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  • Shattered lives

    Shattered lives

    Whether sleeping on the sidewalks of Bosso, Niger Republic; in a mud hut in Mokolo, Cameroun’s Far North Region; or in the curtained tents of converted wild lands of Garwa, the refugee child is the one who cannot go home again. Behind him lies the major conflagrations of past yearsWorld War II, the Palestinian war in 1948, Dienbienphu in 1954, the Algerian strife, Hungary of 1956, Tibet in 1959, Nigerian civil war of 1967or the tragic manifestations of the JTF-Boko Haram bloodbath in Northeastern Nigeria. Sometimes beckoned by hope, usually driven by despair, he forsakes his homeland for the uncertainties of another land writes OLATUNJI OLOLADE, Assistant Editor

    THE scene in Garwa is post-apocalyptic: untenanted stretches of land unfurl languidly into the distance. Somewhere along the deserted stretches, the dusty road tract terminates where human beings occupy the crust of a previous existence. Shabby men recline under a withering tree and skeletal spiral stall, taking advantage of the shade. Forlorn women and girls peep from behind white tents toned earth brown, the colour of dust and polluted air. Few metres into the settlement, kids with sunken eyes, flaky skin and parched lips stare pitifully into the expanse. Like every adult on the camp, they are Nigerians fleeing the violence and bloodshed in Northeastern Nigeria.

    Welcome to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camp, Garwa. At the camp, off Mokolo highway, Maroua, in the French-speaking region of Cameroun, there is nothing beautiful to see. Just silence, starvation, despair and greater silence. The effect is horrendous; although nothing beats the horror of seeing five-year old “Rekiya” and “Hawau” her sister stare wistfully at each other as they carry on.

    Lying on a torn polythene bag outside the tent they share with hundreds of other kids and adults, Rekiya, five, extended her hand to comfort Hawau, three, who had been crying. When Hawau refused to stop, Rekiya offered her, her middle finger to suck. It didn’t matter that the finger was covered in dirt and nail crust, the toddler stopped crying and sucked on it with relish.

    “That tiny thing is always hungry. She is never satisfied and when she cries, she raises a ruckus,” said Hadiza, 14, one of the kids’ roommates, indignantly. Reactions like Hadiza’s betray irritation with the toddler’s tantrums and it explains why Rekiya prayerfully offered the three-year old her dirty finger to suck.

    “I do not want her to get smacked by any of the elders around. She likes to suck her finger whenever she is hungry. She starts crying when she doesn’t get enough food to eat. I give her my finger to suck until she sleeps,” said Rekiya. But when that refuses to work, Hauwa begins to wail at the top of her voice. That often gets her spanked, to Rekiya’s consternation.

    But their father couldn’t be bothered. His name is Aliyu. He is 35 years old and ever since he lost his wife and their mother to the bullets of the rampaging militaryJoint Task Force (JTF) in Baga, he had become somewhat disheartened. “He has become too detached to care for his kids,” said Muminu, a UNHCR staff, in apparent bid to explain the father’s neglect of his kids and hostility towards the reporter.

    But Ali Shonek affects no such detachment or hostility. His children have a lot to be grateful for. Although the 35-year old squats in a separate tent from his wife, Saratu, and their five children, he endeavours to see them every day. “I can’t provide their needs but I try to say good words to them and calm their nerves. We are in a desperate situation. But things will get better…Back in Nigeria, we used to live in bondage. We lived in constant fear of sudden death and insecurity but today, we have hope,” said the former staff of the National Assembly, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

    Shonek deserted his job as personal assistant to an Abuja-based senator, to protect his family in Gwoza, Borno State, at the beginning of the JTF’s onslaught against outlawed terrorist group, Boko Haram, in the area.

    “I had to leave my job and travel back to Gwoza to be with my family. I ran back home to protect them and other members of my family,” said Shonek.

    But he was only able to rescue his wife and five kids from the bloodbath. “I lost three members of my family. They were butchered very coldly by Nigerian soldiers in the heat of the pogrom they visited on us. I was only lucky to escape with my wife and kids,” said Shonek.

    While they fled, Shonek disclosed that it felt very painful to leave everything and everyone behind. “I was powerless and impotent against the soldiers. They were killing people in my community at random and destroying houses at will…so I simply gathered my wife and five children, Zipora (eldest child, 12-years old), Faith, Jocas, Rafkat, Mary and fled across the border into Cameroun.

    They currently live on the camp in Garwa locality. Initially, they sought refuge at Zelevet with fellow refugees. Zelevet is the village from which the refugees were relocated in Mokolo and the village is a very small one without the capacity and resources to cater for over 3, 000 refugees. Hence it was a welcome relief to the villagers when Governor Awa Fonka Augustine, of the Far North Region came over to lead the refugees to the camp in Garwa.

    According to the governor, about 20, 000 Nigerian refugees are still scattered along the border communities and villages bordering Nigeria and Cameroon. They have refused to relocate to the refugee camp. “If they do not resettle in the refugee camp soon, they will have to contend with immigration and police officers whose duty it is to guarantee the safety of Cameroon by monitoring immigrant influx (legitimate and illegitimate) into the country,” he said in a chat with The Nation.

    At the beginning of the mass exodus from Nigeria via Banki, a Borno State border community with Cameroun, over 3, 000 displaced Nigerians comprising men, women and children, fled across the border into Cameroun. Many of them settled around the border and Mokolo Township. However, in order to prevent a severe human crisis, Governor Augustine urged the fleeing Nigerians to move to the hastily constructed settlement in Garwa.

    He said his administration was ready to offer the refugees support as long as they agreed to accept the refugee status and live on the UNHCR camp. However, of the 3, 000 Nigerians that resided at the temporary settlement in Mokolo, only 780 agreed to move to the Garwa camp. The remaining 2, 220 simply chose to abscond into Maroua and environs.

     

    Garwa camp

    Two babies have been born on the camp since the refugees’ arrival. It is unclear how they would be kept in good health and taken care of, given the dire circumstances. At the time of The Nation’s visit, the camp consisted of 25 tents, two water tanks, two bathrooms and two toilets for 780 refugees. There is no electricity supply but a power generator is used to power the camp from 6pm to 10 pm every day. Due to water scarcity, the fire brigade comes to make delivery of water twice daily, said Jan Marie, the UNHCR camp director.

    All around the refugee camp, many seemed to be disenchanted and at sea. Many more seemed to be dealing silently with their grief and scrambling for the safety of Shonek’s profound disclosure: “The quest for peace and freedom drove us here.”

    Far from the Far North Region of Cameroun, along the desert plains of Diffa to be exact, Suleiman Idris, 42, dwells in destitution with his wife and their only surviving child, Lema. The latter, a six-year old girl, was the only one they could save of their three kids when the JTF struck in Baga.

    In the decrepit barn he shares with the surviving members of his family, the atmosphere is grim and bare of comfort. Nothing moves or kicks save the occasional glide of the itinerant gnat and rustle of dried palm fronds blown against the wooden poles of the shed by breeze. All around Idris and his family, echoes of a gruesome massacre boom ominously in the shades of angst and desolation masking their faces and other refugees’ faces.

    Like the Idris family, eight-year-old Afifa and her younger brother, Bashir, live despondently in the same settlement. Their father got blown to pieces along with Hussein and Hassanat, their twin siblings, while buying bean cakes for the family supper at a neighbourhood snack stall in Budum, Maiduguri. The bomb was detonated by the Boko Haram sect. Few weeks afterwards, their mother got hit by a stray bullet in the heat of the violence in Baga. Today they live with the Idris family.

    Their refuge is a slum; home to hundreds crammed into rickety and makeshift tents, their hearts are fraught with freshly borne agonies and unspeakable narratives. “We are all very devastated. Most of us have lost loved ones. When the Nigerian soldiers invaded our town, they ruined our lives. They burnt our homes and killed everybody. They said we harboured Boko haram but we didn’t. They shot my daughters to death and stabbed my mother-in-law in the belly. They said she was struggling with them but she was only preventing them from getting away with murder. She bled to death in the presence of my last and only surviving child,” said Kalia Koneh, 32.

    Many new arrivals have walked into Niger, taking refuge in villages located only a few kilometers away from the border. Others, who fled areas located as far as 300 kilometers away such as Maiduguri in Nigeria, have used cars or motorcycles. New arrivals are either renting houses or staying with host families, who are themselves living in very precarious conditions in the open and under trees.

    Although the local population has welcomed those who have newly arrived, the presence of newcomers is putting a strain on meager local food and water resources. Niger, a country in the Sahel, itself struggles with food insecurity due to years of drought.

    Precisely 6,240 Nigerian refugees currently live in Niger’s south-east Diffa region. That includes 2,692 Nigerian nationals as well as 3,544 returning Niger nationals and others, mainly Chadians. Of the figure, 1, 514 Nigerian refugees live in Bosso, six live in Garin Amadou, 52 in Kablewa, 233 in Tam, 68 in Mamouri, 10 in Tchoukoudjani, 10 in Maine, and 453 in Diffa.

    Then there are Nigerien citizens living in Nigeria who also fled the fighting in northern Borno and returned home. About 1, 339 of such returnees currently live in Bosso, 714 are in Kablewa, 42 in Tam, 35 are in Mamouri, 63 are in Tchoukoudjani, 431 are in Maine, while 920 are living Diffa. There are other nationals too, and of those, 17 are living in Bosso, 12 in Maine and 65 in Diffa region.

     

    State of emergency

    The Nigerian government imposed a state of emergency on Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states in the northeast of the country since May 14. The action was taken to aid the JTF’s military campaign against the Boko Haram sect. And ever since the beginning of the military campaign, the region has been enmeshed in recurrent bloodbath of unimaginable proportions.

    Recently, there was public outrage over the massacre of no fewer than 185 people during a recent clash between the militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram and the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Baga, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. At least 2,000 houses, 65 motorcycles and 40 cars were burnt in the attack. However, the JTF maintains that the inferno that razed the town should be blamed on Boko Haram militants who opened fire on soldiers while using residents as human shield.

    “The Nigerian military has a duty to protect itself and the population from Boko Haram attacks, but the evidence indicates that it engaged more in destruction than in protection,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The glaring discrepancies between the facts on the ground and statements by senior military officials raise concerns that they tried to cover up military abuses.”

    In a separate development, Boko Haram militants killed 29 students and a teacher in a Yobe school attack recently. The sect killed the 29 students and their teacher in a boarding school in the northeast Nigerian town of Potiskum. The attack is a further sign that the extremist sect remains a threat to Nigeria despite a crackdown on it. The attackers set fire to buildings and shot pupils as they tried to flee. It was the deadliest of three attacks on schools since the military launched an offensive in May to crush Boko Haram.

    The recurrent violence has forced many of the natives to flee across the border into neighbouring Cameroun and Niger Republic. As a result of the exodus, old close-knit households have broken up like a little girl’s dollhouse and their hopeful yearnings have sunk in bad faith. Many of the refugees, the children particularly, have to contend with problems they never envisaged.

    Across the Sahel region, growing emergencies like the ongoing JTF-Boko Haram war pose a growing threat to stability and development in the region. Humanitarian needs cut across the Sahel belt, and include the entire countries of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and the Gambia and the northern regions of Cameroon and Nigeria.

    Nearly 1.1 million children were projected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in 2012, and almost three million children reportedly suffered from moderate acute malnutrition (MAM), exacerbated by and complicating needs in health, water and sanitation, protection and threatening rights to education. By the end of April, about 249,800 children had been admitted to UNICEF-supported SAM treatment facilities across the Sahel. Yet chronic food insecurity and cyclical food crises such as today’s situation in the Sahel are further compounded by poor infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices at home, poor health status and insufficient access to health services, inadequate preventive interventions against malnutrition, and poor access to water and sanitation. Poor rainfall has exacerbated food insecurity and loss of livestock, coupled with increasing food prices especially of cereals, impacting the purchasing power of households and increasing the strain on livelihoods, jeopardizing children’s lives.

    The accumulation of stress over time and the long-term consequences of distressing events can have an intensely disturbing and potentially far-reaching impact on children’s social, emotional, cognitive and spiritual well-being and development, according David Omonafor, a clinical psychiatrist. According to him, “Analysis of global data, for example, has shown how protective factors such as parental support and moral guidance can help children overcome horrific experiences and help to promote individual healing and community reconciliation.

    But that could only be enjoyed by children whose parents survive the violence long enough to protect them and cater to their health needs.

    True, living in environments characterized by poor sanitation, over-congestion and poor shelter, has exposed many displaced Nigerian kids to all kinds of diseases and infections. Malaria and diarrhoea are rampant due to poor hygienic conditions, stagnant water, bushes in the surroundings and lack of mosquito nets.

    Shortage of clean water also leaves most families with no other option but to use stagnant or pond water that is usually infested with worms. Because of the unfavourable environment, children always suffer from respiratory tract infections that are easily transmitted to others. Infections, such as, fungus and bilharzias are reported in various refugee settlements in the Sahel region. In addition to these factors, community members also linked children’s poor health to poor feeding which often results in malnourishment.

    Amidst all this, displaced people have limited access to basic health care services. There is a shortage of qualified health staff, those available are poorly paid and operate in inadequate working conditions and non-functional health facilities. All these pose challenges to delivery of services.

    Under such circumstance, children are sometimes given inadequate doses of much needed drugs instead of a full dose, so they can’t get relief. The situation is worse for internally displaced children who in most cases have no access to medical aid. Yet their parents are too poor to afford medical fees charged at local health centres or hospitals.

    Displaced kids complained of unfavourable dwellings among other things. For instance, Zipora complained that congestion makes it difficult for her family to live together the way they would have loved. Limited blankets, mattresses and mats in homes lead to the sharing of sleeping space among family members. Outside the refugee camps, more children complained that this was not only uncomfortable but was a source of sexual abuse. For instance, Nimotalayi Uthman, a 14-year old teenager from Baga revealed that she had escaped being raped twice by a cousin and fellow squatter in their makeshift refuge in Mokolo.

    Due to the trauma experienced by many displaced children, it is often very difficult to raise children the way a parent may wish to. Children are often frustrated, easily agitated and hardly listen or take advice or instructions. They have difficulties concentrating in class. They often get agitated and are in the habit of threatening teachers. However, boys, compared to girls, were found to have a lot more worries over their future because of the cultural expectation that they are the future bread earners for their families. Without access to schooling, they have no hope of living a better life in the years to come since they have nothing to do to earn a living. This has deepened their frustration.

     

    Children in flight

    For children in particular, flight across borders can be dangerous and uncertain, subjecting many to exploitation and abuse. The process of seeking asylum, especially for separated children, may be complex and extended. Families often become separated in the process of flight and many children fall ill and in extreme situations lose their lives for lack of proper health care according to Jan Marie, Garwa UNHCR camp director.

    Corroborating him, Idiat Bello, a social worker, noted that many children in flight are usually in need of special attention. That is because at a crucial and vulnerable time in their lives, they are brutally uprooted from their comfort zones and exposed to extreme danger and brutality, she said. However, while child refugees benefit from the specific attention of a number of international NGOs, those who are internally displaced receive less protection even though they tend to be at greater risk.

    Children in camps

    In times of conflicts, children’s traditional systems of social protection come under severe strain or break down completely and there are often high levels of violence, alcohol and substance abuse, family quarrels and sexual assault according Peter Adamu, a Zinder, Niger-based social work volunteer. According to him, adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable and even the youngest children can be affected when they witness an attack on a mother or a sister. One important aspect of relief that particularly affects women and children is the distribution of resources such as food, water, firewood and plastic sheeting. Control of these resources represents power. Men are usually in charge of distribution and often abuse their power by demanding bribes or sexual favours. This puts adolescent girls and women at risk, according to the UNHCR. The UNHCR alleged that the first days and weeks of a mass displacement of people usually result in high mortality rates for children. Among displaced children, measles, malaria and malnutrition account for 60 to 80 per cent of reported deaths.

    Thousands of children die each year as a result of armed violence from knives, bullets, bombs and landmines. But many more die from the indirect consequences of warfare as a result of the disruption in food supplies, for example, and the destruction of health services, water systems and sanitation. In poor regions where children are already vulnerable to malnutrition and disease, the onset of armed conflict can increase death rates with those under five years at particular risk.

    But beyond the physical dangers, children may also suffer lasting psychological damage as a result of the loss of their families. Children and adolescents also have very different capacities, and the lines between them are often blurred. In a child’s early years, the focus is on survival, with special attention needed in health, nutrition and protection. However, the ways in which children respond to the stress of armed conflict also depend on their particular circumstances. These in turn are affected by such factors as age, sex, personality type, personal and family history, and cultural background.

    Moreover, armed conflict often pushes children into roles beyond their capacity. It can also prolong certain transitions for young people. Because children are agents of their own protection, and appropriate coping mechanisms require specific cognitive competencies, a key priority is supporting children’s cognitive development through various life stages.

    The different ways in which armed conflict may have already shaped children’s lives can expose them to additional risks. Children can be especially vulnerable if they are living with a disability, with HIV or on the street, or if they lack access to school or health care.

    Similarly, separation from family, the experience of gender-based violence, internal displacement or refugee status, and current or former association with the armed forces or other armed groups can heighten the risk of further violations. A child’s reaction however, depends on the accumulation of risks, and also on her or his coping skills, available sources of support and other resources.

     

  • Ki – moon, Obama, others on Mandela’s day

    Ki – moon, Obama, others on Mandela’s day

    Former South Africa President and anti-apartheid fighter clocks 95 today. As the world celebrate this great icon of our time, World leaders including Ban Ki Moon, Barrack Obama, Jacob Zuma and others send their messages of goodwill to mark the Mandela International Day. The Nation presents the messages below:

    “Mandela gave 67 years of his life to the struggle for human rights and social justice. Today is a day for good works for people and the planet. It is meant to mobilise the human family to do more to build a peaceful, sustainable and equitable world.”- The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon

    On behalf of our family and the people of the United States, Michelle and I extend our warmest wishes and prayers to Nelson Mandela on the occasion of his 95th birthday, as well as to Graça Machel, the Mandela family, and the government and people of South Africa as they mark the fifth annual Nelson Mandela International Day.   Our family was deeply moved by our visit to Madiba’s former cell on Robben Island during our recent trip to South Africa, and we will forever draw strength and inspiration from his extraordinary example of moral courage, kindness, and humility.

    On Nelson Mandela International Day, people everywhere have the opportunity to honor Madiba through individual and collective acts of service.  Through our own lives, by heeding his example, we can honor the man who showed his own people – and the world – the path to justice, equality, and freedom.  May Nelson Mandela’s life of service to others and his unwavering commitment to equality, reconciliation, and human dignity continue to be a beacon for each future generation seeking a more just and prosperous world.

    Statement by President Obama and his wife, Mitchelle on Nelson Mandela International Day

    “We must all be able to do something good for humanity on this day, in tribute to our former president,”- South Africa President, Jacob Zuma.

    Wishes from our followers on twitter

    • Mukaddas MM ‏@mmukaddas

    @TheNationNews #Mandela95 I wish he lives to see tomorrow!

    • Ahmed Ibrahim, DVM ‏@demho11

    @TheNationNews I wish his family will stop fooling around because of inheritance and allow the hero to rest in the lord #Mandela95

    • Awizy O. Alades ‏@Awizy_oro

    I wish he dies without life support @TheNationNews

    • baba idris ‏@babaidris090

    @TheNationNews #Mandela95 I wish him long life and prosperous years ahead with sound #health!

    You can also make your wish by our twitter handle @thenationnews, using the hastag #Mandela95

  • Nigeria’s Siamese twins turn 10

    Nigeria’s Siamese twins turn 10

    •Enjoy separate lives

    Faithful and Favour Sobowale-Davies, Nigeria’s celebrated Siamese twins who were surgically separated in the US, are10. Femi Macaulay captures their captivating story.

    Faithful and Favour, remember them? They are the celebrated Siamese twins who were separated in the United States (US). They are now 10 and they are enjoying their separate lives. Today’s reality was rather dim at the time of their birth on July 16, 2003, having arrived conjoined. The Sobowale- Davies twins had been joined at the abdomen and sternum (chest), and their livers had been fused. However, that bodily fusion is now history. Lively and full of dreams, the girls are in the same class in school, Primary Five (Basic Six), and their favourite subject is Mathematics. Do they sit together? “No, we sit separately,” Favour answered, underlining the fact that they have become distinct individuals.

    Interestingly, she also bears the Yoruba name, Kehinde, usually given to the latter of a pair of twins. Faithful is Taiwo, the twin that came before the other. But in their case, the names defy the logic of precedence because they were glued together and arrived at once. Both love to sing and, they said, their individual voices find expression in church.

    The girls’ entrance caused quite a stir not only in Lagos where they were born, but also across the country and well beyond it. Their journey to the world had elements of high suspense and the providential. Several scans by their mother, Mrs Kikelomo Sobowale –Davies, during pregnancy didn’t reveal that she was carrying Siamese twins. Speaking of her antenatal experience, she said, “It was like every other pregnancy. I didn’t know that they were twins. I just noticed that anytime I wanted to eat, I couldn’t really eat because my stomach would have been full. The doctor would say that I should just take fruits. Then in the process, he said we should do scan to see what the problem was. That was how and when we knew that they were twins. He then explained to me that was why I couldn’t eat.”

    Twin1

    She said further, “My due date was supposed to be early August or about mid-July. All the same, I went to work in the accounting firm that I worked for then. I was on the computer when I found out that my laps were heavy. So, I informed my boss that I needed to go and see the doctor at the clinic because my laps were very heavy. He then offered to take me there. When I got to our family hospital, the doctor was not around. But he asked me on phone what the problem was. I told him. He then asked the nurses to check my blood pressure and they told him it was high. The doctor said that could be because I was carrying twins in my belly. So, he instructed them to put me on bed rest. Later when he came and tested me, he said the babies were okay, that he only had to put me on bed rest. So, I called my husband to come and meet me there. I was there, and they kept on monitoring me and the babies.”

    Then there was an unexpected turn of events. According to her, “The doctor observed that my blood pressure remained high. That was when he said I needed to do surgery, so he gave us referral letter to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). When we got there, they said the place was filled up, they said they had a lot of surgery that they wanted to do. So they referred us to Lagos Island Maternity Hospital. We got there late in the night.” After several days at the hospital, it was time for a caesarean. “It was during the operation that they got to know the babies were joined,” said Mrs. Sobowale –Davies.

    Her husband and father of the twins, 46-year-old Pastor Sobowale-Davies of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), said he was shattered by the evening news. “I was shocked. Suddenly, my spirit went down. But today, I give all glory to God,” he stated. Indeed, divine intervention played a significant role in the drama. In a thought-provoking narration, Sobowale-Davies who hails from Abeokuta, in Ogun State, captured the inscrutable supernatural dimension, saying, “That particular night, as God would have it, Dr Leke Pitan, the then health commissioner had closed for the day. As he later told us, he was driving home when the Spirit of God told him that he should turn back and go to the Island Maternity Hospital to see how things were going on there, and that he had something to do. He even told us later in church that no one could have told him not to do anything to please himself that day because he had signed off at work and he needed the time for himself. But he obeyed the Spirit of God and turned back.”

    He continued: “On getting to the gate of the Island Maternity Hospital, he was told what had just happened. And he saw that people were scampering to gain entrance into the hospital. The first thing he did was to order that people from outside should be prevented from gaining entrance into the hospital. He then asked for the father of the children. But I was not around as I had gone to do other things. He then told the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Dr Ajetunmobi that I should not be allowed to go anywhere the next day. The next morning, Dr. Pitan advised that I should hands off; that the Lagos State government would take over everything. I just prostrated and thanked him. And from that moment, they really took over everything.”

    Within two days of the birth of the Siamese twins, according to his account, they were visited by the then first lady of the state, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, and some top government officials, including the then deputy governor. Thus began arrangements to get the babies separated.

    In the mean time, the conjoined girls posed an unusual challenge to their mother, particularly in the context of breastfeeding. Sobowale-Davies painted a picture of the difficulty his wife faced, saying, “Initially for their breastfeeding, they had to extract breast milk from their mother. At that time, to breastfeed the two of them was very hard. Also, she was trying to do things herself, but it was very hard. She would carry the two of them at the same time because they were joined at the stomach facing each other. And if one wanted to eat, the other one would want to eat exactly the same time too. So to save the strength of the mother, the doctor said we had to extract breast milk from her so that they would give them as they were joined. That was what she did for the first few weeks before we travelled and they were separated.”

    One individual played a key role at this stage, the then governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “I can never forget what God used him, I mean Asiwaju to do in our lives. I believe that without his intervention, our testimony would never have been complete,” Sobowale-Davies said. According to him, “Also, God used his nephew, Dr Adeyemi Tinubu, a surgeon based in Maryland, USA. Luckily, about that time, he was on a trip to Nigeria to see his mother. And after Asiwaju had seen our situation, he called him, that is, Dr Tinubu, to visit us at the hospital, see the children and then, come tell him what could be done about them. Dr Tinubu came to me one day and we discussed. He had visited the John Hopkins University Teaching Hospital in the US, and they had offered to operate on the babies for free if the governor could sponsor our trip to the US.”

    Two months later, surgeons at the John Hopkins Children’s Center, Maryland, USA, performed a life-changing operation on the conjoined twins, and successfully separated them. What happened? In an hour-long surgery, paediatric surgeons Paul Colombani, M.D., then director of paediatric surgery at the Children’s Center, and Henry Lau, M.D., led a 17-member medical team in the separation, which took place on September 11, 2003. The team separated the twins’ chest bone and abdominal wall; and divided the fused liver into two separate organs, one for each twin. Surgeons closed each girl’s abdominal cavity using her own abdominal muscles and skin flaps, rather than skin grafts or prostheses, because the abdominal wall in babies is stretchy.

    At the time, Colombani attributed the success of the surgery partly to the fact that the girls did not share any major organs, such as the heart, which can happen in cases of twins connected at the chest and abdomen, known in medical parlance as thoraco-omphalopagus twins. He said, “I consider this surgery to have been one of the most simple of all conjoined twin separations because the liver can be divided easily and it regenerates itself. The surgery went very smoothly, with no problems at all, and the twins are doing very well. The next step for the twins is normal life. They will grow and develop into healthy little girls.”

    Back home, the magic continued for the Sobowale-Davies family. According to the ma’am of the house, “Mrs Remi Tinubu and some other people came to the airport to receive us. They took us to Island Maternity; we were there for some time. People were just coming to see them.” Then followed what perhaps was the icing on the cake. Rather than return to their old home “inside Akowonjo”, they got a new place from the state government in an estate at Oko-Oba. “We were brought here; we were not allowed to go back to our old house,” said Mrs. Sobowale-Davies. There was another important change; she could now feed the girls differently. “It was easy. I had to breastfeed them at the same time because they cried at the same time,” she explained.

    The story of Faithful and Favour has the quality of a miracle. Conjoined twins, defined as identical twins joined in the womb, are a rare phenomenon, and the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 to 50,000 births to 1 to 200,000 births, with a pronounced incidence in Southwest Asia and Africa. About half are stillborn, while a smaller fraction of pairs born alive have abnormalities unsuitable for life. The overall survival rate for conjoined twins is approximately 25 percent, and the condition is more common among females.

    It is not clear how twins become conjoined, but two conflicting theories exist to explain the phenomenon. One is “fission”, in which the fertilized egg splits partially. The second and more popular is “fusion”, in which a fertilized egg completely separates, but stem cells (which search for similar cells) find like-stem cells on the other twin and fuse the twins together. The most common type of conjoining is thoracopagus, or twins conjoined at the chest, which happens in approximately 34 percent of all cases.

    The term “Siamese Twins” which has come to be synonymous with conjoined twins has its origins in the history of Chang and Eng Bunker (1811-1874), regarded as the most famous pair of conjoined twins. They were Thai brothers born in Siam, now Thailand, travelled with P.T. Barnum’s circus for many years, and were billed as the “Siamese Twins” on account of their provenance and the rarity of the condition. Chang and Eng were joined by a band of flesh, cartilage, and their fused livers at the torso; and it is believed that they could have been easily separated in modern times.

    Faithful said she got to know about the surgical separation on account of “the marks on my stomach.” What if Faithful and Favour were not separated? Imagine this scenario, for instance: they would have had to walk together sideways, or one of them backwards, so the other could follow frontally. Also, how would they have managed feeding? The likely complications are seemingly endless.

    However, Faithful and Favour won’t need to follow that problematic path. With their older sisters, Precious, 16, and Victoria, 13, they enjoy the thrills of individuality. Their parents who married in 1996 are also pleased that they are living separate lives. But there is a slight issue which has to do with identification. According to Favour, teachers in their school “say they cannot differentiate one from the other.” When asked how she could make a distinction, Victoria replied, “Their faces; to me their faces don’t look alike; maybe because I know them. To me, they don’t really look identical.”On this question, Mrs. Sobowale-Davies had the last word. She said: “I just knew the difference. Nobody else has really known the difference.”

  • ‘One child, one teacher….can change the world’ – Malala Yousafzai at UN

    ‘One child, one teacher….can change the world’ – Malala Yousafzai at UN

    Malala Yousazai, 16-year old Pakistani teen activist who was shot on the head on October 9, 2012, by Taliban gave an inspiring speech few days ago to the UN General Assembly. Her speech harps on forgiveness, girl child education, rights among others.

    Below is the full text of her speech

     

    Honourable UN Secretary General Mr Ban  Ki-moon, respected president of the General Assembly  Vuk Jeremic,  honourable UN envoy for global education  Mr. Gordon Brown, respected elders and my dear brothers and sisters: Assalamu alaikum.

    Today is it an honour for me to be speaking again after a long time. Being here with such honourable people is a great moment in my life and it is an honour for me that today I am wearing a shawl of the late Benazir Bhutto. I don’t know where to begin my speech. I don’t know what people would be expecting me to say, but first of all thank you to God for whom we all are equal and thank you to every person who has prayed for my fast recovery and new life. I cannot believe how much love people have shown me. I have received thousands of good-wish cards and gifts from all over the world.

    Thank you to all of them. Thank you to the children whose innocent words encouraged me. Thank you to my elders whose prayers strengthened me. I would like to thank my nurses, doctors and the staff of the hospitals in Pakistan and the UK and the UAE government who have helped me to get better and recover my strength.

    I fully support UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in his Global Education First Initiative and the work of UN Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown and the respectful president of the UN General Assembly Vuk Jeremic. I thank them for the leadership they continue to give. They continue to inspire all of us to action. Dear brothers and sisters, do remember one thing: Malala Day is not my day. Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights.

    There are hundreds of human rights activists and social workers who are not only speaking for their rights, but who are struggling to achieve their goal of peace, education and equality. Thousands of people have been killed by the terrorists and millions have been injured. I am just one of them. So here I stand, one girl among many. I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard.

    Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to live in peace. Their right to be treated with dignity. Their right to equality of opportunity. Their right to be educated.

    Dear friends, on 9 October 2012, the Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead. They shot my friends, too. They thought that the bullets would silence us, but they failed. And out of that silence came thousands of voices. The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions. But nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born. I am the same Malala. My ambitions are the same. My hopes are the same. And my dreams are the same. Dear sisters and brothers, I am not against anyone. Neither am I here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorist group. I am here to speak for the right of education for every child. I want education for the sons and daughters of the Taliban and all the terrorists and extremists. I do not even hate the Talib who shot me.

    Even if there was a gun in my hand and he was standing in front of me, I would not shoot him. This is the compassion I have learned from Mohamed, the prophet of mercy, Jesus Christ and Lord Buddha. This the legacy of change I have inherited from Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

    This is the philosophy of nonviolence that I have learned from Gandhi, Bacha Khan and Mother Teresa. And this is the forgiveness that I have learned from my father and from my mother. This is what my soul is telling me: be peaceful and love everyone.

    Dear sisters and brothers, we realise the importance of light when we see darkness. We realise the importance of our voice when we are silenced. In the same way, when we were in Swat, the north of Pakistan, we realised the importance of pens and books when we saw the guns. The wise saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” It is true.

    The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women frightens them. This is why they killed 14 innocent students in the recent attack in Quetta. And that is why they kill female teachers. That is why they are blasting schools every day because they were and they are afraid of change and equality that we will bring to our society. And I remember that there was a boy in our school who was asked by a journalist: “Why are the Taliban against education?”He answered very simply by pointing to his book, he said: “A Talib doesn’t know what is written inside this book.”

    They think that God is a tiny, little conservative being who would point guns at people’s heads just for going to school. These terrorists are misusing the name of Islam for their own personal benefit. Pakistan is a peace-loving, democratic country. Pashtuns want education for their daughters and sons. Islam is a religion of peace, humanity and brotherhood. It is the duty and responsibility to get education for each child, that is what it says. Peace is a necessity for education. In many parts of the world, especially Pakistan and Afghanistan, terrorism, war and conflicts stop children from going to schools. We are really tired of these wars. Women and children are suffering in many ways in many parts of the world.

    In India, innocent and poor children are victims of child labour. Many schools have been destroyed in Nigeria. People in Afghanistan have been affected by extremism. Young girls have to do domestic child labour and are forced to get married at an early age. Poverty, ignorance, injustice, racism and the deprivation of basic rights are the main problems, faced by both men and women.

    Today, I am focusing on women’s rights and girls’ education because they are suffering the most. There was a time when women activists asked men to stand up for their rights. But this time we will do it by ourselves. I am not telling men to step away from speaking for women’s rights, but I am focusing on women to be independent and fight for themselves. So dear sisters and brothers, now it’s time to speak up. So today, we call upon the world leaders to change their strategic policies in favour of peace and prosperity. We call upon the world leaders that all of these deals must protect women and children’s rights. A deal that goes against the rights of women is unacceptable.

    We call upon all governments to ensure free, compulsory education all over the world for every child. We call upon all the governments to fight against terrorism and violence. To protect children from brutality and harm. We call upon the developed nations to support the expansion of education opportunities for girls in the developing world. We call upon all communities to be tolerant, to reject prejudice based on caste, creed, sect, colour, religion or agenda to ensure freedom and equality for women so they can flourish. We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. We call upon our sisters around the world to be brave, to embrace the strength within themselves and realise their full potential.

    Dear brothers and sisters, we want schools and education for every child’s bright future. We will continue our journey to our destination of peace and education. No one can stop us. We will speak up for our rights and we will bring change to our voice. We believe in the power and the strength of our words. Our words can change the whole world because we are all together, united for the cause of education. And if we want to achieve our goal, then let us empower ourselves with the weapon of knowledge and let us shield ourselves with unity and togetherness.

    Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget that millions of people are suffering from poverty and injustice and ignorance. We must not forget that millions of children are out of their schools. We must not forget that our sisters and brothers are waiting for a bright, peaceful future.

    So let us wage a glorious struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism, let us pick up our books and our pens, they are the most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first.

    Thank you.

  • Are social media sites making us sick?

    Are social media sites making us sick?

    Are sites such as Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites addictive and causing health conditions? Experts say yes. Social networking also offers many advantages like meeting new people across the globe and finding old friends but these ‘advanced’ technological forms of communication are actually hurting people’s social skills.

    Facebook is now being called ‘Facecrack’. The Facebook mobile app brings the addictive experience to the centre of the dining experience, dating and even wedding vows. The cell phone has become a status symbol and has been touted a necessity to check email, take pictures, play games, listen to music and even locate where you are driving in your car.

    A study in the United Kingdom found 66 per cent of cell phone users have developed a technologically advanced medical condition called Nomophobia. Nomophobia is an intense fear of losing or becoming disconnected from being able to use one’s cell phone. A similar poll found that 75 per cent used their phone while in the bathroom and would not consider going without it.

    Study say about 77 per cent of people between the ages 18 to 24 have been found to be Nomophobic. People ages 25 to 34 followed closely with a 68 per cent diagnosis rate. Another study found people check their cell phone on an average of 34 times per day. 49 per cent stated that they would not feel comfortable with their significant other going through their SMS messages.

    Experts agree that social media sites actually make it harder for us to distinguish between meaningful relationships and a large number of casual relationships on Facebook. They have the ability to connect us to the world but disconnect us from our faith, family, job and the real world.

    Another study about Facebook found that too much social media time could cause anger, envy, complaining and unhappiness. Facebook effectively provides a platform for social comparison and can leave you feeling lonely, frustrated and depressed as well. It changes how you feel about yourself, other people and the negative health implications are numerous.

    Yet another study found people that spent less time socializing on Facebook and more time with real-life friends were less likely to be depressed. Facebook ‘friends’ are more likely to depict the happiest times of their lives versus negative or depressing events. This causes people to believe that happiness is a constant in their friend’s lives.

    Researchers have also found excessive social media use to be associated with a higher body-mass index, poor dietary habits, reduced physical activity, low self-worth and higher levels of monetary debt. You’re constantly being fed products, services and other goods that can have significant effects on consumer judgement and decision-making. Technology is supposed to make life easier.

    Ask yourself the following questions to determine your level of addiction: If you’re unable to go on Facebook, do you feel anxious or disturbed? Do you bring your cell phone every place you go, including the bathroom? If you have any down time, do you choose to check Facebook first? Do you have a panic attack from a dead battery or Internet outages? You may have a problem if you or your child is more willing to give up a toothbrush for a week versus Facebook and other social media sites.

    Dr Couillard is an international healthcare speaker and columnist. He works in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s goals of disease prevention and global healthcare education. He can be reached via: drcorycouillard@gmail.com

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Al – Mustapha: Is this justice ?

    Al – Mustapha: Is this justice ?

    The Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND) hereby expresses its shock  and disappointment at the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, today, July 12, 2013, which overturned the Judgment of the High Court of Lagos State, which had found Major Hamza Al Mustapha, one time Chief Security Officer to General Sani Abacha (1994-1998), and Alhaji Lateef Shofolahan guilty of the June 4, 1996 murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola in Lagos, during the reign of terror of General Sani Abacha, the late military Head of State of Nigeria.
    It will be recalled that Hon. Justice Mojisola Dada of the High Court of Lagos State, Igbosere Lagos, had on January 30, 2012, found both Major Hamza Al Mustapha and Alhaji Lateef Shofolahan guilty of the offences of conspiracy to murder and murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, contrary to 324 and 319 of the Criminal Code of Lagos State and accordingly had sentenced them to death by hanging. On that occasion, KIND issued a statement. The statement recalled the gruesome murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola in 1996 and the supreme sacrifice made by many other Nigerians, including Chief M.K.O Abiola and Pa Alfred Ogbeyiwa Rewane, to restore democracy to Nigeria. The statement then acknowledged the fact that the verdict issued by Mojisola Dada would bring closure to the children of Kudirat Abiola, the  M.K.O Abiola Family and Nigerians committed to justice.
    The finding and the reasoning of  Hon. Justice Mojisola Dada in her judgment was that the evidence of Barnabas Jabila ( a.k.a Sgt. Rogers) and that of Muhammed Abdul (a.k.a Katako), the two prosecution witnesses was credible, reliable, sufficient  and believable, and that the Court could safely convict  Major Hamza Al Mustpaha and Alhaji Lateef Shofolahan  on that evidence, regardless of the fact that during cross examination and re-examination, the two witnesses retracted their earlier given testimony and recanted. The Court found that retraction as an after-thought.

     

    Barnabas Jabila ( a.k.a Sgt. Rogers) and Muhammed Abdul (a.k.a Katako)  had, at the early stage of the trial testified that they were directed to murder Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, by Major Hamza Al Mustapha;  that they were given information on her movements by Alhaji Lateef Sofolahan; and that they, respectively, shot and killed Alhaji Kudirat Abiola and drove the Peugeot 504 Car, which they used in trailing her car and bolting away, after killing her at the  Cargo Vision Area of the Lagos end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, by the Toll Gate.
    The Court found that it was cogently, compellingly and irresistibly proved beyond reasonable doubt by the Prosecution that Major Hamza Al Mustapha was the person who procured Barnabas Jabila, the ‘Force striker’, to eliminate Alhaja Kudirat Abiola by direct instruction, handing over of the murder weapon, the UZI SMG with 9mm rounds with which she was assassinated in broad daylight on the streets of Lagos and who provided ‘the logistics’ for their movement from Abuja to Lagos by flight, their accommodation at his Lagos official residence at Dodan Barracks and linked them up with their contact person and facilitator, Alhaji Lateef Shofolahan.

     

    Today’s judgment of Hon Justice Amina A. Augie ( presiding justice of the Court of Appeal’s Panel), Hon. Justice Rita N. Pemu, and Hon. Justice Fatima O. Akinbami, reversing the judgment of Hon. Justice Mojisola Dada, has now discarded that Court’s findings and rejected the Court’s reasoning.
    KIND is informed that the grounds of the Court of Appeal’s decision included the “contradiction in the testimony of the Prosecution Witnesses”, the non-corroboration of their testimony, being co-accomplices; the non-adducing of medical evidence (including non-tendering of autopsy and ballistician report), the non-investigation of the crime by the Nigeria Police Force, which it is argued has the sole power to investigate the crime, instead of the hybrid Special Investigation Panel (SIP) and the non-calling of the Police to give evidence.
    While KIND will obtain this Judgment and commission a team of legal experts to study it in detail, with a view to determining whether a civil action is advisable at this point, KIND respectfully acknowledges but vehemently disagrees with the Judgment of the Court of Appeal.

     

    True, the Prosecution Witnesses recanted and alleged that they were tutored to frame up the accused person. The question is, why was their recantation more believable than their initial and original testimony?  Could Sgt Rogers, who was not put on trial, have killed Alhaja Kudirat Abiola on his own, without having been directed to do so; or was his confession a lie also?

    With this reversal, the Nigerian Judiciary has now exonerated ALL persons that were brought to trial for the gruesome acts of murders and attempted murders that took place during the Abacha regime (before now, the persons tried for the attempted assassinations of Alex Ibru and Pa Abraham Adesanya had been set free, Muhammed Abacha, General Ishaya Bamaiyi,  and the Police Officers, Alhaji Danbaba, and Rabo Lawal). Also, the men who were herded into Court for the assassination of Pa Alfred Rewane were released, for want of evidence.

     

    KIND notes that the Nigerian Judiciary was also unable to resolve the issue of who murdered, in December 2002, Chief Bola Ige, a sitting Attorney General of the Federation. and, indeed the husband of a then serving Justice of the Court of Appeal, Late Justice Atinuke Omobonike Ige. Is it that the Nigerian Judiciary is incapable of resolving cases of political murders and assassinations, or that the Nigerian State lacks the competence, capability or will to prosecute cases of political murders?

     

    KIND is of the view that justice has not been served by the Judgment of the Court of Appeal. KIND therefore calls on the Attorney-General of Lagos State to exercise his power over all public prosecution in Lagos State to appeal this verdict in the interest of the dead and the living.

    In making this call, KIND is not set on seeking vengeance or retribution. As an organization founded in honour of Kudirat Abiola, it, along with all well meaning Nigerians, seeks a final judicial resolution of the question, “who killed Kudirat Abiola?”

     

    Amy Oyekunle

    Executive Director

    KIND

    www.kind.org

     

  • Better work/ life balance

    Better work/ life balance

    Better work/life balance is being achieved most successfully by business owners and by the younger generations in Nigeria and Africa according to the RegusWork:life Balance Index research.

    However, the Index has slipped four points across East and North Africa and six points in South Africa since last year, showing that people in business are struggling with a mounting pressure of work.

     

    The study, published for the second year running by global workplace provider Regus, is based on the views of 26,000 professionals in more than 90 countries with direct representation in 16 African nations. The international study includes East, North and South Africa.

     

    A study conducted in Anambra State in Nigeria found that employees would want their employers to introduce some policy intervention that would positively impact on their work-life balance dilemma. Studies have suggested that employees want jobs that give them flexibility in their work schedules so that they can better manage work-life conflicts.

     

    In the past in the contemporary Nigerian environment, a typical employee in a public sector organization would work conscientiously all the week days from Monday through Friday. This situation has since changed as employees in many public sector organizations are increasingly complaining that the line between work and non-work time has become blurred, creating personal conflicts and stress.

     

    The global findings should be seen in the context of the specific score for East Africa (121) and South Africa (129) which beats the global average (120) and the score for North Africa (113), which lags behind the global average by 7 points. However, positive feelings abound in the workplace, with 78% of East Africans and 79% of North and South African respondents enjoying work more than they did a year ago.

     

    Perhaps contrary to common assumptions, globally the Baby Boomer generation appears less adept at juggling work and home life. Across the world, younger workers enjoy work more than Baby Boomers (76% compared with 64%) and are more satisfied with their productivity levels (81% compared to 69%.)

     

    Responding to the outcome of the research, Joanne Bushell, Vice President at Regus, said  “Staff who are happy at work are both more productive and less likely to leave the company”.

     

    “ As the jobs market improves, businesses are realising that to hire or retain talent, they must focus on extending their flexible working policies, such as offering a choice of work locations.  This is already happening – we see our network of local centres used every day by people working flexibly”.

     

    Regus is the world’s largest provider of workplace solutions, with products and services ranging from fully equipped offices to professional meeting rooms, business lounges and the world’s largest network of video communication studios.

     

     

     

  • World Population Day: Preventing Teenage Maternal Mortality

    World Population Day: Preventing Teenage Maternal Mortality

    Abiodun Alade writes that as the world commemorates the World Population Day, awareness on the issue of adolescent pregnancy and creating a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled, has been put in front burner.

    “When we devote attention and resources to the education, health and wellbeing of adolescent girls, they will become an even greater force for positive change in society that will have an impact for generations to come. On this World Population Day, let us pledge to support adolescent girls to realize their potential and contribute to our shared future,” the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon said in his goodwill message on this year’s world population day.

    The United Nations’ (UN) World Population Day is annually observed on July 11 to reaffirm the human right to plan for a family. It encourages activities, events and information to help make this right a reality throughout the world.

    As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to celebrate the day, the chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Chief Festus Odimegwu said the current teenage maternal mortality rate is put at 0.822 per 1,000 women. Odimegwu said this at a briefing to mark the 2013 World Population Day in Abuja.

    According to him, the figure remains high particularly in the northern parts of Nigeria, adding that, “Kastina state has the highest number of teenage pregnancy according to the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).  Katsina, with 65 per cent of cases of teenage pregnancy tops the table; Edo State has the lowest rate of teenage pregnancy, which the report puts at 2.9 per cent.”

    Indeed, between last year and now there has been rising cases of teenage maternal mortality worldwide. In Nigeria, adolescent fertility rate stands at 121 live births per 1, 000, according to Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).

    The figure is high when compared to statistics from other African countries such as Algeria with seven live births per 1,000; South Africa with 58 per 1,000 and Ghana with 63 per 1,000.

    But what are the major causes of this high mortality rate particularly in Nigeria? Odimegwu believes that the maternal mortality rate is aided by unsafe abortions, pregnancy complications, poor ante natal care and weak pelvic bones, while major consequences for the teenage mother include curtailment of educational attainment and likely unstable marital life.

    Other causes he outlined are poverty, sexual abuse, ignorance, cultural and religious beliefs. He appealed for concerted efforts among all stakeholders to curb the rising trend and pledged the commitment of the NPC to effectively implement the national population policy.

    The various interventions of the federal government in the health and education sectors, he added, would not only help reduce the scourge but also mitigate the negative impact on the girl child.

    On his part, the Deputy Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Osaretin Adorin, in a goodwill message, said issues of teenage pregnancy should not only be considered a health issue, but that of human rights.

    “Their bodies are not even matured enough, so both the mother and child suffer. It is sometimes a case of a baby becoming a mother,” he added just as he called for the enactment and implementation of policies that protect the girl child.

    Corroborating this view, the president of Esther Child Right Foundation, Mrs. Esther Ogwu said that poverty, lack of parental care and single parenting are parts of the causes of teenage pregnancy.

    “Poverty is an issue, especially when the parents cannot and are not providing for the children. However money is not just the reason but parental care and communication; some parents find it difficult to discuss with their wards. Their children can hardly ask them questions, so they end up not knowing what those teenagers are passing through. Most schools are not also training them well; some schools don’t teach sex education, leaving the pupils and students to wrong information. The issue of single parenting also brings about negligence in some families.”

    Ogwu pointed out that most victims of teenage pregnancy end up dropping out from schools and sometimes find it difficult to fulfill their potentials in life. “Some of them drop out from schools; they also find it difficult to forgive themselves especially when they see their peers doing well in the society. They also end up as unprepared mothers,” she added.

    The President of Compassionate Women Initiative, Mrs. Mary Olasupo, noted that the consequences of teenage pregnancy includes; public embarrassment, education setback, untimely death, early marriage, emotional trauma. She also called on the various stakeholders in the society to provide an enabling environment for the upbringing of the girl child.

    World Population Day aims to increase people’s awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family planning, including gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights.

    The day is celebrated worldwide by business groups, community organizations and individuals in many ways. Activities include seminar discussions, educational information sessions and essay competitions. In 1968 world leaders proclaimed that individuals had a basic human right to determine freely and responsibly the number and timing of their children.

    About 40 years later modern contraception remains out of reach for millions of women, men and young people. World Population Day was instituted in 1989 as an outgrowth of the Day of Five Billion, marked on July 11, 1987. The UN authorized the event as a vehicle to build an awareness of population issues and the impact they have on development and the environment.

    In 1989, in its decision 89/46, the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme recommended that, in order to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues in the context of overall development plans and programmes and the need to find solutions for these issues, 11 July should be observed by the international community as World Population Day.

    Since then, with the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) encouragement, governments, non – governmental organizations, institutions and individuals organize various educational activities to celebrate the annual event.

    As the world population edged to 7 billion people in 2011 (up from 2.5 billion in 1950), it has had profound implications for development. A world of 7 billion is both a challenge and an opportunity with implications on sustainability, urbanization, access to health services and youth empowerment.

    About 16 million girls under age 18 give birth each year. Another 3.2million undergo unsafe abortions. The vast majority – 90 per cent — of the pregnant adolescents in the developing world are married. But for far too many of these girls, pregnancy has little to do with informed choice. Often it is a consequence of discrimination, rights violations (including child marriage), inadequate education or sexual coercion.

  • 5 Nigerian Caine prize winners

    5 Nigerian Caine prize winners

     

    The annual Caine Prize for African Writing is a literary award for the best original short story by an African writer. Established in the United Kingdom in the year 2000, the prize was named in memory of Sir Michael Harris Caine, who was the former chairman of Booker Group plc. Since inception of the highly prestigious prize, five Nigerians have emerged winners. Last Monday July 8, at Bodleian Library in Oxford Nigeria’s Tope Folarin carted home the £10,000 prize money after emerging winner of the 2013 edition. Justice Ilevbare, profiles these past Nigerian winners, their winning entries and other award winning works.

     

    Tope Folarin (winner of 2013 edition)

    Nigeria’s Tope Folarin  last Monday evening emerged winner of this year’s Caine Prize for his short story titled: Miracle. The story is set in Texas in an evangelical Nigerian church where the congregation gathered to witness the healing powers of a blind pastor-prophet.

    According to Gus Casely-Hayford the Chair of the judges, Folarin’s ‘Miracle’ is another superb Caine Prize winner describing it as “a delightful and beautifully paced narrative that is exquisitely observed and utterly compelling.”

    Folarin was shortlisted with 3 other Nigerians and a Sierra Leonean for the prize and he came out ahead. The shortlisted writers include popular writer, El Nathan John who is famous for his satirical and humorous pieces.

    Speaking to a foreign media shortly after he was announced winner the elated Folarin told said, “I’m elated. I’m a writer situated in the Nigerian disapora, and the Caine prize means a lot – it feels like I’m connected to a long tradition of African writers. The Caine prize is broadening its definition and scope. I consider myself Nigerian and American, both identities are integral to who I am. To win … feels like a seal of approval.”

    On the award winning story, Folarin said, “The story is situated in the Nigerian diaspora, and that heightens what is going on for the people in the church. It begins with ‘we’ and then moves to the ‘I’ – the narrator bear the burden of the diaspora on his shoulders.”

    Folarin, recipient of writing fellowships from the Institute for Policy Studies and Callaloo, serves on the board of the Hurston/Wright Foundation.

    The 2013 Caine prize winner was educated at Morehouse College, and the University of Oxford, where he earned two Master’s degrees as a Rhodes Scholar.

    He lives and works in Washington, DC.

     

    Rotimi Babatunde (winner of 2012 edition)

    Rotimi Babatunde was the 4th Nigerian to emerge winner of the Caine prize for African writing. He won the prize for his story “Bombay’s Republic” – a book about Nigerian soldiers who fought in the Burma campaign during World War II and returning home with new perspectives.

    He was one of five writers whose stories were short-listed for the Caine Prize for African Writing which is Africa’s highest literary award. With £10,000 in his kitting, Babatunde had a chance to attend Georgetown University in the United States as a writer-in-residence for one month at their Lannan Centre for Poetics and Social Practice.

    According to www.supernigerian.com, Babatunde has had fiction and poetry published in literary journals in Africa, Europe, and the United States. He also won the BBC World Service’s Meridian Tragic Love Story Competition, and his plays have been presented by Halcyon Theatre, Chicago and the Institute for Contemporary Arts, as well as being broadcast on the BBC World Service.

    His published work includes poems and stories in anthologies, including Little Drops, A Volcano of Voices and Die Aussenseite des Elementes.

    Babatunde lives in Ibadan, Oyo State.

    Epaphras Chukwuenweniwe Osondu (winner of 2009 edition)

    E. C. Osondu for short is widely acclaimed for his short stories. He emerged winner of the 2009 edition of the Caine prize for Africa writing with the story “Waiting”. Published in October 2008 by Guernica magazine, “Waiting” captures life in a refugee camp from a child’s point of view. In Aside the £10,000 cash award, the Caine Prize also brought Osondu a month’s residency at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Osondu’s “Voice of America” is included in Gods and Soldiers: The Penguin Anthology of Contemporary African Writing (2009).

    Prior to that, he won the 2009 Caine Prize for African Writing, for which he had been a finalist in 2007 with his story “Jimmy Carter’s Eyes”. He had previously won the Allen and Nirelle Galso Prize for Fiction and his story “A Letter from Home” was judged one of “The Top Ten Stories on the Internet” in 2006. His writing has been published in Agni, Guernica, Vice, Fiction, and The Atlantic. His debut collection of short stories, Voice of America, was published in 2010.

    Born in Nigeria, Osondu worked as an advertising copywriter for many years. In 2008, he was a fellow at Syracuse University in creative writing and later in 2010, he became an assistant professor of English at Providence College, teaching courses in creative writing.

     

    Segun Afolabi (winner of 2005 edition)

    The 2005 edition of the prestigious award was won by Segun Afolabi – a novelist and short story writer. Entitled, “Monday Morning”, the award winning work was  first published in Wasafiri, issue 41, spring 2004.

    His first story collection is titled “A Life Elsewhere” and was shortlisted for the 2006 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and longlisted for the 2006 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award.

    Helon Habila (winner of 2001 edition)

    The first Nigerian to win the Caine Prize is the popular multiple awards winning novelist Helon Habila in 2001, with the “Love Poems”.

    Born in 1967, Habila is a novelist and poet. He worked as a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic in Bauchi from 1997 to 1999. Shortly afterwards, he moved to Lagos in 1991 to become the Stories Editor for Hints Magazine where he worked for one year before moving to Vanguard Newspaper, as Arts Editor.

    After winning the Caine Prize, he was offered a Chevening Scholarship by the British Council and was invited to become the first African Writing fellow by the University of East Anglia, UK. He moved to England in 2002.

    Habila’s first novel, Waiting for an Angel, was published in 2002 by Penguin Books in London and in 2003 by Norton in the USA. The novel went on to win the Commonwealth Prize for Best First Novel (Africa Section) in 2003.

    In 2006 he co-edited the British Council’s anthology, New Writing 14. His second novel, Measuring Time, was published in 2007. His third novel, Oil on Water, which deals with environmental pollution in the oil rich Nigerian Delta, was published in the US in 2011. His anthology, The Granta Book of the African Short Story came out September, 2011.

    Habila studied at the University of Jos and later at the University of East Anglia and now teaches creative writing at George Mason University, Washington D.C.

    A founding member African Writers Trust, “a non-profit entity which seeks to coordinate and bring together African writers in the Diaspora and writers on the continent to promote sharing of skills and other resources, and to foster knowledge and learning between the two groups.

    Habila has also received other awards including, 2007 Emily Clark Balch Prize (short story), from Virginia Quarterly Review, “The Hotel Malogo”, 2008 Virginia Library Foundation Fiction Award, Measuring Time, 2011 Commonwealth Writers Prize, shortlist, Oil on Water and 2012 Orion Book Award, shortlist, Oil on Water

    Habila lives in Virginia with his wife and three children.

     

  • Health hazards of processed meats

    Health hazards of processed meats

    The consumption of red and processed meats has been linked with heart disease, cancer and now Type 2 diabetes. A recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health looked at a variety of meats such as beef, dried meats and sausages to determine their impact on blood sugar control.

    The study involved 123 000 people over a 20-year period and found that an elevated red meat intake over a four-year period resulted in a 48 per cent elevated risk of diabetes in the following four years. This link equates to an even greater risk of death via associated heart attacks and strokes.

    One’s diabetic risk dropped significantly when red meat consumption was reduced by more than a half serving per day. A half serving per day equates to approximately half the size of a deck of cards of meat.

    “The association of red meat and cardiovascular disease are quite clear,” said Walter C. Willett, Harvard School of Public Health’s chairman of the department of nutrition. “It does look as though replacing red meats with other major sources of quality protein — nuts, legumes, chicken and fish — is a good thing to be doing.”

    Not all meats are created equal and some should not even be suitable enough to be considered food. Processed meats often contain more sodium, preservatives and nitrates that, according to Willett, “cause chemical reactions that may create compounds that are toxic.”

    A similar study analysed nutritional data from 184 000 cancer-free individuals and found people who at the most red and processed meat died earlier. The results found the amount of meat a person ate before their colon cancer diagnosis was tied to their risk of dying within eight years. About 43 per cent of the test group that ate 10 servings of red or processed meat per week died during the follow up period.

    “It’s another important reason to follow the guidelines to limit the intake of red and processed meat,” said Marjorie McCullough, the study’s lead author from the American Cancer Society.

    Three or four servings of red or processed meats per week are a good target for people, according to McCullough. “We’re not saying people need to be vegetarians. It’s really just limiting intake and making it more the exception than the rule.”

    Distinguishing good meats from bad

    It’s important to note that most studies fail to effectively distinguish between processed meat and unprocessed, as well as overcooked or charred meats. A “red-meat-is-bad” approach is a major mistake as not all red meats are bad for you.

    However, processed meats such as sausages, deli meats, etc. contain high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids, mold called mycotoxins, nitrates and a variety of preservatives. All of these compounds can be correlated to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

    One common problem historically with nutritional questionnaires is that they are not highly specific in regard to the type and quality of meats. The good news, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a systematic review to distinguish between the types of meat. They defined unprocessed red meat as any meat from beef, pork or lamb that hasn’t been smoked, cured, salted or have any chemical preservatives.

    The outcome of this review confirmed processed meats caused a 19 per cent higher risk of Type 2 diabetes. The researchers did not find a higher risk among individuals eating unprocessed healthy red meats, such as beef, pork or lamb.

    Heart disease, cancer and diabetes are chronic diseases that are affected by the amount of inflammation in one’s body. One’s diet is an important determining factor through the ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory while omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory.

    This is the mechanism by which processed meats produce inflammation and disease in the body. The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is between 2:1 and 4:1 according to health experts across medical specialties. Processed and fried foods have been found to produce ratios between 20:1 and 50:1.

    All meat contains some omega-6s but processed, preserved, cured and overcooked meats contain higher levels of oxidized toxins and these toxins have been found to be readily absorbed into bodily tissues and cause inflammation.

    Dry-cured meats are commonly contaminated with mold toxins. Mold toxins – also called mycotoxins—can cause cancer, heart, liver and kidney disease. Unhealthy red meats and poor-quality processed meats can also suffer the effects of antibiotics, growth hormones and other unnatural animal raising techniques. Antibiotics have been found to affect healthy gut bacteria that are needed to absorb many vitamins, minerals and nutrients from one’s diet.

    The nitrates in processed meats, especially bacon, have received a lot of negative press. They can contain up to 50 per cent more nitrates than healthier, unprocessed meats. Nitrates have been found to impair the release of insulin that is characteristic in diabetes. The negative effects on insulin and blood sugar control helps explain the Harvard School of Public Health’s findings that processed foods increased the risk of diabetes.

    To compound the issue, the British Journal of Cancer found eating processed meats increased the development of pancreatic cancer by up to 38 per cent. A similar study conducted in Hawaii concluded that those who ate the most processed meat showed a 67 per cent greater risk of pancreatic cancer over those who did not eat processed meat. Pancreatic cancer is one of the types of cancers that boast the highest mortality rate amongst all cancers.

    A compound called nitrosamines in processed meats have been linked to increased risk of stomach cancer as well. The best way to avoid nitrosamines is to avoid overcooking and charring processed meats. It’s important to cook meat on moderate-to-low heat to avoid charring.

    Foods to look out for

    Foods that are high in nitrates include canned meats, corned beef, smoked and frozen fish, bacon and sausages. Convenience foods and pre-prepared frozen dinners are often the worst offenders. Bologna, ham, pastrami, prosciutto, roast beef, salami, pepperoni and other cured sandwich meats should be limited.

    Processed foods often have food labels to help identify the chemical culprits. The major chemicals to look out for include phosphates, nitrates, texturizers, stabilizers, thickeners and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Phosphates are added to help retain moisture and add flavour in meats. Sodium nitrate basically stains the meat to look fresh and extends its saleability. MSG is a powerful flavour enhancer but has been linked to numerous medical conditions and should be avoided altogether.

    Become an informed consumer and protect yourself and family from processed meat induced heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Substituting fish, nuts, legumes and lean meats instead of chemical-laden processed meats will help promote a healthy omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, reduce inflammation and reduce your chance of becoming a statistic.

    Couillard, an international healthcare speaker and columnist for numerous newspapers, magazines, websites and publications, works in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s goals of disease prevention and global healthcare education. He can be reached via drcorycouillard@gmail.com