The Nation Newspaper

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20% Nigerians prone to mental disorder – Psychiatrist

A Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Femi Olugbile, on Wednesday said that at least 20 per cent of Nigerians are prone to mental disorder.

Olugbile, also a former Chief Medical Director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

“At least 20 per cent of the population will at some time in their lives experience at least one episode of mental disorder,’’ he said.

According to him, it can also be due to high rate of poverty, lack of social welfare and high rate of endemic infectious diseases.

He said that at any point in time, two to five per cent of the 20 per cent population would manifest the symptoms of mental disorder at early stage.

“These figures are universal, but the mental disorder can increase in times of social upheaval, such as war, terrorism and so on.

“Also, security challenges including kidnappings and armed robbery can lead to increased stress, which increases the likelihood of nervous breakdown,’’ Olugbile said.

The consultant psychiatrist decried the few number of psychiatry hospitals in the country, said that the facilities would not meet the number of people that need medical attention.

He suggested that a larger number of specialist hospitals spread across the country should be useful in the management of mental disorder.

“There are eight Federal Government-owned neuro-psychiatric hospitals, and there are smaller units in the teaching hospitals and a few general hospitals handling mental cases.

“However, there is need to effectively use what is on the ground as mental healthcare should start from the Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs).

“All PHCs should be primed to render basic mental healthcare in form of diagnosis and simple treatment, while referral, where necessary, should originate from here,’’ Olugbile said.

He said that the private hospitals should also be integrated into the system to provide universal care.

Olugbile said integration of private hospitals would enable people to get care close to their homes, while the specialist hospitals would only deal with serious referral cases.

Also speaking, another consultant psychiatrist, Dr Maymunah Kadiri, said that there was need for more enlightenment of the populace on mental disorder.

Kadiri, who is also the Medical Director of a Lagos based private hospital, Pinnacle Medical Services, said that stigmatisation still remained a challenge in the management of mental illnesses.

“The society need to be educated on the signs associated with mental illness including depression, schizophrenia and anxiety.

“When people are well educated, those with mental disorders will be appreciated rather than being stigmatised.

“People who suffer from various mental illnesses tend to be perceived by the society as witches or being attacked spiritually.

“What such people need is family or social support so that they can get appropriate treatment they needed,” she said.

June 10, 2015
NASS: Dogara, Gbajabiamila for Speaker

June 9, 2015
Parenting internet savvy kids

Parents in Nigeria have been advised on ways of parenting technology savvy children for good of the society.

This advice was given on Monday during the celebration of the Global Day of Parents at the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Lagos.

At the Panel Discussion programme organised to mark the day in Lagos, parents were urged to keep abreast of their children and be social media smart themselves.

Speaking on ‘Contemporary Parenting and the Social Media’, Dr Ifeoma Amobi of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, warned that interaction of young people on social media platforms should no longer be dismissed as a ‘waste of time’, but must be acknowledged by parents as a part of contemporary communication.

“The new way of life, brought on by the spread and development of communication technology, demands different ways of parenting due to the altered fabrics of parent-child relationships,” Dr. Amobi contended.

According to her: “Parents should be their children’s best friends and should do so by becoming ‘social media smart’.”

She further noted that in order to fulfil parents’ duty of protecting their children, online activity should be treated with the same diligence as offline activities.

Welcoming the participants, Mr Ronald Kayanja, Director of UNIC Lagos, highlighted the importance of parents to the development of the child, the community and the nation.

He observed that the success of the United Nations’ mission to promote international peace and security, ensuring a world free from war and conflict, was dependent on the direction parents provided for their children and the society.

Quoting from the preamble of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Kayanja observed that “Since wars begin in the minds of men and women, it is in the minds of men and women that the defences of peace must be constructed”. He added that parents played an integral role in peace building through teaching values of tolerance, respect for one another, hard work and integrity among others.

Similarly, Dr. Ebun Sonaiya, Chief Medical Director and Director of Total Health Trust, observed that peer pressure from an early age, the excessive use of technology and gadgets, being subjected to bullying, a sense of entitlement, drugs and substance abuse, sexual experimentation as well as sibling rivalry were the challenges children and parents face at this time in the global development.

Dr. Ebun who spoke on topic: ‘Critical Issues and Challenges with Parenting in Nigeria’, maintained that “The parenting skills needed to tackle these sort challenges are not taught in schools or homes rather parents need to devise a more practical approach to navigate the challenges.

In her remarks, the Executive Director of TWYEF, Mrs Stephany Nwanma, re-emphasised the importance of education and restoration of values through parenting and urged parents to rise up to the challenges of contemporary parenting.

Her Royal Highness addressed the issue of gender equality and women’s empowerment stating that fathers and mothers should be equally responsible for parenting, as “women have always been working side by side to create a happy home for children”.

In her ‘Testimony of a Parent’, Mrs Chinyere Anokwuru, the former Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Lagos state on women ethnic groups, recounted how her parents upheld integrity and values in the face of hardship and poverty to raise her. She added that the values handed down to her by her parents had brought her to where she was at the moment.

The Panel Discussion programme chaired by the Erelu of Lagos, Her Royal Highness, Abiola Dosunmu, attracted men and women with varying education background, from all walks of life who gathered just to commemorate the Day3 in Nigeria.

June 8, 2015
‘Only 25 percent women use internet’

A report has revealed that women are at a disadvantage on the use of technology and access to the internet.

The report by Intel claimed that compared to men, women still have lower access to the internet.

Considering the reports which stated that 25 percent fewer women than men are online in developing countries, Intel reaffirmed its commitment to bridging the gap with its Intel She Will Connect Programme.

However, the Programme, in recent time, has been in the forefront of educating young girls and women on maximum contributions toward economic and social development across the world.

At the recently concluded capacity building workshop on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for women journalists in Lagos, Mr. Olubunmi Ekundare, Intel Nigeria Managing Director, Intel West Africa, stressed the dedication to bring about positive change in the African Girl Child.

Further reiterating the importance of educating the girl child, the Director said, “Here at Intel, we believe, and I’m sure we all agree, that smart girls are the equivalent of a smart world.

“What we seek to do, more than encouraging you all, is to do your best in school and seize the opportunity to build a world where youths are inspired to be advocates for change.”

The Corporate Affairs Manager, Mr. Babatunde Akinola, explained that She Will Connect Programme aims to close the gap for girls in terms of access to the internet and digital literacy.

Akinola maintained that the company will provide technical resources and expertise to deliver digital literacy training, online peer networks and gender relevant content to empower young girls and women in Nigeria.

The programme hopes to have reached five million women and girls across Africa by 2020, empowering them to get and stay online and help others like them, thereby reducing the gender gap by 50%.

Intel She Will Connect is a model that incorporates digital literacy with gender and development programming targeting women and girls. The programme was first launched in September, 2013 in the USA.

June 5, 2015
10 most expensive wrist watches Nigerians may have

How expensive can wrist watches be?

First Lady, Aishat Buhari allegedly wore a N10million Cartier Baignoire Folle 18-Carat White Gold wrist watch which cost £34,500 (estimated at N10,453,000) during the inauguration of her husband President Muhammadu Buhari.

Neither the presidency nor Mrs. Buhari have refuted the claims, but there are indications that what Mrs Buhari had on was not the reported costly brand.

Although cased in “18K rhodiumized white gold set with brilliant-cut diamonds, octagonal crown set with a diamond, sapphire crystal, Roman numerals, silvered satin-finished dial, 2 motifs lacquered and set with brilliant-cut diamonds, blued-steel sword-shaped hands”, the first lady’s watch was not a Cartier Baignoire Folle 18-Carat White Gold wrist watch.

Instead the one she had on was a Cartier Baignoire Folle Manual Watch priced at $129 (approximately N26,832 when converted at the rate of $1 to N208). Its strap is mainly a black semi-matt alligator-skin strap and an interchangeable “toile brossée” fabric strapwhich is opposed to the Cartier Baignoire Folle 18-Carat White Gold’s fabric strap.

On Friday, June 5, it was reported that former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi’s N11m Rolex wrist watch was stolen by his houseboy.

The houseboy also allegedly stole other luxury accessories valued at N9 m.

Here is the world’s 10 most expensive wrist watches, some of which are more expensive than a Ferrari, which some Nigerians may have.

1. The A. Lange & Söhne Grand Complication is from the German luxury watch brand A. Lange & Söhne. Priced at approximately $2,497,000, this grand complication features a grand sonnerie and petit sonnerie in addition to a minute repeater, a monopusher chronograph with a split-seconds function and jumping seconds, and a perpetual calendar with a moon-phase display. According to WatchTime magazine, “it is the most expensive watch we’ve come across in recent years”.

A. LANGE & SONHE Grand Complication 1

2. Richard Mille Tourbillon RM 56-02 Sapphire, combines a tripartite sapphire case with the Richard Mille’srevolutionary “cabled movement” design, the Tourbillon Sapphire costs $2,020,000.

Richard Mille Tourbillon-RM56-02 Sapphire

3. Richard Mille RM 56-01, features a distinctive, all-sapphire glass case, and is priced at $1.85 million.

Richard Mille RM 56-01

4. The Greubel Forsey Art Piece 1 is priced at approximately $1.6 million. It’s stand out feature is the nanosculpture by artist Willard Wigan in the crown. It also has an inclined tourbillon.

Greubel Forsey Art Piece 1

5. Vacheron Constantin’s Tour de I’Ile was produced as a limited edition of only seven pieces to celebrate the brand’s 250th anniversary. It has two faces (on the front and back) to make room for its many displays, including a second time zone, perpetual calendar, and sunset time indicator, among others. Priced at $1,538,160, it may be the most complicated serial timepiece on the list of watches over $1 million.

Vacheron Constantin Tour de I’Ile

6. Jaeger-LeCoulture Hybris Mechanica à Grande Sonnerie is retailed at $ 1,474,070. The watch boasts 1,300 parts, which make it capable of playing the entire Big Ben chiming sequence. According to WatchTime it was released in 2009 as part of the Hybris Mechanica 55 trilogy, a trio of very expensive watches that comprised 55 complications altogether.

Jaeger-LeCoulture Hybris Mechanica à Grande Sonnerie

7. The Roger Dubuis’ Excalibur Quatuor. Its case is made entirely of silicon, and a material with half the weight of titanium and four times the hardness. The Excalibur Quatour equipped with the RD101 movement, is notable for its four sprung balances, which work in pairs to compensate for the effects of gravity much faster than a tourbillon would, resulting in a more accurate watch. It is priced at approximately $1,125,000.

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Quatuor

8. The Hublot Classic Fusion Haute Joaillerie “$1 Million,” is limited to only eight pieces. Its $1 million price tag comes with the 1,185 baguette diamonds covering every surface of the watch, from the case and bracelet to the open-worked dial. For the case alone, a 15-person team had to perform 1,800 hours of cutting and 200 hours of dimensional checking and quality control.

Hublot Classic Fusion Haute Joaillerie “$1 Million

9. Patek Philippe REF 5016P costs $762,000. Rounding out the Patek trinity is the Ref 5016P (where the P stands for platinum). This watch is the second most complicated that Patek has produced. The problem with watches of this caliber is the need for adjustments, but Patek has an app for that. If you keep this moon-phase, perpetual calendar, retrograde behemoth running continuously it won’t need adjusting until 2100. Cool Material thinks it is something that your children’s children’s children will most certainly appreciate.

Patek Philippe REF 5016P

10. The AP Royal Oak Grande Complication is priced at $560,000. Audemars Piquet (AP) grande complication has a perpetual calendar accurate until long after you will no longer be alive. It has a lot of the same complications as the other watches (minute repeater, split seconds chronograph, aforementioned perpetual calendar) but presents them in a way that doesn’t require a thousand page instruction manual just to read.

Additional information gotten from:

WatchTime magazine

Cool Material

Cartier

KoWatches

June 5, 2015
What qualities do you want in your spouse?

There are severally qualities people look out for in a man or woman they intend to spend the rest of their lives with. Oluwatoyin Shobola, Rashidat Ashafa and Emmanuel Ojo who spoke to a group of undergraduates on the subject matter report.

Oluwakayode David, a student of Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech)

The first quality I look out for in a lady is that she must be God fearing.

Also, she must be lettered; at least a first degree will do from a university. She must be diligent, prudent and not the extravagant type.

She must have a good sense of humor and be some one that encourages. I seriously want someone who is submissive and not someone who nags always. Must not be a liability, she must be able to contribute her quota to the family. My woman must be understanding and have great sense of fashion, I mean good looking.

Toheeb Adebusoye, a 400 student of statistics, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB)

My ideal woman must have a good personality, fine dress code and the ability to cook good food.

She must be romantic and have a good dress sense, though not too flamboyant.

She must possess good ability to accommodate people but not in excess and the level of her IQ is highly important.

Adeleye Kayode, Electrical engineering student, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta

For me, my woman must be God fearing, she must be good looking. She must be educated and she must be a good cook.

Titilayo Ogunniyi, applicant

My ideal man must be 100 percent better than I. He must be very understanding and not aggressive. He must be intelligent and must be faithful.

He must be caring, God fearing and a good cook.

Above all, he must love and respect me.

Smart Agbor, Computer Technology student, Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech)

She must be God fearing, cool, honest and lively. Also I want someone who is presentable, caring, loving and natural. By natural I mean she must be naturally beautiful so she does not have to wear heavy makeup and last of all she must be purpose driven.

David Babajide, Science Lab Technology student, Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech)

I really want to be honest with you about it. You know every Christian would say God fearing but with me, the list starts with obedience, because I don’t want quarrels and should there be any, we must be able to settle it immediately.

Also, I expect my woman to adhere strictly to anything we agree upon. She must possess love, understanding and must be beautiful.

I prefer a fair complexioned lady who is endowed, honest and entrepreneurial. Then God fearing can comes in. She must be friendly and must be able to spoil me with all manner of delicious dishes.

Kunle kehinde, Hospitality Management student, Yaba College of Technology, (Yabatech)

First of all, she must know God – a good Christian, I am not after beauty. She must be respectful, friendly, generous and kind. Also, she must be hardworking, submissive, caring and accommodating. She must also know how to cook and above all she must have home training, I mean she must be of good behaviour.

Olakunle Elemide, Business Admin student, University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD)

The qualities I look out for in my woman are quite many. Firstly, she must be prayerful, God fearing and possess good communication skill.

Additionally, she must be a person of good integrity – she must be true to her words and maintain fidelity. She must be a very good cook, must be neat and ready to take care of domestic chores and children.

She must be very supportive – she has to be a helpmate and must be someone that can make good decision in my absence. Finally, she must be hardworking and industrious.

Abimbola FabowaIe, teacher

I like a guy who understands, if he understands that covers all because he will take you for who you are, accepts you without complain. My ideal man should not cheat on me and must be loving as well

Ibrahim Akinola, Mass Communications student, Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech)

For me, the behavior of the girl matters to me, her religion as in how she worship Allah, her family and educational background are some qualities I look out for in a woman.

Obasi Peter, Fashion Designer

She must be caring and hardworking. She must have everything a man wants in a lady. I only want the best.

Ajanaku Sunday, Computer Technology student, Yaba College of Technology

She must be a woman of integrity, great ideas, beauty and high intellect. She must also possess beauty of the mind.

Ajibade Mustapha, Business Administration,

She must be well educated woman and of a good character.

Ben-Eze Chidebere, Elect-Elect Engineering, Yaba College of Technology

She must be God fearing, dedicated, hard working, loving, caring and a goal getter

She must have a vision both for her life and her marriage, a help mate and someone I would be willing to spend the rest of my life with. She must be able to satisfy my stomach and many more not forgetting that she must be good on bed.

Rowland Efe Lucky, Business Administration, Lagos State University (LASU)

She must be tall, pretty, kind, lovely, intelligent, wise, humble, and honest.

Oyewunmi Daniel, Mass Communication, Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech)

She must be calm and fair

Adetoyan Emmanuel, Law student, Obafemi Awolowo University

She must be able to cook very well. That is all.

Shobola Oluwatoyin, Mass Communication, Yaba College of Technology

He must be God fearing, caring and compassionate, a loving fellow, educated, and accommodating.

He must be honest, tolerant and gentle.

June 5, 2015
5 children die every minute in Africa – WHO

In 2013, an estimated 6.3 million children under five died, 2.9 million of them in the WHO African region. This is equivalent to five children under 5 years of age dying every minute. Two thirds of these deaths can be attributed to preventable causes. A third of all these deaths are in the neonatal period.

Pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria and HIV are the main causes of death in infants and young children. In the African Region, about 473 000 children die from pneumonia, 300 000 from diarrhoea, and a further 443 000 from malaria every year. In 2012, 230 000 new HIV infections were recorded among children under 5 years of age.

“Although tremendous progress has been made in identifying and treating infants and children with HIV, much remains to be done to scale-up and sustain effective prevention, care and treatment, especially of pneumonia and diarrhoea,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

Pneumonia is the single biggest killer of children worldwide, accounting for nearly one in seven deaths among young children, with an estimated over 950 000 deaths annually. Most of the deaths occur in resource-constrained countries, with 50% in sub-Saharan Africa.

Globally, diarrhoeal diseases account for nearly one out of every six deaths in children under 5 years of age, equivalent to over 578 000 deaths per year. Diarrhoeal disease occurs more commonly in HIV-infected people, with worse outcomes than in uninfected children.

Persistent diarrhoea in particular is associated with a high risk of death in HIV-infected children. Administration of oral rehydration and zinc in combination with antiretroviral therapy (ART) and restoring immune function are critical for the treatment of diarrhoea in children with HIV.

“Undernutrition is another critical risk factor in most countries in the African Region, and nutrition and food security remains a fundamental challenge to child survival. Breastfeeding is one of the best ways to provide newborns, infants and young children with the nutrients that they need while protecting them against conditions like pneumonia, diarrhea and undernutrition,” Dr Moeti added.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that exclusive breastfeeding starts within one hour after birth and lasts until a baby is six months old. Continued breastfeeding and appropriate complementary foods should be made available for up to 2 years of age and beyond.

In mid-2013, WHO issued new guidelines for breastfeeding and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. These recommendations were intended for use in resource-poor settings in low-and middle-income countries.

One of the recommendations for PMTCT is to promote the use of ART in all pregnant and breastfeeding women. These recommendations also include providing ART – irrespective of one’s CD4 count – to all children under 5 years of age with HIV, all pregnant, and all breastfeeding women with HIV including their infants until they cease to breastfeed.

Health systems in Africa are often not able to adequately address the severe burden of childhood disease. Low total health expenditure with high out of pocket health costs hamper progress in child survival. Hence just as health can drive economic growth, ill-health can push people into poverty and make it very difficult for them to escape the vicious cycle of poverty and disease.

WHO said it will continue to work with governments and partners to strengthen health systems to reduce unacceptably high infant and child deaths in the African Region.

June 5, 2015
Breastfeeding may reduce risk of childhood leukemia -Study

A new analysis of 18 studies suggested on Tuesday in Washington that children who are breastfed have lower risk of developing childhood leukemia.

Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, accounting for about 30 per cent of all childhood cancers, but little was known about its cause.

Efrat Amitay and Lital Keinan-Boker of the University of Haifa, Israel, said they reviewed the evidence in 18 studies, researching the association between breastfeeding and childhood leukemia.

They said the studies, published between 1960 and 2014, provided a total of 10,292 leukemia cases and 17,517 controlled individuals.

They said the result showed that breastfeeding for six months or longer, was associated with a 19 per cent lower risk, compared with no breastfeeding or breastfeeding for a shorter period of time.

The scientists said a separate analysis of 15 studies found that ever being breastfed, compared with never being breastfed, was associated with an 11 per cent lower risk of childhood leukemia.

The researchers said several biological mechanisms of breast milk may explain the relationship, indicating that breast milk contains many immunologically active components and anti-inflammatory defence mechanisms that influence the development of infant’s immune system.

Amitay and Keinan-Boker said that based on the current meta-analysis, 14 per cent to 19 per cent of all childhood leukemia cases may be prevented by breastfeeding for six months or more.

They said the method was highly accessible and low-cost public health measure.

The researchers said that because the primary goal of public health was basically prevention of morbidity, health care professionals should be taught the potential health benefits of breastfeeding and given tools to assist mothers.

June 2, 2015
MEGA awards call for entries

The Music and Entertainment Gospel Awards, MEGA Awards has called for the submission of entries for the third edition of its awards.

The award was launched to recognize and celebrate outstanding performances and exemplary talents in Nigerian gospel music community, within the country and abroad.

Entry forms for interested gospel artistes are free and available here from Monday June 1 and closes on Friday, July 31 2015.

The attention of judges and screeners will be focused on original works released or published between May 1, 2014 and April 30, 2015.

Judges/Screeners include Rev. Bassey Ekpeyong (Karis Band), Mr. Laolu Akintobi (aka Laolu Akins, ace producer/music advocate) and Evang. Tolu Gaye (ex-A&R Mgr, EMI).

Others include Mr. Funmi Onabolu (GMD, Cosse Group – Advertising), Broda Martyns (recording artiste/minister), Pastor Uche Chikwendu (youth/music minister), Ms Gloria Rhodes (Director, Steve Rhodes Foundation), Pastor Abayomi Oladiji (Regional Director, RCCG Drama) and a few others.

Full list of the approved Award categories, descriptions and definitions, among other details, can also be viewed here.

June 1, 2015
Key messages in Buhari’s speech

May 29, 2015