The Nation Newspaper

Category: Online Special

Jonathan’s broadcast on elections

NATIONAL BROADCAST BY PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR ON THE 2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS,FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015

Dear Compatriots,
1. As we prepare to go to the polls tomorrow, I have come before you this morning to express my immense appreciation for the opportunity you gave me to lead this great nation of ours in the past four years.
2. I also wish to place on record, once again, my sincere gratitude for the support you have given my administration without which the significant progress we have made in recent years would not have been possible.
3. In spite of the many challenges we have had to contend with since 1999, our present democratic dispensation continues to endure and grow stronger in keeping with the yearnings and aspirations of our people.
4. We have all worked very hard to nurture and strengthen our democratic institutions and promote the good governance practices which they were designed to deliver for the better well-being of our people.
5. I believe I can say without fear of contradiction that we all clearly cherish the democracy we now have and will never willingly give it up for any other form of governance.
6. This much-cherished democracy of ours is about to be put to the test once again.
7. I urge you all to troop out en-masse to peacefully perform your civic duty of voting for leaders of your choice tomorrow.
8. As we do so, let us all – political party leaders, contestants, party members, party agents, supporters and ordinary voters alike, be very conscious of the fact that the eyes of the entire world are on us.
9. We must therefore comport ourselves in a manner that will further strengthen our democracy and consolidate our place in the comity of truly democratic nations.
10. I made a commitment on assumption of office to progressively deliver freer, fairer and more credible elections in our country. In keeping with that commitment, the Federal Government has given the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) all necessary support to ensure that it conducts very successful elections tomorrow and on April 11.
11. We have all been assured that INEC is fully ready for the elections. I believe that we can all trust that they are certainly more ready now than they may have been before security issues and other concerns necessitated a re-scheduling of the dates for the 2015 general elections.
12. As an administration, we welcome the fact that millions of Nigerians who were yet to receive their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) as at February 14, and would therefore have been unfairly disenfranchised if the polls had gone ahead on that date, have seized the opportunity of the re-scheduling to collect their cards and can now exercise their right to vote tomorrow.
13. We are also glad that our gallant Armed Forces have successfully stemmed the seizure of Nigerian territories in the North-East by the terrorist group, Boko Haram.
14. They have recaptured most of the communities and territories formerly occupied by the insurgents, making it possible for thousands of internally-displaced Nigerians to begin returning to their homes and communities.
15. I heartily commend the very courageous men and women of our Armed Forces for the immense sacrifices which they continue to make in defending the nation and protecting its citizens.
16. I also thank all Nigerians for keeping faith with us over the past six weeks.
17. I call on all political parties and politicians in the country to allow the free, unfettered will of our people to be expressed without any hindrance in the coming elections in keeping with the hallowed principles and tenets of democratic governance which we all profess.
18. The will of the people freely expressed through the ballot is the bedrock of all democracies and ours cannot be an exception
19. Let us all therefore be prepared, as true democrats, to graciously accept the outcome of the elections as the rightful choice of our people from whom all political powers in our democracy must emanate
20. My administration has done its utmost best in the past four years to deliver on our promise to positively transform our country
21. Tomorrow’s election is another very important milestone as we continue our march towards the fulfillment of our God-given potential for greatness.
22. The election offers us another opportunity to empower leaders of our choice once again, and to show the world that genuine democracy is alive and well in our beloved nation.
23. I will like to restate my belief that no political ambition can justify violence or the shedding of the blood of our people.
24. I reaffirm once again, my personal preparedness to ensure fair play during the elections and to deploy the resources and institutions of state only in the manner prescribed by our laws.
25. Let me warn, however, that as President, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am under oath to protect the lives of all Nigerians and the security of our country at all times. I will never abdicate my responsibilities in that regard.
26.26. Democracy allows dissent. It encourages differences and even fervent disagreements. But elections must never be mistaken for war or an opportunity to set fellow citizens against each other and tear our beloved nation apart.
27. Those who may harbor any intentions of testing our will by unleashing violence during the elections in order to advance their political ambitions should think again as all necessary measures have been put in place to ensure that any persons who breach the peace or cause public disorder during or after the elections are speedily apprehended and summarily dealt with according to our laws.
28. The nation’s security agencies are also fully prepared and ready to deal decisively with any group or persons who attempt to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the elections or cause any form of public disorder
29. Our dear country, Nigeria is the largest democracy amongst black nations of the world. We are a nation of great accomplishments, with a proud history of evolving affinities
30. Let us go out tomorrow to vote peacefully and set a fitting example of political maturity for other emerging democracies to follow.
31. I wish you all and our dear nation, very peaceful and successful elections.
32. May God Almighty continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
33. I thank you all.

March 27, 2015
Eliminating tuberculosis in Nigeria

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Tuberculosis (TB) is a global pandemic, killing one person in every 20 seconds.

“TB is global. About two billion people are infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis; in 2013 alone, the disease killed nearly 1.5 million,” it says.

The global health agency says that TB is “second only to HIV as the leading infectious killer of adults worldwide.

“It is also among the three greatest causes of death of women, aged 15 to 44 years, and it is the leading infectious cause of death among people living with HIV and AIDS.

“TB is a leading killer of HIV-positive people, causing one-fourth of all HIV-related deaths,’’ it adds.

According to medical experts, TB is caused by a pathogenic bacterial species known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which often affects the lungs.

They add that the disease is spread from person to person through the air.

“When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected,” the experts say.

A WHO report, however, indicates that about one-third of the world’s population has latent TB (a situation whereby a person, who is infected by TB bacteria, has yet to manifest the disease and cannot transmit it).

It mostly affects young adults in their most productive years. However, all age groups are at risk, with over 95 per cent of cases and deaths recorded in developing countries.

HIV-positive persons are 26 to 31 times more likely to suffer from TB, as HIV and TB form a fatal combination, each speeding the other’s progress.

The risk of contracting active TB is also greater in persons suffering from other conditions that impair the immune system.

The WHO report notes that the use of tobacco greatly increases the risk of TB disease and death.

“It accounts for more than 20 per cent of TB cases worldwide,’’ it adds.

As part of efforts to draw global attention to the health problem, March 24 is celebrated every year as the World Tuberculosis Day and the day is designed to build public awareness about tuberculosis and efforts to eliminate the disease.

Nevertheless, WHO has initiated six core strategies in efforts to address TB. These include providing global leadership on matters critical to TB; developing evidence-based policies, strategies and standards for TB prevention, care and control, while monitoring their implementation.

Others are providing technical support to member states; catalysing change and building sustainable capacity; monitoring the global TB situation, and measuring progress in TB care, control and financing, among others.

Mr. Umar Bako, the Coordinator, TB/Leprosy Control, Gwagwalada Town Clinic, Abuja, says that there are two types of tuberculosis — the extra-pulmonary TB and the pulmonary TB.

He says that the extra-pulmonary TB, which is not infectious, affects any part of the body such as the bone, skin and brain, among others, while the pulmonary TB affects mostly the lungs.

“Because lung TB is productive; one can cough it out and when that is the case, another person may inhale it through dust.

“The person will start to have symptoms of TB, especially if the immune system of the person is not strong,” he adds.

Bako notes that the signs of TB include cough, sometimes with blood, sneeze, chest pains and fever, among others, adding that these signs may last for more than two weeks.

He, however, insists that whoever manifests such signs ought to undergo a medical test to ascertain whether the condition it is TB or not.

He, therefore, advises people to go for TB screening to ensure its early detection and management, adding that those who are already on treatment should strictly adhere to the treatment schedule so as to avoid drug resistance.

Bako says that the treatment for TB is for six months, noting that patients, who adhere to the treatment schedule from the beginning to the end, will be cured of the disease.

Also speaking, Dr Patrick Dakum, the Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Human Virology of Nigeria, urges the Federal Government to strengthen its efforts to curb TB afflictions in the country.

He cites the report of a survey conducted in 2012, which indicates that the TB prevalence rate in Nigeria stands at 322/100,000 population.

Dakum, however, insists that in efforts to prevent TB, pragmatic plans ought to be made identify suspected TB sufferers before moving to contain the infection.

“If you do not want TB to spread, we should first of all ensure that persons, who have the mycobacterium, are not allowed to cough it around the community.

“Once we identify those people, we isolate them for the purpose of treatment.

“Once we do that on a large scale, we will be able to reduce TB transmission and, therefore, minimise the number of those suffering from the disease.

“If we do not do something about finding those who have TB and treating them very promptly, we run the risk of having several other people contracting the disease.

“Every additional index case you get has a potential for spreading to other people.

“So, the onus lies on all stakeholders to raise public awareness about TB, while our health care system should be repositioned to isolate those suffering from the disease for prompt health care,’’ he says.

Dakum, however, notes that the mortality rate for TB is low, when compared to Ebola and other communicable diseases, stressing that TB could be treated and well-managed if identified early enough.

Nevertheless, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a statement, says that sustained research and prevention are crucial in efforts to create a tuberculosis-free world by 2035.

“With some 37 million lives saved between 2000 and 2013 through the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, it is clear that we are within sight of one of the greatest global health victories.

“We have the opportunity not just to reverse the spread of tuberculosis but, by 2035, to end this epidemic that continues to bring suffering to so many families worldwide.”

Ban urges governments, communities affected by tuberculosis and health workers around the world to intensify their efforts to eradicate tuberculosis, in line with the ambitious strategy of the World Health Assembly in 2014 to end the global epidemic within two decades.

“While the achievement by 2015 of one of the key health-focused Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), namely the reversal of the spread of tuberculosis, is significant, the World Tuberculosis Day reminds governments and communities that this is no time for complacency.

“Efforts must begin now to ensure the effective global roll-out of the `End TB’ strategy and stimulate research that will underpin its success,” the UN scribe says.

March 24, 2015
Children: the innocent victims of TB in vulnerable communities

Each year on 24 March, WHO joins the rest of the international community to commemorate World TB Day. This year’s theme “Gear Up to End TB” is a continuation of the call to reach the missing cases, most of who live in the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities, including those in the African Region.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world’s deadliest, yet preventable, communicable diseases and remains a significant problem in the African Region. Every year, there is an estimated 9 million new TB cases worldwide but consistently 3 million cases are either not diagnosed, not treated, or are diagnosed and not registered by national TB control programmes.

These vulnerable populations include children and women, people living with HIV, people with diabetes, refugees, miners and ex-miners, prisoners and drug users whose access to basic health care services may be limited. The poor are also at risk, especially homeless persons and individuals living in densely populated communities.

Among children, there were an estimated 550 000 new cases in 2013. Children with vulnerable immune systems, such as the very young, HIV-infected or severely malnourished, are at the greatest risk of falling ill or dying from TB.

Children can get TB at any age, but the most common age is between one and four years. The source of infection is often an infectious adult that is in a child’s close environment. A TB infected adult often lives in vulnerable communities such as migrants, miners, prisoners, drug users and sex workers whose access to basic health care services may be limited.

“Any child living in a setting where there are people with infectious TB can become ill with TB, even if they are vaccinated. If infected, TB is often missed or overlooked due to non-specific symptoms and difficulties in accurately diagnosing the condition. This highlights the urgent need to strengthen health systems to be able to manage TB and it’s other associated health conditions,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

The HIV pandemic also threatens TB control efforts, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Wherever children are at risk of HIV infection, the HIV-infected children are at risk of TB. Overall, 34 per cent of TB cases are estimated to be co-infected with HIV in the African Region. In parts of southern Africa, more than 50 per cent of TB cases are co-infected with HIV.

TB is a treatable and curable disease. Active, drug-sensitive TB is treated with a standard six-month regimen of four antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support by a qualified health care worker or trained volunteer.

There has been continued progress in the implementation of collaborative TB/HIV activities but intensified efforts are needed, especially to ensure universal access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). In 2013, 70 per cent of TB patients known to be HIV-positive were on ART. This level, however, falls short of the 100 per cent target set for 2015.

As a minimum, all HIV-infected children should be screened for TB and all children with TB should be offered HIV testing and counselling in high HIV prevalence settings. Irrespective of age, all HIV-infected children who are household contacts of infectious TB cases should be evaluated for TB disease and treated.

For the first time in four decades, new TB drugs are starting to emerge from the pipeline, and combination regimens that include new compounds are being tested in clinical trials, but the funding required to rapidly evaluate whether these treatments are effective and ready for implementation is far from adequate.

The end of 2015 marks a transition from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to a post-2015 development framework. Within this broader context, WHO has developed a post-2015 global TB strategy (the End TB Strategy) that was approved by all Member States at the May 2014 World Health Assembly.

March 24, 2015
The low-down on cholesterol

“Whenever I heard about cholesterol, I used to think it was only old people it affected,” stated Tonia Enifome, an Isolo, Lagos based school teacher and designer. To the 38 year old woman, a high cholesterol level was the last thing on her mind when she fell ill with malaria sometime last year and went to the hospital for treatment. “I went to the hospital when I was sick last year. It was during routine tests and checks that I was told I not only had malaria with some traces of typhoid, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels were high! I was shocked and got scared because of what the doctor said could happen to me if the condition is left untreated; that stroke or heart attack could occur. My parents are still alive and strong and I wondered why I should have to deal with such health conditions at my age.”

Asked what could have caused the serious health condition, she stated: “Actually, the doctor said it could be my weight. You see, I put on a lot of weight after I had my daughter who is now three years old. I used to be a size 16 but after I put to bed, my weight ballooned to size 20. I have gone on a diet to reduce my weight. It’s not easy to stick to it. There are so many things I love to eat like fried chicken, meat and fried eggs that I can’t eat anymore because of the cholesterol.”

So, what is cholesterol and what causes it?

“There are so many causes,” stated a medical practitioner, Dr Kennedy. “Sometimes, it is caused by what we eat, our lifestyle; it could also be hereditary. So high cholesterol is caused by different factors. It is genetic and at the same time environmental. Some of us eat quite a lot of fatty foods. The good the bad and the ugly. So it is such foods that cause lots of problems for the heart,” he added.

The ABC of cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that circulates in the blood. The body uses it to create cells, hormones, and Vitamin D and the liver creates all the cholesterol the body needs from fats in the diet.

“However, it is not all cholesterol that is bad, there are good and bad cholesterol,” noted Dr Kennedy. “Your body has two types of cholesterol: low-density lipoproteins (LDL), known as ‘bad’ cholesterol, and high-density lipoproteins (HDL) referred to as ‘good’ cholesterol. HDL cholesterol carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to the liver. Your liver then processes the cholesterol out of your body. Both types of cholesterol are necessary for healthy cell function, but too much LDL can clog your arteries and could lead to heart failure. You can reduce LDL levels by avoiding foods that add cholesterol to your blood stream and by exercising. Foods from animal sources like eggs, meat, and dairy products can raise bad cholesterol. Exercise not only reduces the bad cholesterol in your body, but also can add good cholesterol,” he said.

On the dangers and manifestations of high ‘bad’ cholesterol, he added: “If your cholesterol levels are too high, deposits can occur in your arteries. The cholesterol forms fatty deposits on the walls of your blood vessels, hardening and narrowing them in a condition called atherosclerosis. Narrower vessels transport less oxygen-rich blood. If your heart muscle is starved of oxygen, you can have a heart attack. If that happens in your brain, you can have a stroke.

“Signs of high LDL in your blood include heart diseases like coronary heart disease or cardiovascular diseases. It will show signs like the legs being numb, the hand could feel like its numb like there is no blood there, while some could have chest pain and so on. It can also lead to complications like cardiac arrest or death.”

Indeed, heart disease is the number one cause of death worldwide accounting for about 30% of all causes of death globally in 2008. More people died from cardiovascular diseases than from any other cause in recent years.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 9.4 million deaths each year or 16.5% of all deaths can be attributed to the disease. It has also been estimated that the number of people who will die from cardiovascular diseases mainly from heart disease and strokes will increase to reach 23.3 million by 2030 and cardiovascular diseases is projected to remain the leading cause of death globally.

Cardiovascular diseases are usually preceded by certain risk factors such as smoking, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, diabetes among others. Despite the serious health implication of cardiovascular diseases, awareness of its risk factors among the population is very low.

For instance, a study carried out by Adeseye Abiodun Akintunde, Temitope ‘Sade Akintunde and Oladimeji George Opadijo of the Department of Medicine, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, Nigeria and published in the Nigerian Medical Journal, titled ‘Knowledge of heart disease risk factors among workers in a Nigerian University: A call for concern’ showed a low awareness of the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases among the populace.

” Despite the surging trend in cardiovascular disease worldwide and in developing nations like Nigeria and having reported that in this environment, the commonest reason for medical admission to Teaching Hospitals are cardiovascular disease, there is still poor level of knowledge of heart disease among University workers. An outreach programme including training on the risk factors for heart diseases, preventive strategies, treatment and association with cholesterol and diabetes is, therefore, very essential.

Africans including African-Americans have been shown to have higher rates of cardiovascular disease. They should therefore be targeted for interventions to prevent or reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, increasing the level of knowledge of heart disease risk factors, prevention and treatment remain a major way to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases among Africans,” the study noted.

Treating and controlling cholesterol

There are a number of factors that put one at risk for developing high cholesterol according to health experts. These include age, hereditary factors, weight, diet, lifestyle and others. Cholesterol levels rise with age, especially in women after menopause while hereditary also plays a factor since how much cholesterol your liver makes is partially determined by your genes. “There is treatment for cholesterol,” stated Dr Lasisi Gbolade Taiwo, a Consultant Cardiologist at the Dominion Cardiac Centre, Ikeja, Lagos. “However its not a one-off-treatment, but modified lifestyle coupled with drugs. Both must be combined depending on the risk factor. For a high risk patient, the treatment will continue for life. For somebody who has intermediate risk, the risk factors will have to be eliminated by change of environment and diet, lifestyle generally. But if there is no change, then treatment must continue,” he said.

For Dr Kennedy, control and management of the condition begins with consultation. “I advise that the person see a doctor and commence treatment. A doctor will advise such a patient to go for a test to confirm and place on drugs. Now we have a lot of good drugs that can bring the cholesterol level down. And maintain a good level of the ‘good’ type. When you are on those drugs, the person will recover fast, you will be told what to avoid eating and what to eat.

It can be totally cured if it is the normal one but when it becomes complicated, it can only be managed for the rest of the person’s life.”

“Everyone should begin getting their cholesterol checked once every five years starting at the age of 20. However, risk levels normally don’t rise until later in life. Men should begin monitoring their cholesterol levels more closely starting at around age 40- 45. Women tend to have lower cholesterol levels than men until menopause, at which point their levels begin to rise. For this reason, women should begin getting checked regularly around age 55,” he noted.

March 23, 2015
I know my husband has crazy female fans, but I don’t really care

Behind any successful man is a woman, so goes the common maxim. In reality, the maxim speaks volume about Barrister (Mrs) Caroline Adeneye and her doting husband, Dayo Adeneye, fondly known as D-One. And quite unlike the pack of celebrity marriages that have cracked in recent times and finally broken down irreparably, Caroline’s marriage keeps waxing stronger.

They quite have different interests. She is a lawyer with background in banking and the CEO of Sierra Global Concept, an integrated event management company. He has a life in entertainment as the co-partner in Prime Time Entertainment. But they remain their own greatest fans. They celebrate each other and the marriage has been blessed with lovely children. In this interview with PAUL UKPABIO, Caroline tells us what binds her family together and all the good and down side of being the wife of a celebrity in these shores.

HOW do you feel when your husband openly refers to you as his partner?

I feel very wonderful and I will say there is nothing more than a husband appreciating his wife and openly acknowledging same. What you mean to him and how he perceives you, go a long way. We women don’t actually ask for much. We only ask for the commitment and the assurance from our husbands, that, ‘Look, you mean a lot to me and I love you so much, thank you for tolerating me.’ With that, what else can you ask or wish for? So, I am very happy and I am very privileged to be alive with my whole family. It is a God-given privilege.

But then, why do you think your husband shows open admiration for you?

Yes, he openly says that I am a strong force in his life, but I don’t think I am that force really. God is the force behind our union. He is the ultimate force for the career of my husband; I am just the vessel He uses to achieve that great aim in D-One’s life. Of course, I support my husband hundred percent. I support him to achieve anything legitimate that will keep him going strong as the head of our family. I adore him as my head crown and the patriarch of our family. He is my husband and my role as his wife is to support him and give him all it takes for him to manage the pressure of running the home front. I think I am very fulfilled to have been described that way. But ultimately, God is the founding Father of our love life. Our appreciation goes to Him.

He recently went into politics, did you support his decision and were you not afraid that politics is a dirty game?

Like I said earlier, I will continue to support my husband in any decision he takes, if it is not to rob or steal. If it is to serve his people and add his knowledge to the development of humanity, why not? Why won’t I support him to work and serve this family as the head of the family? I think I will do well supporting him. When he was going into politics, I was the first person he shared the experience with. He didn’t just go into politics, he was called upon to serve by his people and he was convinced that his presence was needed. Severally, during our campaign activities in Odogbolu, people were treating us like stars. It was like a great homecoming and I couldn’t believe for a second that a people will so much cherish change like that. So, I feel honoured that D-One is my better half. My husband is a loveable personality and that is one thing that has worked for him so far. He is a leader in all ramifications; I am his number one fan and anything I can do to support him, I do.

And talking about politics being a dirty game, politics is not dirty; it is the attitude that people bring into it that makes it dirty. My husband contested for a position in his constituency and because he respected constituted authority, when he was asked to step down, he did. But he was never dirty about it. He continued to support the party and because of his genuine intention for quality leadership, he was appointed as a member of the Media and Publicity Committee for His Excellency, Governor Ibikunle Amosun. That alone speaks loud of his philosophy. He has been able to define politics and change the perception about how it is being played. Politics is not dirty; it is the attitude that people bring to it, that gives it a negative or positive colour.

What do you admire about your husband?

So many things but I will mention three: My husband is focused, calm and very forthright. If you hand a project to my husband, you can rest assured that he will do it within the shortest of time. He is much focused. I have never seen a man like that. And because he is calm, he equally gets on board before everyone else and signs off earlier than every other person. Then, his forthrightness marvels me so much. He is sincere to a fault. These are the qualities I find in him and I think that is the hallmark of his manliness. He is a great man.

What do you dislike about D-One?

He is too strict. My husband is too strict; you can’t be lazy and find comfort around him. When he says no, he means it. And when he says yes, he means it. People don’t know this because he keeps a celebrity outlook. Though some people are mistakingly taken in by his celebrity outlook to be just anyhow person, but far from it, my husband is strict and he could just take you to the extreme. He is almost a perfectionist in everything he does. Most times, I am tempted to think that it has to do with his teaching background. He was a teacher way back in the United States for a period of seven years and today, some of his students run big corporations. I think he has a knack for excellence and mediocrity does not sell with him. Maybe because I am the closest to him, and then the children too; so, he expects nothing but excellence from us. He is very strict.

What lessons has your marriage taught you?

Our relationship has taught me how to be positive and how to manage people. I am a lawyer by profession and most times, even though I relate with people more than him, I easily get put off if the person does not match my temperament. But my husband was the one who taught me how to see the positive sides of people and maximise that side. My husband believes that for every man, no matter how defaulting he is, there is always a better side that one can explore to his benefit. He is the one who told me that I should always look out for the 30% goodness in any human being and should try to use that 30% to nullify the 70% negative. You know, I told you my husband is very calm, he can tolerate you even for a decade, no matter how bad you turn out to be. He has this excellent spirit of long-term relation. If my husband gets off with you, that could mean that you are a terribly bad person. But even at that, he can tolerate you for a while.

He is the main assessor when it comes to human relations in our businesses. Secondly, my husband is a happy person by attitude. He is the one who taught me how to make a day positive. He usually tells me that if you wake up in the morning and shout or get angry, then the entire day may be messy for you. But if you wake up with a booming attitude or a happy attitude, the entire day will turn up happy for you. He strongly believes that everyday is amazing and on that note, you can make the week amazing; you can make the month amazing; you can make the year amazing and even you can just make an entire decade amazing. That is him for you.

Which of your children is taking after him?

Maybe my first daughter, Nicole; she is science-inclined, but she is the social prefect in their school and she is always the one organising any entertainment event there. She is talented when it comes to entertainment, but she is likely to study medicine. She is also a good photographer but, we are in a world where a hobby can go for business, while one’s discipline is saved for another day. My son, Bryan, is equally interesting; there was a day he recorded some raps and when his dad came, he gave it to him and the man was just laughing. He laughed and laughed his jaw off because he was surprised.

But knowing the kind of father they have, they are all serious with their studies and even if you want to be in entertainment, you must study first. Study makes perfect and talent without education could be violent. My last child, Ashley, is a lovely dancer but she asks a lot of questions. She is very young but, she has it going for her. So, I think all of them took a trait off their father’s profession. I am proud of them. And at times I come home and they will just say ‘mummy, listen to this new song’ and I will say, ‘where did you get it from?’ And they will say, ‘Ah, mom you are not in town.’ and I will say, ‘I am in town but I and daddy are looking for money to pay your school fees and take care of you.’ And we will laugh it off. So, there is prospect that these kids have a lot in common with their father, but they are still young to take independent decisions.

So, how do you handle the fact that he is more popular?

Yes, I am more on the quiet side socially. You will never know this but I can tell you that in terms of attitude, he is quieter than me. Surprisingly, I make friends more easily than my husband. He is shy and reserved. But most people don’t know this; they often look at the showbiz side of my husband. Unfortunately, that is his job and not his personality.

He once told us that you are the one that really celebrates his birthday annually.

Yes, for the yearly birthday gigs in his honour, I have to do that because he is my crown. The Bible says, ‘our husbands are the crowns that adorn our heads.’ I celebrate my crown because he is the head of my family. It is not that he doesn’t celebrate me as well, but because he is more on the public side, if I send out 10 invitations for a party in his honour, I see 100 people turning up. There was a year we had a peculiar experience. It rained heavily and the weather was not too friendly. We set up the event for 2pm and the rain and knocked everything down and we thought the event was over because of the kind of weather we had. But at 4pm when the rain stopped, I couldn’t believe the number of people who came in between 4pm and 6pm. The human traffic was heavy. It was on a Sunday; you won’t believe that as at 1am, I had to turn off the music and I said, ‘Look, you are all going to work tomorrow’ and they said, ‘No, we love D-One, we appreciate him and we are not in a hurry to stop the party.’ For us, we see it as a way of life and we equally appreciate people who share our success with us.

How do you handle his absence due to his nature of work?

I think he is in a better position to answer that question. I think the good thing that happened to me was that I married Dayo Adeneye. I didn’t marry D-One. So, we are like normal couples. D-One is the showbiz personality everyone sees and craves for, while Dayo Adeneye is my husband and father of my children. We go through what normal couples go through and we get over things together. Yes, as a family, we have more of his absence than his presence. It is a bit better now. I remember when I was having kids, he was not always there. You will discover there is eight years gap between Nicole and Bryan, the first and second child.

Those days when I went to the hospital, my doctor will say, ‘I don’t know why you are coming here because your husband is never around.’ The man will say, ‘The day you start travelling with your husband, you can come back to see me. Stop coming to give me your money; I am not interested in your money.’ That was what my doctor told me and true to his word, it was when I travelled with him D-One, that I got pregnant with Bryan because he was never there. He was always travelling to cover one event or the other across the world. So, I went with him on that particular trip because the doctor said if I don’t go, I should not come back to him; that I should not say I am not pregnant when my husband is not always there.

That is that; I think in all these years of knowing Dayo, I think I can count how many times we have celebrated Valentine’s Day together. So, maybe that is why when our birthday comes, he tries to celebrate it for me in a modest way. Then, I celebrate him annually because most times, he is not always around.

Your husband is a ladies’ man, how do you handle women around him? Do you feel bad when you hear tales about women dying to have him since he is a celebrity?

No. There is one thing I have to appreciate my husband for; I have to give kudos to him for one thing, he respects me and he would not go out of his way to do anything he knows a wife won’t like to see. But you can also understand that female fans are crazy; they go all around him and all that, but when we go for public events and they do their stuff to him, I don’t really care because he is going home with me. That is the most important thing.

Have you ever checked his phone and stumbled on some crazy text?

I don’t think there is, because my husband knows I don’t have the time. I don’t check his phone. Why should I desire to give myself unnecessary headache? You check today, you see a female name; tomorrow you see another female name. It is unnecessary; a man who loves you will do everything necessary to protect his home and like I said, I give kudos to my husband; he tries to make me happy. He tries to avoid things that will make me unhappy. So, what else would I ask for? Snooping around? That means I am not busy.

What are the benefits of being D-One’s wife?

Yes, the goodwill my husband has from the public rubs off on me on many occasions. I really appreciate it because I feel very great. I feel wonderful and I feel blessed to be Mrs Caroline Adeneye because anywhere I go, people favour me. Though I try to hide my identity but perhaps by chance, someone who has seen my face in one magazine or the other is quick to ask, when I say Caroline Adeneye, ‘Oh, are you D-One’s wife?’ So why didn’t you let us know earlier? ‘Don’t you know D-One is our Egbon?’ And before I know it, they will pull me out of the line and give me an express attention; what else can someone ask for? So, his good name opens doors for me and I pray God will continue to prosper him and make him fulfill his dreams in life.

As a lawyer, you also run Sierra Global Concept, a leading event management company, is your husband not jealous that you could be richer than him?

Dayo allows me to grow; he allows me to expand; he allows me to do whatever makes me happy. If I say I want to do this, he will tell me the way to go about it and all that. So what else can I ask for in a man? A man who allows his wife to grow, like he tells me, ‘I don’t care if you are richer than me, all that matters is that you are still my wife; so, why would I be bothered? Because whatever money you make belongs to the family and what is life about? Life is too short; our biggest priority is to live as one in truth and with sincerity of purpose.’ And his prayer is that God should give me good health to enjoy the benefit of my labour. That has always been my husband’s wish for me. He is a much secured man without fear for his wife’s success.

Why do you think your marriage has lasted these 18 years?

The secret of a successful marriage life rests in three things; they are patience, patience and patience. Those are the three things you need to secure your marriage. My mum told me this when I was getting married. My parents had reservations for showbiz people. They believed they don’t keep good wives; they don’t keep good homes and all that. I insisted that it was Dayo I wanted, but they refused to honour our proposal for two years and I had to have my baby before our marriage. My daughter was almost two years when we had our marriage because there was resistance from my parents. But when they finally succumbed and gave their blessing. My mum said to me, ‘My daughter, you have to wear a garment of patience because we that are not even married to people in the public arena, we romance patience, not to talk of people like you who are marrying stars. So, patience and friendship matters. When you are friends, you build trust and trust becomes the tripod on which patience will stand and with patience, you will be able to do anything.

Secondly, you must be able to communicate; it is a very powerful weapon for a successful marriage. But I equally found out that in Africa, majority of the men are not too open for communication. They think you want to know so much. But I will tell you that whatever your husband feels you should know, just accept it. Later, he will start opening up to you. Don’t force him because Africa is a man’s world, it is the West that harbours the opinion that women are strong. If you want to succeed in your marriage here, you must be very humble and understand how it works here.

You must put upon yourself a permanent garment of peace so that your marriage can earn a silver jubilee, a golden jubilee and if possible a diamond jubilee. Patience is the key word and that is what I tell women of nowadays; don’t even believe what you see in the film or read in the novel. The one in the film is film trick and the one in the novel is fiction. Reality is different from film trick or fiction. The man you live your entire life with is not only your father but your teacher and chief instructor.

Tell us about your style?

My style is ageless. Style, for me, is timeless but I won’t kill myself to fit into the bandwagon. I can wear anything that sits well on me and the mood of the occasion comes into reference once in a while. To me, style should be timeless not seasonal. I am not a rave-of-the-moment kind of person. I wear what soothes my mood for the best reason known to me and to the appreciation of fans and enthusiasts.

What are your best fashion accessories?

My shoes (laughs)! I am not an Imelda Marcos but I like shoes. My shoes speak well for me and I will only need to invite you to my shoe rack for you to judge better.

What dress won’t you be caught with in public?

Maybe bum pants. I used to wear that when I was much younger but today, you can’t find me putting on a bum pant either at home or elsewhere. As an African woman, one must protect the sanctity of one’s womanhood. That is me.

You have a role model?

None!

What about books?

My husband encourages me to read positive power books and I have several of such books that I cannot remember the name of my favourite author now but I think I like the book, Everyday is a Friday by Joel Austin. You know, people are always ecstatic when it is Friday, but the author said, ‘Hey, why not make everyday your own Friday? Because in the real sense, you never can tell which one will be your last day on earth. You may never even see the next Friday. So, make every day your Friday.’ I also read the book Power and Secrets by Ronda Bryne. These books have changed so many things about me. It has given me more energy to be sincerely happy with myself, even in the lowest of moments.

March 23, 2015
South African writer wins Etisalat prize

South African writer Songeziwe Mahlangu on Sunday emerged winner of this year’s Etisalat Prize for Literature and a cash prize of 15,000 pounds.

His book PenUmbra beat two other runners up Nigerian writer Chinelo Okparanta Happiness, Like Water and South African author Nadia Davids An imperfect Blessing. The award ceremony was held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Elated Mahlungu said he was honoured by the award thanking his publishers; God and his mother for allowing him pursue his dream.

Apart from the cash award, the winner will be presented with a high-end device, in addition to a book tour to three African cities.

He will also embark on the Etisalat Fellowship at the University of East Anglia, where he will be mentored by Prof Giles Foden, author of The Last King of Scotland, which will afford him significant opportunities to network with other writers and publishers and time and resources to work on his second book. The two runners up will also win a book tour and Etisalat will purchase 1,000 copies of all three books for distribution across the continent.

In addition, Mahlangu also got an engraved Montblanc Meisterstück pen. Mahlangu was born in 1985.

He matriculated from Dale College, in King William’s Town, and went on to do a business science degree at the University of Cape Town.

He returned to university to do a Masters degree in Creative Writing at Rhodes, Grahamstown, in 2011. Penumbra is the end result of that degree and his first novel. Songeziwe currently lives in East London and works at a large accountancy firm.

In the Flash Fiction category, Neema Konga won the first prize of 1000 pounds while Chinma Ezenwa Ohaeto and Justin Irabor Ikhide got the runners-up prize of 500 pounds each.

Chief Executive Officer Etisalat Mr. Matthew Willsher said ‘we are here to celebrate literature, books and stories. Our expertise is not to tell stories but to serve over 14 African countries and we carry over 14 million stories…We care about stories at Etisalat.’

The Etisalat Prize for Literature is the first ever pan-African prize celebrating such first-time African writers of fiction. The prize aims to serve as a platform for the discovery of new creative African talent and to support the literary industry on the continent.

March 16, 2015
Red Cross Society advocates first aid training

The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NCRS) on Tuesday canvassed for the training of workers, road users and uniform personnel on first aid management.

Mr. Auwal Muhammad, Coordinator, Training and Mobilisation of the society, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on in Abuja.

He said the knowledge of first aid management could help reduce the number of causalities recorded at work places and in road accidents across the country.

Muhammad said the training was very important as the knowledge acquired would, among other things, check delayed assistance in emergency situations.

According to him, it is very expedient that certain categories of people acquire the knowledge to become professionals in humanitarian work.

“The first aid training will help equip road users and uniform officers with skills of basic life support.

“This includes the basic principles of first aid, cardio pulmonary resuscitation, bleeding control, injuries to bone, shock and fracture, among others.

“Road users, commercial drivers and uniform officers most often encounter fatal accidents on the high way with injured victims facing life threatening conditions which could be averted,’’ Muhammad said.

Mr. Bashir Dan-Illela, National First Aid Trainer, NRCS, also told NAN that road users and uniform officers were usually the first respondents in emergency situations, hence the need for the training.

He said first aid had over the years proven to be very effective, safe and simple when used to reduce the severity of injuries in emergencies.

According to Dan-Illela, the training will afford road users and patrol officers the opportunity to learn how to give comfort and emotional support to injured victims.

He added that it would build their confidence to know what to do in emergency situations particularly on taking safety precautions as first aiders.

He said skills on how to improvise during emergency situations were key in the knowledge of first aid.

March 10, 2015
Sugar contributes to emerging health threats in Africa

Africa is long known for high rates of hunger, under nutrition and infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS but a disturbing new threat of non communicable diseases (NCDs) associated with overweight, obesity and diet-related NCDs is emerging in many countries. The rapid unplanned urbanization of countries in the African Region has resulted in increasing consumption of free sugars, sugar-sweetened drinks and processed foodstuffs.

To help improve dietary choices and counter the rapid upsurge of NCDs, WHO released updated recommendations for adults and children to reduce the intake of free sugars throughout the life course.

WHO further recommends that in both adults and children, the intake of free sugars be reduced to less than 10 per cent of total energy intake and a further reduction to below 5 per cent of total energy intake would provide additional health benefits.

“After years of research and over 9000 studies, the dangers of high levels of sugars consumption are finally starting to be known. Daily intake of free sugars should be no more than 10 per cent of total energy intake in order to prevent NCDs, in particular tooth decay and health problems resulting for overweight and obesity, namely diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer and it is suggested to further reduce the intake to less than 5 per cent of total energy intake for added health benefits,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

Using a 2000-calorie diet as an example, less than 10 per cent of total energy intake of free sugars or 200 calories equates to less than 50 grams of free sugars. Applying the suggested intake of less than 5 per cent of total energy for the same example would reduce the free sugars intake to less than 25 grams. This is of utmost importance to children and adults as over-consumption of free sugars which is contributing greatly to excess energy intake coupled with low-energy expenditures from lack of physical activity is causing unhealthy weight gains.

Much of the sugars consumed today are “hidden” in processed foods that are not usually seen as sweets. For example, 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce contains around 4 grams (around 1 teaspoon) of sugar. A single can of sugar-sweetened soda contains up to 40 grams (around 10 teaspoons) of
sugars.

In recent years, the rate of increase of childhood overweight and obesity in developing countries with emerging economies has been more than 30 per cent higher than that in developed countries.

In 2013, it was estimated that 42 million children under the age of 5 in the world were overweight or obese and about 35 million of them were living in the developing countries.

“The risk of type 2 diabetes in adults increases continuously with increasing obesity, and decreases with weight loss. The new WHO sugars recommendations contribute to halting the spread of overweight and obesity and helping individuals maintain a healthy weight throughout the life course,” said Dr Tigest Ketsela, Director of Health Promotion at the WHO Regional Office for Africa.

The upsurge of sugars consumption in the African Region is closely associated with many cross-cutting variables such as increased availability, cultural traditions, individual preferences and beliefs as well as geographical, environmental, economic and social factors.

“Rapid uptake of the new WHO sugars guidelines along with increased physical activity is needed to halt and reverse the obesity and NCD epidemics in Africa. New and bold inter sectoral policies and actions are needed to improve overall health and quality of life of populations in the Region,” said Dr Chandralall Sookram, Medical Officer for the Primary Prevention of NCDs at the WHO Regional Office for Africa.

March 9, 2015
Solar-powered plane takes off

The frontiers of technology were on Monday extended after a new innovation of aircraft emerged in the United Arab Emirates.

Stretching out its wings to catch the sun’s energy, a Swiss-made solar-powered aircraft took off from Abu Dhabi in a historic attempt to fly around the world without a drop of fossil fuel.

André Borschberg, Solar Impulse founder was at the controls of the single-seat aircraft when it moved unsteadily into the air at the Al Bateen Executive Airport.

According to Fox News, Borschberg will trade off piloting with Solar Impulse co-founder Bertrand Piccard during layovers on a 35,000-kilometer (21,700-mile) journey.

Some legs of the trip, such as over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, will mean five days and five nights of flying solo.

Both pilots have been training hard for this journey, which will span 25 flight days over five months before this Spruce Goose of renewable energy returns to Abu Dhabi in late July or August.

“It is also exciting because you know, you simulate, you calculate, you imagine, but there is nothing like testing and doing it in real,” Borschberg noted just before takeoff.

“I am sure we are all confident and hopefully we will be able to see each other here in five months.”

The Solar Impulse 2 aircraft, a larger version of a single-seat prototype that first flew sometimes in the year 2000, has a wingspan of 72 meters (236 feet), larger than that of the Boeing 747.

Built into the wings are 17,248 ultra-efficient solar cells that transfer solar energy to four electrical motors that power the plane’s propellers. The solar cells also recharge four lithium polymer batteries.

At around 2,300 kilograms (5,070 pounds), the Si2 weighs about as much as a minivan or mid-sized truck, whereas an empty Boeing 747, in comparison, weighs some 180,000 kilograms (400,000 pounds).

The Si2 first headed to nearby Muscat, Oman, where it will land after about 10 hours of flight. A typical passenger jet takes just one hour to make the same journey. Piccard says the best speed for the lightweight Si2 — made of carbon fiber — is at about 25 knots, or 45 kph (28 mph).

Borschberg has been practicing yoga and Piccard self-hypnosis in order to calm their minds and manage fatigue during the long solo flights. They aim to rest a maximum of 20 minutes straight, repeating the naps 12 times over a 24-hour period. Goggles worn over the pilot’s eyes will flash lights to wake him up.

Neither pilot will be able to stand in the cockpit while flying, but the seat reclines for stretching and its cushion can be removed for access to a toilet.

Armbands placed underneath their suits will buzz if the plane isn’t flying level. The plane also does not have a pressurized cockpit so Borschberg and Piccard will be able to feel the changes in temperature. The pilot’s blood oxygen levels constantly will be monitored and sent back to ground control.

The plane will reach an altitude of around 28,000 feet (8,500 meters) during the day to catch the sun’s rays and at night dip to around 5,000 feet (1,500 meters) when flying over the ocean.

“You have to make the cockpit like your own house for a week in the air,” Piccard said, telling The Associated Press he will keep a few small mementos from friends with him on the flight, though he declined to say what.

Solar Impulse supporter Prince Albert of Monaco was present at the plane’s control center during today’s takeoff.

The UAE-based Masdar, the Abu Dhabi government’s clean-energy company, is a key sponsor of the flight. Additional sponsors include Omega, Google and Moet Hennessey, among others.

As the plane waited on the runway, a brief electrical alarm threatened to delay takeoff, but it was quickly resolved, allowing the large plane to slowly lift off into the rising sun.

“Everybody was just hoping the airplane will go,” Piccard said. “Now the adventure has started.”

March 9, 2015
Our battles against cancer

…Survivors tell tear-inducing stories

Like a family they have common features; they have either lost a breast or both to the deadly disease called breast cancer. They have suffered the excruciating pain associated with chemotherapy, they have experienced the loneliness, and the depression understood only by cancer patients. They have survived it despite all odds.

These were the lots of several breast cancer survivors (young and old) who gathered at the routine Care. Organisation. Public Enlightenment (COPE) Support Group meeting to share their experiences with other survivors still battling with the big C.
Speaker after speaker, the women narrated their ordeal and how they survived the life threatening disease.
The problem with cancer
As the participants shared their different experiences, it was observed that they all agreed that the problem with cancer is the treatment and not the disease.
They described the treatment especially Chemotherapy as deadly and terrible, which always made the patient just want to die.
The pain of chemotherapy according to Della Ogunleye, made her want to attempt suicide. She came all the way from London to visit the group and most especially donate prosthetic bras to members of the support group.
“The doctors had prepared my mind for the situation but when Chemotherapy hit me, I just wanted to end it all by taking my life.
“Something needs to be done about the treatment of cancer. Chemotherapy just destroys everything in you. It makes one weak, thoughtless and it kills both the good and bad cells.
Aside the excruciating pains associated with cancer treatment, the women fingered the high cost of purchasing medications as another problem.
One of the survivors, Biola (not real name) said that Herceptin injection (440mg) prescribed for her, cost N560, 000 per injection, which she must take once in three weeks.
“The drugs are just too expensive and there are no subsidies. I am the breadwinner of my family. My husband has lost his job and I have children. I have completed my chemotherapy and radiotherapy but because I have HER2 neu receptors the doctors said I must take Herceptin 440mg injections.
“One injection cost N560, 000 and you can imagine that every three weeks. It is not an easy situation. Can you believe the number of people who have died as a result of their inability to procure the necessary drugs for their treatment?
“Drugs for the treatment of cancer are very expensive. The prices vary with the particular drug recommended but they are all expensive. This is an area the government really needs to do something about to save more lives,” she said.
The lack of a Comprehensive Cancer Centre in the country with all facilities and specialists was fingered as a major cause of cases of misdiagnoses and more cancer related deaths.
According to the founder of C.O.P E, Mrs. Ebunola Anozie, there is an urgent need for the government to provide such facility as cancer should not be treated like malaria, since if detected and treated early, the survival rate is high.
She lamented that the machines for cancer diagnosis and treatment were dysfunctional in most government teaching hospitals, wondering why the government has refused to put in place the required facilities to cater for the citizens.
Anozie stated that the late former Ekiti State deputy governor Mrs. Funmi Olayinka, would have survived if not for misdiagnosis. She emphasized the importance of early detection which affords one a second opinion.
Anozie, who has in close to two decades spent her time giving succour to women suffering from breast cancer, said: “Cancer brought me to my knees seeing loved ones go through it.”
She said she was touched to start up the project after her experience, adding that she feels fulfilled being able to use her knowledge and influence to help breast cancer patients and survivors in need.
She encouraged the participants to always take care of themselves, be happy, stress free, healthy diet, exercise and avoid sending acidic hormones into their system as a result of anger and depression.
She also encouraged them to be comfortable and love themselves despite having one or no breast, noting that with the prosthetic bras and breast forms, no one will know that they have gone through mastectomy.
She emphasized the need for good-self esteem, confidence and openness in order to enjoy a healthy and active sexual life with their partners. If you are walking on the road, stop thinking that people are looking at you. You are the only one that is conscious of the fact that you have one breast or none at all. She pleaded with family members and loved ones to be supportive.
“Most people see cancer as a curse or a punishment for a sin they have committed. It is not so. Cancer can be cured if detected and treated early. We have survivors of 22 and 15 years respectively. We should realise that hereditary factor is less than 5 per cent. It can happen to anybody.”
She accused the government of not doing enough for cancer patients.
“How many black women go for clinical trials? Do we have clinical trials done here? Do we have medication produce here? We have herbalists putting something together, are we supporting them? I am positive that the answer to cancer is here.
“When you are using medication that has been tried on a white person on a black woman how is it going to work that is why a lot of medications may not work. We need to get our ass together. It saddens me when I hear that someone has stolen from government and nothing is being done about it. Meanwhile people are dying. Until it happens to someone close them, they will start running up and down,” she said.
United Kingdom-based Ogunleye thought cancer was for Caucasians. She could not hold back her tears as she addressed the women. She said that she was amazed to see “so many black female breast cancer survivors.
It is unbelievable and it also strengthens me because now I know that I am not alone.
“I was alone in England battling with breast cancer. When I joined a support group, I was the only African amidst them. Much later, my little sister was the only one who stood by me, even my mother couldn’t bear it.
“I was really ignorant about the whole cancer issue that I almost gave up, but the thought of my two daughters and how terrible they will feel strengthened me.
“Mine started with a painful breast. I went to see a general practitioner and complained but they said breast cancer is not painful in most cases and recommended that I see a specialist.
“It happened at a time I was planning a holiday. That same weekend, I had a wedding and a party to attend in Nigeria. The only thoughts running through my mind were my holiday and party.
“When I saw the specialist and carried out series of tests, it was discovered that I had breast cancer. I thought it was something they will just treat and I will be fine. I did not give it much thought since I had already planned my trip, I came to Nigeria, spent two weeks and returned.
“It was on my return that the breast was removed and I started undergoing treatment.
People need to stop being afraid of cancer because there is life after cancer. It is not a death sentence.
“I was scared that no one will love me with one breast. I thought it was over for me but my life actually started after cancer because I found love after cancer, a man who loves me and stayed with me all through the trying period. At times, I just sit back and say oh! Thank you cancer.”
Cancer struck me on the street
She looked radiant, happy and at peace with herself. Her voice reverberated as she told the group members that her life started having meaning after her battle with cancer.
The woman, who appeared to be in her late 60s, gave her name as Franca Taiwo and explained that she was homeless at the time cancer struck.
She was going through emotional stress, having been abandoned by the man she has spent over 40 years with.
Mrs. Taiwo who said she wished for death and it came severally but did not take her, explained that her situation was so bad that people thought she had gone mad and referred her to Yaba Psychiatric Hospital.
She further said that her husband who was a medical doctor had thought she would die in the midst of her storm, while he kept all they laboured to acquire for himself, unfortunately, died before her.
“I was in my late 50s and I did not have a kobo. My husband with whom I had spent so many years and built investments together abandoned me about seven years ago. I was on the streets and left with nothing. I moved to the outskirt of the city, where you have abandoned properties.
“I was so depressed, emotionally and financially unstable to the point that I was referred to Yaba It was while on the streets that cancer struck”.
“I never knew I will survive until I came and was introduced to the support group. I wished for death and on four occasions it came but could not take me. I have children and grandchildren but none could understand the loneliness or the pain I felt inside me like members of the support group. They are the family I never had. It was with their love and support that I was able to overcome cancer. I am a survivor of five years and now, my life is better. I was told that my husband died recently in Ibadan, I am not celebrating his death, I am only telling this story so that you will have faith in God and also learn to forgive those who wrong you”.
“I never reconciled with him but I forgave him all the evil things he did against me. I got married to him when he had only two shirts. I used my head to carry bricks while we were building our estate. We invested together and when he felt he had become a rich man, he abandoned me that I was troublesome.
“I am sure he would have been happy if I had died before him. But look at what the situation is today. Even all the money he had could not save him but me that I was penniless, God has preserved and given me back my life.”
Cancer after 40th birthday
For Kate Ugwu, she discovered she had breast cancer after her 40th birthday. The affected breast was later removed.
She said since after her treatment nine years ago; everyday means a lot to her. “I decided to stay healthy. I take a lot of supplements. Some they call antioxidants. I make myself happy and talk to people around me if there is anything bothering me. I am not giving depression a chance.”
“I fought breast cancer with determination and I thank God I did not die of depression because a lot of patients die because of depression and not even cancer. Though I felt weak the first week but I picked up courage as my family and people who have benefitted from me were there to assist me.
“I decided on my own. I got some medical people that are closed to me. I told them to remove the lump right away. Immediately the remove the lump I took it to the lab and when the result came out I was sad. The doctors did radical mastectomy and the whole breast was removed.
“I spent well over a N1 million to do 10 courses of chemotherapy. It was terrible; I sourced for funds, browed money because it is not something you say, oh, I will do it when I have money.
“Every three weeks I have to get it. I wasn’t given any blood transfusion, the doctors said I have beaten their medical record, that nobody that has gone through chemotherapy 10 times would not require a pint of blood. I started taking blood supplements and I was fine. During that time a lot of people died of depression. Students aged 18 years were dying of depression. My Bible was my comforter all through.
“After five years I went for another screening and we saw another lump on the other breast and I was scared to the marrow. Immediately, I did it like the first one, it was a very big lump, It was removed and fortunately after four weeks they said it was not cancerous.
“I was happy and since then, everyday means a lot for me. I decided to stay healthy. I take a lot of supplements. I am no longer on drugs. I was told that I was going to take a particular drug for five years, but I said I would not need it because most people taking it are complaining that the drug is worsening their situation. Again, because that drug is too expensive I decided that the money should be used for supplements.
“Under this support group, people are getting assistance. People that cannot pay, the organisation is helping them to take treatment. If cancer patients are being taken care of like this HIV patients, many of them will survive.
We are only asking government to subsidise cancer treatment. Many people die because of lack of money to treat themselves.”

A peculiar case
Rashidat’s was a peculiar case. While most of the survivors went through normal surgeries, normal Chemotherapy and radiotherapy as prescribed; she has had to repeat the process three times.
The 47 year-old mother of two said she was diagnosed of breast cancer when she was 44. She explained that the last three years have left her financially, psychologically and physically “incapacitated.”
She said: “I used to be a fashion designer but now I can barely lift my arm up. I was just checking my breast one day and I felt a lump in one of them. So, when I told my husband about it, he advised that I should go and see a doctor.
“I went to our private hospital first and after the doctor examined me, she gave me a referral to general hospital where I went for screening.
“After the screening, the oncologists discovered that there were about four lumps in one of my breasts. I was disturbed and depressed but had to pull myself together because I got married late and my kids are still very young.
“When I thought about losing my life, I asked myself who will train my children?” The doctors also advised that steps be taken urgently to remove the lumps. My appointment dates were made very short and on one of the days when I went to see the doctor, he just told me that I should prepare myself for surgery.
“The surgery was done and the breast was removed in November 2012 and it took about two months for the place to heal. After the wound healed by January 2013, I commenced Chemotherapy but on getting to my fourth chemo, another lump was discovered on that same side but close to my armpit.
“I went back to the oncologists and they said I should continue with chemo that it would take care of the lump but by the time I got to my sixth chemotherapy, the lump had grown bigger.
“So, instead of going for radiotherapy after chemo, I was subjected to another surgery and the lump was removed. I started chemo all over again and when I was about going for radiotherapy for the second time, another lump was discovered again.
“I was frustrated and no one knew I could survive chemotherapy. I went back to the doctors, it was in that process that doctors embarked on a long strike. I was always in pain, looking haggard and depressed. My life was a complete mess and I was always crying and weak. It was at that point that I was introduced to the support group and after sharing my story, Mrs. Anozie advised me to always pray to my God each time I want to take my drugs.
“I was not doing that before and so, I started doing it. When the strike was called off, I went back to see the oncologist and they said the lump keeps coming back because the node was not tapped.
“I was subjected to another surgery again and now I am undergoing chemotherapy. I think the prescriptions for cancer should be seriously examined. Most of the drugs they even give us are like poison. You take them and your entire system is disorganized.
“This group is really a source of strength and hope to me. The strength I have now, I did not have it before and so, I always look forward to meeting with other survivors here.”
Life goes on
Amid the despair of breast cancer, these women have found hope so much that they could even joke about their situation. If you hear them shout: “One nation!”, it is their own way of referring to the one breast many of them have after losing one to cancer. One of them said: “I refer to our breasts as one nation since most of us have lost one breast to breast cancer.”
One breast or not, they say life continues.

March 7, 2015