Category: Online Special
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Eating enough vegetables helps fight cancer – Expert
A food technologist, Mr. Ochuko Erinkainwe, says most cancer cases can be prevented by eating enough vegetables, noting that it remains the only natural food that helps to fight the disease.
Erinkainwe spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos against the backdrop of the World Food Day celebrated on Oct. 16.
He said that Nigeria’s vegetable spread had what it takes in the fight against cancer.
Erinkainwe, the Public Relations Officer of Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), said that emphasis on World Food Day should on eating right for healthy living as “food is healing’’.
“Researches have proved beyond doubt that people who eat more natural plant foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes are less likely to be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime.
“Our daily meals count a lot when it comes to cancer risk factors, what we eat determines how much immunity we have in our body and also building resistant fluids inside the systems.
“If we want to build or design an anti-cancer diet, then we should look at adding much vegetables to our meals, we should eat plenty of vegetables every day.
“By this, we will be flooding our systems with protective substances, this will help a lot, most especially the cruciferous vegetables,’’ he told NAN.
Erinkainwe said: “Cruciferous vegetables may have the most powerful anti-cancer properties. This family of vegetables includes green vegetables, cabbage, onions, broccoli and some others like cauliflower.
“The mere meaning of cruciferous suggests its importance. It was taken from the Latin word ‘crucifer’ meaning ‘cross-bearer’ for their flowers, having four equally spaced petals in the shape of a cross.
“All vegetables contain protective micronutrients and phytochemicals, but cruciferous vegetables have a unique chemical composition.
“They have sulfur-containing compounds which are responsible for their pungent or bitter flavours.
“Vegetables when broken down in the system provide sulfur-containing compounds — Isothiocyanates (ITCs) – a compound with proven anti-cancer activities.
“This compound can work in different molecules. They can have combined additive effects, working synergistically to remove carcinogens and kill cancer cells. It also produces antioxidants or even immunologic effects.
“Many are not aware of the anti-oxidant powers deposited in vegetables and the most interesting thing is that many whose lives would have been saved neglected this part.’’
He said that vegetables provided all kind of healing to the system not just the cancer cure only, they also detoxified the body and help to keep it in shape and increases immunity.
“Vegetables also help in inhibiting cancer cell growth or induce cancer cell death; cruciferous vegetable juice contains ingredient that has proved to induce fluid that can fight breast cancer too.
“Some vegetables too, apart from the fact that they detoxify the blood, they also establish blood supply and increases the excretion of certain dietary toxins not needed by our systems.
“Regular intake of vegetables, most especially in-between cruciferous vegetables has a potent antioxidant against breast, lung, prostate, and colorectal cancers.
“This has been reported, but cruciferous vegetables are far more potent.
“These observations in cell culture and animal studies have been confirmed by epidemiological studies drawing connections between cruciferous vegetable intake and cancer incidence,’’ Erinkainwe told NAN.
On the potency of cruciferous vegetables, he said that studies had shown that they were twice as powerful as other plant foods.
“In population studies, a 20 per cent increase in plant food intake generally corresponds to a 20 per cent decrease in cancer rates, but a 20 per cent increase in cruciferous vegetable intake corresponds to a 40 per cent decrease in cancer.
“Twenty-eight servings of vegetables per week decreased prostate cancer risk by 33 per cent, but just three servings of cruciferous vegetables per week decreased prostate cancer risk by 41 per cent.
“Also, one or more servings of cabbage per week reduce risk of pancreatic cancer by 38 per cent.
“However, to maximize the potency of our cruciferous vegetables, methods of preparation must be taken into consideration to aid digestion and absorption into the blood stream.’’
Erikainwe said that chopping, chewing, blending or juicing allows for production benefits, whereas some benefits may be lost with boiling or steaming.
He added that the maximum benefit was eating cruciferous vegetables raw.
“Cruciferous vegetables are not only the most powerful anti-cancer foods in existence; they are also the most nutrient-dense of all vegetables.
“The National Cancer Institute in America recommended 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day for cancer prevention; they have not yet established specific recommendations for cruciferous vegetables.
“Consuming a large variety of these rich cruciferous vegetables within an overall nutrient-dense diet can provide us with a profound level of protection against cancer,’’ he said.
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Clark, the father, Jonathan, the son- Reuben Abati
I have tried delaying the writing of this piece in the honest expectation that someone probably misquoted Chief E.K. Clark, when he reportedly publicly disowned former President Goodluck Jonathan. I had hoped that our dear father, E.K. Clark, would issue a counter statement and say the usual things politicians say: “they quoted me out of context!” “Jonathan is my son”. That has not happened; rather, some other Ijaw voices, including one Joseph Evah, have come to the defence of the old man, to join hands in rubbishing a man they once defended to the hilt and used as a bargaining chip for the Ijaw interest in the larger Nigerian geo-politics.
If President Jonathan had returned to power on May 29, 2015, these same persons would have remained in the corridors of power, displaying all forms of ethnic triumphalism. It is the reason in case they do not realize it, why the existent power blocs that consider themselves most fit to rule, continue to believe that those whose ancestors never ran empires can never be trusted with power, hence they can only be admitted as other people’s agents or as merchants of their own interests which may even be defined for them as is deemed convenient. Mercantilism may bring profit, but in power politics, it destroys integrity and compromises otherwise sacred values.
President Jonathan being publicly condemned by his own Ijaw brothers, particularly those who were once staunch supporters of his government further serves the purpose of exposing the limits of the politics of proximity. Politics in Africa is driven by this particular factor; it is at the root of all the other evils: prebendalism, clientelism and what Matthew Kukah has famously described as the “myownisation of power”. It is both positive and negative, but obviously, more of the latter than the former. It is considered positive only when it is beneficial to all parties concerned, and when the template changes, the ground also shifts. As in that song, the solid rock of proximity is soon replaced by shifting sands. Old worship becomes new opportunism. And the observant public is left confounded.
Chief E.K. Clark? Who would ever think, Chief E.K. Clark would publicly disown President Jonathan? He says Jonathan was a weak President. At what point did he come to that realization? Yet, throughout the five years (not six, please) of the Jonathan Presidency, he spoke loudly against anyone who opposed the President. He was so combative he was once quoted as suggesting that Nigeria could have problems if Jonathan was not allowed to return to office. Today, he is the one helping President Jonathan’s successor to quench the fires. He always openly said President Jonathan is “his son”. Today, he is not just turning against his own son, he is telling the world his son as President lacked the political will to fight corruption. He has also accused his son of being too much of a gentleman. Really? Gentlemanliness would be considered honourable in refined circles. Is Pa E.K. Clark recommending something else in order to prove that he is no longer a politician but a statesman as he says?
As someone who was a member of the Jonathan administration, and who interacted often with the old man, I can only say that I am shocked. This is the equivalent of the old man deleting President Jonathan’s phone number and ensuring that calls from his phone no longer ring at the Jonathan end. During the Jonathan years, Chief E. K. Clark was arguably the most vocal Ijaw leader defending the government. He called the President “my son”, and both father and son remained in constant touch.
There is something about having the President’s ears in a Presidential system, elevated to the level of a fetish in the clientilist Nigerian political system. Persons in the corridors of power who have the President’s ear- be they cook, valet, inlaws, wife, cousin, former school mates, priests, or whatever, enjoy special privileges. They have access to the President and they can whisper into his ears. That’s all they have as power: the power to whisper and run a whispering campaign that can translate into opportunities or losses for those outside that informal power loop around every Presidency, that tends to be really influential.
Every President must beware of those persons who come around calling them “Daddy”, “Uncle”, na my brother dey there”, “my son”, “our in-law”: emotional blackmailers relying on old connections. They are courted, patronized and given more attention and honour than they deserve by those looking for access to the President or government. Even when the power and authority of the whispering exploiters of the politics of proximity is contrived, they go out of their way to exaggerate it. They acquire so much from being seen to be in a position to make things happen.
Chief E. K. Clark had the President’s ears. He had unfettered access to his son. He was invited to most state events. And he looked out for the man he called “my son”, in whom he was well pleased. Chief Clark’s energy level in the service of the Jonathan administration was impressive. Fearless and outspoken, he deployed his enormous talents in the service of the Jonathan government. If a press statement was tame, he drew attention to it and urged a more robust defence of “your boss”. If any invective from the APC was overlooked, he urged prompt rebuttal. If the party was tardy in defending “his son”, he weighed in.
If anyone had accused the President of lacking “the political will to fight corruption” at that time, he, E.K. Clark, would have called a press conference to draw attention to the Jonathan administration’s institutional reforms and preventive measures, his commitment to electoral integrity to check political corruption, and the hundreds of convictions secured by both the ICPC and EFCC under his son’s watch. So prominent and influential was he, that ministers, political jobbers etc etc trooped to his house to pay homage.
In due course, those who opposed President Jonathan did not spare Chief E. K. Clark either. He was accused of making inflammatory and unstatesman-like statements. An old war-horse, nobody could intimidate him. He was not President Olusegun Obasanjo’s fan in particular. He believed Obasanjo wanted to sabotage his son, and he wanted Obasanjo put in his place. Beneath all of that, was an unmistaken rivalry between the two old men, seeking to control the levers of Nigerian politics.
Every President probably needs a strong, passionate ally like Chief E. K. Clark. But what happened? What went wrong? Don’t get me wrong. I am not necessarily saying that the Ijaw leader should have remained loyal to and defend Goodluck Jonathan because they are both Ijaws, patriotism definitely could be stronger than ethnic affinities, nonetheless that E. K. Clark tale about leaving politics and becoming a statesman is nothing but sheer crap. If Jonathan had returned to office, he would still be a card-carrying member of the PDP and the “father of the President” and we would still have been hearing that famous phrase, “my son”. Chief E. K. Clark, five months after, has practically told the world that President Buhari is better than “his own son”.
It is the worst form of humiliation that President Jonathan has received since he left office. It is also the finest compliment that President Buhari has received since he assumed office. The timing is also auspicious: just when the public is beginning to worry about the direction of the Buhari government, E. K. Clark shows up to lend a hand of support and endorsement. Only one phrase was missing in his statement, and it should have been added: “my son, Buhari.” It probably won’t be too long before we hear the old man saying “I am a statesman, Buhari is my son.” I can imagine President Obasanjo grinning with delight. If he really wants to be kind, he could invite E.K. Clark to his home in Ota or Abeokuta to come and do the needful by publicly tearing his PDP membership card and join him in that exclusive club of Nigerian statesmen! The only problem with that club these days is that you can become a member by just saying so or by retiring from partisan politics. We are more or less being told that there are no statesmen in any of the political parties.
It is not funny. Julius Ceasar asked Brutus in one of the famous lines in written literature: “Et tu Brutus?” President Jonathan should ask Chief E. K. Clark: “Et tu Papa?” To which the father will probably tell the son: “Ces’t la vie, mon cher garcon.” And really, that is life. In the face of other considerations, loyalties vanish; synergies collapse. The wisdom of the tribe is overturned; the politics of proximity dissolves; loyalties remain in a perpetual process of construction. Thus, individual interests and transactions drive the political game in Nigeria, with time and context as key determinants.
These are teachable moments for President Jonathan. Power attracts men and women like bees to nectar, the state of powerlessness ends as a journey to the island of loneliness. However, the greatest defender of our work in office is not our ethnic “fathers and “brothers” but rather our legacy. The real loss is that President Jonathan’s heroism, his messianic sacrifice in the face of defeat, is being swept under the carpet and his own brothers who used to say that the Ijaws are driven by a principle of “one for all and all for another”, have become agent-architects of his pain. The Ijaw platform having seemingly been de-centered, Chief E.K. Clark and others are seeking assimilation in the new power structure. It is a telling reconstruction of the politics of proximity and mimicry.
Chief E.K. Clark once defended the rights of ethnic minorities to aspire to the highest offices in the land, his latest declaration about his son reaffirms the existing stereotype at the heart of Nigeria’s hegemonic politics. The same hegemons and their agents whom Clark used to fight furiously will no doubt find him eminently quotable now that he has proclaimed that it is wrong to be a “gentleman”, and that his son lacks “the political will to fight corruption”. There is more to this than we may ever know. Chief Clark can insist from now till 2019, that he has spoken as a statesman and as a matter of principle. His re-alignment, is curious nonetheless.
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Avoid sedentary lifestyle, expert urges Nigerians
Dr Kunle Aledare, Medical Consultant at the Kogi Ministry of Health, has urged Nigerians to avoid sedentary lifestyle and engaged in regular exercise to keep a healthy heart.
The consultant spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lokoja.
He said that the call was necessary to create public awareness on the high rate at which people die of heart related diseases.
Aledare advised that people should endeavour to engage in at least 30 minutes regular exercise daily to burn down the accumulated fats that could obstruct the coronary artery.
According to him, the coronary blood artery is the vessel that carries the flow of blood to and from the heart.
He explained that blockage in the blood artery weakened the muscles and that it would lead to shortage of blood supply, which could result into heart attack.
The expert said that those who were in the habit of sitting down all the day should desist from such lifestyle, stressing that it was dangerous to their health.
“Adequate exercise or trekking for at least 30 minutes per day is one of the most preventive measures against heart attack.
“People should also avoid tobacco smoking and inhaling of generator fumes.
“We must avoid an environment with excessive generation of smoke; we must keep and maintain a well ventilated room,” Aledare said.
Aledare urged people to check their blood sugar regularly, adding that 50 per cent of those that have diabetes were at higher risk of having heart related diseases.
Aledare advised people to go for general medical checkups at least once in three month for blood pressure, cholesterol level, and sugar content in the blood.
According to him, high blood pressure or hypertension, high blood sugar (diabetes), and high cholesterol level are among factors that can predispose people to heart conditions.
“People should eat more of fishes, fruits, vegetables, and low salt intake to create and keep heart-healthy environment.
“It is better to take adequate measures and precautions to prevent heart related conditions; prevention is better than cure,” the expert warned.
The expert, however, urged the Federal Government to raise more awareness and educate people on the need to create and maintain heart-healthy environment.
“The Federal Government should put stringent measures in place, and formulate policies to avoid air pollution which will promote the health of individuals.
“These policies must be implementable at all levels of government.
“The Federal Government should also commit adequate funds to health sector to make available modern equipment in federal teaching hospitals for the corrections of heart conditions,” he said.
He said that most people with heart conditions basically complained of pains at the centre of the chest, adding that people sometimes mistake it for ulcer.
He explained further that in some people, the chest pain might later extend to the neck, arm, shoulder, wrist and other parts of the body.
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Youths decry exclusion from ministerial list
The Ministerial list that has now been officially made public by the Nigerian senate has expectedly drawn reactions from several quarters. As a coalition of young people actively engaged in governance and democracy in the country, we are sad that we are again on a familiar road. This is the path again where we begin to advocate for proper youth representation in governance.
We are shocked that the present ministerial nominee has no single representation of young people who were born in the 70’s or the 80’s. We did not expect that President Muhammadu Buhari’s list of 21 Ministers, which came after a long six months wait, not to have a single youth’s name on it especially when he was the Federal Commissioner – the equivalent of a minister today – for Petroleum and Natural Resources in 1976 at the age of 34. Curiously, the president seeks to retain the portfolio 39 years after.
We hold no grudge against him for this decision as long as Nigeria is better for it. We assumed the long wait for the list was also in part due to the president’s search for capable hands. Our definition of youth is in tandem with that provided by the African Youth Charter, which was ratified by the African Union Heads of State and Government, which numerically classifies them as those between the age of 15 and 35.
We are further taken aback by the presidency’s seeming dismissal to this demography especially given the roles several of them played towards the actualization of the President Muhammadu Buhari and his party’s political dream of getting into office through democratic means.
The president body language and leadership in this regard does not mean well especially because state governments will quickly learn from this and also shut out young people from representative governance in the states. Beyond the ministerial list, we are also quick to note that there has not been anybody below the age of 35 that has been appointed to be part of the president’s team thus far.
There are evidences that shows Nigeria parades some of the finest youth on the continent, who can hold their own any where in the world. We are forced to ask – is it that the country’s investment in young people is just a routine process and our country’s leadership does not believe in the capacity of this demography to lead?
It took six months to release these list of 21. We understand that constitutionally, the president is obliged to mark up the figures to 36. We therefore hope this mistake will be corrected; and quickly. Women, despite being about half of the Nigerian population have also been poorly represented with just a meager 14% representation on the ministerial list.
The median age of the current list is 56. The presidency can choose to correct this wrong by appointing young women into the Federal Executive Council, as this will serve dual purpose of women and youth representation. It is wrong for any government to make decisions for a group in their absence, especially when they are keen to participate.
What the president is saying thus far with its appointment is that he has no confidence in today’s youth even when the same country gave him the opportunity to grow into leadership at an early age. Nigerian youth have earned the right to a space in the leadership of this country and we hope the presidency will listen and do the needful. When we are not given the opportunity to lead today, we are simply being denied of the experience needed to lead properly when that elusive future finally comes.
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Lagos trees, beyond beauty
Time is 8: 30 AM and the snarling traffic which accompanies the early morning ‘rush hour’ at Agege motor road shows no sign of abetting.
The road, a central connecting route in Mushin Local Government Area, one of the densely populated urban slum districts in Lagos mainland is lined up with vehicles of all sizes. Due to the bad state of some of the vehicles, they ooze out fumes from their combustive engines.
Looking beyond the quagmire, one catches the sight of exotic trees planted on both sides of the road. The array of the trees cast a greenish splendor which makes for a picturesque view even in the mist of rowdiness.
For an area notorious for its vehicular chaos and scenic eyesore, the trees stand as pearls. For some residents, the beauty redeems sanity for their eyes and minds.
While many have taken ownership of the trees planted by the Lagos State Parks and Garden Agency; cleaning and weeding them when the high way managers fail to show up, a few others see it as a distraction.
Others think the aesthetics stand in the way of profit as it competes for space with road side traders.
Adeolu Adekunle, 37, a cobbler is one of such persons. With a shop adjacent to one of the trees, he has taken the opportunity of the vantage position to advertise his goods.
Although the import of the tree as an initiative to adapt to climate change is lost on him, Adeolu still praised the idea with irony. It has helped in beautifying the environment, he admits, and also allows him to breathe a fresher air.
However, he was quick to add that government should save the trees ambience for commerce.
Does he compromise the tree by displaying his wares on them? He reacts; “This tree is planted in front of my shop so I have to sweep and even weed the surroundings. If I then use it to advertise my wares, I think it is a reward for my labour”, he said betraying no sense of remorse.
For Bayo Ibrahim, a pool agent on the same Agege motor road who confessed to not having heard of climate change, he also shares the view that the trees has helped to uplift the environment. He shares a reservation about the project though.
“These trees make this place colorful and finer. However, I am not happy that all they plant is flowers. If I can at least get fruits, it would compensate for having to clean up this place since the government cleaners are not usually prompt with their services. The trees are not sitting on our heads but we should be able to feed on them,” Ibrahim added.
On what informs the choice of the species of trees planted, the head of the Tree planting unit of the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency, Ms. Toyin Uyo, said the choice is made based on the space available and the soil texture. The fruit bearing trees, she added are limited to schools where prizes are also initiated for students to plant trees.
Adanma Onwe, a 15 year-old student of Clegg Girls Senior High School, Surulere affirmed to the popularity of the tree planting culture among school children.
“We planted new trees in my school two months ago. Now, all students participate in watering them every morning because we were told the trees are good for our health and the environment. Green plants supply photosynthesis”. She told The Nation.
Unlike the Lagos of yore when arrays of beautiful trees are usually sighted in highbrows’ areas formerly occupied by colonialists; trees are now adorning streets and highways of even densely populated areas. The development has led to a beautification of the environment, making Lagos a greener and finer city.
Far from the thought of the thinking of the majority, the trees are not primarily aimed at aesthetics but as a means of adapting to the effect of climate change in the state.
In 2009, the state government under the leadership of Babatunde Fashola created the Lagos State Parks and Garden Agency (LASPARK). The agency is charged with the task of creating awareness about the importance of planting trees not only as an object of beautification but to act as carbon sinks for green house emission. Now, the agency has succeeded in converting open spaces and loops that were hideouts for criminals to green parks. There are about 170 of such parksij all over the states. Also, over 4.3 million trees have been planted in the last six years. There is a future projection to plant 5 million more trees by 2020.
The economic importance is not lost on the residents. The initiative has opened doors of employment for gardeners, park attendants and guards. It is also a booming time for horticulturists who sell their seedlings to the agency, corporate organizations and other individuals wanting to plant trees.
“Gone are the days when we could succinctly draw a line between the rainy season and dry season; gone are the days when harvest was predictable and bountiful; gone were the days when select species of certain fish were readily available on the menu table”. The quote, attributed to Babatunde Fashola, at the maiden edition of the annual international climate change summit in Lagos in 2009, appears to drive the actions on agitated tree planting campaign in the city which houses over 20 million people.
It is not yet Uhuru for the project as majority of the residents are yet to realize that the trees are beyond aesthetics.
The awareness of climate change adaptation especially among the masses is pathetically poor.
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Why Nigerians must support Army
I just watched the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Tukur Buratai on Television after he visited troops in Geidam Community of Yobe State, as a result of Wednesday’s attack by Boko Haram militants who over-ran the military.
Tn the attack, the insurgents killed 3 soldiers, carted away many weapons and ammunition abandoned by the military on the run and looted mostly food and petroleum products from the popular Wednesday market.
I was particularly touched by the honesty of General Buratai who was obviously angry with the troops who had run away from Geidam town.
In his words, the General said “How can you allow these criminals over-run you? How can you run away from this rag-tag and untrained criminals? You allowed them to operate here for 12hours unchallenged. You refused to come back until they withdrew.”
On the surface, the words of COAS Buratai are very hurtful to the image of the Nigerian Army but this is the painful reality today.
The Nigerian Army seems to be overwhelmed and demoralized.
The image of the Nigerian Army has suffered so much damages in the eyes of Nigerians and the international community mainly because of the way they have handled the war against Boko Haram in the past 3years.
These insurgents have repeatedly, for over 2years, embarked upon massive propaganda using social media to demonize the Nigerian Army.
They have through so many online propaganda and campaigns portrayed our army as a weak and a cowardly army that cannot stand to fight.
Many online media and personalities helped the insurgents to achieve their propaganda campaigns either intentionally or otherwise.
It is important for us to know that all wars are fought both on ground, air, sea, land and in the minds of all parties involved in the war and most importantly in the psyche of the citizens. To win this war against Boko Haram, we must conquer the minds of Boko Haram with fear, win over our allies and friends by convincing them our army is capable and reliable and also boost the confidence of our troops through citizenry support since the morale of our troops are boosted when they know the citizens of their country are solidly behind them.
The Nigerian Army and our other security agencies are our last line of defense against these barbarians since we cannot defend ourselves against their satanic attacks. If not for the efforts of the Nigerian Military and our other security agencies, these barbarians would have taken over the entire nation, enforced their barbaric and misguided religious tenets on all of us, restricted us to their false Sambisa sharia law system, forced our Sisters into sex slavery like they have done to the Chibok Girls and make us live in perpetual fear of terror.
[quote font_size=”18″ font_style=”italic” bgcolor=”#000000″ bcolor=”#e2e2e2″]We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.” ― Winston S. Churchill[/quote]
If not for the Nigerian Army and other security agencies, many Muslims and Christians across our country would not be able to go to the mosque on Fridays or the church on Sundays.
Boko Haram seeks to destroy Christianity and Islam and do not wish any of us well, Nigerians, irrespective of religious consideration, party affiliation and tribal affinity, must realize that Boko Haram are our common enemies and not just the Nigerian Army’s.
The Army means well and are doing their very best to protect us all despite the overwhelming odds, they need our support at all times.
This was what the opposition party in the days of President Goodluck Jonathan was admonished with but they refused to listen. They politicized everything.
Sadly, they politicized the attempt by the former president to list Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO); they politicized the procurement of arms to prosecute the war; they politicized appointments of service chiefs; they politicized State of Emergency in the North East; they politicized Chibok and turned it into a campaign tool against Jonathan.
The PDP-led Federal Government and the Nigerian Army, for inexplicable reasons, chose to see issues as an appendage of the PDP rather than the federal government.
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, now governor of Kaduna State and many leading APC chieftains then referred to the Nigerian army as Jonathan’s army. They politicized everything as regards the fight against the deadly sect.
At some point in time, their presidential candidate now President Muhammadu Buhari called an attack against Boko haram an attack against Northern Nigeria.
If the political class and all Nigerians had supported the then Federal Government and our security agencies in the fight against Boko Haram, may be we would have long won the war.
The politicization of the war against Boko Haram caused more damage than good on the whole nation. Those who saw the war against Boko Haram as an avenue for them to keep scoring needless and cheap political points in the North, sabotaged the efforts of our security agencies.
They got the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to issue endless press releases kicking against the ban on Boko Haram and the plan of the then FG to list Boko Haram as an FTO which was needed to get arms from our allies to effectively prosecute the war.
And finally, when Boko Haram was listed as an FTO, they began another campaign against the army saying former Chief of Army staff, Lieutenant General Ihejirika was also a sponsor of Boko Haram and was the one supplying arms to Boko Haram on the orders of former president Jonathan.
Their allegations were so scary and consistent that our allies became skeptical of supplying us with arms, and the United States and Israel refused selling arms to us to fight the deadly sect.
We had to turn to Russia for help. As if that was not enough, the former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako even did the unbelievable, accusing the FG of genocide against Northern Nigeria and suggested that federal troops were the ones dropping arms for Boko Haram with helicopters.
Furthermore, it was Mallam El-Rufai that built a propaganda foundation which suggested that former President Jonathan was the one sponsoring Boko Haram against the North.
He also tried to bring in the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Ex-Niger Delta Militants and others as possible sponsors of the terrorist group. El-rufai ensured he poisoned the minds of young people from the North and many of his followers on social media against the then president Jonathan by maintaining this lie. He further justified this lie when he spoke at Chatham House by presenting a table to justify his propaganda theory.
The questions all Nigerians must now begin to ask those who refused to support the former administration of Goodluck Jonathan and our security agencies in their fight against Boko Haram then and who are suddenly supporting the Federal Government and the army now is, what has changed? Is Goodluck Jonathan still the one sponsoring Boko Haram with the help of his Niger Delta ex-militants? Is CAN still the one sponsoring Boko Haram? Explanations were offered to APC on why they should see the battle against the terrorists as a national issue rather than treated as a political one just for parochial and mundane reasons, that where national security is concerned, we must not play politics with it but they did not listen.
They threw caution to the wind and were playing loudly to the gallery. Now see where that has gotten us to, in just 120 days of president Buhari taking over, the deadly group has killed more than 1,300 Nigerians and bombed Abuja twice.
The message here is this, the enemy is Boko Haram, not the Federal Government, not president Buhari, and definitely not our ever caring Nigerian Army and the security agencies who daily spend their days in the heat and their nights in the cold while the rest of us spend times with families in the comfort of our homes.
The military deserves our respect and support as they remain in the forefront in the fight against these barbarians.
Deji Adeyanju is a Member of the PDP
He writes from Abuja and can be contacted:
Twitter: @adeyanjudeji
Email: dejiadeyanju_1979@yahoo.co.uk
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‘Cholesterol in egg prevents heart disease, breast cancer’
Stakeholders in poultry farming on Friday gathered to mark the World Egg Day to promote consumption of one-egg-per-day, saying cholesterol in egg prevents heart disease, breast cancer.
The stakeholders which include: farmers, students, markets and egg merchants expressed the believe that that an egg has many nutritional benefits like protein, vitamins, and cholesterol, which can reduce the risks of heart diseases.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was organised by the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) Lagos Chapter in collaboration with Novus Nigeria Ltd.
The theme of the programme, held in Lagos is “Benefits of Eating One Egg a Day by the Nigerian Child’’.
Speaking at the event, Oba Tijani Akinloye, the traditional ruler of Ajiran, highlighted the benefits of eating egg.
He, therefore, expressed his support for the government’s plan to introduce a meal per day in schools.
The Oba, who is also a poultry farmer, expressed the readiness of farmers in his area to produce eggs that would meet local demand for the one-egg-per-day project.
“Nigeria is blessed with the resources to provide a child with a plate of food, which will include an egg.
“There is no food with protein that does not have cholesterol.
“An egg in every diet is the road to good health that will keep the doctor away,’’ he said.
The royal father suggested four eggs per week for primary school pupils and six eggs per week for secondary students.
“That way, we are building a healthy Nigeria and poultry farmers are ready to work,’’ he said.
The monarch said that he has been taking an egg daily since 1982 when he started his poultry farm.
Also speaking, Dr Olajide Basorun, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, said that the state presently produces about 500,000 eggs daily.
According to him, the state has several poultry farms in Epe, Imota and Agbowa.
Basorun, who was represented Mr Taye Amore, said that the state was working hard to expand and increase egg production.
“We have realised the importance of egg consumption and that is why we are part of the programme of the Federal Government’s “one egg and meal per day’’ initiative.
“With the scarcity of egg presently, poultry farmers should take the advantage and expand their farms and do more businesses in egg production.
“This will promote food security and healthy living at the same time,’’ he said.
Dr Olawumi Funso, an agriculture expert, said that the cholesterol in egg was capable of reducing the cholesterol produces by the liver, which was dangerous to health.
“Eggs provide the solution to a healthy living; millions of Nigerian children are malnourished because they lack necessary nutrients.
“Egg is one of the most affordable solutions to problems associated with vitamins A, B2, B12, D, Folate, protein, selenium, choline and iodine.
“So, egg is an important vitamin pill for all ages both old and young,’’ Funso, who was senior Assistant to former Gov Babatunde Fasola on Agriculture, said.
NAN reports that the World Egg Day (WED) was initiated by the International Egg Commission (IEC) in order to promote nature’s vitamin pill, the egg.
Nigeria is one of seven African countries that celebrates WED, every second Friday in October.
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Photo: Copy of the ministerial list
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