The Nation Newspaper

Category: Online Special

  • Why I am leaving APC – Tambuwal

    Full Speech

     

    Politicians and political leaders, groups and group leaders, stakeholders in the development of our state and our nation, fellow indigenes of Sokoto State and citizens of our great country, members of the press, ladies and gentlemen. It is with gratitude to Almighty Allah, our Sustainer that I address you on a matter of great importance to our nation at this auspicious moment in our political history. I stand before you with a heavy heart, wishing I had cheery words of progress, instead of the sad report that I am constrained to give you on the situation of our dear nation.

    2.​The struggle for democracy is one that began with our fight for independence as a sovereign nation. To this end, the blood, freedom and other liberties of our past heroes and contemporary veterans were sacrificed. The current dispensation began in 1999, as the watershed of our toil, which granted to us a democratic system that is striving to evolve and survive.

    3.​Through those years the forces of genuine change gravitated and by 2015, merged to ensure a transition of power that Nigerians hoped would herald a new order of true democracy under an atmosphere of justice, peace, equity and the rule of law. The leaders of that coalition represented and symbolized the aspiration of Nigerians for progress and prosperity under one united, indivisible nation.

    4.​As the speaker of the House of Representatives then, I left my comfort zone to be involved in the struggle for the enthronement of purposeful leadership for the citizens of our dear country.

    6.​Now, almost four years into what ought to be a new order as desired and elected by Nigerians, the nation is unfortunately going through the most difficult and precarious times, since the Civil war; with ethno, religious and regional distrust at its highest ebb.

    7.​This development had often been blamed on political opponents. Meanwhile, there are issues of brazen inequity and capacity and questionable distribution of appointments/projects. This is in addition to lack of statesmanship in responding to national issues, among other things that are for aggravating the anomaly.

    8.​In line with the best traditions in any major political decision, especially by a serving elected Governor, I have painstakingly consulted far and wide, on whether the present political platform is a viable vehicle for achieving the aspiration of our people.

    9.​It is because I am convinced that no nation can thrive while there is inequity and bad governance; because I am saddened by the fact that lethargy, incompetence and sustained denial of obvious leadership missteps have become the major raw materials with which the Nigerian State is being run today; because I am unwilling to be part of frightful conspiracy against the cohesion of the Nigerian State, Nigeria youths and peoples; because I am unable to feel at ease in the face of a progressively divided nation and, above all, because I am totally unable to reconcile myself to a national leadership that offers no redeeming moral beacons that I am here with you today; to announce withdrawal of my membership of the All Progressives Congress and return to the People’s Democratic Party.

    10.​I speak to you today with a mixture of sadness and relief because I did not expect that the APC, which promised so much when the People’s Democratic party (PDP) stood under the sway of impunity, could not maintain or manage whatever good it inherited. It has also not broken new grounds in any positive sense, but has instead reached historically unprecedented heights of impunity in all manner of vices far above and beyond the challenges which made some of us to leave the PDP about four years ago to join others to form the APC. The party has brazenly turned itself into a sanctuary for the corrupt and a machine for rigging and for the rape of democracy.

    11.​Let me also put it on record that all attempts to discuss the electoral promises of the APC-led government, including the restructuring of the country as promised Nigerians and as contained in the APC manifesto, have proved abortive.

    12.​Beyond that, I cannot look those who elected me their Governor here in Sokoto State in the face and boldly point to any meaningful Federal Projects initiated in the state under the APC government. Even the bulk of uncompleted Federal Projects here that were inherited from the previous administration have largely remained in their state of neglect. Sokoto State is also not being meaningfully carried along in political appointments and in other matters of national importance.

    13. Like most states of the North, and indeed the entire federation, elders and traditional institutions have come under measured disrespect. The recent attack in Tabinnii in Rabah LGA of Sokoto State, the routine invasion of Zamfara State by armed bandits, the now-regular killing of policemen by unknown gun men all over the country, the regular massacre of innocent people in the North East axis and many similar daily incidents, do not attract much attention any more.

    14.​Good governance, viz-a-viz economic wellbeing of our people, remain the major reason for my action of today. Information from National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that over nine million jobs have been lost in the last 3 years, since the APC Government came into office. While youth unemployment rate was 11.70 per cent during the fourth quarter of 2014, it rose to 33.10 per cent in third quarter of 2017 under the APC Government. The economy is not showing any real signs of improvement. Our educational and health institutions are in retreat. Poverty is on rampage and still ravages the land. It is unacceptable that majority of those who voted for APC in 2015 should have nothing good to show for it.

    15.​As in the past, it is only my interest in equity, the wellbeing of Nigerians and a befitting future for our teeming youths, national unity and economic prosperity that has led to my new locus in Nigerian politics today. We all have a duty to do our best, while nudging our political parties to progressively align political contests in Nigeria along clear ideological lines; such that sooner rather than later the aspirations and the will of our people will be the only determinant of election outcomes.

    16.​Let me at this juncture state emphatically that I return to the PDP with a clear conscience today, because the party has learnt some bitter lessons and noted what mistakes it must avoid in the future. It is now a repositioned and forward looking political party to which I now pledge loyalty, in my resolve to contribute towards improving the lives of Nigerians and expanding opportunities for the youths. It is only by working together as agents of development that we can promote excellence, competence, good governance and enthronement of genuine democracy to save Nigeria.

    17.​I thank you for your understanding, support, prayers and your continued faith in the Nigerian Project. May Almighty Allah guide and protect us.

    Signed
    Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal ,
    Governor of Sokoto state.

  • #GoogleForNigeria: How to use Google ‘Go’ initiatives

    Google  announced the update of several products from its “Go” initiative on Thursday at the Google for Nigeria Conference which held in Lagos.

    “Go” (often referred to as Golang) is a programming language created by Google in 2009 by Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompson.

    The Goproduct suite aims to give people with low bandwidth connections and low-RAM devices the best possible Google experience. Although it was launched in the past year, it has new features which are:

    Google Go:  It is described as a lighter and faster way to search. It will soon read web pages out loud and highlight each word so users can follow along. It is a new app which makes it easy for people to discover the best of the internet, even on low-RAM smartphones or unstable network connections. It’s available for devices running Android v4.3 (Jelly Bean) and above, and delivers the same seamless experience whether you’re on a high-end or low-end phone.

    YouTube Go: It enables users to be able to browse downloaded YouTube Go videos, saved as .yt files, right from the gallery on their phones.

    Read Also: Google to launch free Wi-Fi hotspots across Nigeria

    It helps to discover popular videos: ? comedy, ? fashion, ? cooking, ? ‘how-to’s and many more!, helps to control your data and watch more videos it helps you to share  videos Instantly. For YouTubeGo, you need no data to transfer.

    Google Maps Go: will now provide users with turn-by-turn directions, whether they’re travelling by car, by bus or on foot. It is designed to run quickly and smoothly on devices with limited memory. It helps you search for a place, get more information about a place, get directions and see what is nearby.

    Android Go: Launched in Nigeria and 29 other African countries earlier this year, the Go OS gives people coming online for the first time a powerful and reliable smartphone experience.

  • African youth call to end Female Genital Mutilation

    African Youth has called for the end of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) through a one million conversations.

    The campaign which is being supported by The Girl Generation, an Africa-led global collective of partners, kick started on Monday by bringing young people from all over the world to speak out and pledge to make theirs the generation that ends FGM.

    As part of this, the young activists are calling on their peers and parents as well as leaders from their communities, religion and politics to join them in talking about the issue whether these are people speaking out against it or survivors sharing their experiences.

    Aware that issues that aren’t spoken about prevail the longest, they hope to spark a million conversations on FGM by posting videos on social media using the hashtags #Ihavespoken and #EndFGM to create awareness and also, inspire others to show support thus breaking the silence that surrounds the issue.

    However, The Girl Generation will support the African youth achieve their aim by sparking conversations about FGM and breaking the silence which surrounds the issue, growing support for, and putting the spotlight on, the Africa-led movement to end FGM, Unlocking further resource and policy commitments to end FGM.

    The Global Director of The Girl Generation, Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell, said:
    “We’re so excited to watch this movement grow from the minds of young activists in Africa to a million voices all around the world.

    “These young people are taking action by shattering the silence that surrounds FGM. By inviting and inspiring others to join the movement, they take a giant leap forward towards creating a world that is safer for our girls”.

    Oumie Sissokho, End-FGM Youth activist from The Gambia said:

    “I am a survivor of female genital mutilation and am a living testimony of the harm it causes.
    “However, I am using my story in a positive a way. I have made a pledge to my daughter that I will protect her with my heart and my soul and I will extend the same protection to all the girls in my family and community.

    “That’s why I am working endlessly, tirelessly, to ensure that the right people are speaking out against FGM, changing mindsets and attitudes so that we will be able to end it in a generation.”

    Moussa Drame, Seneglese activist and journalist said:

    “I am proud to play my part in the global movement to end FGM. By speaking out, we have a huge opportunity to break the taboos that surround FGM and help others better understand the issue.

    “By talking about FGM, we will ensure that future generations do not carry out the practice.

    “As the largest African generation ever, we carry great weight behind us, and so ours will be the one that ends FGM forever.“

  • Influence of social media on Nigerian youths

    The present age has brought a mixture of advantages and disadvantages with new technologies that has caused a great change globally. This can be seen as there is a transformation from what technology was in the past.

    Technology is evolving everyday due to increase in knowledge impacted through the boom in digital revolution and new media, especially social media.

    According to Wikipedia, social media can be described as computer mediated technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual, communities and networks.

    Some of the applications include: Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, twitter, LikedIn, Snapchat, Google, Skype, Messanger, Telegram, and so on.

    Adebayo Shittu, the Minister of Communications said “about 75 percent of Nigeria’s population that use the internet are on social media; and the number keeps growing on both social networking sites and blogging sites.”

    The emergence of internet has brought about a change in economic, political, intellectual, and socio-cultural interaction in the world today. The Internet and social media offers lots of benefits for youths.

    The social media aids social interaction especially among youths. It enables them to create and exchange information in one way or the other via technological devices and ensures connection between friends when they are not able to see each other.

    Youths are said to be the most active users of social media. The platforms have given the youths the voice to express themselves.

    Read Also: Social media on English language use

    Social media keeps you up to date with things going on around your environment and things you are not familiar with. For example, with the emergence of blogs, people get the latest news on social media, ranging from politics, business, entertainment, etc.

    Youths can also use the platforms to express themselves and develop social skills like writing, reading, acting, calculations, business and lots more.

    However, social media has its negative sides. One of it is that youths are sometimes exposed to social vices. Another disadvantage is that youths can get addicted to it and abandon other important aspect of their lives.

    Youths are also prone to giving false impression about themselves on social media in addition to engaging in violence due to what they are exposed to.

    Social media is a good introduction to today’s world, but it can result in ills if not managed properly.

  • Entries invited for Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation

    Entries have been invited for the fifth edition of the prestigious Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation open to Engineers from Nigeria and other sub-Saharan countries.

    Monday 23 July 2018 is the deadline for the entries.

    Last year, a Nigerian systems engineer Godwin Benson won the prestigious Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation with his education app, Tuteria

    The Africa Prize, founded by the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering, is a six-month training programme which helps engineers become entrepreneurs through funding, bespoke mentoring and comprehensive business training.

    Judges have provided more than 1,200 hours of support to candidates since the prize was established – valued at more than £630,000 (roughly NGN 300 million).

    “The skills you get from the Africa Prize last a lifetime and help you reshape and rethink your business,” said inaugural Africa Prize winner, Dr Askwar Hilonga.

    Hilonga’s NanoFilter business has expanded across Tanzania, with support from international NGOs and organisations, making a lasting impact on people in the region by providing innovative water filtration systems to communities.

    The 16 candidates shortlisted for the Prize will receive training to develop business plans and market their innovations. The group is coached on structuring their business plans, communicating effectively, focusing on customers and approaching investors with confidence. Training includes two on-site week-long sessions, and regular coaching during the six-month period.

    Previous Nigerian shortlisted candidates include:
    • Ayodele Adigun with a mobile application for merchants and customers to make and receive card payments through their phones and tablets
    • Captain Abubakar Imam with a removable burglar-bar system for emergency exits from buildings
    • Emeka Nwachinemere with Kitovu, an online platform that helps farmers in remote locations to increase crop yields and sell their produce
    • Ifediora Emmanuel Ugochukwu with iMeter, which gives electricity consumers and power utilities more control over electricity use
    • Justin Nwaogwugwu with an affordable multi-purpose degreaser/cleaner
    • Nnaemeka Chidiebere Ikegwuono with ColdHubs, solar-powered walk-in cold rooms that extend the life of perishable food tenfold
    • Olufemi Odeleye with Tryctor, an affordable, multifunctional tractor that’s easy to maintain for small-scale farmers

    Engineers from all disciplines are invited to submit innovations with a social, economic or environmental benefit. Entries must be early-stage innovations which have the potential to be scaled-up and are ready for commercialisation.

    The Prize selects a shortlist of innovators from across the continent. It is the biggest prize dedicated to engineering innovation, and provides a unique package of support, including funding, comprehensive business training, and bespoke mentoring. Candidates also get access to the Royal Academy of Engineering’s network of high profile, experienced engineers and experts, and their networks.

    After six months of training, selected finalists present their innovation to judges and a live audience, before a winner is awarded £25,000. Runners up receive £10,000.

    “Engineering drives development and social change and has the potential to significantly improve quality of life,” said Africa Prize judge, Rebecca Enonchong from Cameroon. “African engineers are already advancing technology in fields ranging from health and agriculture to education and energy. Developing entrepreneurial skills among those innovative engineers is the key to showcasing and amplifying the continent’s considerable technological strength.”

    The fourth winner of the Africa Prize was announced in Nairobi, Kenya on 13 June 2018. Ugandan software engineer Brian Gitta won the award with his innovation, Matibabu, a device which test for malaria without drawing blood.

    Previous winners of the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation are Tanzanian Dr Askwar Hilonga, creator of the NanoFilter; Cardiopad founder Arthur Zang from Cameroon; and Godwin Benson from Nigeria for the education app, Tuteria.

  • ‘I slept like a baby the first day I used a sanitary pad’

    Hajara bursts out of the crowd of women and ran briskly to her house down the middle of the Village. Almost with the speed of light, she rejoined her fellow women in the group she left a short while proudly holding her sanitary pad to the admiration of all.

    Though some of the women smiled at her with envy, others were genuinely happy and proud of one of their own privileged to discard their age long practice and embrace the modern technique of managing menstrual period.

    For the benefit of our readers, Hajara’s action was only to prove a point to this writer who had gathered the women from Wadai Village, one of the remote villages from Nguru Local Government in Yobe State and inquired to know if any of them ever saw a sanitary pad.

    Read Also:Women lawyers cheer up IDPs in Benue

    Quite frankly, the challenges the rural women in Nigeria  faced in managing their menstrual circle and the age long practices of using rags, leafs and in some cases sand-powder  is appallingly unacceptable.

    Recently, the Executive Director Complete Care Foundation, Barr. Aisha Wakil popularly known as Mama Boko Haram has also given her voice against the despicable practices and the conditions of the women and the need to address the issue.

    Bar. Wakil through her NGO has embarked on hygiene promotion and education of women IDPs in Borno State at the Displaced Peoples Camps to achieve this noble objective. The story is however changing with serious outputs translating to significant impacts in many rural communities in northern Nigeria.

    Bar. Wakil, during an advocacy visit to Emir of Kano, Alhaji Lamido Sanusi, said: “One of the effects of insurgency is that women and girls are using sand and ashes in place of sanitary pad for their menses and this is unhygienic and unhealthy for women and girls.

    “Menstrual pad is a luxury for poor women in Borno. Strange as it may sound but poor women and girls in community and IDP camps are still using rags filled with sand, or ashes as an alternative for sanitary napkins during their menstrual period, thus exposing themselves more to vaginal infections,” Mama Boko Haram said.

    The story of Hajara and some other rural women in Yobe communities is just a tip of the iceberg of one of the success stories of the impact the hygiene promotion campaign UNICEF has carried out in some rural communities in the State.

    Narrating her encounter with the new hygiene and health practices, the 41yr old housewife of seven children said she no longer have issues of itching and infections around her private part since she started using the modern sanitary pad.

    Hajara recalled the first day she used a modern sanitary pad. Her story is merely a graphic picture of what many rural women have faced for years which she succinctly described as years of darkness and ignorance.

    At 40, Hajara she has battled with leafs, rags soaked with ashes powder to manage her menses until five years ago when she was introduced to the world of a modern sanitary pad.

    “Sometimes you never understood you are in the dark until light shines on you. For us, using leafs, rags and sand was the only thing we knew in the past. Sometimes we don’t use anything at all. We were careless about our health without any serious consideration until UNICEF opened our eyes. We are in the light now. With the use of the pad, you even forget that you are menstruating. I first day I used this(pointing to the sanitary pad in her left hand), I slept like a new born baby that has just been breast fed by his mother,  Hajara recalled.

    Hajara says her husband supports her from time to time in providing the pad anytime she could not afford to get one.

    “My husband normally gets it for me from time to time when he goes to the market. I am so grateful for the support he has been giving to me,” she disclosed.

    Explaining on how she was able to win her husband’s heart in accepting the practice, Hajara said, “I think my husband understands that if I am well, it will be beneficial to him and our entire household as well. The same thing if I am not healthy it will affect him too. I convinced him to understand the importance of the use of the pad after we were educated by the UNICEF people and he accepted it with his whole heart,” she said.

    Ari’am Modu is 25 years with three children. She has embraced new hygiene practices brought to the local community. Her testimony though not reflected on one of her children in her arms as flies feast on his unkempt nose flowing with cough. She however admitted that she has imbibed the culture of bathing and oiling her children not less than three times in a day, as well as avoiding to dress them with dirty clothes.

    Haruna Maigari is the village head of Wadai. According to him his community has seen the wisdom to embrace the new hygiene and health practices brought to them by UNICEF, just as they have given every support to women in the community to learn and accept everything they are been taught.

    The women in the community get all the support needed for the healthy development of their community,” Maigari said.

    Hajiya Hauwa Liman is a thorn in the flesh of rural women in Bulturi Village, another remote settlement in Nguru Local Government Area. The sight of Hauwa Liman always send cold shivers in the spines of the women especially those that failed in their duties to keep their houses clean.

    Hauwa Liman is a Community Hygiene Promoter whose Job title is to ensure the cleanliness of the women and the entire community.  For her to deliver in her mandate, she was trained by UNICEF officials on hygiene and sanitation. I was eager to meet her as the boys ran to inform her of my visit. Curiously, my expectations were met as Hauwa appeared from the north-eastern corner of the village dressed in her clean red hijab and walked towards me as we exchanged warm pleasantries.

    Narrating her story not difficult to her at all. She informed me that the job has earned her respect and enemies in the early period she began but all that has changed.

    “It was really a big challenge when we first started but Alhamidilah we have over-come some of the problems.  From the beginning it was difficult for the women to embrace the changes. Some even see me as a nuisance to them but I kept on pushing and never relented. I am happy that today, I can proudly say that most of the women in Bulturi if not all understand the importance of keeping their environment clean, taking care of their children, taking care of their personal hygiene. It is truly rewarding for us as a community,” Hajiya Hauwa informed.

    According to Hauwa, her job has been made easier because of the cooperation she enjoys from her fellow women who have quickly adapted to the hygiene practices of the training they have acquired from UNICEF officials.

    One of the women from the community, Zainabu confirms that the fear of Hauwa is the acceptance of basic hygiene practice.

    Every woman in the community knows her with what she does. If Hauwa comes visiting in your house and your children are dirty, your name is sorry. She will make sure that you do the right thing. Some women go into hiding on the sight of Hauwa,” Zainabu informed.

    Falmata Maigari, is the wife of the Village Head of Bulturi Village. Together with Hauwa, the duo have stood firm to ensure that the women in the village keep to the new hygiene practices brought by UNICEF in their community.

    “We are the custodians of this community. The children are ours. We have to put in our best to make sure they are healthy. I never knew before but these people (apparently referring to UNICEF) people have come to open our eyes so we are now healthier than we use to be. Many families here no longer go to the hospital because of the way we take care of our children and ourselves now”, she explained.

    As the wife of the village head, Falmata told me that together with Hauwa, they have formed a formidable team to make sure those women that comply with better hygiene practices are rewarded though not with money but praises while the less performing ones are encouraged to do more.

    “We make sure that women that take care of their households are commended while those that are found wanting are encouraged to step up their game.

    Huawa  go from house to house  to teach the women  about basic  hygiene practices like: hand-washing with soap and water after using the toilet, before eating, how to take care of your body, keeping  your environment clean inside and outside.

    We have realized that our personal cleanliness is very important if not people will get bad things in their food that will cause illness. Since we started this, all the small small sickness has vanished among us. Nothing like cholera in our communities again, ”  Falmata explained.

    In an encounter with the Chairman of Nguru Local Government, Hon. Alhaji Ali Maidami , he was short of words to express his gratitude with the manner that UNICEF has transformed rural communities to become even more free from diseases than in the urban areas.

    According to him, “the structures put in place for the sustenance of the projects is what excites me. Most of the structures that UNICEF has put in all the projects and program executed in our rural communities have very solid sustainable plans. This is because they have trained our rural people in the management of the projects.  This will help us to build on that even after they must have left. Our joy to UNICEF and our Governor Ibrahim Geidam is immeasurable.

    “Our rural communities are now living a heathier life than people living in urban areas. Most of the communities in my local government have been declared free from open defecation courtesy of the work carried out by UNICEF. This is quite commendable,” Maidami said.

    Senior Local Government Facilitator UNICEF-WSSSRP for Nguru Local Government, Lawan Mohammed informed that the baseline survey for hygiene and sanitation for Nguru and Bade was very low but shot up after the intervention from UNICEF.

    It was not easy getting the people to accept and observe these basic hygiene practices. We kept on pushing and gradually we have come to this point. In Nguru LGA, we are working in 144 communities and 75 of them have been declared Open defecation Free (ODF). In Bade, out of 132, 63 are ODF,” Lawan informed.

  • How to keep children safe in 10 simple steps

    The last days in  the month  June ended on a sad note for many Nigerians not just because of the loss of lives in the Plateau farmers/herders’ clashes, but also the death of three young children who died in painful circumstances within their homes.

    First was the death of Daniel Oyebanjo III, the 13-month-old son of Nigeria’s famous singer D’bang. The late Daniel whose beautiful pictures graced the internet last month during his one-year birthday was said to have drowned in a pool in the cozy Ikoyi residence of the super star.

    A day earlier, Timidi Digba, a leading voice in women and girls’ empowerment announced on Facebook the loss of her two children Itunuoluwa and Oluwadamilare. Both children who are under five years old died in a fire accident in their home in Akure, Ondo state. Both cases generated hot debates in the online space, with many questioning the circumstances surrounding the death of those children.

    Since it’s apparent young children spend up to 90 percent of their time at home; it bears repeating that the home which is supposed to be a safe haven could also be a trap for children to fall into harm.  More than 3 million kids get hurt at home each year, according to Safe Kids Worldwide, an NGO which deals with preventing unintentional injuries.

     

    We compile 10 simple steps to keep babies safe at home:

    1. Never leave your baby unattended in a baby seat, on a table, in a high chair, or on a couch or bed.
    2. Never leave your baby alone with a toddler or a pet.
    3. Bottle-feeding should be supervised; the bottle should never be propped.
    4. Don’t drink hot beverages with your baby is in your arms or on your lap.
    5. Plastic bags should be kept out of a child’s reach to prevent suffocation.
    6. Prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome by putting babies to sleep on their back.
    7. Don’t put sofas, chairs, tables, shelves or bookcases near windows to keep children from climbing up to reach the curtain or window blind cord.
    8. Be deliberate with toys; choose toys that are large, soft and without removable parts. Since unsafe toys make it to stores shelves, it’s the parent’s responsibility to be extra careful when shopping for playthings.
    9. Sharp objects such as scissors, knives and forks, should be kept out of your baby’s reach.
    10. Do not keep toys in your baby’s crib; babies can’t move away from things that might smother them.

     

    Other Tips on Car Safety for Babies  

     

    Car crashes are a serious threat to a child’s safety, so it’s important that babies in a vehicle must be secured in a car seat.

    • Never leave your baby or small child alone in the car, whether the car is locked or unlocked.
    • Never hold your baby or child on your lap in a moving car. An adult cannot hold on to a child in a collision, even if wearing a seat belt.

     

    Caring for 12-24-Month-Olds

    This is an age when children are more likely to get burns and scalds and even drown.

     

    • Check the placement of your child’s crib or bed; make sure it is not near a window where your child could reach the curtain or window blind cord and strangle. Placing the crib in front of a window even without a blind cord is not recommended because when the child can stand and climb, the child is at risk of falling out the window.
    • Be careful about balconies since a child could use flower pots and planters as well as furnishings to climb over the railing.
    • Be aware that children of this age still pop everything into their mouths; small coins, pills, tiny toys, pieces of plastic, pins and cigarette butts.
    • Avoid small rugs and/or highly polished floors, unless you use non-slip under-pads, or your child wears non-slip shoes.
    • Your child can choke on large chunks of food. Make sure that foods are mashed or finely chopped. Slice wieners into narrow, length-wise pieces. Nuts, seeds, popcorn, raw carrots and raisins are not recommended for this age group.

     

  • Nigerian women and toxins in cosmetics

    It is no doubt that wearing  beauty products give ladies some sort of self esteem. Most ladies believe that wearing cosmetics make them look more attractive. As true as this could be, it is also important to note that beauty products could have it’s own disadvantages especially when worn too often.

    A large number of women today, would never step out without wearing makeup. They believe that it brings them comfort. As a matter of fact, most people would tell you that makeup is part of their dressing.

    Esther Yusuf, a banker, once told a journalist that she cannot step out of her house without applying make-up to enhance her facial features.

    “I cannot leave my house without applying make-up on my face. I am so used to make-up on my face that I feel naked without it. I have to apply make-up, no matter how late I am for an appointment; even if it’s just powder,’’ she said.

    Cosmetics are substances or products used to enhance or alter the appearance of the face or fragrance of the body.

    Cosmetics are generally mixtures of chemical compounds; some being derived from natural sources and some being synthetics or artificial.

    According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), cosmetics as intended to be applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, and promoting attractiveness.

    Some types of cosmetics include shampoo, which is applied when washing the hair, foundation, applied on the face for a smooth look, perfume and deodorants, applied on the body for a nice smell, amongst several others.

    Read Also: Taking on the ‘big boys’ in cosmetics

    Cosmetics, having its positive sides, can have its side effects too. There are some dangers associated with applying too much of the products, every day,

    Excessive use of cosmetics leads to skin dangers. The dangers associated with the use of toxic compounds (cosmetics) for skin bleaching, which includes blood cancer such as leukemia and cancers of the liver as well as several skin conditions.

    These harmful products have internal and external effects on the body. It takes a gradual process which can cause kidney failure because of the mercury in some of the products which can cause eczema at the early stage. The hidden dangers of deodorant sprays are headaches, eczema, asthma, breathing difficulties, and fatal heart problems. Fumes or chemicals may cause skin reactions, allergies, heart problems, eye irritation and throat infection.

    For Idi Martins, who is a Dermatologist, excessive use of make-up exposes the skin to considerable amount of germs and harmful toxins. It could also cause skin irritation, allergies, and skin cancer because of the chemical content.

    As he said in an interview in 2016, “The chemicals found in lipsticks, eye pencils, mascara, kajal, among others, could cause serious health problems.”

    Some of the chemicals found in cosmetics include Parabens, which is widely used as preservatives in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. When the body absorbs parabens, it can mimic and disrupt functions of the endocrine system.

    Another one is Sulphate, also known as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a cleansing agents that causes foaming, used in many skin care, hair care, and cosmetic products. It dissolves the oils in the human skin, which leads to skin dryness.

    For Mrs. Pamela Adebowa, it is advisable for women to know their skin type and the cosmetics to apply. She once said that “You have to know your skin type to enable you to know the appropriate make-up to use for the best effect, as wrong applications of make-up could mar the skin, instead of beautifying it.”

  • Berger to Ajah: A story of false rape, accusation

    Berger to Ajah is currently trending on Twitter with over 59k tweets.

    Many are yet to find out what it is exactly.

    If you are still wondering what “Berger to Ajah” is all about, here is how it started.

    A Lady whose user name on Twitter is @OmogeDami has accused one Uche of raping her Friend @b_moree_.

    @b_moree_. according to chats released by Uche, resides in Berger.

    She traveled from Berger to Ajah to Visit Uche who she has being in contact with for some time on Twitter.

    If you stay in Lagos, you would understand the distance, the stress and transportation fare required to get yourself down to Ajah from Berger.

    Getting to Ajah, @b_moree_ was expecting Uche to go all “crazy” about her.

    Unfortunately for her, the reverse was the case. Instead of giving her the much desired attention, he concentrated on his laptop.

    Feeling bad about the entire issue, @b_moree_ sent a message to Damilola Marcus (@OmogeDami) telling them that Uche raped her after she Transported herself from Berger to Ajah to visit him.

    @omogedami, started the thread claiming that her friend Bimbo was ‘raped’ by Uche using screenshots of chats as back up.

    Not long after, Uche Immediately responded with his counter thread and screenshots of chats saying he never raped her.

    Surprisingly, @b_moree_ replied and said, ‘First thing, I did not accuse Uche of rape, as you can see, I said ‘I allowed him’ I didn’t want to

    have sex, but I did, because I didn’t want to get raped again’.

    She did this, after Uche released screenshots of their conversation.

    P.S: She has reacted to the news, and according to her calling him a rapist, was not her intention.

  • Why you should prioritise the cleanliness of your kitchen

    If you are very concerned about the cleanliness of your home, you are clearly on the right path to a healthy life for you and your family.

    The truth is that the benefits of a good hygiene for all parts of a home cannot be overemphasized.

    But you may not be able to clean every part of your house extensively every day, hence the need to prioritize. So, what areas should you focus on? The toilet? The sitting room where guests stay? Your dining area? Or your kitchen?

    Well, it’s fine to clean all these areas of your home but your kitchen is perhaps the most important and I will tell you why.

    Some Parts Of Your Kitchen Have More Bacteria Than A Toilet Seat

    According to researchers, many parts of your kitchen actually contain more bacteria than a toilet seat! Yes, a toilet seat. In fact, according to the BBC, one study that tried to analyze different parts of the kitchen observed that the kitchen sponge harbors 200,000 times more bacteria than your toilet seat.

    You may flush your toilet and clean it often to ensure it sparkles, but when last did you try to disinfect or clean up your kitchen sponge? I am sure you now understand why the results of the study came out that way- it will probably yield the same results if performed in your home.

    Now that we have established the need to clean your kitchen, let’s get deeper into areas that you should specifically clean that are very much prone to containing a lot of bacteria.

    1. Your Sponge

    Your kitchen sponge comes in contact with all manner of foodstuffs, dishes, and cutlery that it is itself a home to different bacteria from decomposing food matter. Many of these food particles get trapped in its fabric and are pretty hard to get out. So, how then can you effectively clean your sponge? Well, some people suggest that you place it in the microwave to heat it up a bit or use a dishwasher to disinfect it.

    2. Your Chopping Boards

    Chopping boards are often used when cutting meat and chicken, they easily become laden with bacteria and other microorganisms. So, emphasis must be made to clean it. It is advisable that you keep a separate board for cutting meat, fish and other animal products, and another board for cutting vegetables like carrots and cabbage. You should also wash them properly before and after use.

    3. Your Dishwasher

    People often have an erroneous belief that cleaning equipment need no cleaning. The fact that a device is used to clean up dirt from the dishes is the more reason why you need to also clean it.

    How then do you clean your dishwasher? Well, you can use liquids like vinegar to give your dishes a very good clean. Here’s a guide on how to get it done easily.

    Read Also: How to stay fit even when you work a 9-5 Job

    4. Your Oven Ranges

    Usually, oven ranges come in different styles, some are single or double, so you need to put in an effort to clean and disinfect their interior parts. You should also not neglect the electric surface range or the gas surface range.

    You really don’t need to use antibacterial soap to get it done, regular soap and a clean cloth work well to clean off these ranges.

    5. Cloths and Rags

    Many people use the same cloth for cleaning their countertop surfaces, carrying hot pots from the range to the sink, drying their chopping boards and cleaning their hands. This is very inappropriate and can easily spread microbes around.

    You should have different pieces of cloth for these separate purposes and use a disposable paper towel to dry your hands after washing them. Using a cloth to clean your hands after washing will only contaminate them instead.

     

    Guest article by Dr. Charles-Davies OA, a medical doctor based in Lagos. He loves to write about health and blogs at 25 Doctors a website for sharing health information, he also serves as an editor of 93 treats, a food blog.