The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • A healthier lifestyle

    Make dietary changes slowly.

    If you try to change everything at once, you will have difficulty adjusting to the new lifestyle. When you eat new foods or in different proportions, it takes time for your digestive system to get used to it, so start it slowly.

    Drink a minimum of eight cups of water every day.

    Some people say you don’t need to drink this much to stay hydrated, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. You won’t get water poisoning unless you drink a lot of water in a short period of time. The Institute for Medicine recommends that men drink about 13 cups of fluids and women drink 9 cups of fluids per day.

    Stop drinking soda.

    Soda is one of the worst things you can put in your body. They contain lots of calories from high fructose corn syrup, which is killing you. And don’t drink diet soda either. The artificial sweeteners can be toxic, and they stimulate your appetite.

    Cooking and eating healthier meals

    The way you prepare your meals is obviously a huge determinant of your health. By following some of these simple guidelines, you can have much healthier but still delicious meals all the time.

    Eat at restaurants less frequently.

    This is easier if you cook meals in advance, and it will save you a lot of money. You have no idea what they are putting in your food. Because most restaurants want to make the most tasty dish for the lowest cost, you can bet that there are all sorts of unhealthy things in your meal including food additives, unhealthy cooking oils, and loads of extra salt. Plus your own kitchen is probably cleaner..

    Add a serving of vegetables to each meal.

    Veggies are your best friend. They tend to be among the most nutrient dense of foods, meaning they have the most nutrition value per calorie. They fill you up faster and supply your body with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. What more could you want? Try to get a variety of veggies in your diet, and make sure to include leafy greens like spinach as well as cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli.

    Eat more omega-3 fatty acids.

    This one is so important for both your health and your happiness. Some of the best sources include fatty fish such as salmon and sardines (wild caught, not farmed) as well as flax seeds and walnuts. Nosh on walnuts as a healthy snack and eat fatty fish at least twice per week.

    Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

    It only takes an extra two or three minutes at most, and sometimes is even faster. Climbing stairs is actually great exercise, and if you make a habit of it, you will be a far more conditioned person.

    Stop doing anything in your bed except for sleep and sex.

    This tip also relies on the power of conditioning. You want your body to know that when your head hits the pillow, it’s time to either nod off or get it on.

    Be sensible about your caffeine intake.

    Everyone responds to caffeine differently, but you should probably avoid consuming caffeine after dinner. You should also generally moderate your caffeine intake, because it can stay in your system and affect your sleep even if you don’t realize it.

    Take a break whenever you feel stressed.

    In those moments where it all just seems like too much, it’s best to step away for a moment. Do anything but whatever it was that was stressing you out until you feel a little bit better. The best thing to do is a simple breathing exercise. Close your eyes, try to relax, and take ten deep breaths. For each breath, count to four as you inhale, hold it for a four count, and exhale for another four. This works wonders almost immediately.

    Quit smoking.

    This is probably the most obvious item on this entire list, and it’s probably also the most challenging.

    Decrease exposure to toxic chemicals in your environment.

    There are all sorts of chemicals in the products that you use that can be harmful to your health. It would be impossible to completely eliminate exposure, but you do yourself a favor by reducing it. These chemicals come in all shapes and sizes and we don’t fully understand the effect they have on our health. There are entirely too many chemicals and unknowns for this section to be truly comprehensive.

    chemicals and unknowns for this section to be truly comprehensive.

    Exercise your mind.

    A balanced lifestyle requires an attitude of lifelong learning. The world changes rapidly, and you should constantly be learning new things to adapt. Plus, being more knowledgeable can make you a more interesting person and better conversationalist. Learning can expand your world by improving your skills and opening your mind to more than one side of an issue. Essentially, your brain creates new connections and becomes more efficient as you use it.

    Meditate for at least five minutes per day.

    You are more than welcome to go above and beyond five minutes, but this can sometimes be tough for beginners. There are many different kinds of meditation, but the general idea is to get your mind to focus on one thing and one thing only for a period of time. When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your focus.

    Learn to forgive others and let go of grudges.

    One of the hardest things you can do is learn to forgive others who have wronged you in some way. Think for a moment about what unforgiveness actually is. The refusal to forgive someone else is a self-imposed stressor. By not forgiving someone, you are essentially punishing yourself for what the other person did to you! When put this way, doesn’t holding a grudge seem like a stupid idea?

     

  • Heavy traffic as Siju Iluyomade celebrates golden age

    Heavy traffic as Siju Iluyomade celebrates golden age

    The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), City of David Parish on Victoria Island, Lagos, is one church that puts graphic definition to class in its activities. Even its membership, which parades the high and mighty in Nigeria’s socio-economic sphere, speaks volume about its grand style.

    For the church led by Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, penultimate Sunday, was one like no other. The church, reputed as one of the richest RCCG parishes in Nigeria, took praise worship to another level when the stylish wife of Pastor Iluyomade clocked 50th.

    On hand to render soul-arresting worship songs was an international worship leader, Don Moen. The church’s auditorium was filled to capacity and the traffic management unit of the church had a hell of time controlling the high traffic of well-wishers, friends and family members who trooped to the church in choice cars to celebrate with the pastor’s wife.9

  • GCE whiz kid’s feat provokes questions about the nation’s admission laws

    GCE whiz kid’s feat provokes questions about the nation’s admission laws

    PEOPLE are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can’t find them, make them.”

    Those were the words of George Bernard Shaw in his book, Mrs. Warren’s Profession. The words would seem to have found expression in the feat attained by nine-year-old pupil of Edidot Primary School, Badore, Ajah, Lagos State, Miss Anjola Bajoku, who stunned the world recently by sitting for two subjects in the General Certificate of Education (GCE) examination and coming out with credit passes in both.

    After getting her father’s consent to speak with her, the reporter came face-to-face with the Nigerian child prodigy apparently in a hurry to catch up with generations ahead of hers. According to her, she was motivated to sit the exam dreaded by most senior secondary school students after reading through some of past GCE English and French question papers and considering them passable.

    She had boasted to her older siblings that she could pass the two subjects and they picked up the gauntlet by helping her to enroll for the examination without the knowledge of their parents. It was after her enrolment that her parents were told about it and both of them took time off other engagements to give her tutorials in English and French languages. She said she did not sit for more subjects because there were no teachers to take her through them.

    Her resolve to become Nigeria’s youngest medical doctor became more apparent when he told the reporter that American Materials Scientist, Alia Sabur, is her role model. Born February 22, 1989 in New York City, Sabur was said to have shown “early signs of giftedness”. He had tested “off the IQ scale” as a first-grader, earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 9, left public school as a fourth grader and was admitted to State University of New York at the age of 10. She graduated at 14 and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s youngest professor, having been appointed on February 19, 2008 as an International Professor. She was 18.

    But beyond her personal ambition, Anjola’s bold effort has opened a fresh debate on the role of the family in the life of a child. Many see it as a call on parents to encourage their children to come out and be recognised. It also questions the propriety or continued relevance of the law that sets 16 years as the minimum age for admission into a Nigerian university.

    While the profile of her role model is intimidating, Anjola believes her personal ambition to become Nigeria’s youngest medical doctor is achievable if the age barrier is lifted. At present, the law regulating admission into universities in Nigeria stipulates that no candidate below 16 years is eligible for admission. This regulation appears to be cast in iron, making it doubtful that the relevant authorities would be willing to amend the laws concerning education to make provision for exceptionally gifted children.

    All over the world and through the centuries, states and governments have made provision to accommodate child prodigies like the musical Ludwig Van Beethoven; Karl Benz, the pioneering founder of Mercedes Benz automobile; Sunny Sanwar who fluently understood six languages by the age of eight and finished four years of high school in eight months with honours; Arkit Jaswall who conducted his first surgery at seven; Kim Ung-Yong who graduated with a Ph.D. in Physics at the age of 15 and Blaise Pascal, a physicist, mathematician and Christian philosopher popular for his Pascal Theorem in Mathematics.

    The Nigerian law that sets age 16 as the minimum age for admission into its universities is not less than 25 years old. It was promulgated in the late 1970s when there was neither internet nor widespread use of computers; a time when there were no private or open universities and a period of lower percentage of literacy.

    In the light of the fact that Arkit Jaswal, a surgeon and an Indian prodigy earlier mentioned, was admitted into the University of the Punjab in India at age 12, and considering the many similarities between Nigeria and India, one is tempted to ask why JAMB is holding on to a gun without bullets.

    At this point, the case of Ebube Iris Nwaebuni, a 14-year-old girl from Delta State, who at age 12 sat for the West African Schools Certificate Examination (WASCE) and got eight credits comes to mind. She is presently pursuing a diploma course in a Nigerian university because regardless of her giftedness, she cannot be a full-fledged undergraduate of the university until she is 16.

    Does our society only pay tribute to giftedness without making it possible for the gifted to soar and actualise their dreams? How would Alia Sabur and Akrit Jaswal have fared if they were Nigerians and had to wait until 16 before they were given an opportunity to start the process of actualising their dreams and availing the world the benefits of their exceptional abilities?

    Even for Alia Sabur, the journey to herself actualisation didn’t come without a hitch. Her parents filed a suit on her behalf concerning the school district’s failure to “provide their daughter with appropriate educational services.” In 2008, she filed a suit against Drexel University, Philadelphia, claiming “that the university engaged in fraud and defamation regarding her pursuit of a doctoral degree” because her supervisor used her name to collect illegal grants.

    If the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board’s law that places a hindrance to Anjola’s pursuit is not repealed, she may, in spite of her genius, suffer the fate of Ebube Nwaebuni. Other exceptionally gifted Nigerian children may also have to wait at home cooling their intellect.

    It is, however, unlikely that Anjola will suffer the same fate if the relentless cries for the repeal of this outdated law and other archaic and irrelevant laws from our institutions yield results, because she is just nine and would not be ready for the university before she is 12.

    Having read about her role model on the Internet, one is tempted to ask again, how many Nigerian children have access to the Internet, especially the ones in public schools? Who and what influences our children in this age of largely uncensored television consumption and buzzing social media?

    The attention around Anjola is deserved and it is a welcome relief from the stories of violence, treachery, failures, frustrations and the moral decadence whereby some adults have demeaned themselves by getting married to and sexually abusing children and minors.

    Anjola said she sat for the exam because she wanted to be famous and I ask again, how many children want to be famous using the right tools? When they achieve the fame, will they be given an unfettered opportunity to contribute to the uplifting of society?

    Anjola believes that the ban and age discrimination should be lifted so that child prodigies like her can make a difference in the world. She also has a dream not to wait until she is 16, but to get into the university at 13 or 14 so that she can become Nigeria’s youngest doctor and save lives. Hopefully, the rules will change or at least bend a little to accommodate her and her aspirations.

  • Strange water: Residents of Kebbi community throng muddy stream they claim has curative powers

    Strange water: Residents of Kebbi community throng muddy stream they claim has curative powers

    A MUDDY water at the outskirt of Yari village in Jega Local Government Area of Kebbi State has become a ‘Mecca’ of sorts. All sorts of people now throng the muddy stream owing to the claims by the people of the village that it has healing or curative powers.

    According to sources, the muddy water, which flows from a rock in the sleepy village, located about 30 kilometres away from the state capital, Birnin-Kebbi, was not accorded any significance until an elderly resident of the village gave the water to her sick pregnant daughter in-law and she allegedly received instant healing.

    If that was regarded as a fable by some people, a further confirmation of the powers of the water soon came when a blind woman allegedly regained her sight after bathing with the strange water.

    And before you could say Jack Robison, news of the healing powers in the water travelled far and beyond, leading to serious scramble by hundreds of people to get a little drop of the water.

    Ironically, before the strange discovery, Unguwar Yari, despite its short distance from the state capital, was just another little dot on the map of Kebbi State. But all that has become history now, as the village has become a serious topic of discussion among the people of the state, with more and more people eager to confirm the efficacy or otherwise of the strange water.

    When our correspondent visited Unguwar Yari, the residents confirmed the story and all agreed that the water was a blessing from God. The village head, who said the state Director of Health drank from the water when he visited the village, confessed that he was happy to witness the ‘blessing’ during his own reign.

    19-year-old Fatimah Muhamadu, who said she had been sick for about 12 years, claimed she was healed after she drank the water from the stream.

    The Chairman of Jega Local Government Area, Haruna A. Haruna Mai Jega 111, said he had visited the site with a team of medical practitioners to ascertain whether the water was germ-free or not.

    He said the team discovered that the water contained no germ, and that the government had put in place measures to ensure that unscrupulous people do not turn the water to a business venture.

    How we accidentally discovered the strange stream —Village head

    THERE is a story of a miracle water with healing powers in the village. How true is this?

    Yes the story is true. But the real story of its discovery was accidental. A girl who had been ill for a long time, even after visiting several hospitals, was healed after drinking the water. The mother of the girl went to the bush to get herbs. But after she saw the water gushing out of the rock, she had an instinct that she should take home the water and give to her daughter. But we believe that it was God that made the healing possible through the water. The woman said she decided to keep the miraculous healing to herself until she became uneasy and started having a feeling of guilt. But since she came out to tell her story, people have been rushing to the stream to get the water. Another man who was suffering from asthma also drank the water and got healed. The man has stopped his daily use of inhaler since then.

    Aside from these ones, a woman who was blind received her sight after she washed her eyes with the water. Also, a mad man was brought to the stream. He became normal after her was washed with the water.

    Like how many people do you think visit this place every day since the discovery?

    Since the discovery, we have at least 2000 people who come here every day to get the water. Some use it here, while others bring containers to take the water to their homes. People come from as far as the Niger Republic to get the water.

    What is the village doing to control the number of people who rush to get the water?

    A committee has been set up to ensure a proper maintenance of the vicinity of the water.

  • Deadly Mistake (2)

    Donald thought he could accomplish everything as he had planned but the unexpected happened which caught him unawares. His friend Paul could not stand what Donald was doing to Amanda.

    “This is wickedness. What if Amanda was my sister or somebody I know, would I fold my arms and watch someone destroy her life this way?” he asked himself.

    “I have to look for a way to tell Amanda before it’s too late for her. She has not done anything wrong to deserve this treatment from Donald,” he said. He was forced by guilt to reveal the whole truth to Amanda; this he did through another person who directed Amanda to the house where Donald kept his other wife and children.

    As Amanda sat in her rented car with the man who was able to convince her to come with him to the place where Donald was keeping his wife, she was very certain that it wasn’t her own husband the man was referring to. She trusted Donald so much, seeing him as a saint. However, she followed the man because he asked her to pay him after service, after he had completed his mission.

    “Look, Mister, we have spent almost the whole day here and the man you claimed to be my husband is yet to surface. Are you sure you are not mistaking him for another person?” Amanda asked the man.

    “Madam, don’t worry, he will surely come out. I have been coming here for the past five days…” Before the man could finish speaking, Amanda was shocked by the picture before her. Her Donald, the love of her life, the man that gave her his last name, her world was with another woman and children. The shock and fear made her pass out.

    She was admitted at the hospital for days before she was discharged. On getting home from the hospital, Donald was still not back from the other woman’s house. However, he came back two days later and Amanda welcomed him but he noticed that her behavior towards him had changed.

    “Women with their monthly stress, she will get over it,” he told himself.

    “How was your trip?” she queried. “I really missed you,” she lied.

    “Me too. I was dying to be with you and my days and nights at the village were so lonely,” he lied too. “What are we having for dinner? I’m hungry and can’t wait to eat your food and have you all through the night,” he stated.

    “Oh! My Donald is hungry! “Well, I have rice for you. What do you want to eat first, me or the food? she asked.

    “Of course I want you first, I have been longing to be with you but I have to eat because once I start I won’t want to stop,” he stated.

    That night and other days that followed, Amanda tried to be as calm as possible. She tried to play along with Donald in order to investigate the situation properly before acting. After one month, Amanda discovered that her husband was not only married to the woman she saw the other time with three children but was building a house somewhere.

    “I have been a fool all these years by thinking that someone like Donald could get married to someone like me without having other plans in mind. I can’t let him take away everything I have worked for,” she swore to herself. Amanda succeeded in getting the documents of the house which Donald was building without him knowing about it and changed the owner’s name to hers. She also discovered that Donald had five million naira in his bank account.

    “I will get everything that belongs to me back. Where did he get all this money from if not from me because Donald has never lifted a finger since I got married to him,” she noted.

    Amanda revealed herself to the other woman and showed her the photographs of her traditional marriage with Donald because the woman didn’t believe her when she told her what Donald had been up to.

    The confrontation

    When she got home that evening from the visit to the other woman, Donald was at home waiting for her. As he was about to hug her and kiss her as he usually did, he didn’t see it coming when Amanda slapped him so hard that he almost fell down. Placing his hand where the slap landed, Donald asked her what the problem was.

    “Ingrate!” she shouted, “That is what you are! I thought you were a human being, but I have come to realize that I fell in love with a monster.”

    “Amanda darling, what is it, why are acting this way? Why are you calling me that? What is the problem?” he asked, not knowing that the bubble had bust.

    “Ingrate that is what you are! You thought I would never find out? So, you were using my money, my hard earned money to build a house for those wretched children of yours and that nonentity you call a wife!”

    As Amanda spoke, Donald wished he was dreaming: “I will repent from my wicked ways if l ever wake up from this nightmare,” he thought, ‘How did she find out and who told her?’

    Donald tried to calm her down as he always did but Amanda was so vexed and she paid no attention to him.

    “Please Amanda, it is the handiwork of the devil,” he pleaded.

    “You think you can eat my money and get away with it just by pleading? Idiot!” she yelled. “Amanda, please, I can correct my mistakes. I accept I was wrong for deceiving you…” he stated.

    “So you knew you were deceiving me…how come you could get the other woman pregnant and couldn’t get me pregnant for eight years of our marriage? Three children with her and I didn’t get pregnant for once!” she raved.

    Donald continued to plead, crying like a child while Amanda kept shouting at him. After a while, she broke down in tears and cried along with her errant husband. Later, they made up and he made love to her.

    “How could you do this to me?” she asked him sometime later that night. “You have never loved me but kept on lying to me. I gave you everything and you took my love for granted. What will people say when they find out? What will my parents say because they warned me not to marry you; they told me that you were too young and a good-for-nothing who wants my money but I did not listen to them because I was desperate to get married and now look at my life!”

    They continued living together as before as if nothing had happened. That was until one day some weeks later when Amanda confided in Eve, a friend of hers from her secondary school days who came to pay her a visit at her office.

    “Eve, I am doomed! Donald has ruined my life!” she lamented. She narrated to her friend what Donald had done. “Donald has another wife with three boys and they are staying in Warri. “My God! Are you serious,” Eve shouted adding: “Who told you and how did you get to know about it?”

    “My sister, this is what I’m going through now and I don’t know what to do about the whole situation,” she confessed.

    “Where is he now?” Eve asked.

    “Still living in my house,” she said.

    “You mean you allow him stay in your house after what he has done to you?” she asked in shock.

    “What will I do; I still love him and if I send him away which man will want a divorcee in his life?” Amanda said wearily.

    “You’re mad,” she shouted at her, annoyed, “Are you sure he has not cast a spell on you and you are there saying you still love him? Wait until he sends you to your early grave before you take action, nonsense,” she said, hissing.

    “What can I do? I don’t know what to do, please advice,” she begged, and her friend said: “Okay, I will get back to you with my plans so that the gold-digger will learn the lesson of his life,” she stated.

    Donald, who loved clubbing was at a niteclub one night when Amanda and Eve carried out their plan. The place was raided by some policemen who were employed by both ladies to blackmail Donald and lock him up in prison. The officers, richly settled with about eight hundred thousand naira carried out their operation diligently and Donald was arrested with some people. While these were later released, Donald was not. He was accused of selling hard drugs in the club and was sentenced to twenty years in prison without going to the court nor the privilege of having any contact with his family members or a lawyer.

    Amanda never went there to visit throughout his prison term. She forged his signature and emptied his bank account. His other wife got married to another man when she didn’t hear from him for two years. He became a born again Christian in prison and started life afresh when he came out of prison at the age of forty eight some years back.

    •Concluded

    •Was Amanda’s revenge on Donald too harsh or did he deserve it? Readers’ feedback welcome!

    •Names have been changed to protect the identity of the narrator and other individuals in the story.

    •Send comments/suggestions to 08023201831(sms only), psaduwa@yahoo.com or psaduwa007@gmail.com.

  • Mermaid syndrome (sirenomelia): Prevention and early detection are the best options

    The affected children are never allowed to see the sun, and no one is ready to give relevant information to any reasonable extent .An attempt by this author to do a hospital based study on the prevalence of common atraumatic musculoskeletal disorders in a geopolitical part of the country is ongoing but has been faced with the challenge of recall bias and cooperation by community dwellers

    The level of health education is Nigeria remains low and this translates to unremarkable levels of health awareness .There is therefore the traditional tendency to ascribe anything unusual to the hand work of enemies operating directly or by remote control. Moreover ,either by destiny or evil design, the country now has two fairly defined social classes ;the very rich and the poor. The gulf between the two is astronomical and it is widening every day . So baby factories have emerged all over the place and because pregnancy in such situations is perceived as illegal, being organized purely for commercial purposes, all parties particularly the individuals biologically responsible for them have no other interest in it . How to conceal(hide )the pregnancy is the main challenge . This is the practice and it is the same for young women operating alone as individuals ,scattered all over the country and doing their trade secretly with only very few people knowing and those other organizations wanting to make it big overnight. When pregnancies are concealed, health centers are not likely to be accessed for antenatal care, there will also be malnutrition . concealed and unwanted pregnancies are very likely to be associated with malformations and birth defects which may declare themselves as intrauterine death, stillbirth, or birth defects . An affected child may also grow into adult hood with all sorts of problems

    On the other hand, some wealthy women when pregnant expose themselves to avoidable life styles that may predispose them to issues of birth defects . Ordinarily Doctors in Obstetrics and Gynecology units of Hospitals will not place pregnant women on mega supplements. Often they find themselves having to convince their clients to avoid indiscriminate use of highly advertised drugs so they can avoid unforeseen tragedies.

    In a pregnancy considered normal, one zygote develops into an embryo which after nine weeks develops into a fetus; the fetus after the 34th week is expected to lie inside the womb and no where else, with the head down and chin tucked under the chest , and with upper and lower limbs folded neatly across the chest and abdomen. From this comment, it becomes easy to understand why Doctors handle conditions of multiple pregnancy(pregnancy with more than one baby), breech presentation among many others with utmost concern and care. A woman receiving drug treatment for infertility following assisted reproductive techniques can achieve pregnancy with as many as ten babies in her womb in one pregnancy. The fact that in 90% of cases ,not a single one of them survives till the end of pregnancy or end of the first one year of life will answer the question as to whether or not twin pregnancy should be considered normal . As with Siamese(conjoined) twins, Mermaid syndrome is more likely to occur in twin pregnancies

    MERMAID SYNDROME(SIRENOMELIA)

    The word Syndrome defines a group of anomalies occurring together and which have a specific common cause

    In this PURELYMEDICAL CONDITION , the two lower limbs are fused together lengthwise from the waist down and then covered partially with skin tissue, the two feet are joined together with the heels in apposition and the toes spread out. The whole arrangement presents what really looks like the tail of a the mythical sea creature, Mermaid . The name derives from the physical appearance of the lower part of the body to the tail of mermaid

    Sirenomelia can occur anywhere in the world and not restricted to communities located near big rivers as many people claim, neither does it have anything to do with the mermaid spirit. In terms of prevalence it is rare birth defect occurring ,about 1 in 70,000-100,000 pregnancies, as rare as Siamese twins. Death usually occurs within a few hours of life. Some cases have survived ,walked and lived up to the age of ten, after undergoing over 40 surgical operations

    Sirenomelia is more likely to occur in un booked(unsupervised) or concealed pregnancy and in pregnancies monitored in prayer houses .When a baby with the description just given comes out with liquor(birth water) and covered with mucus and vernix , most parents conclude that a normal baby had been changed to a baby mermaid and it is not any easy task convincing them otherwise. The syndrome is an advanced form of conditions associated with limb hypoplasia. Other features commonly associated with it include, cleft lip, cleft palate, genital dysgenesis, ambiguous genitalia, renal agenesis(kidneys not formed) ,bladder may not be present, Some will have problems with the back bone (vertebral column anomalies)as stated in the picture.

  • Quiet 50th birthday for Taiwo Lakanu’s wife

    Quiet 50th birthday for Taiwo Lakanu’s wife

    But for the untimely death of Kehinde Lakanu, twin brother of Taiwo Lakanu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police in Delta State, the Lagos home of the latter would have been agog with celebration on Monday when his wife, Omowunmi, hit the golden age.

    Omowunmi is one sociable woman whose friendship cuts across borders. Even the younger generation of women love to be around her because of her amiable nature. Many of them consider her as a friend, benefactor, confidant and mentor.

    Besides, she is a woman of impeccable taste and style. Unlike many of her peers, she understands the intricacies of high society fashion. Thus she excellently combines priceless jewels with glamorous couture to produce a scintillating look at every point in time.

    Blessed with two lovely kids, she holds the fort as the Managing Director of Lake Andrews Holdings, which has business interests in oil and gas as well as advertising. She is also a director at CMB Building and Investment Company Limited.

    Unfortunately, Taiwo could not organise a high-octane party in honour of Omowunmi because of the death of his twin brother last year.

  • Sex and health

    Over the years and up to recently, readers of this Family Health Column kept sending me questions about their sexual problems, many agonizing and wanting solutions. I realized that many problems are from lack of education, lack of information, and lack of training. Often people can make their own decisions and solve their own problems if they were better enlightened and better prepared. In the past few weeks we have therefore discussed aphrodisiacs. As we treat this topic, we should however remember that knowledge is always a two edged sword that can be used for good or evil.

    Sexual health is an important aspect of family health. Sex is important for bonding of spouses. In scriptural simplicity, Jesus masterfully refers to it as “the two become one flesh”. Various religions do not discount the importance of sex and traditionally, where celibacy was advocated, it was supported by monastic life for the minority that set themselves aside for such living in service of institutional religion, for the sake of religion or for the love of God and humanity.

    “The two become one flesh.” That degree of intimacy, unity, and oneness of a man and wife in sexual intercourse, I dare say, cannot be achieved through any other means. In the early years of marriage it can create a bond that lasts “till death do us part”. Young people therefore need proper sexual education for good and lasting marriages. If sexual experience is proper and good in early marriage, sexual activity may wane over the years while the bonding initiated waxes till death.

    As sex is generally an intimate matter, it is important that couples know how to solve their own problems as much as possible, look up information, choose useful supports carefully, and agree on what is satisfactory.

    Readers have sent many questions and we will discuss some of them for the general readership. Each reader with his or her own physical and spiritual maturity can thus work out what is best for his or her relationship. To help us, we here first summarize some of the benefits of good and proper sex and some of the harms of improper and excessive sex.

    Good and proper sex is guiltless and contributes to physical, mental, and spiritual health; it gives one a healthy psyche and sense of well-being, fulfillment, and happiness; the best of its fruits are progeny (children) which various religions portray as a source of happiness; and good children are generally the best work a couple leave behind when they die. A happy person is a building block of a happy world.

    Improper and excessive sex is a result of some problem. Medically, scientifically, religiously, and culturally, we recognize sexual deviations. Some deviations can be supported, some deviations can be treated, some deviations can be accepted with abandonment, and some deviations can be harmful to innocent human beings. In many cases, improper sex is not a lasting occurrence but is linked with adventure, risky behavior, drug use and abuse, environment, improper relationships, vice, opportunity, power, or peer pressure. It lacks the peace of guiltlessness. The harms produced by such improper sex are plethoric and could be physical, psychological, spiritual, or economic. In other cases, sex may be improper because the participants are physically deviant, mentally deviant, or spiritually deviant and the best they can have is improper sex. Such could be a lasting occurrence or could change for the better with physical, psychological or spiritual support, treatment, or counseling. Improper or deviant sex readily draws stigma from phobic persons; can predispose those who practice such to other people’s bias and prejudice; and can cause social displacement of deviant individuals who then colonize themselves amongst like-minded and similar persons further enhancing their deviant tendency.

    Uninformed, improper, and deviant sex within or aside of marriage can lead to sexually transmitted diseases, sex-linked manias, spiritual numbness, and social disorders.

    There are many products in the market to help people with sexual disability and sexual dysfunction that are treatable. Sexual lack and sexual starvation are also deviant life conditions that many tend to overlook but have consequences. Often deprivation is just next door to depravity.

     

    Dr. ‘Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA. For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910 or 08160944635

  • The Ankara Tube

    The Ankara Tube

    Once you have satisfied your desire on how to stand out at a special event, the next step would be to actualise your dreams. One of the things you need to give you that extra attention is an outfit that would enhance your curves and highlight your total outlook.

    There is something classic and elegant about the tube design. It puts the wearer in a unique class and it can be made with a variety of fabrics. Tubes made with the ankara can be delightful and colourful. Interestingly, the origin of ankara is quite mysterious. While some say it originated from Indonesia other says the actual town of ankara is Guinea.

  • Create a Neck with attitude

    Create a Neck with attitude

    For a number of ladies, stepping out without a neck piece isn’t exciting. This explains why they have a lot of them in their collection. However, it is important to wear the right neck piece to get that distinct effect.

    There is nothing prettier than a good ornate necklace. The best way to really make a statement with your bib necklace is to pair it with your favourite dress to get that glamorous look you desire. For a casual outing, you can opt for something sexy and simpler. Here stones and studs give you the glow required. The most important thing, however, is to make sure that it looks good on you and suits the combination.

    The necklace can be worn to any occasion of your choice, with a smart short gown or with a smart white shirt and a lovely jeans trouser. Necklace brings out the best in you and it is guaranteed to provide visual interest and make your outfit the best.