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Category: Online Special

  • Six ways to deal with shoulder pain

    Six ways to deal with shoulder pain

    Shoulder pains can be quite difficult to bear and can even deprive you of sleep on certain occasions. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 6 ways to effectively deal with shoulder pain.

    Rest Your Shoulder and Be Patient

    Most times the cause of shoulder pains is over-use or over-exertion mainly caused by repetitive shoulder motions or lifting things that are too heavy. The simple solution to this is to stop such activities for a few hours or days to give yourself time to recuperate, or completely avoid such activities if you can.

    Apply Ice to Your Shoulder

    If your aching shoulder looks or feels swollen, applying an ice pack or something cold to the most tender area can help to reduce the inflammation and numb the pain. This ice therapy is best for acute shoulder injuries that involve swelling or inflammation, and should be done for about 15 minutes every couple of hours. If the pain still persists or swelling doesn’t get better, then please see your doctor immediately.

    Apply Moist Heat

    This is mainly applied if your shoulder feels stiff or the shoulder pain is chronic (long-term). Moist heat helps to warm up the soft tissues and helps to increase blood flow to the area which tends to help ease long term shoulder pain. A warm bath can be a good source of moist heat.

    Do Some Shoulder Stretches

    Simple shoulder stretches can do wonders and help significantly ease shoulder pain by reducing muscle tension, promoting blood flow and improving flexibility. Sometimes shoulder aches are caused by stiff and tight muscles caused mainly by poor posture. Light shoulder stretches are great for helping to ease sore and tight muscles, as long as you don’t feel sharp, electric or stabbing pains with shoulder movements. In that case, you immediately stop such stretches and consult your doctor for guidance.

    Avoid Bad Posture

    Especially while at work, it’s important to avoid bad posture and move around as much as you can to help exercise your joints. Sometimes, your shoulder pains might be caused by your poorly designed and uncomfortable work station, which can put a strain on your shoulder, neck and mid-back and cause pains.

    Seek Professional Treatment

    If you’ve tried simple remedies and the shoulder pain still persists, it is advisable you book an appointment with a physical therapist and get the shoulder checked out to avoid health complications.

     

  • World Red Cross day

    World Red Cross day

    I sat on a sofa in my living room trying to put words together for my article on world Red Cross day but my very busy mind kept failing me. I eventually found consolation by chewing on my pen, lost in thoughts that were unrelated to the subject matter before me.

    A few moments after, i heard the news about a family of five who were involved in a fatal accident; they would have all died if not for the timely intervention of the Red Cross. Hearing this alone was enough impetus for me to put pen to paper.

    World Red Cross and Red Crescent day is an annual celebration of the principles of the international Red Cross movement. It is celebrated on May 8 each year which is a date that tallies with the anniversary of the birth of Henry Dunant (born May 8, 1828), the founder of the international committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the recipient of the first Nobel peace prize. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Less Known Red Cross Stories”.

    According to history, it is believed that the idea for an annual action that could take hold in the whole world and would be a major contribution to peace was introduced just after the world war 1 and evolved out of the “Red Cross truce”, an initiative that was studied by an international commission established at the 14th international conference in Tokyo in 1934. Two years later, the proposal was adopted and the Red Cross day was celebrated on May 8, 1948. The official title of the day has changed overtime and it became “world Red Cross and Red Crescent day” in 1984.

    It is a day celebrated to alleviate people’s suffering, enhance their dignity, protect their lives from emergencies and other natural disasters including epidemic diseases, flood and earthquakes. It is celebrated by all sections of the Red Cross organizations to help people by keeping at heart all its fundamental principles which are humanity, independence, impartiality, neutrality, universality, voluntary and unity.

    However, Winston Churchill once said that “we make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give”. So, let’s set it aside, any thoughts that only Red Cross can save lives because it is also in our capability to do so if we will. Therefore, let that change of heart begin with you.

    In conclusion, Red Cross is of the belief that the purpose of life is not to be happy at times but to be useful, honourable, compassionate and to make some difference to show that you have lived and lived well; like a saying goes, ‘we all have two hands; one is to help yourself and the other is to help others’. So, wouldn’t you agree with me that these life-savers should really be celebrated?

  • 2019: Why Buhari’s second term must stick

    2019: Why Buhari’s second term must stick

    There is so much tension in Nigeria currently. Political jobbers have a meaningless job again, which is worsened by the tension amid the avoidable speculative hype about President Muhammadu Buhari’s present state of health. He fell ill and proceeded on medical treatment in London, where he stayed for nearly two months. The President is back, but needs more time to recover and only performs his official duties minimally.
     As idle and petty-minded as some Nigerians have chosen to become, the President’s illness and recuperation have become the favorite past time by professional politicians. In essence, there is entirely senseless and so much social media buzz about the President’s health condition. It is also subject for roadside gossips and excited power-seekers have perceived it as another opportunity to exercise their ego and freak for perpetual presidential contests.
    However, no matter how deeply concealed is the plot or campaign against President Buhari over his health condition, Nigerians know the permutations and calculations are geared towards who should lead Nigeria beyond 2019.
    Many questions are being asked: Why is the power cabal interested in ousting President Buhari?  Why are they so concerned about his ailment or do they know the source of his sickness?  Nigerian masses are asking.
    If every reason or interpretation about President Buhari is all about how to scuttle his Presidency, the schemers may have embarked on a doomed mission.
    Nigerians are Africans and a people of the black heritage. They have a rich cultural wisdom embedded in very stupefying proverbs, which often steep in nuggets of worthy ideas.  One such African adage says, “When a mighty tree falls, the birds are scattered into the bush.”
    For the masses of Nigeria, President Buhari is more than just a President of Nigeria; but a leader of the Nigerian people at its most degenerative time in history. Those who falsely wish him death or too gravely incapacitated to continue in office are free to do so. But for the millions of Nigerians who President Buhari has positively touched their lives in the last two years are unprepared for the bad news the schemers are plotting and spreading.
    Nigerian masses are aware that  the misfortune of the death of Buhari  would signify the literal death of every ordinary Nigerian, who are in millions and with it, the hope of survival in a country so messed up to the point, it has lost the wings to fly at any height or altitude. Buhari is restoring the lost wings or the hope and the power mongers who are hurt so badly, want him out of the way at all cost.
    In figurative terms, President Buhari’s shadows alone have perished the evil thoughts most demonic Nigerians nursed against their own country for fear of the repercussions. His absence on the seat for whatever reason, would cause the immediate regrouping of these locusts to again pillage Nigeria. Nigerian masses are abreast with this reality and pray fervently that President Buhari takes a straight eight years as constitutionally stipulated to right the wrongs.
    A few days ago, former interim APC national chairman, Chief Bisi Akande observed something  very sensitive about President Buhari while commenting on the reaction of Nigerians and the need for caution over his health condition.
     An experienced elder statesman by every yardstick, he said when he met President Buhari in December last year, he complained about his stressful looks and  according to him, the President’s  reply denoted what is known to every Nigerian. Akande said; “His reply connoted some allusions to circumstances where an honest man fighting corruption is surrounded mostly by unpatriotic, greedy ruling class. He felt painfully frustrated…I then knew that corruption had effectively been fighting back. And I prayed for Nigeria.”
    No nation on earth can progress or prosper when corruption becomes endemic and widespread. When it is celebrated like it is done in Nigeria before the ascension of President Buhari who in spite of the frustrations has halted the trend and looted wealth is being recovered. There is psychological fear among Nigerians with the mindset to loot because they are fully aware they will certainly not go scot free with Buhari at the helm. There is an astonishing level of public sanity that is gradually returning to Nigeria. Nigerians know the era of impunity in public governance is eventually dissipating, courtesy of President Buhari.
    Nigeria’s image abroad has improved tremendously and dramatically. Yet, this was a country former British Prime Minister, David Cameron ridiculously referred to as “fantastically corrupt.” America’s President Donald Trump may not be justified on his attacks on Nigerians resident in the US and Mexican migrants. But he says the truth, when he drums about Nigeria stealing their country blind in corruption and running to take refuge in other countries which have fortified themselves about such debasing scourge of nation-hood.
    During reflections at a mass for the 200th anniversary of the Gendarmeria or the Vatican Police Force, His Holiness, Pope Frances said, “Corruption produces addiction, and it generates poverty, exploitation, suffering. And how many victims there are in the world today?”
    And painfully, those who exclusively pay for the corruption of the ruling class; the rich; the wealthy or the politician are the poor in every society. In Nigeria, media headlines have ceased celebrating other news items since Buhari came on board.  Every other day, the media is aghast with how a former public officer has embezzled or stolen billions of naira or millions of US Dollars.
    No nation can fulfill its aspirations of being a great nation if her citizens are allowed to freely steal, embezzle or loot the people’s commonwealth.  President Buhari has unleashed unprecedented venom against the scourge of corruption and the impact is too visible to ignore. Those affected are not only scared, but feel President Buhari must not continue. The looters have stashed their loot in secret places. They neither have the liberty or freeness to spend this loot. They are being fished out in piecemeal to face the lawful consequences of their actions. Some of them are the gangs in power at lower levels.
     Nigerian masses whom Buhari  is serving faithfully are aware of his extra efforts to regain the pride and dignity of Nigeria. And majority of the Nigerian people who control the votes know his eclipse from the theatre of leadership would automatically terminate the regeneration process of Nigeria. So, even on wheelchairs, President Buhari would get a second term in 2019. This is the verdict of Nigerian masses.
    Outside corruption, President Buhari has broken the seemingly unbreakable jinx on insecurity which suffocated Nigeria all round for years. Terrorism in Nigeria is now only a reference point; something that is confined to the past and the entire world has acknowledged this feat. Nigerians savour the peace prevalent in their country they dreaded six years back.
     Other insurrection rebels, secessionists and violent criminals have taken leave under President Buhari because of his intolerance of such criminal acts and the actions that ended the criminal siege on the country. Nigerian masses have no second option to Buhari, but to stick with this popular leader who identifies with the masses until fate decides otherwise.
    Buhari has made so much impact in the polity and in several sectors.The economy was in recession when he assumed office. With consistently falling oil prices in the international market, Buhari has been able to prudently manage the little resources at his disposal to inject life into the economy. It is being diversified with federal government’s investment in agriculture, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, and the boost to the manufacturing industry via loans. The CBN, the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) have all been mandated to see to the accomplishment of the task.
    The construction sector has been enlivened as old contractors have been re-mobilized and new contracts have been awarded in both the transport and the power sectors among others. Jobs are being created in the private sector and the N-Power jobs have somewhat endeared Nigerians to him, hence it has no political party or godfather, religion or ethnicity beneficiaries. They are simply jobs for Nigerians. Anywhere, poor suffering masses are interested about their future like Nigerians now, they would not want to gamble away a President like Buhari. Its another stumbling block to conspiratorial architects of President Buhari’s exit from office. And God Almighty will side the masses.
    So, the economy is gradually freeing itself from recession. Foreign reserves which netted zero US Dollar has risen to about $40 billion and the business environment in Nigeria is becoming more friendlier. Besides, disrupting the unofficial zoning formula of political offices in Nigeria would delay an Igbo Presidency in 2015. The South-easterners are no longer prepared for a replay of the Jonathan episode under former President Umaru Yar’Adua and all eyes/interests are wide awake.
    No gainsaying, much as the political cabal plots President Buhari’s ouster, the millions of Nigerian masses  want him to exhaust his Constitutional tenure. It is for the grandeur reasons of ending his reforms and completing the mission of re positioning Nigeria; which would ensure progress/development, political stability and harmony in the country that Buhari remains a choice for 2019, even on a wheelchair.
     It is principally why President Buhari’s choice for 2019 sticks. Around the world, including America, serving Presidents have been sick; but they were never compelled to vacate office on account of the illness. They were allowed to moderately work while they recuperated, as it is applicable to President Buhari at the moment. The hype, the intrigues and the plots as exemplified in the balloon over Buhari’s health condition is not the solution to any region which intends to stealthily ascend to power.
    Charles Ibekwe , a public affairs commentator writes from Enugu, Enugu State.
  • Adegboruwa’s vision of hell

    Adegboruwa’s vision of hell


    Legal practitioner, Ebun-olu Adegboruwa on Friday May 5, 2017 issued a statement titled ‘Let us paralyze the system’ in which he ominously called for a shutdown of all sectors in Nigeria as a blackmail tool to force President Muhammadu Buhari to resign. The statement is a monument to a man who, having a psychotropic vision of hell, somehow managed the lucidity to invite other citizens to partake in his desired orgiastic anarchy.
    Adegboruwa wanted all sectors of the country, without exception, shutdown. His end game is best assumed from his statement: “Let the National Assembly be shut down. Let all the courts be closed down. Let all the banks be locked up. Let all offices be closed, especially public offices. Let all schools, markets, hospitals and all such institutions, be shut down completely. Let them be TOTAL PARALYSIS.
     “Let all official activities be suspended, until such a time that the President agrees to resign, and until the President disengages himself and his cabal from governance, in order to allow our nation Nigeria, move forward” he charged.
    The only problem is that Adegboruwa was barking up the wrong tree. He sees a cabal where Nigerians, who are awake and fully conscious of their environment, see appointees that have continue to carry out their assignments even though their boss, President Buhari, has to observe rest periods because of his ill health. Fortunately, Adegboruwa, even in a likely state of impaired reasoning, was able to reference a bit of history, which, sadly, totally made mincemeat of his claim that he was speaking against a cabal. For him, the lesson of history was that “We have travelled this route before and we are not prepared to go through the (Late Umaru) Yar’adua experience again.”
    Comically, it is Adegboruwa and his likes, for whom he is likely a proxy or mouthpiece, that are taking us through the Yar’Adua era. When the late president was gravely ill, there was such hullabaloo about a cabal hijacking the government and that its members prevented the then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan from functioning in acting capacity. The many exploits attributed to the cabal at the time were stuff that will leave Hollywood and Nollywood with materials to work with for decades. The only problem? Yar’Adua died and till date no one was able to convincingly present members of the cabal to Nigerians. Neither has anyone been indicted for the crimes the cabal allegedly committed. It turned out the cabal was the figment of the mutated imaginations of those that made some Nigerians believe that story.
    The current scenario is different. When President Buhari recovers, we are going to search with floodlights for Adegboruwa’s cabal and never locate it because like the fabled unicorn it does not exist. We are going to discover that the real cabal that is bent on short changing Nigerians is the very one on whose behalf Adegboruwa is speaking. Like those who alleged a cabal to shove their way into relevance and later juicy government appointments in the day of the Yar’Adua saga, carrion birds are again perching to see what they can peck out of the current situation. They wait in vain.
    A clear indication to this mindset is the insensitivity in including hospitals on the list of places that must be shut down for Adegboruwa’s cabal to have its way. For his crowd, the only thing that matters is to use ill health as the justification for calling a citizen uprising against President Buhari. It does not matter that closure of hospitals will cause avoidable deaths and untold suffering. He feels nothing for awaiting trial inmates whose stay behind bars can be prolonged by as many as six months if the courts shut down as being canvassed. Even children, who in their tender age have no business being deployed as fodder, are not spared in the bid to ground Nigeria as their schools are listed among institutions that must be forced to close.
    Even when locked in an echo chamber that allows Adegboruwa and those who commissioned him to hear only themselves in an inescapable timeloop, there should be the slightest allowance that allows issues to be occasionally seen through the prism of reason. This would have allowed him to weigh the other updates about President Buhari and not just be locked into the falsehood originated by his cohorts. But this would be asking too much from a man whose sole claim to relevance is representing violent militant leaders and treasury looters. A death wish for President Buhari from such an entity would thus be in order since it will allow him and his associates run riot and thump their noses at citizens.
    The responsibility falls on Nigerians to see beyond the message and deconstruct the messenger, who in this case happens to be Adegboruwa. His vision has nothing to do with a Nigeria running optimally but one taken over by chaos instigated by him, which is the only time lackeys, like vultures and other carrion eaters are able to feed fat. He is not alone as others have attempted the same gimmick before him, only that they had the decency to be subtle in asking Mr President to embark on a medical leave.
    Those of us who are patriotic citizens will therefore not heed Adegboruwa’s call. We will rather be asking him to strongly consider the detox that will diminish the vision of hell he is having concerning the country.
    Idoko Ainoko,  PhD writes from Bayero University, Kano and can be reached at idokoanoko@yahoo.com
  • Ronaldo: The aging maestro still at his prolific best

    Ronaldo: The aging maestro still at his prolific best

    You can see the expression right in his face, the mood through which he waves his hand towards the Santiago bernabeu fans making them to understand his ability and credibility in front of a goal post which you never know when he can unleash his wrath upon your team; whether you agree with me or not, Cristiano Ronaldo’s age does not determine whether he will stop scoring goals and most especially the one that can destabilize the morale of the opponent. Even Antoine Griezmann shook his head when he scored his second goal against Atletico Madrid; therefore, he cannot be overlooked and you can’t joke with him when he is in the 18 yard box.

    He may have been experiencing what I like to call a footballer’s nightmare. His struggles to find the back of the net seemed an almost impossible and implausible expectation.

    He is arguably one the finest footballers the world of soccer will ever produce. Scoring 103 European  goals; even Atletico Madrid can only brag of 100 European goals since its inception. Lionel Messi, his arch rival, is still struggling with 96 goals.

    Regardless of his average scoring performance this season, it will be good advice for any one never to underestimate nor belittle his ability to attain a comeback- even at the age of 32.  With his 42 hat tricks for real Madrid, 50 champions league knockout goals, and 13 semi-final goals, we cannot but celebrate the almost ethereal talent of the immaculate Ronaldo.

    With the remarkable performance of Ronaldo on Tuesday, he has proven his doubters wrong once again after netting a hat trick against Diego Simeone’s side in the semi-final of the UEFA champions league in front of his home fans; this makes it his second hat trick against Simeone’s side this season and also making him the first player to ever score a back-to-back hat trick in the knockout stages of the UEFA champions league history.

    He is indeed a god in the world of soccer; even Lionel Messi with his impressive achievements cannot but recognize Ronaldo’s amazing talent and his ubiquitous historical records.

    Finally, Ronaldo has proven his might and the full extent of his talent by not only performing his ‘hat trick magic’ on smaller teams, but preponderantly on the best of the best in the international platform of the Champions league.

    With my above postulations and overwhelming evidences, I have just one question for you: Are you still one of his enemies?

  • Six smart ways to study effectively

    Six smart ways to study effectively

    It’s safe to say that there isn’t a student in the world that hasn’t had to grapple with studying. For most, studying is almost a form of punishment they have to endure. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares 6 smart ways to help you study without it feeling like some cruel and unusual form of punishment.

    Be Mindful of How You Approach Studying

    Researchers have found that ‘how’ you approach something matters almost as much as what you do. Having the right mindset is important in helping you study smarter and more effectively. Too many people see studying as a task or some form of punishment rather than an opportunity to learn and better themselves. You can think of it this way: people say intelligence is sexy right? Well studying is one of the easiest ways to build that intelligence.

    Be Mindful of Where You Study

    Avoid studying in a place that isn’t conducive or is too distracting for you. Some people can study with music and some need absolute quiet. Understand the environment conducive for you and opt for such environments when you study.

    Bring Along Only What You Need to Study

    When you find an ideal and conducive place to study, please refrain from bringing along things you don’t need. This is because those things can be a distraction to you. Also be sure to bring along everything you need to study to avoid wasting time going back and forth because you forgot one thing or the other.

    Have a Game Plan

    This involves understanding what you have to study (in terms of quantity and complexity) and executing a game plan to help you cover all you have to study adequately and in good time, without giving yourself a headache trying to cram it all the night before.

    Try Employing Different Study Methods

    This is mainly to make the study process more interesting for you. However, if you’re comfortable with using one study method alone, then please do so.  You can try using flashcards, mnemonic devices, rewriting your notes, jotting down study points, taking practice exams or doing past questions, studying with study partners or even creating a study game as some of the study methods you can employ.

    Take Breaks

    Taking breaks is just as important as studying, only be careful not to overdo it or be too excessive with it. The mind works better when you take breaks every half an hour to an hour. It will help you absorb the information and decompress to help your mind feel free for more studying. Studying for hours unending can give you a headache or make you sleep off. You can take breaks by moving around, eating, rewarding yourself by watching a short video or talking to study partners.

     

     

  • As we celebrate World Press Freedom Day

    As we celebrate World Press Freedom Day

    Every human being has the unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This creed is enshrined in the Declaration of Independence of the United States. However, today, we recognize and celebrate a group of professionals who have in a lot of ways made these rights to freedom accessible to all and sundry – The Press!

    In marking the World Press Freedom Day with theme: “Critical Minds for Critical Times: Media’s role in advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies”, we see that it is about celebrating the fundamental principles of press freedom, evaluating press freedom around the world, defending the media from attacks on their independence, paying tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in exercise of the profession, informing the citizens of violations of press freedom, encouraging and developing initiatives in favour of press freedom worldwide, and to serve as a reminder of press ethics.

    We live in an era of the 3-Cs: rapid Change, overwhelming Complexity, and tremendous Competition. Therefore, there is a fierce urgency to continually churn out qualitative and objective information with respect to economic, social, political, and cultural expressions of the country.

    The responsibility to enlighten the polity rests (uneasily) on the shoulders of the press. Therefore, the ease and freedom (without the colourations and interference of the government) with which the press is able to express and communicate information should be given top priority.

    According to Sabine Rückert, deputy editor-in-chief at German weekly ‘DIE ZEIT’: “Our democracy hinges on FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. The balance between freedom and responsibility in a society can be seen from its press laws. Well-researched and intelligently interpreted information is as important as clean water for a society. Or to put it the other way around: a society that does not permit free, independent media with the best interests of that society at heart poisons itself – through misinformation and propaganda.”

    Section 22 of the Nigeria 1999 constitution, which gives power to the press states: “The press, radio, television and other agencies of mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives and accountability of the government”.

    The press is in turn expected to uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people.

    In other words, the press performs a nation building role (development Journalism) as well as being a watch dog of government actions, or activities pertaining to governance, transparency, and accountability.

    The media, being the fourth estate of the arm of government has got plenty to do in making sure that good governance is enhanced and upheld in the country. However, the government and the media are inseparable; both cannot be isolated from each other because they are both important institutions for change and development in the super structure of the society.

    The media has an overwhelming support of the society, especially when it pertains to representing its interests and checkmating the activities of the government.

    Therefore, in a situation where the government gets intoxicated by virtue of their position and power, the society expects the media to put them back on the right track because of the truism – “absolute power corrupts absolutely”.

    Taking a vivid look at the section 22 of the 1999 constitution, the media is empowered at all times to be free to uphold the fundamental principles of governance. Therefore, any form of harassment, intimidation, or coarsing of its members is tantamount to criminality, bestial, and barbaric tendencies.

    The keyword here is ‘at all times’; that is, freedom to pursue, seek, gather, analyse, interpret, and disseminate information pertaining to the governance of the general populace without constant interference by the government.

     

  • May 3rd: World press freedom day

    May 3rd: World press freedom day

    By Praise Olowe

    “World Press Freedom Day is one of the most inspiring moments on the global calendar. It is a moment to shine light on the right to access and share information. It is a moment to stand with all journalists, to defend their safety….. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO”

    Freedom of the press as defined by numerous renowned scholars in the field of journalism is said to be the right to circulate opinions without censorship by the government. Press freedom globally was at its lowest ebb in 2015 in 12 years as various power factions struggle to silence the media in their proactive quest for power.

    Each year, in marking the World Press Freedom Day with theme: “Critical Minds for Critical Times: Media’s role in advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies”, we recognise that it is a day which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom to evaluate press freedom around the world. This is done to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

    Over 100 national celebrations take place each year to commemorate this day. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) leads the worldwide celebration by identifying the global thematic and organizing the main event in different parts of world every year.

    The international day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the 26th Session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration on media pluralism and independence.

    Press Freedom in the world dates to the Stamp Act of 1765 where most printers in the colonies treated newspapers as any ordinary printing job, like books, pamphlets, and posters. Information included in these newspapers were mostly reprints of other publications, stories of local interest, literature, advertisements, and opinions. The introduction of the Stamp Act made the printers became publishers.

    The American Revolution produced many historic newspapermen. Their strong feelings in support of independence and revolution were poured into their writings, spurring public interest and education on the issue. This was the beginning of the press’ role with the government, developing the press freedom that would later be set in the Constitution.

    After the American Revolution, newspapers took a more critical stance with the newly formed government. Newspapers reported the financial difficulties created by the worthless American currency and argued against new stamp taxes. When the states began to meet to discuss the formation of a new central government, the Constitution’s “Founding Fathers” kept their deliberations secret. There was no public access, freedom of information, open meetings, or “right to know” guarantees then.

    Although the Constitution contained a clause for freedom of the press in the Bill of Rights, the government originally set many controls on the press and quieted the opinions of most early journalists. Later, the First Amendment was put on the back burner when the federal government muzzled the press using the Sedition Act of 1798, which made any speech or writings against the U.S. government unlawful.

    The focus of American journalism soon began to center on the new capital, Washington D.C., in 1810. Joseph Gales and William Seaton, publishers of the National Intelligence, brought objective reports of congressional debates and other governmental events to the public’s attention. Politics began to play more of a role in reporting as the 19th century progressed. Slavery, presidential elections, the suffrage movement, temperance, free education and foreign policy (i.e. the Monroe Doctrine of 1823) were news.

    Newspapers, which could now be produced rapidly and more cheaply, were becoming the catalyst to social change by bringing information on many national issues to the masses. Throughout the mid- to late-1800s, newspapers also became more focused on sensationalism. Stories about love, tragedy, crime and entertainment found their way into newspaper in order to increase circulation. With Horace Greeley’s 1835 statement that the future was in the west in a New Yorker article, more newspapers spread throughout the west.

    The Libyan media experienced a dramatic opening after the fall of Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi and were caught between rival governments in Tripoli and Tobruk in 2015. Many cases are becoming little more than mouthpieces for whichever government or affiliated militia can control their region. In Yemen, civil conflict similarly increased media polarization as outlets fell into line with either the exiled government or the Houthi rebels, and independent writers and journalists were marginalized or persecuted. Extremist groups opposed to both sides also took their toll.

    So far, Syria remained the deadliest place in the world for journalists in 2015. This is a corroborated fact from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). No fewer than 14 were killed in the country and three Syrian journalists who had sought safety abroad were assassinated in Turkey by the notorious Islamists group, ISIS. The notorious sect, has proven adept at bypassing formal news outlets and using social media to spread its propaganda around the world aside the continuous onslaught against journalists.

  • Still celebrating Mother’s Day

    Still celebrating Mother’s Day

    “orisa bi iya kosi” the yorubas would say, meaning “there is none like a mother”. A mother is the whisper of leaves as you walk down the streets, she is the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick and the fragrance of life itself. She is the cool hand on your brow when you’re not feeling well, she’s the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep and the colours of a rainbow you see on the sky. A mother lives inside your laughter, she is the place you came from, your first home and the map you follow with every step you take. She is your first love, your first friend and even your first enemy and nothing on earth can separate you from your mother; not time, not space and not even death. Why then shouldn’t they be celebrated?

    World mother’s day is an international day set aside for the commemoration of mothers and their virtuous deeds in the home, community and society at large. The love of a mother is undeniably the strongest emotion in the human soul and being a mother is undoubtedly a hard task because if it were easy, then fathers would do it but mothers are just like demi-gods; empowered with the strength to make impossibilities seem possible. Believers in Islam are of a belief that the paradise of a person lies beneath the mother’s feet thereby emphasizing the importance of a mother.

    I am very much in agreement with Rudyard Kipling who said “God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers”. Mothers are the sweetest gift from God to us. Like nurses, they take care of what hurts; like a map, they help us find our way; like a shepherd, they save the day; like a library, they educate us and provide knowledge; like a therapist, they always listen; like a tissue, they dry our tears and like no one else, they love us.

    It is every little girls dream to be a mother and every guy wishes to have a wife with the qualities of a good mother because a mother can readily play a lot of roles and fit into a sundry of places, howbeit, her place can never be replaced by anyone. A mother understands what a child does not say, “she is aMazing, lOving, sTrong, Happy, sElfless, and gRaceful.”

    Therefore, a mother should be celebrated and honoured every single day because mothers are not rare to find but a good mother is the major condiment for a happy and successful home, community, and overall, the nation.

     

     

     

  • World Asthma Day: Awareness, prevention, and control

    World Asthma Day: Awareness, prevention, and control

    I am silently slipping into oblivion; it feels like my lungs have suddenly suffered a traffic jam; I can’t breathe properly, is this happening again? I am in pain and there is no one to help me get my inhaler. These were the words that resounded in my head when I suffered a serious attack that almost took my life.

    Asthma is a lung disease caused by inflammation (swelling) that leads to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and coughing. Most people suffering from asthma also have a family history of allergies, such as hay fever, pet allergies etc.

    According, to Merriam Webster dictionary, Asthma is a chronic lung disorder marked by recurring episodes of airways obstruction manifested by laboured breathing accompanied especially by wheezing and coughing and by a sense of constriction in the chest.

    From researches, the exact cause(s) of this ‘life-threatening’ disease is not yet know – this understanding for me is overwhelming! Although, it cannot be cured it can be controlled and managed with medications, and patients can live active and normal lives.

    To trigger your imagination a bit, preponderantly, asthma is diagnosed based on medical and family history of the disease and allergies, physical examinations and test results. The doctor then uses a stethoscope to listen to your lungs and look for signs of asthma such as wheezing swollen lungs (nasal passages) and runny nose.

    According to recent research, if a pregnant woman suffers from asthma, the child in her womb is more susceptible to asthmatic tendencies; this will most likely be manifested when the child is between the ages of 3 to 4 years.

    According Gregory Erhabor, a Professor of Medicine and Consultant Chest Physician at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, “globally, about 300 million people are currently suffering from asthma. In Nigeria, however, the figure stands at 15million. The implication of this is that one in every 15 Nigerians may have the condition.”

    Sadly, the prevalence has been on the rise as a result of increasing environmental pollution. The cause(s) of asthma is largely unknown, however, two key factors play an important role in determining whether you will develop asthma or not. These are genetic and environmental factors. Research has shown that certain genes are associated with those who develop asthma. These genes are passed from parent to the children. Those who have these genes are more susceptible to environmental pollutants like dust, repugnant smell etc. We can say that “Genes load the gun, but the environment pulls the trigger.”

    One good news about this disease is that it is manageable, the goal of asthma management is to prevent and control the symptoms, this however, depends on which type the person is suffering from. There are basically four stages of asthmatic attacks: mild intermittent asthma, mild persistent asthma, moderate persistent asthma, severe persistent asthma.

    If the individual comes with mild intermittent asthma, in other words no immediate dangers or symptoms exist, the person with this as much as possible avoid the identified triggers in themselves. Although, this is difficult to do since most of these triggers that triggers are present in the environment.

    The most important thing is for the patient to have control over his or her asthma. Experts advise that management can be achieved if the asthmatic patient with his/her caretaker finds the best way to control it with the use of a monitoring device such as ‘Peak flow meter’.

    Finally, it is a truism that prevention is better than cure, therefore, prevention asthma must be attacked from is primal stage of environmental cleanliness. Also, prevention can be achieved on different levels: first is the primary prevention, that is, for people who never had the disease. Another level is secondary, which is for those who had the disease and take measures to avoid exposure to its sundry triggers like smoking, undue exposure to irritants at home or work, use of tiles rather than carpet to avoid exposure to dust, and use of fuels like gas for cooking to avoid indoor pollution.