The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Interview

  • ‘Our life battles with HIV’

    ‘Our life battles with HIV’

    • Infected women recall shocking ways their status was discovered

    The new Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Dr. Temitope Ilori, recently embarked on a fact-finding tour of health facilities in Ibadan, Oyo State, to assess progress towards the 2030 goal of ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat. During her visit, she interacted with caregivers, policymakers, academia and people living with HIV. Four women, including the Coordinator of the Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) in the state, shared their experiences and challenges living with the health condition. Three of them narrated the circumstances in which they found out their HIV status, how they reacted to the news and how have been coping with life since then. None of the young women could understand how they became victims of HIV. The three women have several things in common: they are all young, did not know when or how they contracted HIV, got pregnant again, living purposeful life but not ready to confront the society with their status yet. DELE ANOFI reports that their stories highlight the need for awareness, education and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.

    Amope Ibidunni, a 33-year-old former teacher, had no inkling that she had contracted HIV until she was delivered of a baby through caesarian section (CS) in 2020 following a serious sickness that led to taking her to the University College Hospital. It was double jeopardy for her that the baby died and her HIV status was confirmed after all the necessary tests were conducted before the operation.

    “It is an understatement to say that I was devastated, because I was just wondering how I could have contracted it. I was not a sex worker and I was never promiscuous. I also never felt sick and was never down until I was about to give birth and was rushed to the hospital. So there was nothing to prepare me for the discovery,” she said.

    She was, however, not deterred by the ugly development. She got pregnant again in 2021, and the baby boy was HIV negative.

    She said: “Since I know my status and those of my child and husband, I have been very careful. With God’s grace, I have been faithfully keeping to what I was counseled about and what we were always told by the nurses and the United States President’s Emergency Plan (PEPFAR) and Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) to do and not do with myself, family members and even when I am outside the house.

    “Since I don’t want to lose my family, nobody needed to tell me to be wise. Even on food consumption at various stages of one’s development, there are steps to be taken. My caregivers are wonderful people. They have never been harsh on me but always supportive and encouraging me that it is not the end of life.”

    Although Ibidunni left her teaching job for business, she has never been subjected to stigmatization over her status, though she did not disclose her status to people outside her family members. Despite having the fortune of a loving and understanding husband, she believes that if she had taken time to find out about her health status much earlier, it is possible she would not be in a position to be talking about it today.

    She said: “For fear of the unknown and stigmatization, we did not disclose my situation to anybody. I knew of a woman who was isolated because everyone knew about her status. The woman was perpetually depressed until she died, so I don’t want to fall into such a situation.

    “Luckily for me, there is nothing on me to show that I am HIV positive. I consider myself a lucky woman because my husband is one of a kind. His reaction to the discovery of my situation was unprecedented.

    “While I was bracing for the worst, he shocked me with his acceptance of the news. Probably because he knew the kind of wife he had, he was very supportive when the news broke.

    “When the dust had settled, he asked the doctor if we could have mate again and make a family. Here we are with two children who are HIV-negative.

    “My advice for women is that even before going for marriage, and immediately after getting pregnant, they should conduct tests to ascertain their status. It will prevent a lot of heartache in the future.”

    On her part, Mary Anne Odugbale, a 38-year-old businesswoman and charcoal supplier who was married with a 23-year-old son before she realized her status, was equally lost as to how she contracted the illness after two decades of wedlock.

    Trouble began in 2021 when she got pregnant with her second child. But three years earlier, dizziness and blurry sight became a constant health issue, which people around told her could be a blood-related sickness.

    “On getting pregnant, she registered with a government health facility rather than a mission house where she had her first child, for better attention. But because of poor services, she left the health centre for the mission house again where she was eventually delivered of her baby.

    “However, according to her, trouble began when the newborn baby boy would not stop stooling. In the process, he became stunted, bony, and a source of concern for everyone that saw him.

    “After nursing him for a year, she was forced to take him to a hospital where both mother and child were diagnosed with HIV.

    “The next thing that came to my mind was that the end had come with the stories of the people that had it and how they eventually died, especially of a couple (while we were growing up) that got it in Lagos, later relocated to Ibadan but eventually died a terrible death.

    “The owner of the mission house was a very helpful and kind person. She gave me a number to call, asked me to go to Omolewa (University College Hospital Antiretroviral Therapy clinic) the following Monday. Before I got to Omolewa, they were calling me, giving me description on how to get there.

    “On getting there, they did not waste our time. The very attentive, courteous and wonderful people asked me questions and conducted tests all over again. That was two years after the birth of my child.

    “They counseled that it was not the end of life. They took special care of my child who was just only bones by then. But by six months after we commenced treatment, nobody could believe that it was the same boy. He started walking and began to add weight; looking very healthy and getting handsome every day.

    “How happy and relieved I am that my boy did not die because of this, only I can relate to that, because he got the disease from me through no fault of his but health workers that were very negligent in their duties. But I leave them to God.”

    Coping with life has been surprisingly a sharp contrast to Odugbale’s expectations. She appreciates having easy access to medications for herself and her child, which she says marked a big difference in their lives. While appreciating the government and their partners for bearing the cost of testing and treatment of the disease, she prayed that the drugs would remain free.

    She also emphasised the fact that her status was not revealed to outsiders for fear of how they would react while praising her husband for understanding and remaining supportive.

    “As for the treatment and care, the government is trying for us, and our prayer is that God would continue to empower them. This is very important because if we have to be paying for these things by ourselves, then the end is near, because it won’t be cheap and we all know how the economy is.

    “I did not disclose my situation to anyone; it is just between my sister, my mum and my husband. I thank God for the understanding husband. My husband and my first child did not have the disease. They underwent tests too.

    “I always thank God about our home after the discovery, because my husband is not an extremist. Sometimes he gets angry, especially whenever anyone falls sick in the house. That is when he will be touchy and complaining why won’t you go to the hospital? Have you done this, have you done that?

    “But we are still together. A broken home should not accompany my situation, it will be tough but I thank God.

    “My own is that detection and the attitude of the caregivers are aspects that must be seriously looked into by the government. These two critical areas cost me my health.

    “If I have been a wayward woman, my husband won’t be around till today. It is a simple fact. Who wants to stay with a promiscuous spouse? That is not a very comfortable thought or prospect.”

    In the case of 33-year-old Rebecca Anjorin, a hairdresser, she was more of a believer in her chastity and the power of prayers, that it is absolutely impossible to contract the disease even after she was diagnosed with it in 2016. For five years, she lived in self-denial, which eventually cost her the health of her third child after the second born that she gave birth to after she was first diagnosed positive escaped the disease.

    Following the second diagnosis while the three children and husband tested negative, she still refused to take the medications given to her to mitigate her condition. That fatal negligence cost the third child his health.

    Her story: “In 2016, I was about to give birth to our second child when I got home and told my husband the news after I rebuked it when the nurses told me. He was not alarmed. He said I should not bother myself that it is the handiwork of Satan.

    “We prayed and continued to pray against the possibility of such a thing. They gave me a lot of drugs which I did not use because I was afraid that the drugs might now induce the disease, because all this while, I was never sick or felt sick.

    “In 2021, I got pregnant again. But on the sixth month, I started getting sick and coughing. Later, I observed blood in my phlegm and whenever I sneezed. I went to a private clinic. After series of tests on the four of us including the new born, they confirmed my status again two months after giving birth.

    “They asked if I knew I had it, I said yes. They said that was dangerous. They then referred me to UCH where the new born and myself were subjected to a regime of treatment.

    “That was when it finally dawned on me that I had the disease.

    “My baby was given some drugs they said I must administer religiously because I wasn’t on any medication since I tested positive five years ago. They warned that I should not treat it with levity this time because it was only God’s grace that has been keeping me and the kids from disaster since then.

    “They now asked me to wean the child after a year unfailingly. I still did not because she was stunted and I wasn’t comfortable with that. So I continued breastfeeding him for another one month.

    “When we now went back to the hospital and they asked about breastfeeding and I told them, they were livid. Immediately, they took her samples for test and she came out positive. I became inconsolable. That is how the story has been since then.

    “But the social pressure I face at home occasionally from my husband can be very painful some of the time, especially when he is under pressure too. That is when you would see him questioning everything; do you want others to get it too? Those times could be very disheartening for me.”

    Asked why she was so adamant when the disease is not new to everyone with all the warnings on the radio, she said: “Hmm, I was unbelieving that I could have it. That was responsible for my nonchalant posture towards addressing it.

    “It was because I believed that I could never have it and I couldn’t lay my hands on how or from which source I could have got it. That is why I didn’t take it seriously for those five years.

    “It was later, after the final confirmation, and it even took me months to reason that being a hairdresser, the sharp objects I used on people could be responsible. And that was even the reason my home has not broken, because my husband knew the kind of wife he got and couldn’t understand how this could have happened too.

    “At this point, I’ve accepted it as my fate and there is nothing I can do about it other than for me and my baby to take our medications regularly.”

    On coping with disease in relation to access to the medications, family, and the community, Anjorin was all thankful to God that she is trudging on, saying: “There have been days when we were supposed to come for our drugs that I would not have money and my husband too would not have, so I would have to trek.

    “There was a day our okada (motorcycle) even fell and we were injured, but what can one do? Those incidents are not enough to stop us now because the medications are giving us a second chance.

    “On the home front, the issue could not scatter my home, if I may put it that way, though men can be very funny at times, especially when they are pressured from work or other things. But to God be the glory, we have been riding the waves and our home is still intact.

    “Through all of this, suicide was never an option because I am a believer who knows the kind of punishment that awaits anyone that does that. I also could not afford to expose my status to anyone because I don’t know to what extent people’s reactions would go.

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    “Besides, why would I expose myself to anyone who didn’t expose herself or himself to me? No one knows the kind of issues the next person is battling with. So, let everyone mind their business.

    “I will however plead that the society should change their perception and not malign people with the condition by ostracising us when we disclose our status. Such disclosure should not be a source of mental torture. People should rather show understanding and love because the cause might be through no fault of theirs.

    “My advice to women out there is that people should learn from my predicament. Intending couples, newly-wed and all pregnant women should not fall into my trap.

    “Go for HIV test and do it regularly. Don’t rest on your faith alone. That is why we have the grace to think. Don’t take your health for granted.”

    Meanwhile, Mr. Faith Abiola, the Oyo State Coordinator of the Network of People Living With HIV AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN), who has been living with the disease since 1994, said stigmatization of the people living with it is real, but getting the culprits perpetuating it is one of the most difficult jobs in the country.

    According to him, since he assumed the office three years ago, despite the vigorous education and awareness campaign mounted to equip and empower the members on how to ensure that they live a better life by doing what is necessary, getting cases of stigmatization has been difficult.

    He however said the society needs to change its perception of the disease and the victim to make disclosure easy which will be of great benefit to everyone.

    “Stigmatization came with HIV from inception, and we have been fighting against it since then with a known case in 2006 or thereabout which we won.

    “We have always told them that anytime they are stigmatised or discriminated against, they should let us know to enable us take the necessary steps, because there is a law against that.

    “On a lighter note, I am even looking for who will stigmatise me but it’s not happening. Getting culprits is very difficult because even our members who were the victim that reported the case, especially the new ones, will also decline going further with it because of the bigger implication of exposing their status and what would naturally follow.”

    He also urged every pregnant woman in the country to endeavour to go for HIV test to prevent avoidable and unnecessary heartache in the future.

  • Paying for nature’s sins: Persons with albinism relive battles with skin cancer

    Paying for nature’s sins: Persons with albinism relive battles with skin cancer

    • ’How we lost siblings to menace’

    • Intervention by Lagos State stems death rate

    Many of the people living with albinism (PWA) are suffering and dying from skin cancer following constant and unprotected exposure to sunlight, according to health experts. Unfortunately, many of the PWAs out there have no knowledge about the damage that sunlight does to their skin. Hence they continue to walk about in it without covers, thereby predisposing themselves to having skin cancer. There are fears that the challenge may worsen if awareness about the ravaging effects of sunlight on their skin is not stepped up, INNOCENT DURU reports.

    Victoria Adesanya and two of her siblings were born with albinism. They always stood out among their peers and in their community because of their very bright complexion.

    As time went on, between 2011 and 2012 to be precise, one of the siblings started feeling unwell. After some unsuccessful attempts at treating the sickness, Victoria said, they decided to spiritualise the matter and called it an arrow from the enemies.

    “Unfortunately,” she said, “we lost her to cancer in 2012. We didn’t have any knowledge about cancer in people with albinism then.”

    Not quite long after she lost her immediate sister, her brother came up with similar challenges. “This time around,” she said, “the children searched the internet and found that there was a support he could access at Albino Foundation, Abuja. 

    “To enable him get the support, I went to Mrs. Josephine Omolola at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), who is the head of our cluster. She even gave me a letter for my brother.

    “Before we could complete the process, it was too late for him. He also passed on.”

    After her brother’s demise, she said, “I started attending the meeting of people with albinism. There I discovered that it was cancer that killed my siblings and not any arrow. I learnt that the sun is our enemy and not salt as people used to say.”

    Victoria herself was not spared by the menace. Four years after losing her sister, she was also diagnosed with skin cancer. But unlike her siblings, knowledge and improvement in healthcare saved her life.

    “After losing my two siblings, actually, at first, I had fear but I just put my trust in God because we have an aged mother. If I should continue to fear, who will take care of her?

    “So I just have my faith in God and I’m confessing that me, I will not die of cancer. There’s an improvement. There are parts of my body that are healed.

    “There was a time I went through biopsy on my nose and hand. I am still taking medication, but it is improving. The treatment comes with serious pains.”

    Victoria’s treatment and those of other PWAs who have survived skin cancer receiving treatment at LASUTH has been made possible by the Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASPODA).

    According to the Chairman of Lagos State Association of PWAs, Tolani Ojuri, treatment of each PWA costs at least N3 million.

    This intervention, he said, has helped to reduce the death rate among PWAs.

    Sophia Mathew is another PWA who has lost a PWA sibling to skin cancer; an experience she described as utterly unpleasant.

    “I lost my elder brother to skin cancer,” she said as she recalled his last days.

    “His was a terrible tumor; a very big one,” she said with a grimace. 

    “There are different types of skin cancer, but his own was a deadly one. I nursed him till he died. That was in May 2020.

    “At the initial stage, I was not with him. But when they noticed it was cancer, it was almost becoming late. It was already affecting his vital organs: the kidneys and all that.

    “He was often going for dialysis. That was the stage at which I met him and started taking care of him.”

    Continuing, she said: “It is not a good one. His wasn’t a good sight, especially when the bleeding started. It was very bad.”

    Speaking of her personal experience with skin cancer, Sophia said: “I got to know about it in 2021. I just noticed a growth under my jaw. I thought it was just the way some of them come as injury, but this one started growing.”

    After some months, she said, “I had to go to the hospital where they diagnosed it as skin cancer and that part of the flesh had to be cut off. I went for surgery.

    “Of course, you have pains when you have such an issue. At one point, it gives this terrible odour. It is very offensive. Even you would perceive it yourself.”

    Without mincing words, Sophia said it is not easy living with albinism.

    “Albinism limits us,” she said.

    “Personally, I like the side hustle of cooking, catering and marketing. But I cannot do them because of the sun. I know the implications. Since I have suffered it, I know what I would face.

    “Although I like cooking and restaurant business, I can’t stay constantly close to fire. Yet you can’t employ people without being there to monitor them. You have to look at what they do.

    “We have people who are interested in sports like football, but they can’t play it because the sun is a limitation.”

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    Survivor’s hand amputated after selling Abuja building to treat cancer 

    Another survivor, Dr. Sivanus Egwu, an engineer, has not lost any sibling to skin cancer as he has none with albinism, but he had had to sell off a building he laboured hard to build just to raise money to treat the challenge which eventually claimed his hand.

    “Before I noticed that I had cancer, it was already late. It was already going bad,” he said.

    “I thought it was just like skin rashes and skin boils. It came up like a boil which I’d been having right from childhood.

    “As a child, each time I had a boil, my father would buy antibiotics for me and after taking them, they would vanish.

     “This particular one came up like that and I was taking antibiotics, trying to treat it, but it was not going.

    “Sometimes it would dry up and come back again on the same spot. I would treat it again but before you know it, it would dry up and come back again on the same spot.

    “I didn’t know that by that time it was already going deeper into my skin. I didn’t know it was killing the body cells.”

    Subsequently, he said, he had to go for surgery.

    “After that surgery, the thing dried up and came back again.  I had surgery up to three times in the same place. I did it at a private hospital.

    “I had done such surgeries before and the thing would heal. I had done one on my face and it healed.  I did another one on my leg; it went and didn’t come back.  But this one on the hand kept coming back.”

    Egwu said after some tests, experts at LASUTH diagnosed the rash as being cancerous.

    “I went to FMC at Abeokuta. They said the same thing and said they would do plastic surgery on it.

    “Eventually, I went to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital which is close to my village. There, they did the plastic surgery. It took a lot of money.

    “After some time, the thing disappeared but came back again.”

    Shocked by the development, Egwu went back to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital.  “After a lot of tests, they told me that the best thing was amputation.

    “All this gulped a lot of money. At a point, I had to sell the house I had in Abuja to raise money.

    “Eventually, I went to one orthopaedic specialist hospital in Oba, Anambra State where the amputation was done, because they said if I would not do the amputation, I should forget about life.

    “I later went to Yaba, where they did the artificial limb.”

    More PWAs relive experiences

    Edema Frederick Taiwo, a teacher, is also a survivor. 

    He told The Nation that he knew about it some years ago “when I started feeling pains in both legs and my back.

    “The one on my back, I was able to handle the operation on my own then. But the one on my leg, due to the financial situation as of last year and early this year, I was unable to meet up with the treatment.

    “It was when the Lagos State Government intervened that I had the operation done.”

    Also sharing his experience, Mojeed Onosanya said cancer in a person with albinism is not something that just comes instantly.

    “It is an accumulation of frequent exposure to the sun. So there is something called precancerous cells. It is not actually cancer. If not taken away, it can lead to major cancer.

    “What I had was a precancerous cell that must be taken off so that it would not deteriorate into a cancer itself.

    “Cancer itself is more dangerous. That means it would have penetrated into different layers of the skin.

    “When I saw a sign of precancerous cells, I just had to go for it.”

    Asked how he got to know about the development, Mojeed, who is the public relations officer of PWA association in Lagos State, said: “Due to the advocacy we always have in our association, we are told that when you have a sore on your skin and it is more than two to three weeks without healing, you just have to raise the alarm.  You need to quickly visit your dermatologist because that is a sign of cancerous cells.”

    Mojeed said he was not anxious when he noticed the precancerous cells on his body. “The only thing that can lead to anxiety is when you don’t  take any action and it deteriorates into a full blown cancer.

    “There won’t be any anxiety if you have taken precautionary measures. But if there are no precautionary measures, anxiety will surely set in.”

    He listed other challenges persons with albinism face to include low eyesight. “It’s just low eyesight, not that they are totally eye impaired.  The limit of vision is low to an extent. That is one of the major challenges of a person with albinism.”

     PWAs lament discrimination by society

    Aside from the challenge of skin cancer, the PWAs also decried the spate of discrimination against them by the society. They frowned at being ridiculously called albino, insisting they are merely people with albinism.

    Recalling his experience, Egwu said: “We face discrimination a lot, but I’ve come to live with it.

    “The one that pains me most is that when we are moving, we are distracted by people who derogatorily call us afin (albino) or afin o jeyo (albino that doesn’t eat salt), and so on. These are all derogatory expressions.”

    Continuing, Egwu said: “After my youth service, I have not worked for anybody. I don’t even know what salary is, because when you go out to find employment, even though you know the job very well, they feel you cannot perform and won’t employ you.

    “After so many years of looking for job, I had to start something on my own. And by God’s grace, most of those people that got jobs, I am better than they are today despite the expenses on my health.

    “I bought a house in Abuja. Through the work I did in Abuja, I saved money and bought a house there. But I sold it to take care of my cancer problem when I had this issue.”

    Aside from the Abuja property, Egwu said: “The building my family is living in here in Lagos was built by me. I have two cars and I have a wife with five children.

    “One has even travelled out of Nigeria to Canada and I sponsored the trip single-handedly. Another one is in a higher institution and three others are in secondary school.”

    Also sharing his experience, Mojeed said: “When I was in school, I had a lady with whom we studied together.  We moved almost everywhere together. She had a sister in the school, who went home and told their parents that the sister was going out with somebody with albinism. 

    “But our relationship was platonic. I actually had it in mind to going beyond that, but because of what the sister did, I jettisoned the idea.”

    As part of its community awareness creation on strengthening existing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)/ Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) prevention and response structure for women and girls with disabilities, the Centre for Women’s Health and Information (CEWHIN), a non-governmental organisation based in Lagos, recently held town hall meetings across Lagos and Osun states where it educated the public about the need to shun any form of discrimination and violence against people living with disabilities, including PWAs.

    The organisation has LASODA as one of its partners. 

    “We need to see people with disabilities as human beings. They are not abnormal. They have rights like everyone else.  It is the duty of everyone to make sure we live in a world that is devoid of sexual and gender-based violence on women and girls, especially women and girls with disabilities,”  Pamela Stephen, the programme officer, said.

     Survivors hail Lagos govt

    The survivors who spoke with The Nation applauded the Lagos State Government for always coming to their aid.

    Egwu said: “The Lagos State Government has been trying for us through LASODA.  They’ve been giving us Efudex. If I had used Efudex when the challenge started, maybe it wouldn’t have led to amputation.

    “Efudex is very expensive. I learned that a tube that is not even up to the size of toothpaste is N140,000. How many people  can afford it? But the Lagos State Government gives it to us for free.

    “It’s a kind of chemotherapy skin treatment. Treating cancer is not a joke.”

    Because of his unpleasant experience, Egwu said he has been educating every PWA he comes across.

    He said: “If I see anybody with albinism on the road, I call and educate the person. If you must take a child with albinism outside, find an umbrella to cover her.

    “The sun is our greatest enemy. We only have to find a way to adjust. And that is what we are doing by using cap, sunscreen, etc, which the Lagos State Government is providing.

    “We also protect our bodies by wearing long sleeve shirts and trousers, and so on.

    “Had it been I was kitting up like this since I was born, I wouldn’t have had any issue now. The sun affects us in many ways.

    “I am a field man; a self-employed engineer. I am a systems engineer. I go out whether there is sun or there is no sun to at least be able to provide for my family.”

    Also appreciating the Lagos State Government, Victoria advised that “parents should take care of their children with albinism from the onset. They can even go to their school to inform the teacher that they should be wearing long-sleeved shirts, be covered up and should use sunscreen.

    “They should use protective hats too or umbrellas. They mustn’t play in the sun.”

    On her part, Sophia said: “Thank God for LASUTH. They are always with us. At least the dermatology department always helps us.

    “Everyone reading this report should do the same to stem the tide of skin cancer among PWAs. Relevant federal and state government agencies should also follow suit because prevention is cheaper and better than cure.”

    ‘We were losing one member monthly’

    Shedding light on why PWAs are prone to skin cancer, Lagos State Chairman for Albinism Association of Nigeria, Tolani Ojuri, said it is because of the lack of melanin on our skin, and that is the protective chemical for the average human being’s skin.

    He said: “Due to lack of melanin, persons with albinism are susceptible to skin cancer. In the past five years, we’ve really had cases of skin cancer.  Some of them have led to death and some of them are receiving treatment at the government hospital as we speak.”

    One peculiarity with skin cancer, according to him, is that it can be trapped while it is still in early stage. “The survival rate is extremely high. It is almost 100 per cent. That is why we always encourage our people to always check their skin with a dermatologist at least once every six months.

    “It can even be every 90 days. But the best minimum is every six months. So that if there is any abnormality of the skin, it can be taken care of as soon as possible.”

    Ojuri added that up until the second quarter of last year, “that’s about June, July, when we had our albinism awareness day, we were having an average of one person a month dying. That means one PWA that we know a month that died of skin cancer.

    “The problem is, once they are down with this skin cancer, a lot of doctors, even from other people that are medical practitioners, don’t know how to handle these cancer cases. They keep on proffering all kinds of solutions to people with albinism, and in the process, the cancer cases get worse and eventually, they die.

    “It’s an average of 12 per year. That is like one person every month.

    “But between the third and last quarter of 2023, we have been able to stem the tide of persons with albinism dying of skin cancer.

    “We got a special intervention from the Lagos State Government and that intervention took care of all our cancer patients.

    “The state government picked up the bills for all our cancer patients. All persons with albinism who had cancer, they picked up their bills.

     “We also moved a step further, as in they provided sunshade materials for us. They provided caps, umbrellas and sunscreens so that all these things would prevent persons with albinism from exposure to the sun.”

    Corroborating his members, Ojuri said PWAs are really advised not to go out in the sun. “But if they have to, in extreme cases, use your cap, umbrella and sunscreen for protection.

     “We have eight cancer patients as I speak. Two are in the hospital at the moment. Because of the various stages of cancer, some have had two surgeries between January and now. They are recuperating. 

    “After we had the eight approved by the governor and we hit the airwaves for appreciation, another four cancer patients showed up.”

    On the average, Ojuri said, to treat one cancer patient costs about three million naira.

    “Without the intervention of the state government, cancer cases would have degenerated, and maybe some of them would have died.”

    Asked about the fate of non-members, Ojuri replied: “Well, the waters might be a bit difficult for those who are not our members to navigate. Because if they scale through the issue of segregation, the issue of discrimination,  if they are able to scale through that, the issue of health, which is the case of skin cancer, is always difficult.

    “For instance, to see a dermatologist, you need to go to a government hospital. It’s a bit difficult for somebody who is not a member of our association. They don’t even know the intervention that the Lagos government is putting in place for persons with albinism.”

  • Tension as monarch, miners spoil for war in Ogun community

    Tension as monarch, miners spoil for war in Ogun community

    • Royal father rains curses, threatens miners with charms

    • Miners operating illegally — Monarch

    • Traditional ruler has no powers to demand our operation licences — Miners

    A face-off over unlawful practices and alleged illegal suspension of operations is brewing between the Olofin Adimula of Ado-Odo town in Ogun State, Oba Idris Olusola Lamidi-Osolo and sand miners around the community, KUNLE AKINRINADE reports.

    A face-off between licensed sand miners and the traditional ruler of Ado-Odo town, Ogun State is causing tension in the ancient town. Trouble began about two weeks ago the newly installed monarch, Oba Idris Olusola Lamidi-Osolo, allegedly slammed suspension on all the miners until they produced their operational licences and got clearance from him.

    According to the miners, the monarch invited them to a meeting in his palace where he asked them to present the licences issued to them by the state government for him to vet. The miners, however, told the monarch that only their statutory regulators have the power to issue or vet their licences.

    It was said that despite the explanation, the monarch insisted on having their licences and slammed them with a stop-work order to prove that he was serious with his demand.

    Explaining the circumstances that culminated in the development, a chieftain of the miners’ association, Alhaji Alade Olanrewaju, said the monarch was overzealous in his demand for their mining licences.

    Olanrewaju, who is the Managing Director of Glowton Oil Services Limited, said their businesses have been crippled in the aftermath of the unlawful suspension and violent attack by hoodlums with backing from the palace.

    Olanrewaju said: “On April 8, 2024, the new Oba Olofin Adimula of Ado –Odo wrote to us miners, demand a meeting. In his letter, the monarch requested that we come to the meeting with our operational mining licences obtained from both the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel and the Ogun State Ministry of Trade and Investment.

    “At the meeting, some of our members told the monarch that his request for our licences was wrong and that only the regulatory authorities are vested with the power to demand or authenticate our licences.

    “We did not know that he had planned to deal with us, because right there at the meeting, he gave us prepared suspension letters.

    “We contacted the state Ministry of Trade and Investment and we were told that only the government has the right to issue and assess our licences and that we should ignore the suspension order issued by the monarch.

    “Eight days after the meeting was held, precisely on April 16, hoodlums from the palace numbering about 500 stormed our sites and brutalised our workers. Our equipment worth millions of naira was also destroyed while they inflicted injuries on our workers.

    “One of my colleagues, Gabriel Omowaiye’s multi-million naira equipment was damaged by the hoodlums during the invasion. His workers were also brutalised.

     “The hoodlums said we were disrespecting the monarch and challenging his authority by continuing our operations at the site. Our men were brutalised and our equipment were vandalised.

    “Our sites—Isalu Ijana, Oloparun and Iloro— are on the outskirts of Ado-Odo; very close to Owode, Yewa. The hoodlums snatched the sum of N900, 000 from one of my workers and raided the entire sites where other mining firms are located.

    “They went to the site of Olawa Limited and inflicted machete cuts on their workers, destroyed their excavators and motorcycles. It is so unfortunate that a monarch that was installed two weeks earlier is the one attacking our businesses violently.

    “Our injured workers are still in the hospital and we are planning to visit them after our visit to the Agbara Area Command..

    “We have forwarded petitions to the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, the Director of the Department of  the State Services (DSS), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), the Ogun State Ministry of Chieftaincy and Local Government Affairs, Ogun State Ministry of Trade and Investment as well as the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel.”

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    Corroborating Olanrewaju’s narrative, one of the workers at the sites, who identified himself simply as Adewale, said the monarch overreached himself by sending hoodlums after miners in a bid to enforce illegal clampdown on their operations.

    He said the manner of the attack was ruthless as the hoodlums spared no one in sight during their Gestapo attack on the business premises.

    Adewale said: “The scene was best witnessed than being told. We were busy with our work when we suddenly heard a thunderous shout of war-like songs.

    “Before we knew what was happening, hundreds of hoodlums armed with machete of all kinds trooped into our sites and attacked us.

    “They destroyed our premium work tools and site equipment including excavators worth millions of naira during the reign of terror that lasted several hours.

    “I escaped death by a whisker when one of the hoodlums tried to hack me with a machete. If not that I fled into a nearby bush, I would have been killed by the hoodlums.

    ”It is very sad that a monarch that should ensure peace in the town is the one behind unnecessary disturbance in a bid to legitimise an unlawful suspension.”

    It was gathered that a few days later, traditionalists from the palace went to the mining sites and buried charms there to prevent the operators of the sites from returning to their premises.

     A footage obtained by our correspondent showed some men in white robe planting some items that looked fetish on the mining sites.

    The three traditionalists told the workers that the monarch instructed them to stop them from working at the site. The workers, who stood beside an excavator, were heard saying: “These traditionalists were sent by the kabiyesi (monarch) to stop us from working. This time around, they have not come to fight with us, rather, they have come to deliver the stop work order of the monarch.

    “I told the monarch during our meeting with him that his suspension of our operations is wrong,” one of the workers said.

    In another video, the traditionalists threatened to deal with workers at one of the sites if they insisted on working.

    “We are still enforcing the suspension order of the Olofin Adimula of Ado-Odo.  Have you complied with the monarch’s order?

    “This site is about the fourth site we are going to shut down. We have shut down mining sites and expelled their workers in Ilashe, Oloparun and Akebaje.

    “We will not allow any truck to evacuate sand from this site,” said the traditionalists.

    In another footage, the traditionalists are seen burying some fetish items in the ground at one of the sites with heavy curses on anyone who defied the monarch’s order.

    “Whoever comes here to work in defiance of the suspension order on operations at the mining site, let the person witness unending calamities. Whoever defies the order of Oba Olofin Adimula of Ado-Odo, let him move from one problem to another; let the persons lose their eyes and suffer untold calamities that they will not be able to remedy except they comply with the Oba’s order,” the traditionalist said before they buried the items in the ground and gulped some dry gin.

    A video also showed the traditionalists cursing defiant operators of a mining site while burying charms there.

    “If the operators of these sites defy the order of Oba Olofin (of Ado-Odo), may the terrestrial lords collect the money they make from this place. May the terrestrial lords take their legs, hands and eyes. So shall it be.” 

    A community leader, who asked not to be named, expressed disappointment with the development, saying the monarch as the traditional leader of the town should embrace dialogue instead of taking the laws into his own hands to enforce an illegal order.

    “Monarchs are the traditional leaders of communities, and as such, the Oba of Ado-Odo should embrace dialogue in any disagreement he has with any persons and organisations in his domain.

    “It is unacceptable that a traditional ruler would resort to violence to reprimand his subjects.

    “The new monarch should learn from the mistakes of his predecessor, Oba Adeniran, whose reign was marked with civil disturbances to the extent that he was publicly humiliated and exiled.”

    However, Oba Lamidi-Osolo, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, explained that the miners were operating illegally in his kingdom, adding that their operations were causing environmental degradation and loss of lives.

    “For any mining licence operation to be granted, there is what they call community development agreement between the mining firms or operators and the leadership of the community where the mining activities would take place.

    “The agreements, including corporate social responsibilities, will be reached between the host community and the mining operators, but they were carrying out their activities unchecked.

    “They were very arrogant when I told them about these things at a meeting. Hence, I told them that I would investigate their non-compliance with best practices in mining since they could not provide any documents to back their operations in my domain.

    “But I said for the time being, stop your operations until I am through with my findings.

    “I reported the matter to a Special Adviser to the Minister of Mines and Steel who handed me over to some directors in the ministry and officials of the ministry came to Ado-Odo on fact-finding and were shocked that the miners have been operating unlawfully without carrying out Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before commencing their operations here.

    “Some of the things discovered include extension of a three month licence to mine clay beyond the duration of the licence allocated to some operators. The officials said the activities of the miners amount to mining bunkering since they are not complying with standard regulations and practices in the mining sector.

    “It was also discovered that the damage done by these miners had gone beyond the level of environmental degradation, which informed my intervention.

    “For example, two children died recently as a result of the unwholesome excavation activities by these miners, because some of them excavated sharp sand beyond the 30 feet prescribed by the Ministry of Mines and Steel, but the situation was managed shortly before my ascension when there was no monarch on the throne.

    “The kids were moving from one farm to another at Idobarun village in this kingdom when they got trapped in the shallow pit created by the unwholesome excavation carried out by the miners.

    “Consequently, the Ministry of Mines and Steel issued a stop work order suspending mining activities in Ado-Odo. So, I am only enforcing the suspension order and I have the copy of the order with me.

    “However, I discovered that despite the suspension order, the miners were still operating in defiance of the stop-work order, hence, I asked our local vigilantes to shut down the sites and ensure that nobody operates illegally at the mining sites and there is a committee set up at my instance to investigate the matter.”

     A copy of the stop-work order issued to the miners and addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, by the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel reads in part: “May I refer to the above subject matter  and soliciting (sic) for your assistance to STOP any form of mining activities  within the Ado-Odo town  and its environs in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area, Ogun State due to the instruction  from our Ministry headquarters  in Abuja about the illegal mining activities going on wihin the area,” the letter signed by the Federal Mines Officer in charge of Ogun State Office of the Ministry, Mr. O.S. Ayelabola, said.

    Meanwhile, Oba Lamidi-Osolo added that the potency of the rituals at the sites would cease the moment the matter is resolved if the miners comply and embrace operational standards.

    “We have our traditional mode of enforcement, and that was what the local vigilante I sent to the sites did. Once the miners comply with best practices guiding their operations and the matter is resolved, the efficacy of the items placed there ceases immediately,” the monarch said.

  • Nwonyo: Resurrection of Nigeria’s biggest fishing festival

    Nwonyo: Resurrection of Nigeria’s biggest fishing festival

    The famous Nwonyo fishing festival in Taraba State, which is supposed to be an annual event, was neglected for 14 years until Governor Agbu Kefas came on board to reawaken it from slumber. Senior Correspondent, FANEN IHYONGO, writes that the fishing festival, now revived, was held penultimate Saturday, drawing tourists and visitors from within and outside the country.

    Taraba folks have every reason to thank nature. They are blessed with abundant mineral resources that earn the state the enviable epithet ‘Nature’s Gift to the Nation’.  They are also pampered with splendorous destinations that make tourists swoon. Besides a fabled Mamara Crocodile Pond in Wukari and the breathtaking Mambilla Plateau in Sardauna Local Government Area, nature has also given Taraba people a fertile tillable soil and, above all, the Nwonyo Lake which has thrown up the biggest fish Nigeria has ever seen.

    The fishing festival is a tourism attraction that has put the country in world reckoning. The lake has been the identity and heritage of southern Taraba people for more than 100 years. A tributary of River Benue flows into it, covering a distance of about 10km.

    Most of the aquatic creatures from the main river course take asylum at Nwonyo due to its cool and serene habitat and the fact that the lake is a reserve.

    This year’s Nwonyo fishing festival, which was celebrated penultimate Saturday, was pomp and thrilling, taking place 14 years after the late former governor, Danbaba Suntai, last organised it in 2010.

    Thus, the rustic town of Ibi, which hosts the Nwonyo Lake, came alive following the festival’s resurrection from slumber. While some of the guests came in rickety vehicles, others blared sirens in flashy posh cars. The route witnessed perhaps its biggest traffic since the lake was discovered as a fish haven.

    From Wukari, hotels and guest houses were booked, as all roads had led to Ibi two days to the event. Beginning on the eve ushering the D-day were cultural competitions such as boat regatta, horse race, traditional wrestling, masquerades, cultural displays and other exhilarating attractions.

    The grand finale of the festival was the fishing competition, which involves local fishermen using small boats and nets to catch the biggest fish to win the star prize. The fishing contest is the essence of Taraba as ‘Nature’s Gift to the Nation, which seeks to showcase Taraba’s richness in tourism, and above all, place Nigeria at an enviable pedestal on world tourism map.

    It was gathered that Nwonyo fishing and cultural festival has been in existence since 1914 but was not famous like the Arugungu in Kebbi State. The attention of the federal government was however drawn to it in 2009 when it produced the biggest catch ever in Nigerian fishing history, weighing an amazing 230kg.

    This time around the biggest fish produced by the festival weighed 170kg, caught by one Hudu Abubakar. And for his phenomenal effort, he went home with a car prize.

    Samaila Yakubu was second runner up with a catch weighing 150kg. Yusuf Abubakar, whose fish weighed 120kg, came third in the fishing tournament. They were all compensated with gifts for making Taraba proud.

    The atmosphere at the event was generally that of a carnival. Besides the fishing expedition, there was also the search for turtles and crocodiles. Some guests were not patient to watch from the pavilion as they were just milling around to catch glimpses of all that went on. Soon a market was created and hawkers took advantage to brisk up their businesses.

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    Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, said the festival was one of the various ways his administration could promote justice and peace among the different ethnic groups in the state. Happy with the turn up and success of the event, the governor commended the efforts of the organisers and the local competitors.

    Former Denfence Minister, Gen TY Danjuma, told the Nigerian authority to urgently redeem the “battered image of the country” by addressing the security challenges confronting the nation.

    “Those in positions of authority must work hard to make the country safe for all Nigerians, including foreigners, before we can attract more investors into the country.

    “If we continue to make our roads unsafe for people to move around, our dreams of making Nwonyo fishing and cultural festival an international festival cannot be achieved, because no person or group of persons will want to come to our state or country if we continue to kill and butcher people.

    “Nigerians must put their house in order by exhibiting peaceful coexistence to attract foreign tourists and investors in the country,” Gen. Danjuma who chaired the 2024 edition of Nwonyo fishing festival remarked.

    Also speaking at the event, the Governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu  Fintiri, charged the Taraba State Government to sustain the Nwonyo Fishing Festival which he said had created global awareness for economic benefits.

    He pledged that his administration would continue to work round the clock to foster mutual cooperation between Adamawa and Taraba.

    Namibian Ambassador to Nigeria, Godfrey Gesset, said Namibia is a great fishing nation after mining, adding that Africans can grow their tourism by cooperating with one another. He acknowledged the cordial relationship between Nigeria and his country, which, according to him, dates back to the days of the Namibian liberation struggle.

    For the Minister of Tourism, Tony Ojeh, “the Nwonyo festival has provided us the platform to showcase our culture and celebrate our collective identity. It is a reminder of the importance of preserving our natural resources.”

    Former deputy governor, now the senator representing Taraba Central, Haruna Manu, promised that he and his Taraba colleagues at the National Assembly will all serve as ambassadors of the festival and will strive to make it an international event.

    The revival of Nwonyo fishing festival, according to Emmanuel Bello, an aide on Media and Digital Economy, is part of Governor Kefas plans for the tourism sector, which will later include the resuscitation of all comatose government agencies, projects, hotels and festivals for improved economy and peaceful coexistence.

  • ‘We didn’t plan for seven children, family planning treatment failed us’

    ‘We didn’t plan for seven children, family planning treatment failed us’

    • Okada rider’s wife delivered of triplets after four children cries out

    • Says family planning device at public health centre failed her three times

    Everything around their abode typifies squalour — a windy road dotted with craters, stray dogs charging at passers-by, a junk of cars-swathed mechanic workshops and kiosks of liquor vendors with men on drinking binge. The distressed couple, Emmanuel Olawale Jacob and Muibat his wife wallow in hopelessness in their dingy room at No 14 Ola Mummy Street, Pipeline area of Aboru, Lagos.

    Still struggling with raising four children as an okada (commercial motorcycle) rider, life became a nightmare for Jacob as his wife was delivered of a set of triplets on December 17 last year, turning him into a father of seven children made up of six boys and one girl.

    But neither Jacob nor his wife was excited at the news of the arrival of a set of triplets because they never planned to add any more to the four they already had. They, however, suffered a disappointment as the family planning treatment Muibat underwent at a public hospital failed and she got pregnant again only to be delivered of three baby boys.

    “We didn’t plan to have seven children. It was the family planning treatment I received at a public health centre in Alimosho that failed me,” Muibat said.

    “It was my fourth attempt at family planning. I had done three before and they failed, but did not result in pregnancy.

    “I was assured by the health centre’s doctors of the treatment’s efficacy. I was told that it would expire by the end of 2024. I was however shocked last year when I became pregnant and was delivered of a set of triplets in December 2023.”

    Muibat is a street sweeper attached to the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA). She used to sell foodstuff until she lost her capital after her husband suffered the misfortune of being displaced from his auto-mechanic workshop some years ago.

    The birth of the triplets was not without challenges. Shortly after they were born, defraying the medical bill for their delivery became a problem. The babies and their mother were detained in the hospital for weeks until a kind-hearted man of northern extraction helped to settle the bill.

    But while the couple were celebrating the gesture, they were again confronted with the shocking news that their landlord had sold the house where they lived with their children.

    Muibat said: “Since I was delivered of these babies, life has not been fair to me and my husband. We didn’t expect three babies at all.

    “At the hospital where I gave birth to them, we could not pay the money required for delivery.

    “As a result, I was detained at the hospital until a Good Samaritan came to our rescue and cleared the bill.

    “While we were still rejoicing over this, information got to us that our landlord had sold the house where we lived while the new owner had ordered that all the occupants must move out within one month.

    “The small room the nine of us are sharing now is one of the storerooms in our church. It was given to us for free by our former pastor who has since sold the church building and relocated to somewhere else.

    “Again, the new owner of the building has told us to leave by the end of this month (April), and we don’t know where to go to because we don’t have money to get a new accommodation.”

    The 40-year-old native of Ilero community in Oyo State added that the cost of feeding the triplets named Ayobami, Ayodele and Ayoola has taken a toll on the family and she has had to find an alternative in a local cereal made purely from dry corn.

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    “We cannot afford the cost of processed infant food. What I have been doing now is to give them breast milk and cornmeal.

    “Even at that, we can no longer afford the cost of preparing the corn meal and we need help from Nigerians with good hearts to rescue us from this hopeless situation so that we don’t lose these babies and others to hunger.”

    Sharing his plight during the encounter with our reporter, Jacob, a trained auto-mechanic specialising in repairs of Japanese cars, said he was displaced from his workshops many times by officials of the state government who forcibly ejected him and others.

    He explained further that he suffered a similar fate in other places where he got land to establish workshops, adding that he opted to earn a living as an okada rider after he lost his workshops and had nowhere to practice his vocation.

    He said: “I didn’t start my life as an okada operator. I trained as an auto-mechanic and Japanese cars are my specialty.

    “It happened that I operated from a workshop on Olowu Street in Ikeja and I was doing fairly well until state authorities enforced the regulations against the location of auto-mechanic workshops in residential areas.

    “After we were forcibly ejected from the workshop, I joined hands with others to establish other workshops in about three places but we were displaced by land speculators who forcibly annexed the workshops and sold them to people who converted the places to residential apartments.

    “I lost many of the clients I was servicing their cars who were patronising me at the workshops. Exasperated by my joblessness and piling bills, I decided to give okada a try to earn a living and feed my family.”

    Despite his solace in okada business, Jacob could not get any enduring reprieve as he moved from one problem to another.

    According to the 60-year-old indigene of Ado-Odo town in Ogun State, three motorbikes were confiscated from him by the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences in quick succession.

    “Having lost my workshops to the enforcement by state officials and land speculators, I took to okada riding but lost three motorbikes to the state task force who impounded them during raids on our parks at Iyana Ipaja.

    “After the setback, I got two motorbikes and again lost them to robbery. One of the two motorcycles was stolen where it was parked in my house while the other one was snatched from the person I asked to operate it and deliver proceeds to me.

    “The robbers that snatched the motorbike inflicted deep machete cuts on the man during the robbery operation.”

     Jacob said his hope hangs in the balance as help is not coming from anywhere despite his appeals to certain public and private quarters.

    “I don’t have a dime as I speak,” he said.

    “Having lost my means of livelihood to robbers, I have taken a job as a driver of a school bus in a private school on a paltry salary that can barely feed me not to talk of my family of seven.

    “I was so confident, based on the assurance of doctors that the family planning treatment given to my wife was efficient and that it would prevent her from becoming pregnant since we were done with having more children.

    “However, it failed us, and my wife was confirmed to be pregnant shortly after she was administered with the family planning method in the early months of 2023, and she was subsequently delivered of a set of triplets in December.

    “When she became pregnant, we had no money to do a pregnancy scan. Otherwise, we would have known that she was carrying triplets in her womb and possibly cried out in time for help.

    “Although my younger brother assisted me with money while my wife and the babies were held at the hospital, he is currently battling sight problem and he has spent a lot on the treatment of his eyes.

    “A few individuals I approached are not also forthcoming, and at the moment, the person who gave us this room, who is our former pastor, has asked us to quit this place because he has sold the building to a new owner.

    “My headache now is how to get new accommodation for my family and take care of my children, especially the new babies.

    “As I speak with you, the man who bought this property from our former pastor has given us till 28th of this month to vacate our small room.

    “Initially, he asked us to leave by the beginning of this month, but after sending people to plead with him on our behalf, he agreed to give us concession till April 28, failing which he could forcibly eject us from this building.”

    He added: “The cost of feeding the babies is too much for me. My wife who is currently battling a sight problem could have helped me a little if she was still working as a sweeper. But she stopped working when she became pregnant and has not resumed work as she has to take care of the babies.

    “Every week, I spend about N5,500 on milk, which we mix with corn meal to support the exclusive breastfeeding of the babies, and the burden is quite on me to look for money to take care of my family.

    “I am therefore appealing to the public to rescue me from this hopelessness through financial support to cater for these new babies and the rest as I cannot afford to watch them starve and die of hunger.”

     Donations can be sent to a Zenith Bank account number: 2214525106 in the name of the father of the babies, Emmanuel Jacob. He can also be reached on his mobile phone number 08024067769.

  • Lagos CP Adegoke Fayoade: I chose police job above university lecturer

    Lagos CP Adegoke Fayoade: I chose police job above university lecturer

    Lagos State Commissioner of Police Adegoke Fayoade is not new to Lagos having previously served as DPO (Ilupeju and Victoria Island) and Deputy Commissioner; he sat down with Assistant Editor TAIWO ALIMI to talk about his framework to policing Lagos, why he chose Police ahead of University lecturer and other issues.

    You came in as Commissioner of Police in Lagos State in December of 2023, making it about four months on the saddle, what are plans or templates for policing a metropolitan city like Lagos? 

    I assumed office as CP Lagos on the 14th of December 2023. Before now, I served in Lagos first as DPO and as Deputy Commissioner in charge of State CID and as Deputy Commissioner in charge of Administration Zone 2, so I know Lagos very well. And before coming to assume office as CP Lagos, I have critically looked at the challenges ahead and prepared myself for the challenges. 

    Lagos, being the economic nerve center of Nigeria and indeed Africa with a population of, by my estimation about 30 million Nigerians, is not an easy place to police. I know there will be a lot of challenges and for Lagos to remain the economic nerve center of the country has to remain crime-free, so that investors all over the world can continue to invest in Lagos. And Lagos being a metropolitan with a high level of literacy, almost 100 percent literate people, you know you are policing a civilized people so you lift your game and ensure that crime is not allowed at all. Where it happens it must be minimal.

    I drew out my plans and one of which I know other CPs have been battling with is removing motorcycle operators (okadas) from prohibited areas.  From my experience of policing in Lagos, criminals hide under the guise of okada operator to operate because it is a very easy getaway for them once they rob their victims or try to get away with their loot. So, the government has always insisted that okada should not operate in certain areas. But, you know that the use of okada has been a means of livelihood, and the okada operators will not take it lightly. They will always violate the law and unless stricter measure is used they are not going to abandon the prohibited route easily. So, I know that is one of the things I have to tackle headlong.

    Secondly, I’m aware of the fact that cult activity is also one of the things that disturb the neighbourhood, which I have to tackle. These young boys will just gather themselves and start terrorizing people in the community. They will form themselves into different groups and want to claim supremacy that this group is superior to the other and they end up fighting them selves.  They even employ the use of lethal weapons; guns and what have you to fight themselves. Once they start the community is not at rest. Everyone will be scampering for safety and people will be running so as not to be caught in the firing that always occurs between two gangs.

    I also discovered that traffic robbery was becoming prominent because once there is traffic; they will mingle with the traffic and begin to rob unsuspecting motorists and pedestrians.

    I also discovered that the neighborhood must be well protected. The patrol should be intensified, especially night patrol and our men should be in the neighbourhood to prevent houses from being bugled in the night or invaded by these hoodlums.

    Apart from these I also know that I have to sensitise the police force. I have to make them put more effort into serving the general public. That is to say, the DPO area commander should always be on their toes to supervise their men to do what they are supposed to do. One thing that I know is that once you give an assignment and you don’t follow up, you will not get results. So, you must be on their track every hour.

    These are things I thought of before I came in and some of these things or all of these things I have to put in place to create a safer and secure Lagos. And since I came I’ve worked very hard with the support of my officers and men to restrict the okadas from operating in prohibited areas reduce traffic robbery and make sure that these boys don’t have their way easily robbing innocent Nigerians. I’m also working hard to ensure that attacks in neighborhood robberies, and stealing are brought to a barest minimum. Lagos is a moving city and not a sleepy one, police must be on their toes 24 hours, so most of our DPOs don’t have time to go to their homes, they remain in their posts to make sure that their boys are working very hard. In these last few months, we have made many discoveries; we have recovered so many arms and ammunition. We have been able to arrest a lot of criminals, armed robbers, and kidnappers, and made very good arrests that have led to relative peace and calm in our city and most of our neighborhoods.

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    We have also been able to build more trust between the members of the public and the Police. Police are now more accessible and available to members of the public. I’ve also said that reporting cases must be made easy. How can it be made easy? It is for the police to change their attitude. They must be friendly, and able to listen attentively to the complaints, and they must accept complaints unconditionally and attend to them professionally and speedily. My idea of good reception in our stations is also gaining ground. Our officers must be conscious and attentive to the members of the public and I’ve always told them that they must exhibit high civility. The public must be respected and they must attend to them professionally.  Once that becomes a habit, members of the public will automatically respect the Police.

    So, all these we have put in place because, without the support of the people, we cannot police Lagos State well. Within the neighborhood, there are criminals, and cultists who live there and so unless we work closely with the society and we build trust we cannot get our service well delivered but once we can work with the members of the public, information will flow. Where criminal hideouts are, kidnappers and armed robbers will be easily exposed through this information.

    And that is our target to nip criminal activities in the bud before it happens. Take the fight to their hideout and prevent them from coming out. Neutralize them before they attack. To make sure that crime doesn’t happen at all. And that is the strategy that we are emphasizing and what will give Lagos the ideal safety that we are looking for. Once crimes are not allowed to happen, people will feel very safe. To be proactive, to dominate the security space, and to ensure that crime does not happen.

    The issue of trust that you mention will take me to the next question.  During the last worker’s national strike in February, the Lagos Police came out distributing cold water and biscuits to protesters in Lagos in volatile areas like Ojota. How did you arrive at this model that has got a lot of people taking?

    My philosophy of policing has always been people-centered. I believe that whatever policing that is put in place must serve the interest of the people. And that has been my style all along.

    When the issue of the strike came to be everyone was expecting Lagos to explode and once that happens it goes round to other parts of the country. We had to put a lot of measures in place for this not to happen. We had a series of meetings with civil society, the labour union, the market men and women, and others. We appealed to them not to protest and if they must do it must be done peacefully. And we told them that if they must do it we would provide all the necessary security to make sure that hoodlums and those who want to use the situation to foment will not have their way. That is what we agreed on and on the day of the protest, I even promised them that I was going to be part of it. That I will move around with them. They thought I was joking.

    So, on the day, they took off from the end of Awolowo Way and moved towards Alausa, and I was with them. Before the major protest, there was a civil society protest a day before and I gave them water and biscuits. They trekked from Ojuelegba to Maryland and they were going to the Fawehinmi Park in Ojota. I gave them water and biscuits and the second day I thought to myself if I could give those people water and biscuits, let’s do the same thing for the workers protesting.

    The intention was to ensure that everybody remained healthy and strong throughout the protest and no one collapses. We don’t want any casualty whatsoever. We want it to be incident-free. So, I said let’s get water and biscuit so that we can energise the protesters. So, I got enough water and we had a biscuit for that matter. At the end of the day, we give glory to God, the protest was peaceful and there was no incident. Not a single confrontation. No one slapped anyone. We were just moving and exchanging banters in a friendly manner and we moved up to the National Assembly gate and the Majority Speaker and other members of the House came out and addressed them. Femi Falana SAN was there with other top human rights activists and it all went well.

    You have said a lot about the sacrifice that your officers and men have to make to keep Lagos secure, what about their welfare? The welfare of the Police has been on the front burner for a very long time. What is your opinion on this?

    I must tell you that Police welfare has always been improved upon even though there is still a lot to do, especially when it is compared with other police settings outside Nigeria. I must tell you that the job of the police is very tough. It is a herculean job. We work timelessly. No policeman works for eight hours like a civil servant. The shortest time a policeman does is maybe 12 hours and sometimes you may have to extend that 12 hours to 24 hours. So, there is a need for encouragement and better welfare. Succeeding governments have been trying and I know that the welfare of police will be a continuous one.

    There are many hotspots in Lagos, like Agege, Ojota, Ketu, Ikorodu, and many other places. In these places activities of cult boys are rampant what is the Command doing to reduce to the barest minimum their activities?  

    Yes! We are doing something already to make the hot spots become soft spots. We have targeted these hot spots. I have the list of them and we are removing miscreants in all these places. Some of them might be taken over by the government because if there is no activity there, these miscreants and criminals will return to the place. We are going to make the raid a continuous one. In the last few days, we have taken about 1500 miscreants out of the hot spots and we are going to intensify our raid. I want to say that their numbers keep increasing and they are becoming a threat to the state. So, we will continue to intensify efforts to remove those who are criminals and those who have no means of livelihood, usually those who have turned to criminal activities. We will make the state too hot for them. Once they are arrested we shall take necessary action within the arms of the law. Our intelligence gathering and networks have also increased. We know their hideout and we shall continue to go after them so that these areas can be peaceful.

    On a lighter note we want to know more about our CP, did you set out to become a policeman or was it something that was not planned for? 

    Yes! I set out from the beginning to be a policeman, not necessarily to be a policeman I wanted to do a uniform job. Two things I want to do in this world; one, to be a lecturer in the University, and the other to be a policeman or do another uniform job. When at a point I got enlisted in the Police, I also got the opportunity to be an assistant lecturer at a University. I was asked to come and do my Masters and be an assistant lecturer. I was confused and had to approach a cousin of mine who is more elderly. I said ‘These are the two options I have and they are coming at the same time. Which one do I take?’  He now advised me this way; ‘if you are a lecturer and you rise to the exalted position of professor you might even become a Vice-Chancellor, you will be useful to us but your usefulness will be limited to the four walls of the University, but if you become a policeman and you are lucky to rise steadily to the rank of Commissioner and if you are lucky get above it, before even before you get to that position, you would have done a lot for many of us. So, in terms of being useful to the community and to yourself, I think you should take this police option.’ That is why I took to that advice; I went to the Police Academy.

    How do you unwind when you are not policing?          

    I love to watch news; and network news. I do some sports too. I play table tennis and tennis. And I love to watch films that are crime-related. And I also find time to stay with my family because we don’t have much time to be with them.   

    In terms of manpower and policing Lagos and Nigeria in general, do you think we have enough policemen, and if not is that not a hindrance to policing Lagos adequately?   

    We have a good number of policemen in Lagos, but that is not to say we have enough policemen. The United Nations standard is one policeman to 400 people. Presently what we have in Nigeria is lower than that. I don’t think we have attained that figure. By my estimation, we have about 600 persons to one policeman, but if this recruitment is going to be done every year; 30, 000 every year as promised by the government, and it is done judiciously, by 2027, we would have improved exponentially despite the rising population. If it is continuously sustained for another four years we might be able to attain the United Nations standard. Lagos needs more policemen. Lagos may be the fastest-growing city in Africa and the population is increasing every day being the economic nerve center of the country. Lagos needs more policemen. People are moving to Lagos and the interiors are getting more populated. We also need more police stations to cover those areas. I believe the Inspector General of Police (IG) is addressing this issue and very soon it will be taken care of.

    How much support are you getting from the Lagos State government?

    The support is tremendous. It is great. Honestly, it is commendable. They are supporting us and very soon about 250 patrol vehicles will be released to the Command. That is a huge support. In terms of logistic support, it is also very high and I will also thank the Lagos State government for this support. I don’t think that there is any other state that supports the police this much.   

  • Shade Okoya: Shattering glass ceiling in male-dominated sector

    Shade Okoya: Shattering glass ceiling in male-dominated sector

    Chief (Mrs.) Folashade Okoya, MON stands out as a leading figure in the manufacturing sector. She has continued to shatter the glass ceiling in the male-dominated terrain.  The Bewaji of Lagos, who has been honoured and recognised at the academic front and national level, knows her onions. Since the mantle of leadership fell on her as the managing director of Eleganza Industries Limited, she has used her magic wand to turn the  famous conglomerate around. She turned 47 on April 25 and also celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary. BUKOLA OJO, writes on the industrial genius and workaholic entrepreneur whose enterprising acumen continues to dazzle in the manufacturing sector.

    It has been over 25 years since her path crossed with the industrial giant of the famous Eleganza Industry, Chief Rasaki Akanni Okoya, but this amazing and talented diva has continued to shine like  diamonds in the sky as a wife and mother and as an outstanding entrepreneur.

    Her early years with the Aare of Lagos and Landlord of Oluwanishola Estate saw her raising four wonderful children. Done with child bearing, the Ijebu Ode, Ogun State born beauty plunged herself into the art of manufacturing. And having leaned the ropes under the tutelage of an established husband, this  combined with determination and interest, she soared. 

    Today, she has held her head high and commanded respect as one of the outstanding business magnates in Nigeria.

    With over 60 years of experience, Eleganza Industries has invested heavily in machines and molds. Now at the helm of Eleganza Industries Limited, she oversees operations on a vast 35-acre site near the Pan Atlantic University on the Ibeju-Epe Expressway.

    The facilities in the factory are state-of-the-art, producing a wide array of goods that meet both high-quality standards and international benchmarks.

    She is proud of Eleganza’s exploits in manufacturing. Take for instance the plastic chairs. Their robustness, elegance, and durability are second to none. With over 200 diverse designs, it is hard to believe these chairs are crafted in Nigeria—they rival global standards. Some feature upholstered seats, which add to their appeal.

    She said during an encounter with journalists: “We’re setting sights on exporting these chairs globally, confident that their distinctive designs and marketability will resonate worldwide.

    “Their affordability is another plus, thanks to locally sourced materials from our petrochemical industry.

    “Available in various colors and shapes, they’re perfect for any event, making venues both presentable and inviting.”

    Speaking further, she said they also cater for schools. “ln addition to our renowned chairs, we offer tables and desks that surpass traditional wood in durability and elegance.

    Read Also: No to bully in schools

    “They are cost-effective too, thanks to our use of local petrochemical materials, making them accessible for any school.

    “Schools highly favour them for enhancing classroom aesthetics and student comfort.”

    Reeling out what has made Eleganza stand out over the years, she added: “Our cooling boxes and food warmers set us apart as West Africa’s pioneers.

    “Despite growing competition, our standards remain unmatched.

    “Our coolers are known for their superior durability and cooling efficiency; a testament to our unrivaled experience.

    “Our  Casserole Sets collection boasts over 150 patterns, combining durability with style, available in various colours.

    “We lead in quality and durability, making us the top choice with no compromise on quality and affordability.

    “Not limited to household items, it caters for babies.

    “For the little ones, our baby diapers are designed for extended wear without discomfort or rashes, ensuring durability and the utmost care for baby’s skin.”

    Managing an industry of this size is no easy fit for anyone. How has she been able to succeed in steering its affairs in a male-dominated world successfully?

    “To be honest, it has not been eas. But with hard work, determination and the Grace of God, we were able to scale through.”

    For Mrs. Okoya, the sector she operates in has been beset by many challenges in the last few years (FX, input costs, energy costs etc). So, how is she navigating these challenges to stay afloat?

    “Our biggest challenge is electricity because we strictly operate on generator, which makes life not easy for us.”

    Also, industries have been urged to embrace backwards integration to reduce FX exposure. How much has this helped her and how much of her needed materials are locally sourced?

    “On some products like our plastic products, almost 90% are local materials, due to local petrol-chemicals.”

    For her magic wand and business acumen, she has been credited for a lot of the transformation efforts the business has undergone in the last decade to keep Eleganza relevant.

    To this,  shesaid: “Well, I am humbled and at the same time give God the glory. The company has been in existence for almost 60 years.

    “And having leaned under him I decided to take the bull by the horns to team up collectively and bring it to life.

    “I persuaded him to bring everything back alive. That is why we are in our present new Iocation on Lekki-Epe Expressway.”

    Her driving force?

    “My husband’s interest in industry is very high. It is all his life, and to enjoy my marriage, I have to join forces with him.”

    Looking at current realities, would she say production costs and cost of goods would see any reprieve soon?

    ‘Yes, there is big hope for Nigeria. I join prayers with my husband that we should industrialise Nigeria, especially our youths. We must teach them how to make good money.

    “Cottage industry in all the states for these youths will be the answer with private finance and trade by barter with some countries to bring their machines in and teach our youths.

    “A lot of costs will be down and life will be normal. There will be less crime. That is my daily prayer.”

    Manufacturing is the bedrock of any economy, how best can Nigeria improve on industrialization?

    “By encouraging our youths, who are in the majority. As I have explained, there will be more millionaires in the country and majority will be happy, cost will be automatically forced down and crime will be a word of the past.”

    If given the opportunity, what would she do/advice can be done to revamp this sector for proper optimization and growth?

    “Cottage industry is a minor procedure which does not require major capital or attention and yet it will give a lot of relief to our daily lives.”

    As a major player in the plastics industry, how is she encouraging sustainability and recycling processes?

    “Recycling will be a lot of help and it makes cost cheaper and easier, and it will be this part of cottage industry for the youth which will make life easier, which is my daily prayer.

    “Our products stand out for their excellence, with soaps that are unique, pleasantly perfumed and produced on state-of-the-art German machines; disposable and reusable plastic cups and plates that are elegant, durable, and available in over 100 shapes, and a range of quality cosmetics for beauty, elegance, and comfort.”

    Like many companies in Nigeria, in spite of her commitment to quality, Mrs.  Okoya says she  faces a significant challenge such as  power supply.

    She said: “Reliant on generators and diesel, production is difficult. But we are working hard to resolve the issue. We hope to overcome this hurdle within a few months.”

    On Thursday April 25, the business magnate turned 47 and also marked 25 years of marital bliss with her soulmate, Alhaji Rasaki Okoya.

    The Oluwanishola Estate was opened to all dignitaries from all walks of life in lavish combined celebrations hosted by her loving husband.

    Mrs. Okoya no doubt is a society matriarch and a head turner with stunning styles. But beyond this, she dedicates herself to the factory six days a week, from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm.

    Her time is divided between the factory, her four children, her husband, and occasional social events on weekends. This University of Lagos trained graduate’s dedication, commitment to duty and style are truly inspiring.

  • Kwashiorkor, malnutrition loom as indigent parents ration proteinous foods

    Kwashiorkor, malnutrition loom as indigent parents ration proteinous foods

    • Experts list affordable protein sources for children

    • Fish, meat prices skyrocketing inflation – NBS

    Following the rising costs of food items, poultry, meat, and dairy  food in particular, many indigent parents have had to cut off or  drastically reduce the quantity and quality of the food they give to their children. INNOCENT DURU examines the implications for growing children and how parents can circumvent the challenges.

    Paul, a security man and father of two earns N28,000 as salary every month. Prior to this time, he could manage to buy fish or meat for the family to cook and keep life going. But with prices of proteinous food items going up every day, he has found it difficult to make provisions for his family as he had managed to do in the past.

    “I can’t afford to buy  fish or meat like I used to.  How much am I earning as salary that I would buy just one fish for more than N3,000?   Shawa fish that people were not eating before have become gold. It is no longer affordable for people like me. The same thing applies to eggs and even beans. These are proteinous foods that children need to grow, but since I can’t afford them what can I do? 

    “Ordinary power milk that the children used to take has also gone out of reach.  We don’t even know what chicken looks like anymore. If you see chicken in my pot , a miracle must have happened somewhere and somehow.

    “It is disheartening but the concern is no longer about meat or fish anymore. It is about putting something in the stomach to keep life going.”

    The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, during the week said the country’s  headline inflation rate reached 33.2 percent in March 2024. This represents a 1.5 percentage points year-on-year (YoY) increase from 31.7 percent recorded in February 2024.

    The NBS noted  that food inflation increased YoY by 2.09 percentage points to 40.01 percent in March from 37.92 percent in February.

    Checks on the bureau’s reports for February and March revealed that the soaring prices of fish, meat and other proteinous foods contributed to the rising  inflation rate.

    The ugly development has compelled  more people to quit poultry, meat and dairy food that give protein.

    Mrs Emmanuel, who washes for a  local dry cleaner in Alimosho Area of Lagos, says she has completely done away with iced fish and meat. The woman wore a famished look as she spoke with our correspondent. Her child was also without vigour. It was evident from the  baby’s look that she is a victim of poor nutrition. 

    “I have not eaten fresh fish or meat since the price went up,” Mrs Emmanuel interjected our correspondent as she goes on to rhetorically ask, “Where will I get the money to buy them at such exorbitant rates?”

    Asked how she has been coping without meat and fish, she said: “What I have been doing is more of having flavour of fish in my food. I buy smoked fish for N500 and add it to my food or soup.

    “The N500 worth of smoked fish could be just one or two or three small fish. I cut them into pieces and scatter them in whatever I am cooking.

    “The idea is just to have a taste of fish in what I am eating. The idea of eating one big chunk of fish is gone with the situation in the country.  My prayer is that the price of smoked fish should not skyrocket.”

    Although she understands the nutritional implications of not eating proteinous food in the right quantity, she said: “There is nothing one can do about the situation at hand. It is rather unfortunate that what I managed to enjoy growing up, my children can’t enjoy a bit of them. I hope and pray that things will get better.”

    While Mrs Emmanuel relies on smoked fish to make soup,  a Lagos housewife,  Adenike, said she has resorted to using cow skin popularly known as ‘ponmo’ to make her food.

    “Ponmo is the way out even though the price is also soaring. It may not be as nutritious as fish and meat but the fact is that ponmo helps us to have  something to  put in our soup when eating.

    “Before now, we could buy a crate of egg when it was sold for a little over N1,000 and put in our stew, but that is not possible anymore.”

    She noted that even food vendors have cut down on the quantity of meat, fish and egg that they prepare to sell because people can no longer afford  them like they used to.

    “A food vendor in my area used to cook a crate of egg every day, but now she doesn’t cook up to half of a crate because people can’t afford to buy one for N200″ she said.

    She said her customers now prefer to eat beans and garri instead of rice, which will require them to include meat, fish or egg in their food.

    Read Also: No to bully in schools

    “Go and check the people selling fish and meat and see if they are still selling as they used to do in the past. Some of them have closed shop,” she said.

    More parents share experience

    Speaking in the same vein, a businesswoman who identified herself simply as Ese said: “It is obvious that there will be nutritional challenges with less or no protein for our children. But you can’t be talking about nutrition in the face of hunger.”

    Before now, she said, “the poor could brag of eating whatever the rich man was eating. When a rich man ate live chicken, the poor ate frozen chicken. When the rich ate live turkey, the poor would ate frozen one.

    “But that is not possible anymore for poor people like me. I can’t afford to buy frozen turkey again. It costs about N7,000 a kilo. Two of us can finish a kilo at a go. 

    “Frozen chicken costs about N5,000 a kilo. How many people will that go for and for how long?

    “The same thing applies to fish. Ordinary crayfish that we used to give taste to soup is no longer affordable. Something drastic needs to be done about all this.”

    Also speaking, a trader, Mrs Nnaedozie, said she has drastically cut her consumption of meat, fish and egg.

    “They don’t  come cheap anymore. A kilo of Titus fish is about N4,700, and ‘kote’ is N3, 200. If they cut either of them into pieces, the most you will have from a kilo is seven pieces. If you buy two kilos, you will have a maximum of 14 pieces.

    “A family of four or five will only eat that for two or three days  at most. This is excluding other expenses involved in making the soup.

    “Tell me how I would continue to eat fish the way I used to do when the price was less than N2,000?

    “The same goes for meat. N5,000 meat is no longer  visible in the pot. A tin of milk or ordinary sachet powder milk is no longer affordable. The issue is more of filling the stomach and not about nutrition.”

    Sharing her experience with a family friend she visited recently, she said: “I took some packs of noodles to them and immediately the children saw the noodles, they started dancing. They said they hadn’t eaten it since the price went above N200 a pack.

    “They cooked the noodles while I was still there and ate everything without asking for eggs like children would normally want to do. Their concern was primarily about filling their stomach and not about meat, fish or egg that can go with it.

    “It was then I knew that we that are still managing to get fish or meat once in a while are blessed.”

    Experts speak on dangers of poor intake of protein

    Nutritionists and dieticians have said that children are predisposed to certain health challenges if they don’t take the required quantity of protein needed for their growth.

    Explaining what protein is and its importance to the well-being of children, a Nutrition advisor /Programme Officer Tunakin Nutrition Centre Nigeria Limited, Lagos, Temitope Bodunde Ayegbusi (MNSN), said animal protein sources such as poultry, fish, meat, milk and egg are referred to as complete protein because they contain all the nine essential inherent amino acids.

    “These nine essential amino acids include Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Metheonine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan and Valine which are obtained from adequate diet consumed to play crucial roles in the body which includes growth and development, repairing worn out tissues, maintenance, synthesis of hormone, enzyme, nerve impulses, cell signaling and other body constituents.

    Children, he said, “need protein-rich foods for growth and development in contrast to adult that need it for maintenance.

    “Protein as a nutrient is very essential to achieve optimum physical and mental growth among young children while its deficiency, shortage or inadequacy leads to serious manifestation of hunger and protein energy malnutrition (PEM).

    “PEM is divided into two (2) which is (i) Kwashiorkor (not eating enough protein despite eating a reasonable amount of calorie) and (ii) Marasmus (not eating both enough protein and calorie).

    “Symptoms of problems associated with consumption of food deficient of protein among young children include irritability and fatigue followed by slowed growth, weight loss and muscle wasting, oedema (generalised swelling), skin change, enlargement of liver and abdomen and weakening of the immune system, leading to frequent infection and death.”

    However,  he said, “protein-rich foods which are majorly animal sources remain essential to the development of young children but the cost is creating a serious challenge among parents with low socio-economic class or extremely poor households.

    “This burden of its implication has led to investigation of foods to alternate the high-cost animal source of protein (poultry, fish, meat, milk and egg). Plant food sources like soya beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, seeds, nuts, fungi (mycoprotein) and insect such as African palm weevil larvae contains a significant amount of protein that can meet the requirement of the young children if properly combined in their good ratios.

    “Soya bean contains high protein contents that can be processed into a variety of products such as soy flour and soymilk which can be used to fortify the food consumed by the young children to alternate milk, meat and egg that are very expensive to afford.

    “The quality of soybean protein is compared to that of milk, meat, egg and fish. Of plant-based protein, soybeans are considered the highest biological value with a significant amount of the nine essential amino acids that will meet the requirement of the young children.

    “With soybean, mycoprotein and insects that are less expensive and rich source of protein, the hazardous effect of animal protein sources cost will be drastically reduced.”

    Other experts speak

    Also sharing her thoughts on the importance of protein, especially for children, and how to source for alternatives in the face of the biting economic challenges, Lilian Felix,  a nutritionist, said: “Protein is an essential nutrient and is crucial to good health. It is required for growth and maintenance of body tissues, keeps the immune system strong, transport and store nutrients and acts as an energy source.

    “Not eating the right amount of protein can affect a child’s development. When a child does not get enough protein, it leads to various health problems such as stunted growth in children, kwashiorkor, loss of muscle mass, fatty liver, increased severity of infections, skin, hair and nail problems, edema.”

    Continuing, she said: “A lot of people today are living on a tight budget due to the economic situation. In a time where so many people are out of work, facing uncertain financial future, getting food that is both wholesome and affordable can be a challenge to feeding well.

    “Already this will lead to lots of nutritional deficiencies because most people will consume more of “mono-diet” which means eating what they only have and fail to consume other nutrients that they can’t afford, which will cause deficiency of another essential micronutrient.”

    The nutritionist noted that while having financial setbacks can certainly present its challenges, it is possible to prepare “your own healthy meals and stay within budget. Not everyone can afford ranch produce or poultry outputs to consume, but there are lots of affordable alternatives to the food that will amount to an adequate diet.”

    How do we source these other micro nutrients whenever we can’t afford them?” she rhetorically asked and went on to provide an answer: “We source these micro nutrients from our locally-sorted foods within our community.

    “Let’s look at how to supplement these nutrients in our diets using our local foods. What most people count only as protein are beans, chicken, turkey, egg, beef, fish, corn beef, milk and sardines, to mention a few.

    “Please note that eating protein does not amount to eating only meat. There are other sources of getting protein through our meals that you don’t need to break a bank to source for and it’s of benefit to your health.”

    Listing some local sources of protein, she said: “I believe we all know what locust bean is. This food is highly proteinous in nature and can replace protein completely. So even if you don’t have meat to cook, you can add locust beans to your food. It will replace the protein.

    2. Guinea Corn: Grains are fantastic sources of protein and relatively economical.

    3. Tofu: Also known as bean curd, is made from soy bean milk. It is an extremely low fat and nutritious alternative to meat, containing high amounts of protein, calcium and vitamin E.

    4. Mushroom: The mighty mushroom has thrice the amount of protein than most veggies, making it a great addition to pasta, pies and all sorts. Combine with other protein rich foods such as eggs, tofu and pulses for a super healthy free meal.

    5. Lentils (kidney beans etc) have one of the highest levels of protein.

    6. Castor seed (ogiri-okpei)  is a nutritious protein substitute. It contains potassium, iron, phosphorus and other vitamins. It can be added in your soups.

    7. Crayfish is a cheap source of protein and sea food that is similar to the much expensive shrimp and lobster, but is much less in price compared to them

    8. Periwinkle is a potential source of good‐quality proteins. It contains most of the essential amino acids in adequate amounts for human nutrition and is not expensive.

    9. Nuts such as groundnut, almond nut, walnut, cashew nut, etc are fantastic everyday sources of protein. One  cup of almond provides more protein than egg while cashews are high in antioxidants and promote good cardiovascular health.

    9. Bambara nut is a high-protein plant food that can be used as a functional ingredient in food formulation. It can be used to make ọkpa.

    “Bambara nut protein can be used to make plant-based milk, soups, shakes, and noodles that have a creamy and smooth consistency. It can also be used to create food products that have a firm and chewy texture, such as meat analogues, sausages, cheese, yoghurt, and tofu.

    “Other sources of protein that are inexpensive and can benefit your health include soybeans, milk, Greek yogurt, oats, chia seeds, egg, sweet potatoes, avocado.You can add kidney beans to stews and salads.

    “Chia seeds can be added to your smoothies, juice, mixed into yogurt and oatmeal, or sprinkle on top of a salad. This tiny black seed has a ton of protein and other nutrients.

    “Avocados can be added to many recipes to give your meals a nutritional boost.

    “You can use it to substitute regular spreads like butter and margarine. It can be added to your salad, smoothie.

    “All these can be sourced within our community. It is advised that parents become more creative with food sourcing for their wards. There are more than five ways to prepare a particular meal.”

    To save more, she said, parents should learn to go to local markets where they can get these products cheaper and even stock up for some time before repeating.

    “Budget is the greatest tool to fight financial turmoil. The thrust is only you know your income and what works for you than anyone else. Use what you have to cushion the effect of the economic situation while your create more chances to earn better,” she added.

    A holistic nutritionist, dietician and food processor, Obembe Oluwaseun, advocated nutrition education.

    Instead of poultry and dairy produce, he said, “we can make do with plant nutrients- that is phytonutrients. Phyto-nutrients are very effective in reversing cardiovascular disease and making the body mechanism balanced too.

    “We need to encourage people even within the small space in their compound to plant too. For example, in front of my house, I planted  vegetables.

    “If everybody can go into nutrition sensitive farming, I think it’s going to be encouraging. It will even cut some expenses in the house too.”

    Amplifying what his colleagues said earlier, he said: “Lack of protein in the body leads to kwashiorkor. When the six classes of nutrients are not present in the body, people go into malnutrition.”

    Adding to the list of alternative protein sources mentioned above, Obembe said: “It is not only beans that is rich in protein. Beans too contains carbohydrates. So, when we are talking about alternatives, we talk about tofu, quinoa,  lentil, and groundnut butter. Those are alternatives to cutting the price of poultry and dairy protein sources in the market.

    “People can start to take tofu (wara) as an alternative. In the past, they used it as a  substitute for meat. When there’s no meat, they used tofu to cook. Water foods that have gone into extinction should be brought back.

    For example, some local snacks like ‘kokoro’ and ‘ojojo’ should be brought back, and they are very cheap.

    “Mukuna (werepe) that itches when it touches the body, the pea in it is proteinous and it is very good for typhoid. There is also Kulundi too. It has carcinogenic properties.

    “These are protein substitutes. It is not only meat and fish that you get protein from.

    “Why is it that the people in the rural areas live longer than the people in the city? It is because they live on natural endowment.”

  • Arthur-Worrey: People who see me enjoying Amala are shocked I still eat meat at 97

    Arthur-Worrey: People who see me enjoying Amala are shocked I still eat meat at 97

    Ninety-seven-year-old Chief (Mrs) Olufunke Arthur-Worrey is the widow of Steady Arthur-Worrey, and mother of Fola Arthur-Worrey, former Solicitor General of Lagos State, former Commissioner of Lands, and former Executive Secretary of Lagos State Security Trust Fund. The nonagenarian, in this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, reveals the secrets of her elegant looks in old age and her life in England, among other issues.

    How do you feel clocking 97?

    First of all, glory be to the God of Israel. I’m so happy I’m alive and I can see the beauty of God among the plants, the animals, the flies and ants. Even the flies and ants, I look at them sometimes, I see the wonder of God who looks after them and after the birds and animals.

    You see, when I watch football all over the world, the way people shout, I look at myself and I say God you are good to me.

    God Almighty has been wonderful in my life from the womb. I’m lucky to talk to young people like you. I feel well. I feel good. I can still go about. I can go anywhere I like. If I don’t feel like going out. I stay in the house. I can still eat whatever I like.

    I thank God I feel wonderful. I feel as if I’m a special breed. I thank God. This 97 is to thank God with my family.

    You still look energetic and sharp. What is the secret?

    First of all, the secret is God Almighty, it is not anybody’s doing, because when I celebrated my 90th, I said to God thank you for letting me to clock 90, because in those days when you see a man or woman of 80, they would look so old, how much more of 90. And in those days, you didn’t think you would get to 90. But now I’m 97. I go out, eat anything, eat crabs, eat eba. Sometimes when they see me enjoying amala, they would ask, ‘Mummy, you still eat meat?’ I thank God.

    Your fingers look good and well-polished. Who does the painting for you?

    Sometimes I do it myself. I also have children, sisters, nephews, and distant cousins who all look after me. Sometimes when they come they say: ‘Mummy, you must do your nails. I don’t go out to do it.  In those days, we used to go to spas, but I’ve not done that for years.

    I left  England in 1960. Then in England, it was fashionable to go to spas, especially among students and young wives.

    That means you were very fashionable when you were young…

    (Prolonged laughter) That is what people say about me. But I thank God. I love good things. I love local fabrics like your dress. That was the first thing I saw when you came in. And you know in the market now they have so many beautiful colours. I hope we will encourage them to do more for use by patronising them.

    Look at what you are wearing too (pointing to the reporter). Instead of those expensive ones from China, we should wear our own. We have different ones. We have ‘adire’ from Abeokuta, ‘aso oke’ from Ondo and other places. I hope we can keep to that.

    You mentioned football. Does that mean you love watching football?

    Not me at first; it was my husband. When he came back from England the first time, when I met him I didn’t like football because I didn’t understand football. But when he came, he would force all the children in the area to follow him to Onikan Stadium to watch football, and they would be shouting, all of them would be kicking. I just looked at them because I followed them, not because I loved football.

    Eventually, we got married and I got used to his love for sports. He loved cricket too. We would clean the floor; his friends would come and spoil the floor. He loved sports, and because of him, I got interested in football.

    But football is one of the things the world is passionate about, football unites the world. When you are shouting, you don’t know whether you are black or white; you are all shouting. I love football, I watch it. I’m not fanatical or obsessed about it, but I watch football. I love all sports. I like tennis. I like cricket, but I don’t understand it. In sports generally, football is the best.

    Talking about your husband, if he were alive, what would he be doing on your 97th birthday?

    (Laughs) He was two years older than me. He would have still been doing the same thing, enjoying life. He was a man who could turn everything into fun. In those days we could go to Badagry,  Ijebu-Ode or Ikorodu and within an hour we would be there. He reads a lot and he would be telling me things. He read gossip papers, and the Bible, I learnt a lot from him, and we enjoyed ourselves.

    He was my brother. We just matched. It was God’s doing. When he was hot, I would be cold. Everybody loved him.

    Your husband was from another part of the country. What were the reactions of your family members when you introduced him as your husband-to-be?

    I’m a Lagos girl and at that time, Lagos was not as big as it is now. We knew ourselves. We were so connected. But before he came, we all knew him as the ward of my brother, H.O. Davies. He (Davies) and his wife left him in England. They were his parents in Lagos. He called them mum and pa. Then they used to say, ‘if Steady was here, he would have done this, he would have done that.’ Me and my sisters said why don’t you let Steady come, and then he came. And when they were introducing him, we lined up and when it came to my turn, he held my hand and said ‘Funke, you are going to be my wife.’ I nearly died. I was so embarrassed, you know a Nigerian girl. And I said to my sister, that Steady of yours is very rude. She said Funke , don’t worry yourself. In England, they call a spade a spade. Even at the bus stop, they can meet you there and you get married.

    Since that day, he would take us to Kingsway, and buy chocolate for us. He was just different, and eventually, everybody fell in love with him.

    The boys in the area didn’t know much about football, he would gather them and they would be playing football.

    Then he left for Kebbi. But before he left for Kebbi, he had made a mark with the children in the area. He spent six months in Lagos. When he left, that was when I knew something was wrong but I couldn’t understand it. I couldn’t sleep. I was fidgeting. I was irritable. There was no phone then. He would phone my sister-in-law. That was how it started, and like a joke, I couldn’t sleep, he himself felt the same thing. Eventually, he returned to Lagos.

    But before he returned, he had gone to all the family members in Abeokuta to say he wanted to marry me. Though at times it could be embarrassing, but I too was in love. I could not do anything without him. Eventually, I had to take him to the family in Abeokuta. He too by then had proposed. They told him to settle everything with the family quietly. We were engaged and he went back. Meanwhile, he had arranged for me to go to school in England. I went to England in 1952, and we got married.

    How old were you then?

    I was about 26-27.

    He was not Yoruba. Were some family members not uncomfortable considering the fact that cross-cultural marriage was not popular then?

    He was from Delta. His father was half Warri, half Sapele. It was a tug-of-war here in Lagos before he was accepted. The late Fatai Williams said, ‘Funke, with all the people here, where did you get this Isobo? Funke, you ke?  You can’t do that.’ The father of the current Speaker, Gbajabiamila, said, ‘Funke, you can’t do that. No way.’ It was all fun. I didn’t listen to them at the end because I was in love. They all tried to discourage me from marrying him. They felt I was a Lagos girl, why should I marry him? They said Funke you are not going anywhere. Anyway, God made the right decision for me. I never regret marrying him, and being the father of my children. Being my brother, he was good to me.

    As a young couple, how were you celebrating Valentine’s Day?

    He was more or less like an African British man. When we first met him, he would wake us all up around 5:30 or 6 am and say we should have a cup of tea until we said we can’t be doing this, this is Nigeria. In the end, he fell for Nigeria. He loved our food more than anything.

    During Valentine’s Day, he would go to Kingsway or UTC, we did not have all these shops as we have them today, but we had Lebanese shops along Balogun and Martins streets. They were selling all these beautiful things. It could be meat pie, chocolate, or handkerchief. That day, I would sit down and he would do the cooking.

    Traditionally he was good. Because he was raised in England, he used to do what was necessary, and what was tradition in the English way. He was good.

    Tell me about your career

    I attended Methodist School Yaba and later worked at Bata Shoes. From there, I went to England where I did secretariat studies. I also did fashion designing at the Paris Academy in England. You know in England, you have all these facilities. I worked in England in three places as a secretary. Eventually, I came back to Nigeria. In Nigeria, I worked with Tate and Lye, then an oil company, SO. After working at the third place, I got interested in fashion.

    When we came back, we were staying at Yaba, the barracks of policemen. I don’t know what happened, I met the wife of one of them, and they all became my customers. I made a wrapper for her, I was surprised, I started sewing for all of them. They were my friends, they were my children and it was wonderful. They were my first customers. From there everybody started coming. All the people in Sabo Market, Yaba used to come to me, and I was sewing for them.

    What are your fond memories of England?

    Well, I got married in England. I had my children in England. My husband was teaching in England at Billericay. He was an assistant principal, so we had to move to Billericay. At that time, there were not many Nigerians at Billericay. There were a few of us in Chelmsford and Billericay; they were in the same neighbourhood. I was so involved with women’s activities there, I don’t know what happened. Eventually, we had a get-together weekend like this. We would come to your house, and we would enjoy ourselves.

    There are so many things in England that I will never forget. People were nice to me, especially Mrs Solanke of WASU. She was like a mother to my husband, and all of them prepared for me in England to be his wife. I arrived in England in February when there was snow. I hated it. But eventually, I fell in love with England.

    So many things about my memory of England, everything worked.  The life in England encouraged you to learn more, and have more knowledge. Everything was good. In their hospitals, they looked after you and there were so many things you could do to forget about stress. Anyway, England was good to me. I was happy there.

    Could that be the reason you got involved in women’s activities in Nigeria, like the International Women’s Society (IWS), women, business groups and others?

    I don’t know. But before I went to England, we used to have so many women groups such as Girls Guild, Mrs Sodeinde involved us.  We would gather at the Race Course, Onikan here, and she would talk to us about how to look after women. But then when I got to England, there were so many charitable groups, especially when I got to Billericay and I was involved. We would go, especially during winter, and we would look after women with dementia. We would make sure they were comfortable, and if there was the need to see their local government people, we would inform the council.

    When I came back to Lagos in 1960, the late Mrs. Alakija said you have to join us. That was how it started. I have been doing that even till today.

    Looking back with the benefit of hindsight, what would you have done differently as a young girl?

    I don’t know, you can’t compare the Lagos of the 60s and 70s with the Lagos of today, because now, people are so many. But then, the local government was functioning well. I would have loved to see the Lagos of ‘the ’60s and ’70s. I enjoyed my life as a youth in Lagos.

    You said you would be going for the burial of Mrs Alakija. She was your contemporary. When you hear things like this, how do they make you feel?

    Well, I don’t know. My friend, my sister more or less, just died on the 26th. She was so good to me. She dragged me to join IWS in 1961. Honestly, she was good to me. She died at the age of 94.

    Well, we are all going to go. It was her time. We just pray that when it is time to go, Christ is there waiting for us. I’m not afraid of dying. Anybody can die at any time. You can’t say you don’t want to die. You can be 120, and you will still have to go when it is your time to go.

    You have just been honoured by the IWS, with a garden named after you. How does this make you feel?

    I feel good. I thank God.

    What would you say is the best thing that has happened to you?

    God has been good to me all the time. I still cook. I sometimes do my make-up myself. I still go to the market. I don’t go to the hospital. If I’m not feeling fine and I hear hospital, I will be okay (laughs).

    If you have to compare life in England and Nigeria, what would you say is the difference?

    I love our culture. I love our people. I pray that our culture does not die. Nigerians are very accommodating. In England, you have to book an appointment before you visit people. If you visit someone in England without booking an appointment, he could tell you that he doesn’t want to see you because you didn’t book an appointment. In Nigeria, we don’t do that. We are accommodating.

  • Inside Bauchi’s illegal mining hub

    Inside Bauchi’s illegal mining hub

    ● Why we’re involved, by nursing mothers, students, others

    Poverty has pushed many Bauchi State residents to engage in illegal mining activities, defying the dangers and restrictions imposed by the state government on illegal mining.The locals work all day, extracting the mined sand locally called Monazite minerals. DAVID ADENUGA reports on how they are risking it all to survive economic hardship.

    Mining is the primary means of livelihood for rural dwellers in Rafin-Kayan community located on the outskirts of Bauchi metropolis. The community, tucked between an arid landscape of rocks and sand, is an abode for miners in search of monazite, a crucial raw material prized for its abundance of rare-earth metals essential for renewable energy production.

    Undeterred by the relentless heat of the sun, the villagers till the land in search of this raw material. They work all day, extracting the mined sand locally called Monazite minerals.

    Among the women at the site is Hassana Monday, a nursing mother who visited the site with her six-month-old baby. After breastfeeding the child, she carefully strapped him on her back before turning her attention to the task at hand—digging through the sand in search of Monazite.

     “We are really suffering. The government is not helping us.

    “We need help from the government.

    “I have been here since morning separating the monazite from the sand.

    “I make N4,000 daily from the mining site,” she told this reporter who visited the mining site.

    Monday is among the many women who visited the mining site. For her and other women, the risks were worth taking. In an environment where opportunities are limited and survival is a daily battle, they refused to be sidelined by the men.

    Isa Zainab (14), the first child in a family of six, told this reporter that she shares part of the financial responsibilities of her parents with the Monazite business.

    The young girl, who was busy searching for monazite at a nearby stream when our reporter approached her, said she normally gave her mother half of the money, which she uses in providing food for them at home.

    Isa makes up to N8,000 daily from the monazite business. The young girl, whose life ambition is to become a doctor, said her parents are not financially capable of helping her to further her  education after she completed her primary education, hence the reason why she had to visit the mining sites close to her area.

    Our reporter’s visit to the local mining sites showed that the miners seemed not to care about the restrictions imposed by the state government that miners must get consent letters from authorities.

    The Nation findings revealed that illegal mining activities are not limited to Bauchi Local Government Area alone but are also occurring in five other local government areas of the state, namely Toro, Alkaleri, Ningi, and certain areas of Tafawa Balewa.

    These activities are particularly widespread in Toro, with operations spanning 20 different sites. Minerals such as tin ore, gold, columbite and monazite are being extracted in this region.

    Residents collect the monazite and sell to local companies, who separate it from the sand. The price of monazite ranges from N4,000 per kg to N3,300, depending on dollar rate.

    “I’m one of the operators here and we used to help the locals separate the sand from the Monazite, and they would be paid after we have weighed the amount of monazite.”

    “The government is aware of our operations, because our company is registered,” says Eunice Timothy, one of the operators at the local mining factory in Gudum Sayawa where the locals exchange their raw materials for money.

    In Nigeria, illegal mining has become a major problem, leading to considerable environmental damage, economic losses and heightening insecurity.

     According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), over $9 billion is lost every other year as a result of illegal mining activities in the country.

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    As part of efforts to tackle illegal mining, the Bauchi State Government banned the issuance of consent letters to prospective investors in the mining sector without due approval.

    In a statement, Saleh Umar, information officer in the Ministry of Natural Resources, said individuals, groups and monarchs are prohibited from issuing consent letters without obtaining clearance from the ministry of natural resources.

    Umar said the government was determined to create an enabling environment for the mining sector to thrive in the state by enhancing investors’ confidence in the solid minerals sector.

    He quoted Maiwada Bello, commissioner of the ministry, as saying that the ban is meant to curb environmental degradation and security challenges associated with mining activities.

    Battle for survival

    Poverty and hardship are fuelling the desperation of many residents such that despite the obvious risks associated with illegal mining, the promise of getting money is worth even death itself.

    In August last year, at least four illegal miners were confirmed dead after a mining pit collapsed in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State. Similarly, in January 2024, four women reportedly lost their lives in Bauchi State as a mining pit collapsed in the Gudum Sayawa suburb of Bauchi metropolis, while several others sustained injuries at the site located 800 metres from the community.

    Deborah Nandet is still grappling with the loss of her mother, Saratu Iliya, who was one of the four women tragically killed in a mining pit collapse in the Gudum Sayawa suburb of Bauchi metropolis.

     In an interview with The Nation, Nandet revealed that her mother was struggling to get what to eat before she met her untimely death.

    Recalling the events leading to her mother’s death, Nandet explained: “My mother was struggling to find something to eat, so she went to the mining site to address her own challenges.

     “She had been there for less than 30 minutes when the pit collapsed, and she died instantly.”

    She further disclosed that her mother used to visit the site regularly from Monday to Wednesday, while the incident occurred on Thursday, January 25.

    Living in Abuja, Nandet rushed back home upon hearing about the incident during her visit for Christmas and her brother’s wedding.

    She recounted how she found her mother’s lifeless body at the site.

    Despite the tragedy, she expressed support for mining activities, citing the difficult circumstances they were facing, adding: “You cannot go and beg.”

    Similarly, Jonah Saraki Joshua, the elder brother of Beauty Joshua, who also died in the mining collapse, described her death as a significant loss. He said that the incident could have been prevented if warnings about the dangers of the mining site had been heeded.

    Speaking in an interview with our reporter, a construction worker in Gudum Sayawa, identified simply as Joseph, blamed the Ministry of Solid Minerals for inadequate monitoring of illegal mining in the state.

    “It has been said over and over again that mining without permission and supervision is dangerous. These things continue to happen because the authorities are sitting in their air conditioned offices instead of monitoring the activities of illegal miners.

    “Last year, it was in Rafin Tambari that people lost their lives. This year, it is Gudum Seyawa.

     “The federal and state ministries in charge of mines have to sit up and ensure that they arrest any illegal miner operating in the state, so nobody dies needlessly,” he said.

    Another resident, Habila Zaki, said that poor harvests and poverty had pushed them to indulge in illegal mining.

    His words: “I feel really bitter in my heart. I am thinking of what those women might have gone through before they died in that unfortunate incident.

    “Those were unarguably the breadwinners of their various homes. Breaking stones is unthinkable, especially for a woman.

    “They break stones all day and still go home to prepare meals for their families.

    “We can all see why this happened. The yields from their farms were very poor, which was why they were forced to do illegal mining to make ends meet.

    “I hope that others will learn from this and not indulge in illegal things that can end their lives.”

    Corroborating Zaki, one of the miners, Ayuba Ibrahim, said illegal mining to them is a means of survival. Ibrahim, who happens to be a graduate, said since graduating from the university six year ago, it has been difficult for him to get a job.

    He stated that illegal miners are paying revenue to the government, adding that there are agencies collecting N1,000 naira per bag (of monazite) from them. Ibrahim added that he makes between N15,000 and N20,000 a week from selling the raw material.

    “The message I want to pass to the government both at the state and national level is that we are doing this mining activity to survive and feed our families despite being a graduate for over six years now.

    “I do it due to lack of job. We are paying revenue to the state government while kidnappers on the other hand are kidnapping our people and the government will pay them ransom with the money they generated from us.

    “We don’t know if the money we paid is going to the state government directly, but there are agencies collecting N1,000 per bag from us.

    “It is very painful how the government is collecting money despite the fact that they refused to provide jobs for us.

    “The revenue collectors are staying along Inkil-Gombe Road. The only way the government will stop the illegal mining activity is by providing jobs for the masses because the illegal mining we are doing is better than kidnapping and robbery.

    “I worked from Monday to Saturday and I earned 15 to N 20,000 in a week.”

    How communities battle water borne diseases from contaminated water

    The residents of Rafin-Kaya face a dire situation as they depend on water from pits dug by miners, especially during dry seasons.

    This reliance on contaminated water sources has persisted for over a decade due to severe water scarcity.

    The residents blame the government for not providing them with an alternative source of water, leaving them with no choice but to rely on the water from the mining pits for their daily needs.

    The situation worsened with the onset of illegal mining activities, which transformed nearby streams into contaminated pits, further endangering the health of the villagers.

     As a result, both children and adults in the community suffer from waterborne diseases due to the contaminated water they are forced to use.

    Yunusa Abdullahi, the community head of Rafin Kaya Dandango Ward, in an interview with our reporter, said residents are being taken to Jitar primary health care centre, which is quite far from the community, where they are often tested for typhoid and other water borne diseases.

    “The water that we fetch for drinking and cooking are often fetched from nearby streams, but the activities of illegal miners have made this water undrinkable.

    “Before we know it, residents are always in and out of hospitals where they test positive for typhoid.

    “In a month, over 20 villagers were taken to the hospital for treatment, not to talk of the number of people taken to the hospital in a year.”

    But the State Commissioner Ministry of Water Resources, Hon. Abdulrazaq Nuhu Zaki assured that the government is set to purchase new power transformers that supply power to water stations in a move to address the challenges being faced with water supply in the metropolis.

    He gave the assurance during the inauguration of the new governing boards of directors of Bauchi State Urban Water and Sewerage Corporation (BSUWSC) and Bauchi State Rural Water and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) yesterday.

    He said: “You may be aware of the challenges being faced recently with water supply, especially in Bauchi metropolis. Municipal water supply requires the utilization of electricity power.

    “In fact, in situations where gravity flow is not obtainable, there has to be full mechanization of the system. This means flow in the system is induced by pumping, which requires power to achieve it.”

    “The Gubi Dam Water Treatment Plant relies on electricity to pump water to Bauchi metropolis. The power transformers at the substation have been developing problems which in turn have been affecting water supply to the metropolis,” Zaki said.

    He assured that the state government will continue to explore the utilization of solar systems to provide power to the schemes as much as it’s practicable.

    Bauchi government to implement new measures for sanitisation of mining operations

    Meanwhile, the Bauchi State government has reaffirmed its commitment to sanitising the operations of all mining companies within the state, aiming to ensure compliance with established guidelines and boost revenue generation.

    Speaking during an official visit to various mining sites across several local government areas, the Commissioner of Natural Resources, Muhammad Maiwada Bello, stated that the administration’s resolve to implement stringent measures to curb illegal mining activities and enhance revenue streams.

    “We are introducing innovative approaches to tackle illegal mining operations and streamline activities, with the ultimate goal of enhancing our state’s internal revenue,” Bello stated.

    He stressed the need for every mining company to collaborate with the ministry, adhere to provided protocols and operate within the framework of Community Development Agreements (CDAs) for the mutual benefit of host communities and the state as a whole.

    He explained the importance for miners to be well-versed in terms of their mining licenses, spanning federal, state and local government levels, to ensure seamless operations.

     The local government areas visited by the commissioner during the tour encompassed Darazo, Misau, Shira, and Jama’are and was accompanied by caretaker chairman of Shira LGA,

    Majority leader of state house of assembly, chairman house Committee on mining, deputy chairman of Darazo & Misau LGAs and MD Bamsel, among others.