BELTS are another must-have fashion items for this season. Much more than being a necessary accessory, a belt can be used by fashionable women to make a loud or quiet fashion statement. Elegant and quality belts with unique buckles can be combined with one or two accessories to get a versatile, clean and sexy look.
When it comes to female fashion, it is not necessary for the belt colour to match with the colour of the shoes.
An inscription on the wall of the Assembly Hall of the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, was quite inspiring. It reads: ‘Realise Your Dream, Get Education’.
And that was exactly the clarion call the young lads responded to when they enrolled in the school. For them, getting an education would avail them the opportunity to realise their dreams of becoming leaders in the future.
But unfortunately, that dream became still-born when they were hacked down and killed by members of the Boko Haram insurgents, who attacked the school and operated unhindered for about six hours, according to eye-witnesses.
The Monday night attack on FGC, Buni Yadi, is the fourth in the series of Boko Haram attacks on schools, which have left about 102 students killed and even more maimed so far.
Some of those who were fortunate to have survived the attack spoke to The Nation on their ordeals. The case of 16-yr-old Samson Gali, an SS II student of the college, is a tale of incredulity. His was a case of providence in action. His father, given him for dead, had already been arranging for his burial, only to discover that he was still alive.
Samson barely escaped to tell his story, but is presently battling for his life at the General Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital in Damaturu, no thanks to the bullet that broke his entire left hand and almost disemboweled him, as it flew past his upper abdomen.
With all the strength left in him, Samson shook his head gently and suddenly let out a large gush of tears, as he tried to explain to this reporter how he was separated from his friend in the hit of the attack. The friend, he was later told, was killed.
Samson narrated: “They entered the school and started flashing torch lights inside the hostel. We saw the torch-light, but thought it was the security men. I had started sleeping, but my friend was playing game at the time. When he heard gunshots, he woke me up and told me that we should go to Benue House, one of the hostels. We left for Benue House and immediately after we got there, a tall, man, dressed in complete military uniform, came in with a gun in his hands and fired a shot into the air.
“All of us fell from the bunks and started crawling on the ground. The man commanded that all of us should come out or else, he would kill everybody. He was speaking in Hausa. He continued to shoot sporadically and one of the bullets hit me. I crawled and escaped through the window and hid in one uncompleted building because the weather was too cold for me. I can’t even remember how I got separated from my friend. But the only thing that I remember was how we went to Benue House. Everything happened so fast. It was like a movie scene. It was terrible for us”, Samson narrated.
Speaking on how he held on to life until he was found, Samson said: “In the morning, I heard the sound of Sallah prayers, and I came out from where I was hiding. I removed the vest on my body and blocked the gunshot wound on my stomach to reduce the bleeding. When I came out from the uncompleted hostel, I saw one SS III student and asked him to help me. When he saw how badly I was injured, he started crying. He went and called some people who came and took me. Then I saw my father and mother who came and took me to the hospital. I heard that my best friend was killed.”
Samson’s mother, Deborah Gali, told The Nation how God has saved her son. A mother of seven, Deborah sobbed uncontrollably at the amenity ward of the Gen. Sani Abacha Specialist Hospital when our reporters visited.
According to her, Samson’s father was reluctant to let Samson and his friend go back to school when they came home for the weekend.
She said: “Samson and his friend came home on weekend. His father told him not to go back to the dormitory until Monday morning, since there were few students in the school because their mid-term break had just finished and most of the students had not resumed.
“But after his father left for office, Samson and his friend decided to go back in the evening after they had eaten the food I cooked for them. At about 11.00pm, we heard gunshots in the school and smoke everywhere. I wanted to enter the school to search for my son, but my neighbour stopped me. You know, it is just the main road that separates us from the school.
“When his father heard that the school was under attack, he ran to the house calling on Samson to open the door for him, not knowing that Samson had gone back to school. It was when I came out and opened the door and that he asked about Samson. I now told him that Samson went back to school.
“His father asked me to get a mat so that we can get the remains of Samson in the morning to go and bury him. We went into the college very early in search of the corpse of my son, but God in His infinite mercy saved him. I was surprised to see him alive. But I am sad that his classmates died. Even his friend, Daniel, who came home with him that day, also died in the attack,” Samson’s mother said, sobbing.
JSS II student, 13-year-old Aliyu Ayuba, could barely talk because the doctors were still battling to remove a bullet lodged in his chest when this reporter visited him at the amenity ward of the Gen. Sani Abatcha Specialist Hospital in Damaturu.
His sister pleaded that he be left alone to rest, having spoken to too many people already.
The Chief Medical Director of Gen. Sani Abatcha Specialist Hospital, Dr. Garba Musa Fika, said that the hospital has the capacity to treat the students, but maintained that they (hospital) will not hesitate to refer cases they can no longer handle to bigger hospitals.
Meanwhile, there is anxiety and desperation at the hospital, as some parents continue to search for the remains of their children among the dead. A hospital source that prefers not to be mentioned revealed that some parents came to the hospital in search of their kids, but could not find them.
“The situation is so pathetic my brother. Some of the parents were here earlier today in search of their missing children, but could not find them. Maybe some of them are among the ones set ablaze by the insurgents, but nobody can tell for now,” the source informed.
The Chairman of the school’s Parents\Teachers’ Association (PTA), Engr. Kati Machina, said he was in touch with some of the parents still searching for their kids.
“I am in contact with some of the parents who came from Borno and Gombe States to look for their kids. But some of them cannot locate their children among the dead students,” Engr. Machina informed.
Machina has described as misleading the arbitrary figures in the media over the Monday night attack, insisting that the death toll still stands at 29.
“We have an authentic report from the hospital and what we gathered is that only 29 students were killed. Twenty one students were killed by gunshots, while eight were burnt beyond recognition. Eleven of the students were injured and three have been admitted at the Gen. Sani Abatcha Specialist Hospital in Damaturu. Some of the injured students have been taken away by their parents.
“We buried two of the eight burnt students at Buni Yadi because they were so badly burnt. But 10 dead bodies were brought to Damaturu, out of which six were burnt beyond recognition.”
The PTA chairman called on the Federal Government to provide security around all schools in the country, especially those in Yobe and Borno states.
Speaking after inspecting the damage at the college, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam called on the military to change their tactics and be ahead of the insurgents. He also called on the Federal Government or whoever is responsible for security for the deployment of more troops to Yobe State.
The governor, who suspended his inspection tour to visit the school, recounted the number of times the insurgents have attacked innocent children in schools in the state, describing it as barbaric and wicked.
He said: “It is most unfortunate that in the past one year, we have experienced this kind of ugly acts from some insurgents for the fourth time today.
“The first one being in Government Day Secondary School Damaturu. The second was in Mamudo Government School, while the third one was the attack on College of Agriculture Gujba. In Damaturu Secondary School, the insurgents massacred about nine students, in Mamudo, they killed about 24 students, at the College of Agric, they killed about 40 students, and in this recent one, 29 students have been killed.
“It is unfortunate. The action is highly barbaric, wicked, inhuman and immoral and it’s devastating at the same time. It was unfortunate that up to the 5-6 hours period of killing and massacre, there were no security men around to contend the situation.
“At the same time, I am aware that the military command in Yobe lack has adequate number of troops. Despite that, they must change in their strategy of operation. If you are pulling out the military in the town and taking them out to operate in another place, there should be some few left on ground to contain any unforeseen circumstances that my come up. I believe they should change their strategy,” Gaidam said.
The latest entrepreneurial exploits of Jennifer Obayuwana have not been without some thoughtful wishes for the darling daughter of the one of Nigeria’s men of style and panache, John Obayuwana. Without knowing it, many who visit the recently opened Polo Avenue, the one-stop shop for expensive designer wears in Lagos, always pray that Jennifer, the beautiful executive director of the company, would find a worthy suitor to crown her efforts. The thinking is that a young lady who is so blessed and hardworking deserves nothing less.
A life partner has continued to elude this winsome lady who was linked with different young men in the past. While she is not known to jump around, Jennifer has had her share of broken relationships, while some of the men who would love to keep her are reported to have complained that they are intimidated by the overwhelming presence of her father in her life. The Polo boss is almost always in the company of her daughter, and this, we hear, is putting off some potential suitors.
To be sure, Obayuwana’s love for her daughter is not misplaced. But some potential suitors believe it is high time he gave her pretty daughter some space for her to consider their advances.
The term diabetes, when not specified, refers to Diabetes mellitus, a serious metabolic disorder characterized by defects in the body’s use of carbohydrates. The other kind of diabetes is Diabetes insipidus, which is quite a different and relatively rare condition, in which an individual passes large quantities of pale, dilute urine, with consequent dehydration and excessive thirst.
Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome in which the basic defect is the absence or shortage of the hormone called insulin. This hormone is carried by the blood to the kidneys, where it limits the outflow of water in the urine.
The great majority cases of Diabetes insipidus are due to a tumour or inflammation in the region of the pituitary gland, thereby suppressing ADH production. Physical damage in form of fracture of the base of the skull or surgery in the pituitary area can also cause Diabetes insipidus. In addition, there is a rare inherited form of Diabetes insipidus where the production of Anti-Diuretic Hormone is normal, but the kidneys do not respond to the circulating hormone.
As earlier stated, in Diabetes mellitus, an organ in the body (called the pancreas) is found not to be functioning properly. Insulin is a hormone produced by the Beta cells in the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Insulin is carried by the blood to all parts of the body. The body’s cells use glucose (blood sugar) as their fuel. They have receptors to which insulin becomes attached. This binding of insulin enables the cells to use glucose by converting it into energy or storing it as fat. Any defect in this process, either in the pancreas, where insulin is being produced, or at the sites of attachment of insulin to the cells, would interfere with the body’s use of fuel to produce energy.
Apart from the malfunctioning of the Pancreas, one other cause of this disorder is unbalanced diet. Most of us consume denatured food in one way or the other. Also, food additives and unhealthy drinks, whether soft drinks, teas, coffee or liquor may predispose one to metabolic imbalance.
The symptoms of diabetes include: frequent urination, loss of flesh, inordinate appetite, constant hunger, mental depression, progressive weakness, great thirst, dry tongue and impaired vision. The person could be irritable, restless and morose. The loss of energy is due to the loss of sugar, which is needed to generate the energy for daily activities.
In Holistic Lifecare, it is strongly advised that imported styles of living (i.e. cooking, eating & drinking) must be looked into especially on the use of food additives and colourants in fast foods and so-called take-away. Heavy starchy foods should be cut down drastically, if they cannot be avoided, pending total recovery from the ailment.
As we make efforts to repair a malfunctioning pancreas, there are some fruits and vegetables known to be helpful. These include carrots, paw-paw, cucumber, onions, garlic and lettuce, combined with soya-milk mixed with guinea-corn pap or porridge.
Control: The Holistic remedy that has been popularly suggested for the control of Diabetes is a combination of the natural extracts of some herbs scientifically called Anchomanes difformis, Pergularia daemia, Vinca rosea and Viscum album.
For further information and consultation on Holistic Lifecare research and services, especially on Blood Infections, Infertility, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Chronic Debilitating Conditions as well as mental and social problems, please call on: 0803-330-3897 or visit: Mosebolatan Holistic Lifecare Centre, Adeyalo Layout, Ogbere-Tioya, Off Olorunsogo Express Bridge, Ibadan. Website: www.holisticlifecare.com. Distance is no barrier, we can send remedies by courier if need be. We also have facilities for accommodation, admission and hospitalization in a serene and homely environment.
More than 2000 people have benefitted from free health programme organized by Mike Egbayelo Foundation.
The programme, which took place in Apapa Local Government Area, Lagos, was part of the independent mobilization programme for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Apapa.
The one week event afforded residents of Apapa to benefit from the free BP and blood sugar test, free cancer screening, free eye test and glasses, free drugs and treatment.
The chairman of the occasion, Pa Sarumi Adebayo, was full of praises for Egbayelo, whom he described as worthy of emulation.. “I wish we have people who are thinking about the welfare of our people. If we have people who want to come and help, please they should not hesitate, “ the party leader advised.
The convener of the Foundation, Mike Egbayelo said the event was a significant milestone in the life of the foundation, which aims to provide supports for the All Progressives Congress (APC) .
According to him, one does not need to seek political appointment to render assistance. He assured the exercise would be a continuous one.
“Today’s event is a confirmation of the progressive and people-oriented programmes of our party and a way or saying thank you to Apapa people for making APC their number one party in the local government. Free and qualitative healthcare is one of the cardinal programmes of our party, and thus we are aligning with this philosophy to prove that APC is the party to beat.”
It will be recalled that the foundation began its intervention last year by the provision of cash support of N10, 000 each to children of 10 widows in secondary schools and N100, 000 (one hundred thousand naira) grant to a deserving student who secured admission to a private university to support the tuition fees.
The foundation equally facilitated gainful employment to 12 Apapa youth from our 5 wards in Apapa Local Government.
THE spate in which live electricity wire has been killing and maiming residents of Lagos State in recent times has assumed a worrisome dimension. A number of people have been killed and maimed in different incidents that occurred across the state. In spite of this, findings revealed that thousands of the residents still mill around high tension wires on a daily basis to do their businesses. The situation obviously calls for serious concern as some of the wires are in shaky states. Worse still, some of the traders engage in businesses that require them to make fire under some of the wires, a situation that can lead to a humungous calamity if such wires snap. Recent calamities caused by live electricity wires Two people were killed bya live electricity wire at Hotel bus stop, along LASU/ Isheri road, a suburb of Lagos State last week. Several others were said to have narrowly escaped death in the incident. The victims, a commercial motorcycle operator and a vendor, were identified as Omoniyi Ajele and Bola Masika respectively. Omoniyi was said to have been electrocuted trying to rescue Bola and her child, Mojisola, who were trapped by live electricity wire that snapped from the pole. He had gone to do his legitimate business on the fateful day when he met his untimely death without any premonitions that he was seeing the planet earth for the last time. As a commercial motorcycle rider, he happily carried passengers from the park to their various destinations but had to stop when there was a heavy down pour. Together with his colleagues, he hid under the zinc of a shop waiting for the rain to subside before they could resume their duties. They could not, however, wait for the rain to subside before jumping into the road. This time around, it was not in an attempt to hustle for a customer. They ran into the rain when other neighbours in the area raised the alarm that a child of one of the traders was in danger. Kayode Alomona, a survivor of the incident, gave a detailed account of how it happened thus: ” I was standing here at our park when there was a spark on the live wire. Everybody started to run to avoid the impending danger. As they were running, one girl fell on one side. The mother also fell on another side. Immediately we saw them, we ran to assist them. We ran around to get spoon and salt. We put these in their mouths to prevent them from closing their teeth together. We were on this for about 15 minutes. ‘’All along we didn’t know that it was electricity shock that made them to fall. So, we continued to battle with how to revive them. we suddenly felt a strong electric pull that lifted us from that spot and threw us violently to the other side of the road. The rest of us narrowly escaped death but Omoniyi was not so lucky. He died immediately.’’ Another survivor, who identified himself as Olaleye Olakanmi, blamed the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company for the incident. He said that the calamity would have been averted if they had not restored power supply when they were attending to the victims. He said: “The power authorities obviously cut the power supply after they noticed that a high tension wire had cut from the pole because there was no power supply when we were attending to the girl and her mother. ‘’In the course of attending to them, power supply was suddenly restored. Every one of us that was on that spot was badly affected because the whole place was electrically charged. Unfortunately for Omoniyi, he was on a spot where the impact was more severe and was killed instantly. The force of the live wire lifted and shook me vigorously. I have just recovered from the effect it had on me and have just resumed working today (Tuesday) after the incident.” His elder brother, who identified himself as Tope, said: “Omoniyi’s untimely death is a big blow to the family. We were together that day. We played and chatted together without knowing that was the last time we would be together. I left the park the very moment it was about to rain. I was sleeping in my house when I got an urgent call to run down to the park. The moment I got there, I saw my brother’s lifeless body on the floor. I couldn’t believe it that the person we played together few hours before that time was the one lying dead on the floor. “He has been buried. The wife and the only child are still back at home. We took him back to our home town in Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State that very day. Omoniyi was schooling at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) before financial challenges forced him to drop out. Thereafter, I brought him to Lagos State to hustle for money to go back to school. Unfortunately, he could not realise that dream before he died.” Prior to the incident, two young men, Afeez and Prince Onyekachi, had their bodies severely burnt by live electricity wire. The incident occurred along Igando/ Ikotun road in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State recently. They were driving when the incident occurred. In the course of trying to escape from the impending danger, they stepped on the live wire and were severely burnt. Afeez was burnt from the navel down to his two legs, while Prince’s right leg and his manhood were affected in the accident. He went to visit Afeez in his workshop when the incident occurred. . The two friends are currently admitted at Gbagada General Hospital for intensive care. Afeez has had the affected two legs cut off after undergoing two successive operations. Unfortunately, despite the amputation, his plight has not abated. He is billed to undergo another round of surgical operations. Prince has also had his affected leg cut off. Fears of worse developments during rainy season Checks showed that all the incidents listed above occurred when it was raining. As a result, some residents of the state have begun to express fears that there may be reoccurrence of similar incidents if the problem is not checked. Olakanmi Olaleye, a respondent, said: “This type of incident is rampant during the rainy season. The one that occurred here at Hotel bus stop happened when it was raining. It was the same with that of Igando. The problem is that most of the wires are old. If you look critically at some of the wires, you will find that a good number of them had cut severally and joined together withthin wires that cut easily in the face of strong wind. They are not firm enough to withstand strong winds. Abiodun Thomson, another respondent, also shares Olaleye’s line of thought. “It is obvious that a good number of the live wires have outlived their usefulness. It is important that the new power managements make conscious efforts to cut power supply whenever it is raining to avert calamities that may arise when a high tension wire snaps from the pole. Traders defend activities under high tension wires In spite of the growing incidents, some traders who spoke with The Nation saw no evil in doing business under high tension wires. Bisola, a food vendor, said she has no reason to be apprehensive about doing her business under a high tension wire. “You don’t have to be trading under high tension wire before such calamity can happen to you. The victims of the incident at Igando were not trading under high tension wires. They were just driving on the road when live wires cut and fell on them. The solution is not in sending the people trading under the high tensions away. The solution is simply in replacing the bad wires and other faulty equipment that can cause dangers.’’ Asukpa Kazeem, a mechanic who plies his trade under a power line in Mushin, said they are not unaware of the dangers. He prayed that they would never experience any calamity. He said: “I have been working here for more than 10 years now, even before the power line was mounted here by the government. After mounting it, they did not ask us to relocate. They only asked us not to bring anything that is higher or closer to it into the place. We are aware of the dangers but we thank God there has not been any disaster and we pray God will never allow it to happen. We want government to do something about it, so we can relocate for safety. Some people do come here to educate and enlighten us about it and we are very careful about doing anything around it.’’ Godspower, a trader at Ojuelegba area of Lagos State, said there shouldn’t be any room for apprehension because they have never experienced such incident in the area. “There has not been any disaster since I have been trading here five years ago. Most people trade or work under them to avoid begging under the street or doing illegitimate business or being idle. Those who trade under electric poles and high tension wires should continue managing there if they have not incurred any disaster or accident, but if they find a suitable place, they should relocate.’’ Segun Adeboye, a mechanic under a power line in Mushin, blamed their presence under the power line on the situation of the country. “The condition of things in our country forced us to start working under this wire. So we are just managing it. If the government creates some other places, we will leave. ‘’The place is dangerous, we know. Everywhere is even dangerous, including your house and even the road. So it is not only here that is dangerous. We have not had any challenges so far and there has not been any incident here.’’ Effect of high tension wire on residents living around it Mr Ganiyu Ahmed, an electrical electronics engineer, spoke about the dangers inherent in living around high tension wires: “The human body is composed of some biological materials like blood, bone, brain, lungs, muscle, skin etc. The permeability of the human body is equal to the permeability of air. But the human body has different electromagnetic values at a certain frequency for different material. ‘’The human body contains free electric charges (largely in ion-rich fluids such as blood and lymph) that move in response to forces exerted by charges on and currents flowing in nearby power lines. The processes that produce these body currents are called electric and magnetic induction. The currents induced in the body by magnetic fields are greatest near the periphery of the body and smallest at the center of the body. ‘’It is believed that the magnetic field might induce a voltage in the tissue of human body, which causes a current to flow through it due to its conductivity around them. The magnetic field has influence on tissues in the human body. These influences may be beneficial or harmful depending upon its nature,” he said. Anthony Obi, another electrical engineer, said it is better to avoid staying under high tension wires because the dangers are better imagined than experienced. “Live wires are no go areas. It is unfortunate that people are allowed to trade or even live under them. The problem we have in this part of the world is that we manage everything even when they constitute serious dangers to the people. Sending people away from high tension wires is not the solution anyway. The solution is simply in identifying faulty wires and replacing them because the dangers are better imagined than experienced,” he said. Efforts to speak with Mr. Pekun Adeyanju, the acting General Manager of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) on the development were unsuccessful. When calls were put through to his mobile line, one of his aides answered and demanded to know the purpose of calling the boss. After a detailed explanation was given, he said the boss was in a meeting. He said the general manager would call back after the meeting. The promise was not, however, kept. Subsequent calls to his mobile line did not go through as the number was said to be unavailable.
Meeting him at his Salvation Road, Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos office, chances are that you will mistake him for one of his employees. Quite unlike some bossy CEOs, unassuming Lekan Oganla, the President and Chief Operating Officer of Taxi-Ad Nigeria, a fast-moving mobile advertising group, is always on his feet, working on all cylinders to make a huge success of the project he started over four years ago.
“Ah, my Oga eats, drinks, talks and works Taxi-Ad. He can do the work of a receptionist, all in the name of actualising his dream for the group. He is always totally involved,” Deji Olagunju, the company’s Head of Administration & Finance, said.
Not cut out for frivolities, Oganla, it was learnt, is always eager to get to work whenever he is in Lagos and elsewhere in the interest of the frontline firm. He keeps his staff on their toes always.
“Even in my sleep, I dream Taxi-Ad because of the kind of work attitude and ethics he has inculcated in us – even the sweeper in the office. He believes in hard work as the only road to success,” Olagunju added.
The Catholic Church of Assumption, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos, will today host many guests of Senator Annie Okonkwo whose son, Uchenna Harris Okonkwo, will take the hand of Nkiru Chidynma Eze-Christopher in marriage.
The couple began their wedding rites with a grand traditional marriage ceremony on Monday, December 30, 2013 at the bride’s village. The solemnisation of the union is billed for the Catholic Church of Assumption, Falomo Ikoyi, Lagos, after which a classy reception will hold at the Oriental Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The bride and groom, both products of Ivy League schools abroad, met at their NYSC camp, Abuja a few months ago. Those who knew about them while they were in camp for the three-week orientation programme in Abuja said the couple were always in each other’s company.
Until a few years ago, Kingsley Kuku was virtually an unknown name in the social hub. Today, the name invokes power and influence. Fortune smiled on the former student union leader when he was appointed as Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
His appointment served as his launching pad into the world of power and fame and he instantly endeared himself to the Lagos social crowd. To say that his exalted office has propelled his social ranking is to state the obvious.
At Ruth Osime’s 50th birthday shindig recently, he had his hands full as he was always with one personality or the other. Even people who were there long before he became prominent were jostling for his attention.
One of Nigeria’s leading female designers and proprietress of ViGold Creations, Wura Adepoju, will in the next few weeks launch a new clothing line called Lydia Fehnt Designs. The launch of the clothing line will be done in honour of her mum who died 10 years ago. The late woman was said to have had a lot of passion for fashion and design, which she began more than 60 years ago.
To keep her mother’s legacy alive, Wura Adepoju will launch the new clothing line on March 2, 2014 at Event Centre, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos.
Wura, a creative designer who has a flagship shop at Okota, Lagos State, where she kick-started a fashion school about five years ago, has top socialites as clients. Wura opened the school with the aim of teaching interested individuals the tricks of the trade. The school became an instant success as Wura cashed in on the popular ViGold trade name to run the school.