.

“The good thing is, once we identify the HIV-positive pregnant mother, we have a 100 percent success rate of preventing mother-to-child transmission.

“The drugs, the test, the personnel, the entire process are available everywhere”.

Expanding on the importance of community involvement in the fight against HIV, Gambo emphasized that despite achieving commendable milestones recognized by the United States government, the Global Fund, and the Nigerian government, the ongoing concern revolves around individuals carrying the virus who are unaware of their status.

He said: “When I remember times past and I see where we are today, I always feel that the work we are doing is gradually and on an incremental basis becoming successful and impactful.

“Since it has no cure, the task is to identify those people that carry the virus within our communities and make sure we control it and keep it there. That’s it, it can’t come out

“But there is a bigger task, some of the people that have the virus don’t know they have it because they didn’t subject themselves to the test

“Now, how do we work with community leaders, create that awareness, for the community leaders to understand that no matter the amount put into the fight against HIV/AIDS is going to end it will be successful without the support of the community.

“That is why, going forward from now till December 2025, the time we believe we should reach that bus stop, we will continue to emphasize the community.

“We will go out there into the community and in 2024, you will see us more visible in the community.

“So, we are very hopeful that by 2025, we should be able to reach that bus stop, five years earlier than the global target.

“By that time, we will look at the global community and tell them that yes, we did it”.

The DG expressed gratitude to media practitioners for being valuable partners in disseminating essential information and creating awareness about the disease, ensuring that the message reaches every Nigerian.

“Because of that, people opened their doors and listened to us, people agreed to fight stigma and discrimination because of the traction you gave us

“We are now at a point where people come forward to demand HIV testing, to find out about their status, and when some of them find out they have the virus, they have that courage to come forward and demand treatment and our services, which was not possible some decade ago” he noted.

Nigeria aims to halt the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) by 2025, surpassing the global target of 2023 by five years.

The DG said the agency plans to not only enhance the strategies employed in previous years, which led to a significant reduction in the prevalence rate of the disease in the outgoing year but also implement the community-centered strategy, designed to reach every household, determine the members’ status, and take immediate action.

However, he emphasized that a crucial aspect of achieving the 2025 goal is the imperative for every pregnant woman in the country to undergo HIV tests.

He stated that once identified, Nigeria possesses the capability to prevent mother-to-child infection, ultimately bringing an end to the spread of the virus.

During the annual end-of-the-year media parley on Tuesday in Abuja, Gambo emphasized that the HIV test for pregnant women is essential to guarantee that no child is born in Nigeria with the virus.

Acknowledging Nigeria’s significant progress in curbing the spread of the disease, as reflected in NACA’s database, compared to several decades ago when it first emerged, the DG underscored the importance of support from community leaders and the populace in achieving the goal, saying, “What support do we need?

“The support we need is for the community leadership to realize that there is absolutely no reason for any unborn child in our communities to be born with HIV and the only way we can ensure that is to make sure that our community, political, religious and traditional leaders are all alive to the reality that every pregnant woman within the community has to have HIV test.

“For one good reason – to make sure that that one child is the only one with HIV in that community. The goal is to make sure that no child is born with HIV”.

According to him, the latest community-based advocacy has been successfully deployed elsewhere, saying, “This has happened and is happening in other parts of the world.

“Even though these places are not as populous as Nigeria but then, even as big as our population is, if others have done it, of course we can do it.

“The only thing is to have the conviction within us and for our community leaders to take that responsibility of leading and telling every member of the community that every pregnant woman must have HIV test done on the pregnancy to make sure that the baby that is going to be born is born free of HIV.

“The good thing is, once we identify the HIV-positive pregnant mother, we have a 100 percent success rate of preventing mother-to-child transmission.

“The drugs, the test, the personnel, the entire process are available everywhere”.

Expanding on the importance of community involvement in the fight against HIV, Gambo emphasized that despite achieving commendable milestones recognized by the United States government, the Global Fund, and the Nigerian government, the ongoing concern revolves around individuals carrying the virus who are unaware of their status.

He said: “When I remember times past and I see where we are today, I always feel that the work we are doing is gradually and on an incremental basis becoming successful and impactful.

“Since it has no cure, the task is to identify those people that carry the virus within our communities and make sure we control it and keep it there. That’s it, it can’t come out

“But there is a bigger task, some of the people that have the virus don’t know they have it because they didn’t subject themselves to the test

Read Also: NACA engages African regional stakeholders to improve HIV prevention services

“Now, how do we work with community leaders, create that awareness, for the community leaders to understand that no matter the amount put into the fight against HIV/AIDS is going to end it will be successful without the support of the community.

“That is why, going forward from now till December 2025, the time we believe we should reach that bus stop, we will continue to emphasize the community.

“We will go out there into the community and in 2024, you will see us more visible in the community.

“So, we are very hopeful that by 2025, we should be able to reach that bus stop, five years earlier than the global target.

“By that time, we will look at the global community and tell them that yes, we did it”.

The DG expressed gratitude to media practitioners for being valuable partners in disseminating essential information and creating awareness about the disease, ensuring that the message reaches every Nigerian.

“Because of that, people opened their doors and listened to us, people agreed to fight stigma and discrimination because of the traction you gave us

“We are now at a point where people come forward to demand HIV testing, to find out about their status, and when some of them find out they have the virus, they have that courage to come forward and demand treatment and our services, which was not possible some decade ago” he noted.

December 19, 2023
NCDC denies fresh outbreak of COVID-19 in Benue

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has debunked reports of fresh outbreaks of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Benue state.

The agency said there was no fresh case of the disease in the state.

NCDC Director General (DG), Ifedayo Adetifa, said the media report is a complete misinterpretation of a statement made on December 11, by a World Health Organization’s (WHO) state surveillance officer at the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Media Personnel Meeting organised by the Benue State Primary Healthcare Board in collaboration with the WHO.

According to Adetifa in a statement issued on Thursday, December 14, the surveillance officer, while giving her presentation on the epidemiology of COVID-19 in Benue, stated that “Benue state had recorded a total of 25 cases in the year 2023 with the last case recorded as of mid-April.

He said the information provided by the surveillance officer was based on the publicly available situation report (SITREP) published weekly by the State Ministry of Health.

Since the announcement of the index case of COVID-19 in Nigeria, the DG noted that there have been a total number of 6,013, 826 tests conducted, 267,184 confirmed cases, and 3,155 deaths.

Besides, in the last quarter of the year (October to December 2023), there have been a total of 15,481 tests conducted, and 75 confirmed cases confirmed cases in 25 States, he affirmed.

The statement reads in part: “Since the WHO official declaration that COVID-19 no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), the federal government of Nigeria, through the NCDC, has included COVID-19 in the integrated disease surveillance strategy as priority infectious disease which now requires conducting routine COVID-19 testing and reporting it along with other infectious diseases.

“COVID-19 testing is part of clinical care for pandemic flu preparedness, and bi-directional testing during investigations for influenza, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, and in high-risk populations.

“As COVID-19 may be associated with severe illness, hospitalization, and death among the elderly and other established high-risk groups, we continue to test for and detect COVID-19 cases throughout the year from patients presenting with Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) or Influenza-like illness (ILI).

“Ongoing efforts to streamline surveillance for pandemic influenza, SARS-CoV-2, and other respiratory pathogens of interest e.g Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infections include the transition from existing sentinel influenza surveillance and COVID-19 testing platforms to panrespiratory disease surveillance (PRDS) platform that will pick up changes in admissions and other outcomes related to priority respiratory pathogens.”

Read Also: NCDC, partners launch research project against Mpox response

The DG implored the media to uphold the ethics of the profession as they carry out their duties of information and educating the public.

He said: “As the fourth estate of the realm, the role of the media is both critical and indispensable to

public health and national security and the NCDC values our partnership with our media colleagues.

“While we appreciate this collaboration, we will continue to reiterate the importance of responsible reporting to ensure the dissemination of accurate information and to avert any public health threat that may arise from the infodemics that follow incorrect and/or sensational health reports.

“This is essential in preventing any misinformation that could fuel unnecessary

concern and panic among Nigerians.

“The NCDC remains committed to protecting the health of Nigerians and ensuring trust through transparency by consistently fostering open communication channels and providing accurate and timely information on issues of public health importance”.

December 15, 2023
Soghum bicolor, 2024 trillion dollar beautiful bride

What is the global outlook of plant medicine industry and business next year? Surely, we are going to move from oligomeric pro antocyanidins (OPCs), procyanidolic oligomers (PCOs) and polyphenols to something different, bigger and more fascinating. To be more direct: Which new plant medicines are we to expect and how salivating will the business be in terms of cleaner, safer foods and drinks, health cures and cash rake-ins?. Without much Ado, I am seeing two starry possibilities…The world will talk more vociferously about 3 deoxyanthocianidins (3-DXA), and jobelyn may raise his head and shoulders higher. Why researchers call it 3-deoxyantocyanindins (3-DXA) when they talk of only two ingredients and should have named it 2 deoxyanthocyanidins (2-DXA) is clear only to persons who are familiar with molecular structures and the locations of the hydroxyl group (OH) in this case.

There will be so much noisy talk about 3 deoxyanthocyanidins that the casual Nigerian consumer of processed foods and drinks and plant medicines and pharmaceutical drugs may not realise that the effervescence is for SOGHUM BICOLOR, purveyor of powerful plant medicines in soghum which they eat as a grain and the stalk of which they boil and drink or cook with their meals when they are sick and suspect they need to rebuild their blood composition. Incidentally, the column of last week 07 December 2023 titled Blood Cancer Sick Liver, Right Foods And Drinks mention Jobelyn, a Nigerian plant medicine for blood building which is derived from a special breed of soghum, and not from their leaves but from the leaf sheaths of which many people know little about. This should immediately point out to the attentive reader that jobelyn may be in the eye of the soghum bi-color multi trillion Dollar plant medicine industry and business likely to erupt next year. Having been closely acquainted with Mr Olajuwon Okubena since 1994, three years before The Guardian newspaper of which I was Director of Publications/Editor- in-Chief published on August 21, 1997 the first report on Jobelyn, I do not see him doing anything less even now than adjusting his belt and pulling himself by the bootstraps to plug its Nigerian herbal blood medicine into the new thinking of global researchers on soghum bi-color.

In this outgoing year (2023), the United States, China, Portugal, France and Benin republic, Nigeria’s Western neighbour, stepped up research, hoping to stabilise extract of the two most powerful contents of 3-deoxyanthocyanidins in soghurm bi-color. Isolating them was a feat. Stabilising the extracts is the next giant step to a global multi trillion dollar food and plant medicine business which Euro Americans expect 2024 to bring. So far, mother nature has not permitted that these two 3-DXA compounds be stabilised. If Euro Americans stabilise them, they would patent the process and hold food and healthcare worldwide in their grip and purse. The two extracts of 3-deoxyanthocyanidins which are causing food and medicine researchers headaches and sleepless nights are APIGENINDIN and LUTEOLINIDIN. They have been found, so far, to be the planet’s most anti inflammatory, anti oxidant, immune modulatory and chemo preventive compounds. What can be greater than this? Irritation of cells and tissues cause INFLAMMATION. Pain arises from inflammation. Pain and inflammation not promptly addressed cause tissue damage and chronic disease. Diseased tissue is too weak to defend itself and may be run down by bacteria, viruses, fungi, free radicals and even parasites. Ultimately, such a tissue may further degenerate and become cancerous. Thus, if apigenindin and luteolinidin are the best fighters of inflammation, are the most powerful antioxidants, are the best boosters of immunity and offer the best cancer prophylactics and cure, causing cancer cells to kill themselves (apoptosis), they must be THE COMPOUNDS OF THE DECADE and should deserve all attention. Researchers wish to stabilise extracts of 3-deoxyanthocyanidins because they believe these contents will offer a cure all for all diseases, especially for cancer that the world has been anxiously waiting for. Besides, stabilised, these extracts will replace artificial colourings of the food industry which have been linked to several diseases including cancer. So, as 2023 prepares to depart, the talk in the food and natural medicine industries is less on antocyanidins which gave rise to medicine such as GRAPE SEED EXTRACT and pycogenol from maritime pine bark about two or decades ago, but more on 3-deoxyanthocyanidins extracts, apigenindin and luteolinidin. Hitherto, the global food industry restlessly searched for alternative colourings for chemical dyes and petroleum derived colours which they add to all kinds of foods and drinks to make them visually appealing. For example, chemical dyes which may cause cancer are added to the feed of poultry hens to make the yolks of their eggs as yellow or yellower than the yolks of free ranging hens which derive their yolk colour quality from beta Carotene in the green plant they eat. Artificial Food colourings have been linked to several human diseases such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD…scatter brain syndrome), Inflammation (asthma, arthritis, allergies) , tumours (uterine fibroids), cancer etc.

By the end of this month, University of Texas researcher Dr J A Awika may release the findings of a two-year research funded by the United States government on how to stabilise apigenindin and luteolinidin from soghum bicolor for the food and natural medicine industries. It was doctor J.A Awika, then also at Texas University, who in 2014 researched soghum bi-color based jobelyn for Mr Olajuwon Okubena and told him it was a very rich source of apigenindin and luteolinidin. This is why I believe Mr Okubena would try to follow the wave and the echo of 2024. He did it in 2013 when the United States National Cancer Institute advertised it wanted a medicinal molecule which could kill cancer. Mr Okubena had just had a cancer therapy experience with Juan Vergara, whose doctors at the Dana Faber Cancer Institute gave only two days to live and sent home to die. His wife, Ebie, an associate professor at Boston University, searched for herbal medicines on-line and contacted Mr Okubena in Lagos. Mr Okubena gave jobelyn powder to Mrs Titi Oduye, CEO of Amelias Organics, who was travelling to London. From London, she mailed the powder to Mrs Vergara for her husband. Mr Vergara lived for about one month longer than his doctors expected he would. They had placed him on chemotherapy two or three times, giving him platelet transfusion all to no avail, and his white blood cells kept blasting. On Jobelyn, his blood hematocrit rose, he needed no transfusion of two pints again every three days, his white blood cells stopped blasting, his doctors were suprised and attributed his new profile to Jubi, as Jobelyn was then called, but he could not fight infections and got weaker because he had been massively losing blood from severe internal bleeding which the doctors had been unable to address. (For want of space, the letter of gratitude from Mrs Ebie Vergara to Mr Okubena, as retrieved from a publication of The Guardian newspaper about 30 years ago, will be republished in the bigger version of this article on John Olufemi Kusa Facebook page).

JOBELYN POST-VERGARA

When Mr Okubena read the NCI advertisment for an anti cancer molecule, his experience with Mr Vergara encouraged him to research and brand Jobelyn for cancer therapy. The story is better told by him:

”In 2013, Acai berry was making waves as the most powerful antioxidant in the world and we decided to investigate Jobelyn for its antioxidant potential.

The research for acai berry was done by NIS Labs (Natural Immune Systems) which was founded in 1999 by Gitte Jensen.

We commissioned them to do the research for us. They got Brunswick Laboratory involved because they also did the lab analysis for Acai berry and this validated our claim that Jobelyn was four times more powerful than acai berry for antioxidant. After the publication of the research, a company from Kentucky state in the US tried to reach us for partnership to develop and market Jobelyn. We rejected the offer. This company through a researcher discovered a seed which was red and developed it to produce what they described as Red Leaf Sorghum. The 3-deoxyanthocyanidins is produced from the leaves as opposed to our own which is from the leaf-sheaths.

This company later took it to Texas for Lab analysis and coincided with the time, Jobelyn was there. So they put research students to compare the 3-deoxyanthocyanidins with the black sorghum grain variety from the USA”.

“We went from NIS to Michigan State University which requested 140USD or 40,000 USD for a post graduate student.

Michigan State University did the discovery of the active compound in Acai berry and that was why we approached them.

They demanded $160,000 for the project and gave us an option of $40,000 if a Phd student would do it for us, but they will own the intellectual property and license it to us.

We rejected this and searched for a local source. The search produced Professor Abiodun Ogundaini of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) who could not complete the job because of inadequate facility.

This was what led us to Dr. Awika in Texas. He agreed enthusiastically to do the job for about $2000 but requested for more Jobelyn powder from us to complement their ongoing research on 3-deoxyanthocyanidins.

We were surprised to discover that he published two articles in the journal about 3-deoxyanthocyanidins in Jobelyn.

Before then, the biggest finding at Texas university was on ACAI berry. Jobelyn shocked the researchers.

“We paid about $2000 and we submitted the samples of the compounds produced from Texas to the National Cancer Institute who invited people to submit compounds for evaluation on cancer cell lines”.

Mr Okubena believes outcomes of Texas university jobelyn research inspired new waves of soghum bicolor research in the United States and in Europe. It was, therefore, not suprising that the national cancer Institute (NCI) would list jobelyn as a helpful herbal product in the treatment of cancer.

NCI DRUG LISTING

In his bid to brand and promote his product in line with the waves and echos of the season, JOBELYN earned a placement and a review in the prestigious United States National Cancer Institute Drug Dictionary without the awareness of Mr Okubena. He says:

“We didn’t know exactly when it was listed, but we stumbled upon it about mid-2021. This was how it was defined…

‘Sorghum bicolor supplement

An herbal-based nutritional supplement containing the leaf sheaths of the plant Sorghum bicolor, with potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive and immunomodulating activities. Sorghum bicolor supplement contains various phytochemicals, including phenolic acids and polyphenols such as proanthocyanidins. Sorghum bicolor supplement is particularly rich in 3-deoxyanthocyanins, such as luteolinidin and apigeninidin, and appears to induce apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation in cancer cells through the stimulation of various apoptosis promoter genes and the down regulation of certain apoptosis inhibitor genes. In addition, due to the strong antioxidant nature of the phytochemicals, these compounds are able to scavenge free radicals and prevent tissue damage. Also, intake of this supplement modulates the immune system by both increasing the activity of natural killer (NK) cells and initiating the activation of macrophages.

Check for active clinical trials using this agent

View this agent in the NCI Thesaurus

Synonym: sorghum bicolor extract

Foreign brand name: Jobelyn

“What the Americans and Europeans wished to do with soghum bi-color but have not been able to do is to stabilise and concentrate the two basic active ingredients from this plant in foods, drinks and then medicines. They occur sparingly in many varieties of soghum bi color but abundantly in the varieties which grow in some West African countries, including Nigeria. Jobelyn is made from the rearest and 3-DXA richest breed. Portugal and China may release some 3-DXA products next year. France may release 3-DXA eyedrops. One major problem they all have is that the soghum bi-color grown in their countries does not have as much concentration of 3-deoxyanthocyanidins as the soghum bi color species grown in Nigeria, Benin republic and Cote d’ Ivoire. In this specie, 3-deoxyanthocyanidin is about 30 percent more concentrated in the sleeve sheet than in the leaves or the fruit. France has been more active in Benin soghum farms, importing tons of this plant through a Beninois company. France also sponsors academic research in Beninois universities and encourages presentations of their findings in its academic institutions. The government, academics and farmers of Benin republic feel a sense of growth. Someday, when their efforts yield patented food and medicinal products for France, they would pay through the nose for the outcomes of their labour. It is possible that Bill Gates will come around to give them GMO seeds of soghum bi color. These seeds will probably give them four fold yields or more. However, they would not be self producing seeds. They would disappear with the season. Next season, the farmers would depend on Bill Gates to give them new seeds and seedlings that would also not be self reproducing. This way, Bill Gates would have them in his pocket by keeping them dependent on him for seeds and seedlings while Euro Americans will pay them peanuts for their farm produce and charge them more for processed foods and plant medicines.

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I do not see HEALTH FOREVER LIMITED (HFL), makers of JOBELYN, folding their arms even without encouragement from the Nigerian government on a trillion Dollar business battleground which 2024 portends for sorghum bi-color based plant medicines. This will be a natural inclination for a company which, 30 years ago in 1994, was so trusting in soghum bi-color that it made its first plant medicine product from it. Mr Olajuwon Okubena, CEO of HFL, plans to rebrand Jobelyn for the Nigerian and world market in line with the new cure all attributes these countries and more to follow are attaching to soghum bi-color.

Jobelyn was originally branded as a plant medicine for all anaemias. Mr Okubena was severely anaemic in 1993 when he was severally shot by armed robbers on his poultry farm at Ilese, near Ijebu-Ode. The gunmen killed his daughter, a verterinary doctor. Mr Okubena recovered under the care of Mr Kolawole Awoyemi, a retired forestry officer in Ibadan who treated him with Jubi, which has since been renamed Jobelyn for global marketing purposes. When this product was discovered to be antioxidant, immune boosting, anti diabetic and anti arthritic, Mr Okubena took it to these markets through researches in several Nigerian universities. For want of space, many of these studies will be listed on the facebook page of John Olufemi Kusa where a bigger version of this article will be posted. Suffice it to say here that Jobelyn has been researched for HIV therapy by the military hospital at Ikoyi, Lagos and the findings presented at the world conference of military hospitals at Betsaida, United States. It has been researched, also, for HIV at the University of Tunis with findings that it appreciably improved immunity. JOBELYN has, also, made the rounds in some Nigerian universities and hospitals. The itinerary includes…

UNIVERSITY OF BENIN (UNIBEN)…

Animal studies on Anaemia/ Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), ILE-IFE… Bioassay guided fractionation of JOBELYN for identification of active compounds/CONVENANT UNIVERSITY…Animal studies on effect of Jobelyn in pregnant rats/Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH)…Anaemia in rats, Toxicology studies./Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), five studies, including…Clinical trial in uterine fibroid surgery induced anaemia/ University of Ibadan (UI)…12 animal studies covering several neurodegenerative diseases, including psychosis, depression, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and dementia etc/Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba…Underway.

Now, Mr Okubena is looking at foreign university studies which the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) will supervise. If Jobelyn scales through the studies and becomes a global plant medicine, this would give good cheer to Mr Okubena, who will be 82 on 5 March 2024 as another crowning of his labour to present to humanity a great plant medicine gift from mother nature.

JOBELYN RESEARCH

A list of the several studies which Jobelyn has undergone in Nigeria and overseas is presented at the bottom of the version of this article posted on the Facebook page of John Olufemi Kusa.

LAST LINES.

Mr Okubena has kept some samples in his bedroom since 1998 for shelf life test. None of it has physically degraded. Readers of this article should be grateful to researchers at home and abroad who have enabled us to realise that soghum is a blessing from Creation. In Yoruba land, it is called Oka Baba. Many persons eat it as pap porridge, especially in the weaning of infants. The stalk is called Poro Poro Oka Baba. The ibos call it Soro. The hausas call it Dawa or Jero. I joke with Mr Okubena whenever we speak about soghum and JOBELYN… Whenever a yoruba adult and a child eat together a meal wrapped in leaves, what makes the adult the senior partner at table, is the juiciest part of the meal hidden between the leaves. This code is saying JOBELYN is more than it is said or seen to be.

December 14, 2023
World Toilet Day: Harpic reiterates commitment to improved sanitation in Nigeria

Nigeria’s leading toilet cleaning brand, Harpic, manufactured by Reckitt, has reiterated its commitment to improving sanitation and proper hygiene by collaborating with the Lagos State government and federal government to commemorate the 2023 World Toilet Day.

As of today, the United Nations’ statistics reveal that about 3.5 billion people do not have access to safe toilets, over 40% of wastewater is discharged into the environment without treatment, and about 419 million people still practice open defecation.

In Nigeria, over 100 million people lack access to basic sanitation, and an estimated 48 million practice open defecation.

Going by the global theme for 2023 World Toilet Day, ‘Accelerating Change’, Harpic organised a series of impactful events to give Nigerians the necessary sensitisation to tackle the national challenge of poor access to sanitation and adversely affecting the economies.

The events began with a ‘Walk Against Open Defecation’ on Saturday, November 18, 2023, where Harpic and its brand ambassador, Helen Paul, in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Water Resources and Environment, alongside other participants, took over 3 locations in Lagos; Ajah, Ketu, and Mile 2, sensitizing communities with proper sanitation practices for maintaining clean and hygienic toilets.

Harpic continued its fight against open defecation with a commemoration event in Lagos on Monday, November 20, 2023. Held at Ndubuisi Kanu Park in Ikeja, the event was attended by notable figures from the Lagos State Ministry of Water Resources and Environment united to tackle this global issue.

Delivering the keynote address, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Lagos State, Dr. Gaji Omobolaji Tajudeen, stressed the Government’s and the public’s need for active participation.

He said: “Open defecation has become a menace, polluting our water, soil, and air, and on the verge of reversing the gains already established in the pursuit of attaining the 2030 target. Hence, there is a need for accelerating change to scale up actions and to harness innovative ideas and investment not only by the government but also by corporate and individual citizens of this State to solve the problem of Open defecation in Lagos state.”

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The next day, Tuesday, November 21, 2023, Harpic wrapped up this year’s commemoration event organised by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Federal Ministry of Environment.

Speaking at the event, Head of External Communications and Partnerships, Sub-Saharan Africa Reckitt, Uzo-Ogbugh Cassandra, highlighted the effects of open defecation and Harpic’s commitment to tackling this global issue.

“Inadequate sanitation leads to the contamination of drinking water sources, rivers, and food crops, consequently propagating life-threatening diseases within the broader population. We have partnered with the federal government through the Clean Nigeria campaign to drive awareness of the ills of open defecation and the importance of toilet hygiene by refurbishing, maintaining 150 public toilets and providing Harpic products to sustain the maintenance of these toilets.”

In addition, the Honourable Minister of Environment, Mr Barabe Lawal, affirmed the Government’s dedication to eradicating open defecation in Nigeria.

He stated: “From now, all government institutions that are responsible in planning approvals must ensure that all buildings that come to them must have a toilet. We will do that, and we are going to have our Environmental Council in Kano state in December. These are the issues we will also push to state governments across the country that all building plans, particularly shopping malls, must have a functional toilet as a matter of necessity and we must take these into consideration.”

The Minister of Water Resources, Sanitation Professor Joseph Terlumun, declared the Government’s commitment to end open defecation.

He said: “I wish to use this opportunity to reiterate the government’s commitment to support sub-national level initiatives towards ending open defecation and improving access to WASH services for the populace. In the light of the 2023 World Toilet Day theme “Accelerating Change” we must do all we can to ensure everyone, everywhere has access to safe water and sanitation.”

December 11, 2023