The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • I’m having tiny boil-like things on my vaginal lip

    Dear Mrs. Adeola, I am a girl of 13 and I have 3 questions to ask. I started my menses January/February this year. My blood smelt like urine for four days. Second, there are tiny boil-like things on my vaginal lip. Please is it an infection? Third, there are white fluids always discharged from my vaginal. Please if this is an infections what is the cure?

    Dear Teenager, you may or may not have an infection, but when cases like this come up, my first reaction is always that you seek medical attention. In the case of infection for instance, different cases sometimes have similar symptoms and only laboratory analysis can detect the real cause of such symptoms. Boils on vagina skin or lips can be caused by a number of factors, including: poor hygiene, poor diet, being overweight, or an immune disorder. Most commonly they are caused by ingrown hairs that develop as a result of shaving your vagina. They can also be caused by friction, created by wearing underthings that are too tight or that are made of synthetic materials that don’t allow the groin to get enough air. Finally, if you are a regular exerciser, moisture can get trapped between your workout clothes and your skin, allowing bacteria to grow into vaginal boils.

    How To Treat Them: Treating vaginal boils requires that you keep the area as dry and free from friction as possible. Switch to cotton panties if you don’t already wear them, and be sure to change them frequently -at least once a day and more if you are sweating or working out. If you use pads or liners during your monthly period, be sure you are changing them frequently throughout the day to prevent moisture and bacteria from building up. If you shave, add daily exfoliation to your routine. A dry brush swiped several times over the shaved area will keep dead skin cells sloughed off and prevent ingrown hairs.

    Getting Relief From The Symptoms: Let’s face it – there isn’t much you can do to avoid a little friction in this area, and your skin is probably hyper-sensitive if you are suffering an outbreak of vaginal boils. First, get a homeopathic spray that contains hepar sulphar.

    This all-natural ingredient helps to calm skin sensitivity, and reduces pain and swelling. Next, apply a warm compress to the area several times a day. This should help you bring the infection to a head. Remember, this is a highly contagious infection, and you need to be extremely careful when it starts to drain. Use antibacterial wipes to clean the drained fluid away, and then swap the area with hydrogen peroxide.

  • Diabetes mellitus; symptom check list, complications ( 11) Edtd

    Diabetes mellitus has been described as a group of metabolic disorders where behind the various manifestations is a purely biochemical problem; that of excess sugar or inappropriate level of sugar in the blood . We need to distinguish between Diabetes Mellitus, and Diabetes Insipidus since both conditions are characterized by frequent passage of abundant quantities of urine, excessive thirst accompanied by drinking of water, weight loss, loss of strength etc.

    Diabetes Mellitus is a problem of the pancreas, an organ in the Abdomen, and it involves relative or absolute lack of the hormone insulin as a result of which the blood and urine contain excess sugar . Diabetes insipidus on the other hand is a problem arising from the posterior path of the pituitary gland ;an organ located in the brain. Similar to Diabetes Mellitus, there is a problem with a regulatory hormone; this hormone called Vasopressin is deficient. Vasopressin, Argipressin or simply antidiuretic hormone (ADH) has many functions in the body. It regulates water and electrolyte status of the body by promoting the retention of water via concentration and reduction in the quantity of urine produced. The urine in Diabetes Insipidus as opposed to Diabetes Mellitus has no sugar, and the condition is not common

    Concerning Diabetes mellitus, reasons for the excess blood sugar have been suggested;

    •Insulin secretion is either in very low quantities, or is not produced at all, as in the case of the type 1 diabetes.

    •Too much glucose from too much food, carbohydrates, sugary and fatty foods, alcohol or sugary drinks, as occurs in the more common type 2 diabetes mellitus.

    •Glucose and insulin are produced in appropriate quantities but not adequately utilized, by target tissues and organs.

    Whatever the reasons, untreated or poorly treated diabetes mellitus means that the level of sugar in the blood remains higher than normal and the excess sugar will after a period ranging from five to ten years depending on other factors, join other molecules found naturally in the body . The compounds so formed will go on to cause damage to many important organs of the body. Common problems that may arise include, difficulties having and maintaining a useful erection( erectile dysfunction), blindness , stroke, with paralysis, heart attack, kidney disease and kidney failure, severe chest infection , death of mother and child through child birth , very bad feet and leg infection resulting in amputation of feet and legs. These may develop with little or no chance to do anything to save the situation

    The problem and need for increased sensitization

    Diabetes mellitus and Hypertension are becoming more prevalent in Black people compared with non-blacks.

    Diabetes mellitus is increasingly being found in association with hypertension, another non- communicable disease which is also now surpassing the levels found in peoples of the white race, in terms of prevalence, the exact nature of this association is being studied, and patients should be willing to participate and even fund research in these areas

    Unlike type 1 diabetes , type 2 diabetes which occurs in over 90% of the population is being reviewed regularly with regards to definitions, classification, association with other conditions like hepatitis, obesity, cancer, including breast cancer, thyroid disorders etc. Updates in respect of new findings don’t get to most patients , who continue to ingest and inject whatever they are told will take care of the ailment

    Diabetes mellitus tends to reactivate human tuberculosis, a communicable disease with a very high prevalence and mortality in Nigeria and awareness of this fact is often difficult to accept particularly amongst rural communities.

    Complications associated with Diabetes mellitus such as co- infection with pulmonary , spinal or disseminated tuberculosis are equally now more common in black populations.

    For both hypertension and diabetes mellitus, Complications can be present in a patient long before a diagnosis is made. They can also emerge during ancillary investigations, treatment and in some cases, after what may seem to the patient as the disappearance of the disease. For instance, the effect of excess blood sugar can cause serious damage to nearly all structures in the human body from the head, neck and brain(with the eyes), through the, the lungs, heart and blood vessels to the gonads, genitals, skin, muscles and skeleton. Blurred vision, persistent

    Severe pains in the eyes may be present in one patient for over five years before one of the them pushes the patient to seek help

    Increasing number of cases of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA ) are being seen in emergency rooms, ER(casualty) and intensive care units(ICU); patients are mostly young adults and middle aged, who are not aware of possible complications of Diabetes mellitus. They party , smoke and drink with their non diabetic friends, until they are rushed to the Hospital in coma or semi consciousness from DKA. The ingredients for DKA are provided when a diabetic patient gets so much calories from alcohol that he does not feel hungry but his cells are starving for glucose and water, and so his organs unknown to him are not functioning well ; the body attempts to correct the situation by mobilizing all resources available . In the situation of only small quantities of insulin or no insulin at all being produced , the over all effect of these counter measure is best described as diabetogenic; Glucagon , growth hormone, cortisol, sympathetic or cathecolamines are all released in excess ;glucose has to be sourced from alternative sources of carbohydrate in the body such as the liver(glycogenolysis), muscles(gluconeogenesis), These activities will result in formation of dangerous acids(ketoacids) and fats some of which will form destructive complexes that will eventually be deposited in the liver, kidneys, brain and other major organs. Excess free fatty acids elsewhere in the body can generate abnormal electrical activities in the heart(ECG changes) and brain(abnormal EEG wave Parttern) ,which may pose serious diagnostic challenges , hence emphasis is that a diabetic patient should everything within his power to avoid Excessive Fasting, Alcohol, Smoking And Dietary Indiscretion.

    Some of the complications of diabetes mellitus are redeemable, especially when the patient understands his problems, and he is willing and able to participate in the management of his condition. Some Other complications are not so reversible and getting the patient to accept unpleasant situations he has no power to change is not easy in practice.

    While many patients have access and are able to afford sophisticated Medicare ,there are others who can not afford even analysis of urine. Beyond that, rural dwellers present with complications or manage to do so when all other alternatives have failed.

    Another issue is that for older diabetic patients(Seniors)the burden of care is heavy, there are no such facilities as geriatric nursing homes here in this country ,and physicians have no time for extra burden of training a home based care giver or counseling the diabetic patient that may have developed suicidal ideation or his wife how to develop coping mechanisms to help deal with unavoidable intrapsychic conflicts associated with potential and actual amputees.

    Prevention fatigue arising from dietary restrictions that are too rigid, coupled with pressure from spouse and significant others on issues bothering on sex are driving diabetic patients to the more flexible alternative, herbal or traditional or herbal remedies. Such patients are likely to ignore the symptoms of blindness for quite sometime before going for eye check. They also more likely to be forced to try performance enhancing drugs that could trigger heart attack, and run into drug induced hypoglycemic coma or hyperglycemic hyperosmolar states where very high levels of blood sugar and electrolytes are detected. By making a few statements emphasizing that patience, understanding and not drugs should be the preferred avenues to happiness, homes and lives can be saved.

     

     

     

     

    Finding solutions is no longer limited to the patient and just one Doctor, involvement of Government and non governmental agencies, trained people from many different disciplines including traditional healers have proven to be of immense benefits, but patients in the higher social classes and those who are rich rely mostly on sophisticated equipment, and the few consultant physicians who are already so overworked in the Teaching Hospitals and private clinics that they are in no position to spend time on health education. It is widely accepted for instance that getting a patient with a gangrenous diabetic foot ulcer to go in for amputation is best handled when a counselor is in attendance.

    Children and adolescents are now being diagnosed to have maturity onset type 2 diabetes mellitus and type 1 auto immune type are being found in older diabetic patients; yet food and drinks containing sugar in many different forms flood the market every day and mothers make the freely available for children and adolescent. Flooding supermarkets and refrigerators with sugary fruit juice, and baked products with fatty and oily ingredients is a sure way to produce very unhealthy children with uncertain future. Baby fat cells don’t go away ; they only shrink and can swing back and begin to grow with very little support

    Behavior change in favor of healthy life style takes time and perseverance, and experts in the field are few, besides not many diabetic patients appreciate the importance of seeking help from even the few ones that are available

    •On the matter of complications, age and whether or not the patient has type one or type two is no longer relevant because, more cases of type two are been seen in people below the age of 30 and in adolescents who are obese with body mass index BMI( weight measured in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) in excess of 30.

    •Only a few bottles of alcohol can trigger DKA in a young diabetic of 25 years just as acute viral infection can trigger severe immune reaction resulting in complete obliteration of the insulin producing beta cells of the pancreas in a 45 year old non obese woman

    •With new frontiers in health technology emerging every day. The different types of Diabetes mellitus are being redefined in order to more effectively capture important variables such as age, sex, gender, race, environment ,etc. At present, the recognized types of Dm include type 1, 2, pregnancy associated or gestational diabetes mellitus, drug and Alcohol induced Dm, Chemical Dm, which may arise from the use of chemical weapons of mass destruction, biological and immune Dm, Hiv/Aids related Dm , Dm due to cancer either by direct invasion, directly or from distant sites spreading by lymph , blood or both, others as may not be known, and direct trauma wiping out the entire population of the insulin producing cells of the pancreas.

    •Multiple genes including those that encode Class 11 (MHC)major histocompatibilty molecules are more common in type 1 Dm, but emerging viruses are now being studied in respect of their ability to trigger immune response , cause damage to the beta cells of the pancreas which come out of their previously concealed environment to become attacked by own immune defense system. Memory cells are then later produced that will further damage whatever similar insulin producing beta cells are available.

    Insightful commentaries such as can be taken from here and other sources can be useful to the interested and hopeful diabetic patient. He and those affected by his illness can also use what ever small bits of information they can gather as the basis for decision making , action, and most importantly caution

    Recall that the Late Michael Jackson repeatedly asked for the Wonderful Drug Propofol, not only for his pain but also for the additional wonderful experience which the drug provides when it is administered by the usual intravenous route. A trained nurse had refused to administer what would have been a killer dose, but his personal well paid Physician had no choice if he wanted to keep his job, and so accepted to be persuaded and did give the killer dose of Propofol. In some possibly similar circumstances, when professional caution or clinical judgement becomes clouded , as a result of interplay of intrigues or simply because not much is known about consequences of unguided actions, drugs known to rapidly lower blood sugar , blood lipids, blood electrolytes and drugs known to bring down high blood pressure could take the life of a patient.

     

    WHO ARE THOSE AT RISK ?

    The probability of having the complications of diabetes increases when a patient is of African descent, and he is aged above 35 years. Others are as summarized below;

    Though it depends on several other factors, blood sugar levels persistently higher than 10mmols after 8 hours of fasting should warn a diabetic patient to go get a comprehensive physical examination and this should be followed by organ function investigations. All relevant tests as directed by the Physician, should be done ,as far as can be afforded

    •Treatment with insulin, primarily as a result of being a type 1, or type 2 diabetic or as a result of the presence of complications or other disease conditions

    •Relatives of people who have diabetes, especially if such relatives have had problems leading to amputation, heart disease, stroke ,kidney failure or heart disease

    •Patients with hypertension and with blood pressure above 140 /90mmhg

    •Obese individuals, not exercising and not on lipid lowering drugs

    •Diabetic patients also taking certain categories of drugs for depression, hormonal contraceptives, thyroids etc

    · Mixing English drugs , supplements and herbal remedies, which may react to form compounds that will either shoot up blood sugar or crash it

    Other situations that are commonly associated with complications are

    · Wrong administration of insulin injection , mostly by untrained persons

    · Medication for other conditions such as for depression, Alzheimer dementia, etc

    · Suddenly going off drugs following instruction from a prayer house, or ‘’experienced person’’

    · Carelessness ,poor adherence to treatment and non pharmacologic instructions, a young adult male or female diabetic who drinks and smokes against medical advice may go into diabetic keto acidosis while having a party. The sequence of events that follow may be so dramatic that survival chances are slim

    · Overdosing with the wrong impression that one could achieve a cure

    · Presence of co morbidities or other disease conditions especially when ignored by the patient

    · Sudden or gradual emergence of stressful conditions, as in surgery, pregnancy, bereavement,

    · Patients will have been on insulin, primarily or as a result of the presence of other disease conditions

    · Diabetic Patients whose relatives have had complications of diabetes mellitus, especially if such relatives have had problems leading to amputation, , stroke ,kidney failure , hearing loss or blindness. Over 20 genes have been identified in connection with Diabetes mellitus

    · Diabetic patients with hypertension and blood pressure above 140 /90mmhg may go on to develop heart problems, kidney damage that may require dialysis or stroke with paralysis

    · Complications such as fatty liver, heart attack and kidney failure may also arise in obese individuals, not exercising and not on lipid/fat lowering drugs

    · Complications have been documented in Diabetic patients taking maceptives, thyroids etc

    BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPLICATIONS OF DIABETES MELLITUS;WHAT BENEFITS?

    · Improved understanding of the nature of his illness better makes a diabetic patient more confident in his ability to seek and receive medical care

    · Health education improves illness perception and assists patients towards taking action . To that extent, when a physician or therapist puts a patient who is diabetic on exercise / diet program designed to effect a change in life style and ensure that he does not go on to develop hypertension, he is expected to know that he alone bears the responsibility if out of his choice , hypertension ensues to complicate his DM as part of the syndrome of metabolic diseases , which also includes, obesity , particularly, the android, truncal or apple type obesity with BMI in excess of 30 kg/m2

    · He is a better patient, takes his drugs when prescribed, and according to dosage formulations and schedules,

    · He is less likely to default because he is aware of the consequences, he knows why he is being asked to do certain things like exercise, refrain from certain life style , considered unhealthy

    · Awareness of certain symptoms will gradually translate into knowledge that will enable patients elicit those symptoms which herald serious complications

    The patient knows what laboratory tests to do and is able avoid performing tests that are expensive and unnecessary

    DANGER SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS RELATED TO COMPLICATIONS

    First is to note there may be no symptoms, even of uncomplicated Diabetes mellitus

    The common features of Diabetes mellitus with or without complications include Polyuria, polydypsia, chronic vaginal discharge , vulval pruritus, recurrent boils, obesity, in particular with fat deposit around the upper body , gyenoid obesity commoner in women with fat deposits around the thighs are less dangerous , loss of strength, exercise intolerance, abnormal sensation like electric shock stings in hands and feet, impotence,

    About 2000 years ago Greek Physicians and Anatomists observed that people who had the illness characterized by frequent passage of large quantities of water remained ceaselessly thirsty , rapidly lost weight and with time went into coma. They concluded that such people were excreting their flesh in urine. Loss of flesh body fat and oil in the urine of a diabetic patient partly explains the characteristic, loss of muscle mass, weakness and mouth odor seen in untreated diabetes mellitus and can lead to very serious problems if not promptly and effectively handled.

    Before insulin was discovered loss of consciousness or coma was the major complication of diabetes mellitus, and 50% of patients died through combinations of events leading to coma. Though the use of different formulations of insulin have brought miracles to many patients, the insulin syringe can become murder weapon even in the hands of a trained medical person , as may also be the case when handled by someone whose professional thoroughness is doubtful

     

    ACUTE COMPLICATIONS OF DIABETES MELLITUS.

    Hypoglycemia

    Any attempt to rapidly bring down blood sugar or blood pressure disobeys natural laws of physics and the reaction tips the patient in the direction sometimes of no return. Consultant physicians can use their wealth of experience to control some situations , but they would rather that patients didn’t get into such roads; and that can only be achieved through patient education usually outside the consulting clinics of Central or Teaching Hospitals

    An example of acute complication is when insulin injection is given for a high, falsely high or low blood sugar reading, and the blood sugar drops so low that the patient becomes, unconscious, has a seizure, does not recover or recovers with permanent brain damage, deafness or paralysis.

    Diabetic ketoacidosis(DKA) And Hyperglycemic Hyper osmolar state (HHS ),

    Both can occur in the different types of diabetes mellitus, but DKA is commoner in type 1, where insulin is usually required.

    Diabetic ketacidosis is a more severe condition that can arise suddenly from several possible causes, involves loss of fluid and electrolytes from the body , and quickly ends in coma and death if not handled properly and carefully.

    The other acute complication that can arise as an emergency situation, is hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state .The condition is not common, and patients often have antecedent or coexisting mild or serious conditions like septicemia, pneumonia, heart disease, cancer etc.

     

    WHO ARE THE DIABETIC PATIENTS AT RISK OF DEVELOPING DKA .

    Known diabetic, on insulin, young patient, below the age 35 years, non obese, taking insulin without adequate supervision, mixing herbal preparations with English drugs, hypertensive, uses cocaine and alcohol occasionally, but at times allows friends persuade him take more than usual , infections eg pneumonia, sepsis, urinary tract infection, myocardial infarction, pregnancy

    Principal features to watch out for are excessive thirst, abnormal breathing pattern, fast shallow, breathing that may make the patient reach a respiratory rate of up to 80 per minute, and more , followed by slow , deep sighing respiration , though this may arise in other conditions of brain affection, other features such as severe nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen, mouth dour of someone that took lots of fruits, severe weakness, add up to help make the diagnosis.

    hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state HHS

    For the hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state(HHS), patient is elderly and known to have had type 2 Diabetes mellitus with a history of several weeks of weight loss , loss of appetite in addition to other diseases such as hypertension kidney disease etc.

    The other symptoms of DKA may be present except that abnormal breathing pattern, abdominal pains and vomiting are typically absent

    both these conditions are in the province of specialist endocrinologists and every effort should be made to get patient to hospital . the resources in terms of personnel, including laboratory prrsonnel and equipment to manage these cases may over stretch even some secondary health centers, they very quickly lead to death or end in permanent disability if not handled quikly and properly

    When such cases are brought to the casualty department, they are usually the first real opportunities for young Doctors in training to demonstrate how much or little they have understood or know about practical laboratory procedures which they learnt as medical students and and internal medicine, which they had to study in some detail.

    It is on this basis that it is in appropriate for any one to attempt to manage such cases if he never went through the experience. Qualified medical Doctors irrespective of age and sex are normally made to pass through the grill of managing many of the complications of Dm within the boundaries of their academic and professional qualifications

    CHRONIC COMPLICATIONS

    The chronic complications of DM affect many organ systems and are Characterized by anatomical and functional changes, involving blood vessels , their supporting tissues and others.

    The nature and pattern of Problems announcing the emergence of complications depend on the type of diabetes mellitus , age of the patient, type of medication among others and can be grouped arbitrarily as acute , chronic, or acute on chronic. Chronic conditions can also be vascular, involving the blood vessels or non vascular, when tissues other than blood vessels are affected. Vascular lesions may affect only the small or very tiny blood vessels(microvascular complications )or the major arteries and veins( macrovascular complications)

    In general the longer the time some one has diabetes mellitus, the higher the person’s chances of developing these complications that may lie hidden in the brain, eyes, heart, kidneys, liver . they usually become apparent in the second decade of hyperglycemia. Some may declare themselves after five years, some, about ten years, or more. Some cases of type 2 may be diagnosed during investigation for something else in a hospital, while others may live out their life

    BASIC SCIENCE

    Scientists in Anatomy , molecular biology ,biotechnology and public health , pharmacology and others have in collaboration with other physicians in internal medicine, surgery, and others gone from genetic linkage analysis , creating artificial pancreas, beta cell transplant technology to issues in stem cell research, and regenerative medicine. Advanced knowledge is assumed for any one involved in the research leading to the various attempts aimed at finding solutions but basic science tries to provide minimal but useful information for anyone interested in keeping pace with literature traffic interest in these and related subjects

    The major problem in Diabetes mellitus as has been discussed is excess blood sugar . it is believed that the excess sugar forms dangerous compounds with certain amino groups attached to proteins inside and outside the cells called advanced glycosylation end products(AGE).

    These compounds are deposited in the filter apparatus of the kidneys ,where they now force many different reactions to occur first in the kidneys, and then other parts of the body. The damaging processes go on as long as blood glucose remains higher than normal . Damage to the central cells of the glomerulus, the messangial cells reduces kidney function , increases blood pressure and creates a vicious cycle that could finally cause kidney failure

    At the same time, impotence, one major complication of Diabetes mellitus results from the damage done to blood vessel walls by the accumulated AGE products ; this also reduces the secretion of Nitrous oxide, a compound responsible for maintaining penile erection by ensuring that tiny blood vessels remain open and engorged with blood(there is no bone in the penis).Controlled exercise that focuses on the lumbosacral region of the vertebral column , meant to reduce the dominance of the sympathetic over the parasympathetic chain of the autonomic nervous system on the hypothalamo cardiac genital axis involved in penetrative sexual intercourse. This provides longer lasting effect, rather than the use of drugs that may overwhelm the cardiac component of this axis and cause sudden death

    Some complications ,in particular those affecting the eyes and the filter apparatus of the kidney result from attempts by the body to repair the damage done by these abnormal deposits . for instance, vascular endothelial growth factor is increased locally in proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Abnormal production of transforming growth factor stimulates basement membrane production of collagen and fibronectin, which by way of complex adhesion molecules go on to damage, stiffen and distort the elasticity of vascular structures. Damage to the messangeal cells in the central portion of the kidney glomerulus causes leakage of albumin and other high molecular weight proteins , which appear in urine

     

  • Feeling and health

    We all know we have feelings because they are constant for every living being. Our feelings are the influences of our external and internal environments on our consciousness. Different cultures express these influences in different ways. For example, while the English say “I am cold” or “I feel cold”, the Yoruba say “otutu n mu mi” (cold is catching me). We have those obvious physical feelings of our environment such as hot, cold, dry, or wet on our skin and body surfaces; texture and dimensions from the use of our hands; tastes of sweet, bitter, salt, pungent, or sour on our tongue and mucous surfaces;and satiety, alertness, pain, discomfort, drowsiness, ache, or tiredness from within our bodies.

    The events of life also result in feelings. When The Democrats in the USA did poorly in the midterm elections two years ago and the obviously shaken President Obama was asked about it, he said: “It feels bad”. When Tiger Woods became the world’s number one golfer again after his trip from grace to grass to grace and he was asked about his victory, he said, “It feels good”. Apart from the particular consciousness of environmental stimuli that are continuous and numerous in our lives, we can also have a general feeling of everything is good or everything is bad.

    All our particular feelings contribute towards our general feeling of good or bad. The general feeling of good or bad may be transient or may become stable in our lives and this is what affects our state of health, especially mental health.

    For every feeling we consider bad and for every feeling we consider good, we have several choices: to accept it, to suppress it, to modify it, to prevent it in future, or to seek it in future. Naturally we tend to accept and seek feelings that we consider good and to suppress or prevent the feelings that we consider bad. Unnaturally, supernaturally, or abnormally, we may choose to or be capable of accepting and seeking the feelings that we consider bad or suppressing and preventing the feelings that we consider good. A woman could use a sex toy to get an orgasm. A monk could fast or whip himself for penance.

    We may not always be able to induce, control, suppress, or prevent our feelings because they are natural. We should however, as we advance in age, intelligence, and wisdom, become familiar with factors that produce various feelings because we can control some of such factors. The desire to control such factors has driven much research in science and technology and directed the course of civilization throughout history and throughout the world.

    In our materially advanced world, it should be scandalous for human beings to have to suffer from extreme or perpetual heat, cold, discomfort, hunger, thirst, pain, ignorance, etc. because of the colossal knowledge we have acquired and the possibilities to apply resources of our world to prevent such feelings.

    While our health and wellbeing can be governed by collective responsibility within society (family, state, etc.), individual effort is also necessary for managing our feelings, good or bad, towards normal health.

    Once in a while, the world experiences a tragedy: a gunman brings down innocents on a normal day in a normal environment or a nice and normal unsuspicious person commits suicide. The lawyers plead “not guilty” on the basis of insanity and many innocents remain dead because of that insanity.

    Every human being can fall sick if invaded by an effective disease causing factor. Preventive medicine is thus important for all of us to practice. Every human being is also capable of insanity. We all have some power or capacity or common sense to refuse, to control, to damn, to counteract, or to remove some of the factors that results in an overall “bad feeling” of insanity.

    Avoiding sensitizers, precipitators, inducers, and enhancers of dangerous bad feeling is not only good for our own mental health and overall well-being; it also makes us safer and better members of society, especially our families.

    In environments where there are stable social inequalities, where injustice is norm, or where abuses of various types reign, we often resort to living with and suppressing bad feelings when it is not necessary or helpful to do so or where it may be overall harmful for us to suppress such feelings.

    Parents who understand the effects of environmental factors on overall health should train their children in communication skills. There are more than one methods of communication and various agencies – including parents, doctors, law enforcement, employers, religious support, and friends – to communicate with. Children should not be alone in their feelings if they do not need to be. Neither should adults. Communication or sharing of feelings is often a path to relief, balance, and good health.

  • Get a glowing skin

    DO you care for a smooth, luscious and vibrant skin? Then, honey comes to the rescue. For centuries, honey has been used for skin rejuvenation and to treat all sorts of ailments. It can be applied topically to heal wounds and rashes, or it can be taken internally to treat infections and address other health concerns.

    Raw honey is also an effective treatment for acne. A small amount placed on blemishes and acne nightly will often clear the skin in a short period of time. Washing your face with honey will also leave you with sparkling, clean, soft skin.

    From moisturiser to antiseptic, honey has a wide range of uses for your skin.

    Honey is considered to be one of the greatest gifts that nature has bestowed on man. It is not only healthy when consumed, but also very beneficial to your skin.

    Really, there may be no simpler way to bring a smooth glow to your skin than with these Do-It-Yourself (DIY) honey beauty recipes. Honey’s ability to absorb and retain moisture makes it an ideal ingredient in a lot of cosmetics as it helps keep skin hydrated and fresh and prevents drying. It is known that ancient beauties regularly applied a mixture of honey and milk to the face to keep the skin young-looking, radiant, and smooth.

    Below are some do-it-yourself, self-help, extremely easy to follow recipes to enjoy the benefits of honey in skin care.

     

    •Cucumber-honey toner

    Grind 1 cucumber in a blender, drain and collect the juice. Add 2 teaspoons of honey into the juice and mix. Pour the mixture into a bottle. Apply on the face and neck area with a cotton pad in the morning and at night. Air dry it and rinse clean. Store the bottle covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

     

    •Honey-apple toner

    In a blender or food processor, combine 1 peeled, cored apple with a tablespoon of honey and pulse until smooth. Apply mixture to face and allow it to stay for 15 minutes, then rinse.

     

    •Honey-oats face scrub

    Combine 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon finely-ground almonds, 2 tablespoons dry oatmeal, and some lemon juice or yogurt to a luxurious and exfoliating facial scrub. Massage mixture gently onto face, then rinse with warm water. This blend gives a deeply emollient cleansing to the pores of your face.

     

    •Gentle honey cleanser

    Mix 1⁄4 cup honey, 1 tablespoon liquid soap and 1⁄2 cup glycerin (found in standard pharmaceutical stores). Apply gently on to face using a face sponge. Rinse with warm water and pat face dry.

     

    •Hot honey bath

    For the easiest natural skin care recipe using honey. Add 1/4 cup of honey to your hot bath water for silky and luscious skin. This is especially good for dry skin.

     

    •Honey olive hair conditioner

    For lustrous, silky, healthy hair and scalp, simply combine 1/2 cup honey and 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup olive oil.

    Massage scalp with this conditioner, then put on a shower cap for 30 minutes. Shampoo and rinse with water.

  • Jumpsuit is it!

    Jumpsuit is it!

    JUMPSUITS come in a lot of different colours, styles, and lengths; so, it is important that you can get one that will make you feel comfortable. Of course, before you opt for a jumpsuit, keep in mind some styling tips so that the result is perfect and very flattering. According to your height, waist monkey will impact one way or another. Also, avoid tightness at the waist, with pleats at the belly if you want to neutralise the stomach area. Opt for a V-neckline to enhance the bust and prevent strapless model if you have little bulky chest or front. Remember that if the pants are straight, it will bring slenderness. Be mindful of the three ways to wear a jumpsuit according to time, place and situation.

    For official setting, do it with style and good taste. The monkey can be an alternative to the classic trouser clip. Pair it with a high heel and a handbag briefcase.

    For an afternoon stroll, you could combine it with accessories and less-sophisticated accessories.

    The last combo is designed for a night out. A terrace, a cocktail which every occasion that requires elegance and attention to give an exclusive look.

    Or, probably, if you are a jumpsuit virgin, wearing a jacket on top makes the look more subtle. A jumpsuit is a style that pretty much anyone can get right, but there are some rules you need to follow when thinking about getting a jumpsuit.

    Shapes and sizes: If you are of the big size or have bigger legs, then the jumpsuit you should look into is a baggy or loose-fitting style. This is due to the jumpsuit clinging to your natural body shape. For skinnier women, you can pull off any of the shapes and sizes, whether you want to go loose or you want a tighter jumpsuit.

    Colours: When you are picking a jumpsuit, you should put into consideration the colours that you are best in.

    Most jumpsuits look better when they are in the lighter colours and natural tones rather than the dark tones. If you are unsure of what colour to buy, try a lavender colour or a light pink colour. They also have a lot of very pretty jumpsuits in black, gray, and green colours which can be very attractive if you want to go with something more daring.

    Belt: This is almost a must for wearing a jumpsuit because it gives the look more of a casual fashion. You can get a loose belt or a tighter belt depending on the style of the jumpsuit and your overall shape. Most jumpsuits look good if you are wearing a white or black belt loosely fastened in the middle of the jumpsuit.

    Foot wears: The jumpsuit look is almost like a dressy look for a lot of people, so you want your shoes to show that casual but yet dressy appearance.

    Getting shoes that accentuate the colours of the jumpsuit or your belt are also something you need to consider. Your shoes are going to accentuate the look of your jumpsuit so you might want to make the shoes a plain colour like black or white.

  • Hat attack

    Hat attack

    DAZZLING display of style that we look forward to every year at Easter.

    From classic hats to wonderfully embellished wide-brim bonnets, there are plenty of beautiful hats and fascinators to marvel at as women around the world slip into their Sunday best.

    In celebration of Easter Sunday, we have a gorgeous gallery of classic hats.

    “Every woman who doesn’t wear hats every Sunday wants to get a special hat for Easter,” said Marilyn Banks, owner of the dress and gift shop Marilyn’s Gift Gallery on Elm Avenue. “It’s the holiest of holidays, and so they want to look their best and to have something special that stands out.”

    So, put your best hat forward this Easter Sunday!

  • The Chinua Achebe I knew

    The Chinua Achebe I knew

    Captain Elechi Amadi is the author of the widely acclaimed The Concubine among other literary works, a former Commissioner for Land and Housing, former Commissioner for Education and currently  Chairman, Rivers State Scholarship Board. In this interview with Precious Dikewoha in his home at Aluu community in Ikwerre Local Government of Rivers State, he says Achebe can never be replaced. He also speaks about his school days with Achebe, his experience in the den of kidnappers, and a host of other issues.     

    How did you meet Chinua Achebe?

    I got to know Achebe in 1948 at Government College, Umuahia when we were both students. We were not only in the same school we were in the same house – Niger House. At one point we were in fact in the same dormitory and he was the prefect. He was three years ahead of me.

    He was soft-spoken, diligent, and hardworking and like most boys from that school, reliable and honest. Even in those days one habit of his became noticeable – he always carried a book. Even when he was marking out portions for our grass-cutting chores on Saturdays, he would have a machete in his right hand and a book in his left, with his forefinger buried in it to mark where he had stopped. This picture is particularly vivid in my mind. After school days, we went our different ways, but whenever we met, the passage of time will make no difference. We would recall incidents during our school days and laugh endlessly. He had an honest and rather infectious kind of laughter.

    When he convened a meeting of authors at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka for the formation of the Association of Nigeria Authors, Chinua was his usual humble and unassuming self. Humorously he said he had convened the meeting not necessarily to form an association but for us to debate whether writers who are known to be half-mad and individualistic could in fact come together to form an association. His humble and relaxed approach fired our resolve to form an association, and ANA was born.

    In 1954, Ekwensi published People of the City. I was thrilled that a Nigerian could write a novel. Then in 1958 came Achebe’s Things Fall Apart which received instant global acclaim. A novel written by my own schoolmate and friend! Wow! I rushed for a copy and did not put it down until I finished it. I have no doubt at all that I drew much of my inspiration to write from Ekwensi and Achebe.

    Some critics refer to writers who published novels after Things Fall Apart as “Achebe’s children”. Well, Yes and No. Yes, in the sense that I and some others drew inspiration and the courage to write from him. No, in the sense that while there may be common features like proverbs for instance in his work and mine, my style and orientation are quite different. There are no white men in my books, and gods and the supernatural play a more powerful role than in Achebe’s books. Again, while Achebe deeply explores colonial politics, I am preoccupied with the intricacies of our people’s culture. As the general editor of the African Writers Series, Achebe described The Concubine when it was published as ‘an unusually successful first novel’. I could not have had a better encouragement than that.

    I believe the Civil War affected Achebe very deeply and probably robbed him of the Nobel Prize. Between A Man of the People (1966) and Anthills of the Savannah (1987), Achebe’s creativity had a lull of twenty years which dealt a fatal blow to any Nobel Prize ambitions. But that apart, I am convinced that Achebe deserved the prize for his enormous impact on African Literature. When I met Chinua in January 1989, he gave me a copy of Anthills of the Savannah in which he wrote: ‘To Elechi with admiration, Chinua’. This book is one of my treasured possessions. This great literary icon admired my writings, so critics beware! I will always remember Chinua as a giant in African Literature, a literary role model, a consummate craftsman and above all, a friend.

    Why is it that when people die, even those who disagree with their ideas and ideologies while alive would express appreciation and honour to them?

    Well, that is because people don’t want to speak ill about the dead. When they know you are dead even your enemy will try to speak good about you. I will miss him, his death reminds me of the good days in Government Collage, Umuahia, but he is gone and his work will immortalise him. That is one joy of a writer. When you no longer exist, your work exists and speaks volume of you, but only when your work is good which can be determined by the readers.

    The Concubine is more than 40 years yet people still ask for it, which means the work is good. Generation replaces generation, but Achebe will not be replaced by any one, but we can have people who want to be like him and people who are good in doing what he was doing but no replacement.

    As a two-time commissioner and now Chairman, Rivers State Scholarship Board, you have no mansions, no expensive cars. You even deny yourself of lavish life style. Are you hiding your money somewhere?

    (Prolong laughter) No, no, that is how I choose to live my life; it was the kind of life I was brought up with when I was in Government College, Umuahia. It is part of me and I cannot change it. There is nothing in this life that could make me live extravagant life. What makes people live above their means is that they want to have everything in the world which is still impossible. Before now I only have one Volkswagen car, but one day during the meeting of elder statesmen, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi decided to give each of us a gift of Jeep. That is the jeep I am using today.

    Even when it was given to me I did not make use of it for a long time until my driver and family started complaining that I should make use of it. In my philosophy you can’t live in two houses or sleep in two beds at the same time. All one needs in life is to live a simple life. Nigeria is not progressing because one man has decided to accumulate the resource that could change the lives of ten communities while pretending to be serving the people. But philosophically when I analyse life, I thought it is a waste of time being busy taking what does not belong to you. Why not use that time to do other things that could benefit society? I mean the time you want to spend thinking on how to get 40 houses in Nigeria and abroad, use that time to think on how to create a positive impact on your environment and society at large, especially in touching lives of the less privileged.

    You love your village so much and prefer going to work in Port Harcourt from your village. What is your relationship with your people?

    It gives me joy that I can live among my people; it would have been something else if I was living in the town then sneaking to the village every month or once a year. I wouldn’t have been comfortable because it is like living in exile. Why should you be running away from your people? Don’t forget I was brought up from the village and I enjoy walking in the forest. I like the atmosphere of the environment. For more than twelve years I stayed in the village, I know my people and they know me. Each morning I will open my gate for free movement. I have no security or body guard. Before now I don’t have wall in my compound. It was when I was kidnapped that my friends said no you must fence your compound. That was how I fenced it. If not, I prefer the type that my neighbour can walk into my house from any corner to see me.

    Look, your best protection is the good will of your people and not just arming yourself. It is very difficult for anybody to hurt you when you are good with your people. Your people are your best protection. I enjoy the village so much, though there is this challenge that the villagers believe because I am working with the government there is enough money in my house. So, every day you will see some school children coming to my house, asking for help. Some of the requests by the children are minor and I try by the grace of God to attend to their needs. And every market day, the widows will come knocking asking for money to buy fish and I also attend to them. Maybe because I attend to them that is why they feel I am harmless, of course I am, (laughter).

    Wouldn’t you consider that it is because of lack of security around you that made the kidnapers to abduct you; could you tell us your experience when you were kidnapped?

    No, it was not because I had no body guard or security apparatus that made the boys to kidnap me, because even those who surrounded themselves with military armour are being kidnapped. The fact is that the people who did this to me were small boys from my community who went to hire gunmen to kidnap me. They are three in number and none of them is finding peace because the community did not support them. One of them is dead, the other one jumped bail and the last one has been running from one place to the other. The parents came begging me to plead with the police to forget about the case. But I said no if I didn’t prosecute intelligently I may end up encouraging kidnapping in the community. But that did not scare me because as I earlier said, I am a village man. I was brought up in the village and I love the village. If not my experience as a village man I would have suffered so much finding my way out from the forest when I was released by my abductors.

    I was kidnapped at 8pm and blindfolded to unknown destination within the community, as they drove me to the forest I didn’t know when it was morning. Even when they bought fast food and water for me I did not know. It was later when I requested for water that they gave me but I could not eat the food because I did not know what they gave me. Though the water I drank helped me a lot, it gave me the strength to walk for two hours in the forest to get to the village. The kidnappers were not ready to harm me but only interested that I should tell government to bring money. When they asked for ransom I told them that I don’t have money and they said they know I don’t have money but I should tell the government to bring money, though at the end I was allowed to go. But what I am trying to say is that if I was not brought up in the village it would have been hell for me to direct my steps out of the forest.

    As scholarship board chairman, how do you cope with desperate politicians and individuals who want the names of their children to appear on the scholarship list?

    Everybody knows I am methodical. I don’t give scholarship. I am only the board chairman. What we do is that when we receive allocation, we advertise and people will apply, those who applied will be handed over to a competent examination body. It is the body that examines candidates and submmit the list of successful ones to us. Some times people will come to my office pleading for assistance to ensure that the names of their children came out but I always tell them that it is unethical to change somebody’s name for someone else’s name. If your child did not make it this year let he or she wait for another opportunity. The process of application is transparent. For now, we don’t have money to send people for study. We have 154 overseas scholarships but they have since been reduced because some are graduating. Three hundred local scholarship beneficiaries receive N250,000 annually while their counterparts abroad receive N5m due to the courses they are studying over there. By the grace of God some of the students will be graduating late this year and by 2014 more will also graduate.

    How do you cope with your wives and children, managing to maintain peace among them?

    I have three wives and they are all doing well. I try as much I can to look after them. Things I can do I tell them, the ones I cannot do I also tell them. Yes, I have more than one wife but they are living in peace with one another and the secret is that I am honest and open to them. What I give to one I try as much as possible to give it to the other. I have also made them comfortable in a way that they could take care of themselves and their children. All I need is to relax and they pass food for me to eat.

    Are we expecting any literary work soon?

    Yes, very soon it will be unveiled to the public. It is a collection of science fiction titled: When God Came and the Song of the Vanquished.

  • Let your wrist speak volume

    Let your wrist speak volume

    THE general custom of wearing a wrist watch is to wear it on your left wrist if you’re right-handed and to wear it on your right if you’re left-handed. Also, if you’re a righty and your watch is on the left, it’s going to be easier to set and wind.

     

    How to wear a watch

    Choose your everyday watch. Your everyday watch should be neutral and durable. Stainless steel is a popular choice as this makes for both neutral and sturdy watches, but people choose basic watches made of all sorts of different materials, including plastic and rubber.

    Wear your formal watch to events that require formal wear, for example to weddings, christenings, funerals, formal garden parties or dinners, opera and theatre performances, and other formal events.

    You can wear your sports watch with a long sleeve shirt or even a tie to casual events. It is not recommended by fashion experts to wear a sports watch with a suit.

    Wear a dress watch. Choose one with a thin black or brown leather band to wear at events that require semi-formal wear, such as a blazer or suit for men, or a dress for women. Try to match your watch strap to your shoes and belt. This makes your entire look more coordinated and sophisticated.

    Decide on which wrist you want to wear your watch. Choose the wrist that is most comfortable and where your watch won’t hamper your movements.

    This is typically the non-dominant hand, but it’s up to the wearer.

    Get the right fit. A man should never wear his wristwatch loose around his wrist. It should fit perfectly, without being too tight or too lose. While women’s watches may be worn as a snug fit or loose around the wrist, like a bracelet. They should never be too tight.

    For men, if you’re wearing it with a waistcoat, put your watch in the pocket that’s most convenient to you, then loop the watch chain through the waistcoat’s buttonhole and put the fob in the pocket on the other side.

    For men, you’re wearing it with khakis or jeans, simply put your watch in the pocket that is most convenient, loop the watch chain through a belt loop and clip it to it, leaving the fob exposed.

    Women can wear a pocket watch for a vintage look. Wear it around your neck on a long chain or fastened on a brooch or pin to be attached on your shirt. Keep other accessories minimal if your woman’s pocket watch is elaborate and highly decorative.

  • I enjoyed a lot of respect being married to TOS, a cabinet member then – Opral Benson

    I enjoyed a lot of respect being married to TOS, a cabinet member then – Opral Benson

    At over 77, Chief Mrs. Opral Benson still radiates beauty and charm. She came out of her consulate office with air of officialdom to usher us in. And from her carriage and the countless number of awards and other laurels that abounded the place, it was much easier to understand why the then Oba of Lagos, Oba Oyekan bestowed on her the title of The Iya Oge of Lagos in 1973, few years after she arrived Nigeria.

    With a privilege background, of being born into the home of Honourable Johnson Boto Mason and Lilly Melissa Mason in Monrovia, Liberia, Opral Mason as she was then known, grew up knowing how to live a charm life. And when she was through with her early education, Opral left Monrovia for United State of America.

    There she obtained a B.Sc. degree in Education from Morris Brown College, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA in 1958, and a Master of Arts Degree in Education from Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She obtained a Diploma in Administration from Pittsburgh University in 1961 and a Certificate in Communications from Michigan University in 1961.

    When she returned to Liberia, she did so as a celebrity, with a top job in government. Sooner, she met a Nigerian Minister, Theophilus Owolabi Shobowale Benson, who was attending a conference in Liberia along with the then Nigerian Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa. It was love at first sight with reception held in Lagos, Monrovia and London. In this interview with Paul Ukpabio, she shares the attraction of her marriage and her new appointment as Consular of the Republic of Liberia. Enjoy

     

    Congratulations on your recent appointment as the Consular for the Republic of Liberia. Can you tell us how you came about the appointment and how have you enjoyed it so faring the office?

    Her Excellency, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, told me that Liberia does have an embassy in Abuja but nothing in Lagos and being that Lagos is the economic heart of Nigeria, the President said they will like to have representation here too. She thought I was the best person to play that role. So that is how I got about being the Consular.

    But when it comes to how I have enjoyed it so far, I would say that I do not think it’s something for enjoyment. Actually, I think it is an appointment that calls for sitting down and making some contributions for a country like Liberia. That is why I think and believe that I was appointed. And in that regard, I think we have started, we have put up an office at least, we have that in a good location in the city, with staff to support it.

    I, along with others are committed to it and our main concentration is to take advantage of the commercial aspect and centre of Lagos to see what we can develop and use to move forward both countries in the consulate assignment. We have started with making enquiries and making contacts with such needed people. Some people have also contacted us, so we are trying to see what we can do and achieve, by getting people together.

    We are also trying to see to the development and growth of Nigeria and Liberia Forum, get people who are interested in that country and also get those who are interested in this country together, to rub minds, to see how best two countries like ours, can work best. That is the whole idea.

    How settled will you say Liberia is presently to attract such interest and investment that you anticipate?

    I think Liberia is very settled actually, we have gone through political problems like most other countries in and out of Africa, and I think we have settled down. The current president has made quite an impact on the country. We are moving forward. So I would say that Liberia is in a good position presently, to work with other countries.

    What kind of businesses do you think could fit into the developmental expectations of present day Liberia?

    I may not want to start here with listing out all the kind of businesses that could fit in, rather, I would leave that to the people who would want to do the business themselves. People who are here and would love to do business in Liberia, I expect, would make the necessary research and then we can give them the necessary assistance if they are truly interested. I think it should start from this side, rather than I insisting that this should be it, because that won’t be exactly, what we are trying to achieve.

    With a settled Liberia, as confirmed by you, are you saying, it is okay for Liberians who have been seeking refuge in Nigeria to go back home?

    Of course, I would want to encourage our people to go back home. But that also depends on the reason they are here. If they feel they have been here for some years and they want to relocate to Nigeria and they have had a good time here, it is then not my responsibility to tell them that they must go back home. But if they are passing through a hard time one way or another, and they are wishing to go back home, then I would say that Liberia is a land of opportunity for them, they should go back home. So I think going back home for them, should depend on their situation here in the first place.

    With the on-going success of the present female president of Liberia, what would you say about women and leadership role in Africa?

    I think we have said that over and over again in Africa. Women have an important role to play in the leadership of this continent and of other countries outside this continent. This is because there is no difference between being a man and being a woman, it just depends on who you are, what kind of training you have, what kind of orientation you have and not about your sex. So I think women have important role to play and they should not just sit down and say, I am a woman; if you are a woman, so what? You have to go further than that.

    It is not out of place that any visitor coming into your office should be intimidated by your laurels that are struggling for space on your walls and on available spaces on your tables. At over 77, how do you feel when you look back?

    I think I have done a lot in Nigeria, and I also think that I am being rightly rewarded by the personalities that I have worked with, along with the governments that I have worked with. I feel that I have been appreciated and I also feel that I have made the right contributions. I have two National Awards from Nigeria, Member of the Order of the Niger, and Officer of the Order of The Niger.

    Even before I left Liberia, I had what they call the CSA, Commander of The South Africa, from the President of Liberia way back in those years, I am a person that likes to give the best of myself wherever I am, even at this present stage of my life. So that is what you see on the walls when you come to my office. It is a good thing to see that you have contributed and that people have appreciated you too. I feel very happy about it.

    Wherever I go, I meet people who are very appreciative, they are nice to me, they are kind to me, I think this is what anyone should aspire to and expect in life. It shows that you have made some contributions and it shows that those you contributed to, have appreciated what you have done.

    What motivated you to marry a Nigerian?

    I married this Nigerian (points to the framed picture of Late Chief TOS Benson on the wall) 50 years ago, last December made it 50 years and when he passed on, we had been married for 46 years. I think it was a case of two people who met and fell in love and decided that they wanted to live together.

    And that is what marriage is all about. We met in Liberia. Before then, I had never thought of coming to live in Nigeria. He was in Liberia with the Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa for a conference. I met him at that conference. I had just returned from the United State of America where I had gone to get education. I was in the conference where he saw me and proposed. We went on like that for a year until we finally decided to get married. So it wasn’t because he was from Nigeria that we got married. It was because the two of us believed in each other and we made a go of it.

    Prior to meeting him, had marriage been on your mind?

    At that time I had not given a thought to who I would marry. I was not thinking about marriage at that time as a matter of fact. Like I said, I had just been trained and returned from the United State of America and started working. I wasn’t thinking whether I would marry a Nigerian, French, Liberian, Polish, Danish or English. I was just doing a job and when the issue of marriage came up, it was a case of I see you, I like you and I want to marry you. So at that time, I wasn’t sitting down to think and bother about who I would marry and where he would be from.

    What was your first impression of Nigeria when you got to Lagos?

    I was very impressed with the people of Nigeria and the size of the country and the idea of deciding where to live. My husband happened to have been a member of the cabinet at the time so of course working in the cabinet in Nigeria meant that you had lots of respect, I think a lot of people respected me and I was impressed when I arrived Nigeria, I stayed (laughs).

    You were honored as the Iya Oge of Lagos which meant you were in the eye of celebrity, style, fashion, in the country’s capital city, which was the heart of the country. What did that mean to you?

    I was made the Iya Oge of Lagos by the Late Oba Oyekan of Lagos in 1973. I think it was because of my love for beauty and fashion. First of all, when I came to Nigeria, I worked at the University of Lagos for many years. I was appointed Registrar for Students Affairs. I worked there for ten years with staff and students, and I’m proud to say that many of the students I worked with are today the daddy’s and mamas of Nigeria.

    They are now in big positions, but I knew them way back in the school then. But throughout the time I worked at the University of Lagos, I was all the time thinking of the beauty industry because; it is something I like and something that I appreciate. So after those years in the University, I decided to leave to open a beauty spa for facials and all other types of beauty care.

    It was at that time that the Oba of Lagos at the time, considered it fit to honor me with a chieftaincy title. They called me and told me that is what the Oba wants to do. I didn’t know much about it at the time, and I didn’t know that being an Iya Oge of Lagos would be something that I would merit.

    But later I found that everybody seemed to like it and feel that it suits me. I have been in the beauty industry since then, giving beauty care to many women and advising them too. I also decided to start a beauty school. This is the eight year we have had that, and we have graduated many students from The Opral Benson Beauty Training Institute, some of them are all over this country, while some are working outside this country.

    I think that it has been a way of making my contributions towards the development of the industry and to also say to the Oba that I appreciate that honor he gave to me way back 1973. It was after I got that honor that I decided I should make it worth it, instead of just sitting down on it. Since the honor was for that industry, I thought that I also ought to work in that industry.

    Between fashion and beauty, which one do you tilt more towards?

    I don’t tilt at all. I keep fashion and beauty together because I think that the two go hand in hand. I don’t tilt at all. I have a beauty school but I think that fashion and beauty are two brothers or two sisters. I don’t stay in their middle; I put the two together because I think that both are very essential.

    Simply said, what is beauty to you?

    Beauty is making people feel nice and happy about themselves, look nice, the kind of things you do to yourself and to others. It is putting on something that says much about you because there is something that comes from within, it is something from the outside and something that is general.

    It should not be confused however, because there is something that is inner beauty and another outward beauty. I appreciate beauty and many Nigerians that I have met in and outside the industry appreciate beauty. That also means that it is something that is important because, when I started, many people thought that this was not a place for educated people. People then thought that it was a place for those who didn’t have education. But I told them that beauty has to do with how you feel to yourself and for others.

    When is a woman fashionable and when should she be fashionable?

    I guess that is for the individual to decide. When a woman is fashionable depends on what she wears, how she carries herself, what her outfit looks like, how she impresses herself, how she impresses others and how she feels about it. A fashionable woman is what others see and how she feels. It is very difficult to say just like that, that a woman is fashionable until all these are in place.

    What is your style?

    My style is how I feel like presenting myself. Its difficult for me to pick one word and say this is my style. Style is how you carry yourself. It is how you feel and present yourself. You are how you make yourself from the inside and how people see you outwardly and appreciate you. So my style is presentable to myself and to others.

    I wear all kinds of attires, African, English and so on. It depends on where I am going, what I am doing and how I feel about myself. I appreciate all kinds of attires, fabrics, foreign and local. In saying local, I mean traditional attires.

    What would you say about our society events against the background that people are criticizing the growing cost of having simple celebrations?

    I cannot speak for what people are spending, I don’t know, but I think everybody should spend according to their pocket and what they can afford. I am not one who insists that this is the amount you must spend on yourself. I think it should be about what you have to spend, how you feel and how you want to dispose of it.

    Having had a successful marriage to a Nigerian, would you advise women from foreign countries to marry Nigerian men?

    I have no problem with foreign marriages or marrying a foreigner. I think everybody should marry according to their heart desires and what they want to do because, whether it is a foreigner or not, it is still about two people that have met and coming to live together, and how they feel about each other.

    I also don’t think that anyone should tell the other that he or she should not marry this person because he or she is a foreigner. It should be about individual feeling, how you feel about that person and how the person feels about you and whether the person wants you too. And also whether he wants to live with you and marry you.

    The same goes for marrying into other tribes within a country, whether, Ibo, Hausa, Yoruba, Kanuri and so on, all that does not follow, it is still about the two individuals that are going to come together to live with each other. I don’t think barriers such as this should be in the way of two people who like each other, who want to live with each other and have agreed and decided on what their future should be together. Anyway, I say all this because I didn’t follow or allow a barrier come between my husband and I.

    What does wealth means to you?

    When I get wealthy, I will find out! Right now, I’m still trying to find out what wealth means (laughs).

  • APGA crisis: Why Obi won’t reply Umeh

    APGA crisis: Why Obi won’t reply Umeh

    Barrister Vincent Ezenwajiaku is Anambra State Commissioner for Special Duties. A pharmacist and lawyer turned politician, who abandoned a PhD programme abroad to answer the call to serve his people, has remained vocal since the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) crisis started. In this interview with ODOGWU EMEKA ODOGWU in Nnewi, Ezenwajiaku speaks on some burning issues, including the APGA crisis. Excerpts: 

    As a commissioner in Governor Peter Obi’s government, which clocked seven years on Sunday, how would you rate his performance?

    I am part of the government and would hurt objectivity if I try to judge it. I think the judgment is better left for outsiders to do. Whatever I say would be followed by people saying ‘Ah, as a government official, what do you expect him to say?’ I therefore leave it to you to do the assessment as you all are in the state and are witnesses to what is going on. Even as umpires, you can go out and seek the views of those who are in a position to tell you the brutal truth.

    Let us have your views and balance them with those of others.

    Giving you my views is very easy. All I am saying is that those views cannot stand even for balancing. People comment about the government of Peter Obi on a daily basis. So, my own is not, in my view, important.

    Let me even help you out. As the Governor of Anambra State, one thing we cannot take away from the governor is abundance of energy that I do not know how many people can meet up with. These days, if you read the papers, you would have discovered that due to his policy about education, which saw him returning schools to their owners, he is much in contact with church leaders. I mean credible church leaders who do not have any reason to dissimulate facts.

    I read in the papers how Archbishop Valerian Okeke of the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha reviewed what he is doing across all sectors and rated him as the best Governor Anambra State has had. He talked about how Obi is building a future for the state through the overhaul of the education sector, building of roads across the state, attracting foreign investors, rebuilding the health sector, prompt payment of salaries and pensions after clearing the arrears owed for years, among others. He ended up by saying in Igbo, Odi ka Obi akona anyi, meaning ‘May we not lack a person like Obi’.

    The other day, I followed His Excellency (Obi) to a function attended by the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor. The bishop echoed his brother by saying that Obi was God’s gift to Anambra State. Having come down from Ihiala to Awka that day from Dr. Obinna Uzor’s function, the bishop said it took him about 30 minutes to make the trip, whereas in the past, the journey would have lasted three hours because of bad road. What does that show you? The bishop asked God in prayers to give the state a person as good as Obi if he could not give us a person better than him.

    Of course you need to listen to Archbishop Efobi of the Anglican Communion. Talking about Obi, he quoted the Bible: “When the righteous are on the throne, the people rejoice.” I can tell you that in Anambra today, everybody knows that Obi has done well. Some people who do not have character may want to prevaricate for one reason or the other. What I am saying is that politicians can see A and call it B.

    What, in specific terms, would you regard as his achievements?

    Where do we start from? He has tarred more than 700 Kilometres of roads and we are still counting. Almost every day, he flags off road projects, and work is going on all of them. He constructed roads in the most difficult parts of the state where nobody thought about until he came on board. In health, he has built a teaching hospital from the scratch, rehabilitated general hospitals, built new hospitals and health centres, bought hospital equipment and got accreditation for the health institutions. As we speak, he is building, in partnership with the MDG, about 25 structures in missionary hospitals.

    It was Obi who built the first secretariat in the state as well as the first and second massive business parks. He bought vehicles for ranking government officials in the executive, judiciary and legislature. He cleared the arrears of salaries and pension of close to N10 billion. He has attracted multinational companies to Anambra State. At the last count, we have about four of them. Some have built facilities, others are coming on board. Under him, Anambra became an oil-producing state after he invested billions in Orient Petroleum.

    In the area of education still, even after the return of primary schools to churches, he has given them support to the tune of about N6 billion in cash to rehabilitate the schools. One can go on and on, but the most amazing part of it is that he has not borrowed money from any financial institution nor raised bond as many states are doing in Nigeria.

    The President was so excited with his relationship with the Church that he said the centre he wants to help his Otuoke community build through friends would be handed over to the Church to manage. Obi has equally attracted the attention of the World Bank, which has sent people to Anambra to study his revolution in education with the aim of using it as a model for other African countries and developing world to emulate. Paul Collier, a notable Oxford professor, was so excited about this that he has been propagating it to other African leaders.

    You mentioned Chief Victor Umeh in an unfamiliar way. But according to newspaper reports, Umeh said he fell out with the governor because of his (governor’s) failure to conduct local government election…

    Although I have stopped reading his falsehood, I can tell you that 99 per cent of what the man says is false. Until he started fighting the governor, he singlehandedly brought the names of those who were appointed into the transition committees. What then is the logic in saying that he opposed it? I have noticed that in Nigeria, what professional politicians do is to employ the instrument of blackmail against the person they are not supporting. Umeh was the one who, through his one-man show business in the form of chairmanship of APGA, prevented the party from growing. I think the recent judgment of an Enugu High Court was providential. It will now give opportunity to those who have the interest of the party at heart to restructure it.

    Are you saying that Victor Umeh has not contributed to the building of APGA or what?

    If you are in partnership business with somebody, how do you measure your gain? It is simply by balancing gains vis-à-vis efforts. In the case of Umeh, the ratio of efforts to gain is about five per cent to 90 per cent. Would you say that such a person has suffered for the party? APGA was largely financed by Peter Obi. It was even his house at Abuja that initially served as APGA’s office. Even when the President asked APGA to get some names for appointment in the spirit of building a national government, Victor brought the names of people he could control.

    How do you mean?

    I am a foundation member of APGA. In the beginning, Umeh, who now brags about what he is not, was the Personal Assistant to an Anambra politician, Chief Okonkwo (Ofiadiulu). The man is still active in politics. Somehow, he became the treasurer of APGA. When APGA removed Chief Chekwas Okorie, we were having the meeting of Anambra party members, and Obi said that from the experience of betrayals he had had, he would prefer Victor Umeh to be appointed the Acting Chairman. That was how he became the Acting Chairman. But today, surprisingly and incredibly, I hear him say that he made the governor.

    Does this allegation remove from the fact that Chief Umeh contributed N4 million to Obi’s tribunal case as reported in a national newspaper?

    Who said so?

    He said so in an interview he granted the newspaper.

    This is the reason why I told you that I do not read what the man says any longer. How can anybody believe this? We know where we are coming from. Before Obi became the governor, he was on the board of about seven quoted companies, including about four financial institutions, by virtue of his investment. The man who said he donated N4 million to Obi’s tribunal case at that time was living in a two-room apartment. At that time, Obi was the one who procured an international passport for him alongside other party members, as well as sponsored his first trip overseas. It was also Obi who bought Umeh his first V-boot Mercedes car. Yet he has the boldness to say he contributed N4 million to tribunal efforts. Can’t you read between the lines? Today from a two-room apartment, he is now living at a palatial home, one of the best in Enugu.

    Since Umeh started talking, don’t you think it is ripe for the governor to speak at this point and set the records straight?

    I thought you people love the governor?

    That is why we need him to speak.

    Why would the governor be trading words with Umeh? Who is he? If you are in Anambra, you would have noticed that Obi is one of the busiest governors. As I speak, he is away to Rome as part of the Federal Government’s delegation for the installation of the new Pope. No week passes without him having a meeting in Abuja. He belongs to more than 10 federal committees, besides being the Financial Adviser to the President. He is also the Chairman of South-East Governors Forum as well as the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. For a person saddled with all these responsibilities to have time to reply people will be tantamount to lunacy.

    Away from politics, what is the government’s position on the Ezu River corpses?

    Well, we are satisfied with what the governor has done. Remember, he cut his trip short and returned to the state the moment the sad incident was discovered. Since then, he has visited the place four times, personally supervised the removal of the bodies from the river and commissioned an autopsy on the bodies. He also got the entire town fumigated, sent supplies to them and provided the only borehole that is working. I say this because some people pretended they were digging boreholes but nothing has happened. If you go there today, the only boreholes that are working in the town are the two provided by the governor.

    Has autopsy revealed how the people were killed?

    We are all waiting for the report.