The Nation Newspaper

Category: Interview

  • Cowboy motorists on the loose

    Cowboy motorists on the loose

    An ugly trend is on the rise in Lagos and other parts of the country with motorists brutalised or killed in road rage incidents reports KUNLE AKINRINADE.

     

    YOU don’t know me? I will show you who I am,” the stocky driver of a brown Toyota Corolla car in the middle of the road at Oshodi, a Lagos suburb, boasted.

    “Are you Sanwo-Olu or the person whose picture is on the N1,000 note?” retorted a commercial bus driver who was trying to overtake the first on the wrong side of the road in a traffic jam.

    The verbal exchange eventually turned violent after the driver of the Toyota Corolla jumped out of his car, walked up to the window of the bus driver, landing him deafening slaps as shocked bystanders and other motorists tried to intervene.

    “Next time, you will learn to respect the law,” the boiling Toyota Corolla driver said as he was being pulled back from the scene by other motorists.

    The Oshodi incident has become a common sight in recent times, frequently with tragic consequences. In July last year, a viral video showing a soldier who drove against the traffic assaulting another motorist on Moloney Street on the Lagos Island caused an outrage in the social media.

    In the footage, the soldier identified simply as Duru could be seen blocking the road and subsequently hitting the vehicle of the motorist he assaulted. The scene of the assault was filmed by a woman in the victim’s vehicle, who cried as the soldier, who had alighted from a Honda Acura with registration number Oyo AE 996 YYY, was joined by two others in punching and kicking the hapless driver with their boots until he collapsed.

    An eyewitness, who recalled that the incident occurred around 5.16 pm at a spot opposite the Kam Salem House in Lagos, said: “We were on the right side of the road coming from Obalende, but had to stop as there was an oncoming vehicle on our lane. The vehicle ought to have taken the left side of the road.

    “We hooted several times but the vehicle refused to move. We then heard other disgruntled drivers murmuring, ‘Na soldier o (it is a soldier)’, so we reversed in an attempt to wriggle our way out peacefully.

    “To our surprise, the soldier reversed the vehicle and intentionally drove forward to hit our car.”

    In one of the worst incidents of road rage attacks, a 39-year-old Christian Innocent brutally killed a tricycle operator, Anita Bassey, over an argument on the right of way on Akerele Street, Surulere, Lagos in August 2019.

    Bassey was said to have died at Randle Hospital, Surulere, where he had been rushed to after the incident in which Innocent allegedly broke his head with a wheel spanner.

    Surprisingly, even employees of corporate organisations, who ordinarily are regarded as gentlemen, are not left out of the show of shame that has become a common occurrence in several parts of the Lagos metropolis. They are tempted to turn into brutes when they feel cheated out of their right of way by other motorists.

    The foregoing was the scenario at Palmgroove in Lagos penultimate Friday when a chauffeur-driven top official of an insurance firm in a Toyota Camry gave the driver of another vehicle a dirty slap for hitting his car from behind in a bid to overtake him.

    The matter would have degenerated into fisticuffs when the brutalised driver signaled to some street urchins for help, but for the timely intervention of other motorists who separated the two feuding men.

     Why motorists bully one another on the road

    According to experts, many motorists are tempted to unleash their anger on other careless drivers trying to cheat them or who might have hit their car and tried to get away. This was the case on Wednesday at the popular Super Bus Stop on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway when the driver of a mini-bus conveying passengers from Ikeja to Abule Egba, identified as Opeyemi, dealt blows on the driver of a mini-truck that hit his bus from behind while he was trying to get over a road bump.

    Efforts made to settle the duo was almost frustrated by the ranting of the truck driver who vowed to use supernatural means to deal with the younger bus driver for brutalising him. It took the intervention of some auto technicians nearby to broker a truce between the two adults, with the truck driver agreeing to pick the bill for the repairs of the commercial bus.

     

    late Adeyemo
    late Adeyemo

    The menace of road rage among motorists is not peculiar to Lagos alone but other states of the country where cases of violent clashes involving motorists have also been reported in recent times.

    Traders at the Toll Gate end of Sango-Ota in Ogun State recently became spectators in a fight involving two commercial bus drivers over whose turn it was to load passengers. The drivers involved in the bloody fight were later separated by policemen.

    Effects of road rage

    Experts say traffic rage has consequences on infrastructure and social amenities as well social order.

    A safety professional, Mike Awotibe, noted that those involved in the act have the tendency to damage public facilities and by extension hurt other road users.

    He said: ”Motorists who indulge in fighting to settle disagreements on the road usually throw caution to the wind. Quite a number of them have been found to have damaged the layers of the road through acts such as vandalising structures used as road barricades as weapons to attack each other, thereby endangering the lives of other motorists who ran into craters for which the barricades are meant to cover.

    ”In some instances, the motorists fighting either get injured or killed or even injure or kill other motorists or road users who tried to separate them in  a fight. So, the effect of unnecessary fighting or brutality disrupt public peace.

    “Some motorists become aggressive when stopped by law enforcement agents, and would use either their vehicle or weapon to attack the minions of law.”

    In November 2018, an operative of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Rotimi Adeyemo, was shot dead at Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos State by an officer of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) when he was flagged by the deceased traffic officer.

    In retribution, the unnamed policeman was killed by a mob.

    In his words, a security expert, Samson Okoduwa, said aggressive motorists often use the road to vent their anger on other motorists or road users, noting that many of them often end up with severe injury or mortality.

    ”Road rage has the potential of resulting in injury or death, depending on the severity of the outcome. For example, motorists who are subjected to brutality by other drivers can end up with permanent disability such as brain damage, fractured bones and even paralysis, depending on the gravity of the physical assault meted out to them.

    ”A few years ago, a taxi driver was killed in Imo State because he scratched a Lexus RX 350 Sport Utility Vehicle. The owner of the car dealt a fatal blow to the taxi driver, leading to his untimely death on the spot.

    “Many drivers of private or commercial vehicles are on hard drugs, which may be responsible for their violent attitude on the roads.

    “In some instances, angry motorists or drivers who have firearms in their vehicles have turned them on other road users or law enforcement agents who tried to reprimand them for violating traffic regulations.

    Way out

    ”The solution is for appropriate public transport authorities to subject those who indulge in this act to stringent psychological and anger examination. If the result turns out to be acute psychological disorder or influence of hard drugs, they should be banned from driving in order to prevent them from further unleashing the beast in them on motorists and mandated to go for anger management theraphy.”

    Awotibe suggested prosecution and imposition of fine on erring drivers to serve as a deterrent to other motorists who indulge in violent act on the road.

    ”Offenders should be prosecuted and punished with either a huge fine, temporary imprisonment or life sentence if their action result in the death of other motorists or drivers,” he said.

  • I get insulted advising people on healthy living –Nutrition expert Emiko Kathy

    I get insulted advising people on healthy living –Nutrition expert Emiko Kathy

     

    • I ventured into nutrition business after undergoing Caesarian Section twice

     

    Princess Kathy Emiko is a woman of many parts. Besides being a fashion enthusiast and owner of a popular boutique, she is also a nutritionist. But the wife of a popular Warri prince, Yemi Emiko, did not become a nutritionist by accident; it was a field she ventured into after she had to undergo Caesarian Section twice because of her weight. She spoke with PAUL UKPABIO about these and other issues concerning her private and public life.

     

    WHAT is it like to be married into the Warri royal family?

    Royalty in the Warri Kingdom dates back to about 600 years ago. So, marrying into a Warri royal family gives me an opportunity to witness first hand royal splendour and even partake in it. I consider it a great privilege.

    You are a princess by virtue of your marriage. Were you worried about the challenges that come with that at the initial stage?

    I was not worried about any challenge when I married my husband. The reason is that I had dated him for a couple of years before we finally got married.

    I also was not looking or seeing him from the royal stand point. Rather, I saw him as a friend, a confidant and a lover.

    As we became closer and closer over a period of time, marrying him became a mere formality and a mere transition to the status.

    Some women desire to get married to a prince so that they may not need to work again, but yours has been different.

    You have been in the fashion industry and moved into nutrition, skin health and body fitness business. What has been the motivation?

    You really mean some women would wish they marry a prince so they would never work again? That must be a nice, beautiful fairy tale (laughs).

    Well, I thank God who met my desires. I have a prince who can take care of me, no doubt, as God has provided for him. But he allows me to be what I desire to.

    He allows me to fly, if I may use that word. He allows me to do things on the basis of my desire to help women get out of obesity and their diet challenges. It is a calling for me.

    Initially, I did not know that it was a calling. When you say something is a calling, it means that God has put it in you to reach out to others. I want to help women and I am doing that by the grace of God.

    I guide ladies to live healthy lifestyle; to get out of obesity and its challenges. It is a calling for me instead of just sitting and doing nothing after childbirth, regretting my body size and nursing other health challenges like aging prematurely.

    You also have a rich Edo cultural background. What are some of the similarities in both cultures?

    Well, as you know, Warri Kingdom emanated from Bini Kingdom. So, I would be stating the obvious when I say that there are similarities between both cultures.

    Some of the similarities are seen in the symbols used in both sides. Systems of royalty in terms of regalia, the cultures of the people, similarities in chieftaincy title and even the splendor and aura around kings in both kingdoms.

    So can you say you are now a complete Waffarian?

    Oh, I had been a Waffarian even before I met my husband. That is because I schooled in Warri; at the College of Education. I also came back to do my National Youth Service at Chevron Plc.

    What are the things that makes one a Waffarian?

    The hallmark of a Waffarian is being detribalised. Of course, it is also about the prowess of speaking the Pidgin English which is very unique to us.

    It also means intelligence. As you must have heard, Warri no dey carry last! We are also our brother’s keeper!

    We are about unity, putting ourselves in other people’s shoes and considering the happiness of others. That is what makes one a complete Waffarian.

    You grew up under a man like Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, a former vice chancellor of Igbinedion University for over a decade. What values did you learn from him?

    Yes, I recall that his life was all about education, education and education. It was one of the key values that I took away. He taught me the values of education and also how to put others before self! He was selfless.

    He also taught me that whatever I want to do, I should get approval by getting certification; that I must know my onions. That was why when I left school and went into the fitness business, I searched and got certified.

    Till date, I still do a lot of courses. Education is the key. The Bible says that people perish for lack of knowledge; not for lack of prayers.

     You had the challenge of obesity. Was it the result of your privileged lifestyle early in lfe?

    My obesity issue started with my first pregnancy. Thank God I was able to take care of that. It motivated me to know that it is still possible to regain my old figure: getting pregnant, putting up so much weight, then losing weight and going back to my pre-pregnancy look, just the way my husband met me.

    I have always been a very hard-driven person. Even when I was in the university, I was not obese. But when the babies started coming and I saw how I was growing fatter, I was alarmed.

    Thank God for that call and the fact that I didn’t ignore the call and with the help of God, I did something about it. I conquered.

    It was a challenge for me, and since I was able to conquer it, I believed that I should help other women out there who desire to have a wonderful figure.

    A woman’s figure is important. She is supposed to be on top of her health and not just to have a wonderful figure and look after the children.

    We have a role to play while God plays His part. It has been a very wonderful journey for me and it has become my passion.

    So I decided to go for qualification, which was very important. I got certified. And of course I started reaching out to a lot of people. I know knowledge is endless so I continue to learn, do more research.

    How did you resolve your obesity?

    It was a journey and it is still a journey. It was tough. A big challenge! I tried a lot of things from different diet pills, different diets, until I got the solution when I had my second baby in Paris.

    I attended a post-pregnancy class and that changed everything. You see, it is about food. If you can tackle your food intake, you will be able to resolve obesity issues.

    And one thing about eating healthy, it has to be with grace and not by power. The ability to choose between buying ice-cream or chocolate for something else is grace and not power!

    Most often, we all know what to do. Some of us can write a book on how to eat healthy — don’t take sweets, sugar, fizzle drinks, shawama, pizza.

    It is all easy to say. But the capacity and the enablement to do so is where the grace comes in. I was able to resolve that and I am still in it.

    I don’t have a lackadaisical attitude towards eating. I eat with wisdom. I tell my clients too. Now I run an academy and I talk about grace to make the right choice of what to eat.

    Can one actually have a perfect body?

    Genesis 1 verse 31 says God looked at what He had created and approved because He saw that everything was beautiful and perfect.

    And the Bible says in Psalm 139 verse 14 that we are wonderfully and beautifully made. Everybody has a perfect body. God is not a God of mistake.

    He has not made anyone imperfectly. But we have to plug into that perfection by taking care of our body physically and spiritually.

    What advice do you have for women who are struggling to break the fat or trying to prevent the fat after pregnancy?

    What advice do I have for them? It is not rocket science. To be healthy is doable. After the pregnancy and delivery of the baby, just follow the right precepts and be patient.

    A lot of women want to go back to their former dress size the next day, but that is not possible. It took you nine good months to carry that baby, increase in size and then deliver.

    So it probably will take you another nine months of consistency, of determination, of discipline to get back to shape. But the bottom line is that it is not rocket science. It is possible and you can do it.

    Do you miss owning a boutique?

    Not at all, now I realize that it was not in my calling. During the period when I was running the boutique, there were so many struggles.

    And that is what happens when you are not in your calling. Those who own boutiques must be trying. I don’t know if it has changed, but at that time, I had a lot of people who bought without paying.

    So I’m so happy with what I am doing now. I’m so passionate about what I do now that I don’t miss the boutique business in any way.

    When I see people doing the wrong stuff about their health, I can’t hold back; I approach them. Some insult me, some embrace me, but I don’t hold back the information. I give free health talk.

    Can eating habits be of any help in the Covid-19 pandemic?

    Viruses love acidic body. They swim in it! And acidic foods are everywhere. But when your body is alkaline, viruses take a bow and leave.

    A lot of people’s bodies are hosting ground for diseases as a result of what they eat and drink. Nutrition has a huge role to play in terms of Covid-19.

    Take vegetables, drink lots of water, herbal tea, pepper, ginger, garlic and onions. You know garlic drives away vampires. Covid-19 is a vampire, but it cannot stand garlic. Eat right.

    You authored a book titled ‘Jesus wants you fit!’ What has religion got to do with fitness?

    (Laughs) Religion has a whole lot to do with it. Right from the beginning when God created man, He gave him a diet. Genesis 1 verses 29, which tells us that God is interested in what we eat, how we eat and even wants us to worship Him in our diet.

    After He created man, He made provision for food so we don’t go the wrong path. In Proverbs 23 He tells us how to eat against gluttony.

    The bible talks a lot about eating habits because the way you feed your flesh determines the way your spiritual man will grow.

    Philippians 3 verse 19 says there is a god of the belly whose end is destruction. So there’s a lot of connection between religion and fitness. If you don’t take care of your body, it is suicidal.

  • How Lagos upbringing aided my career — Ex-UN bigwig Amadi-Njoku

    How Lagos upbringing aided my career — Ex-UN bigwig Amadi-Njoku

    Former United Nations Organisation (UN) chief, Regina Amadi-Njoku, made history in Year 2000 with her appointment as the first female Assistant Director-General of the International Labour Organisation, a very important arm of the UN. In this interview with PAUL UKPABIO, she recalls her success secrets as a woman leader in a male-dominated institution and the challenges that came with being the ILO and Regional Director in charge of 53 African countries. Among other issues, the retired diplomat and former university lecturer also speaks about her growing up days in Lagos and how her cosmopolitan upbringing in the Campos neighbourhood of the city influenced her career and world view.

     

     

    IT is quite interesting seeing a woman climb to the top like you did in the United Nations and other institutions where you have worked. What has been your success secret?

    My life is simultaneously forged in the city and the village! My childhood was quite colorful. I was born in Lagos, then the capital city of Nigeria, in the Campos neighbourhood, which is famous for its multi-national and multi-cultural dwellers. The unique place of my birth, my family intergenerational living arrangement, my formal western education and the combination of my living in the city and spending long holidays in my parents’ rural communities in Southern Nigeria shaped my hybrid cultural upbringing and prepared me to easily straddle a dual cultural lane of traditional and modern lifestyles.

    Campos and its upscale environs of Onikan and Ikoyi were home to European expatriates and many Nigerian professionals, male and female. Lagos, where I grew up, was a real melting pot of cultures. It was inhabited by peoples from various cultures: Nigerians, Brazilians, Sierra-Leoneans, Togolese, Ghanaians, Cameroonians, Lebanese, Chinese, West Indians and Europeans. It was a mini United Nations enclave. Children in my neighborhood benefited from traditional African collective childrearing from parents of the community. We were taught that education, community service, excellent social manners, good character, honesty and compassion were the hallmarks of a good upbringing.

    I grew up seeing different people confidently going about their businesses, and living out their culture from norms, food, clothes, festivals, religions and so on. I saw women being homemakers and also professionals such as teachers, nurses, secretaries, accountants, doctors and lawyers. I never felt that my gender could bar me from achieving my life dream. I naturally assumed that I was going to be a homemaker and a professional.

    At that tender age, what were you curious about?

    I was curious about the abundance of amenities in Lagos and the scarcity of the same amenities in the rural villages we visited during the holidays, especially since my grandmother made me go to fetch water in the stream and pick up firewood. I think that the village experiences subconsciously guided my choice in profession. I just knew that whatever profession I would choose, it would have to be modelled after the ones exercised by the women around me in Lagos and the development work my grandmother and her rural women groups were doing to improve lives in their communities. My career path might have been influenced by my growing up in the city and the villages, but my leadership and management qualities were forged through an adjustment to my mother’s premature death. As the first child of my father who was an only child, I had to take up leadership and management duties very early in life. I benefited from inter-generational mentorship and coaching from women and even men in our extended family.

    My father was the most important role model of disciplined, yet nurturing leadership for me and my siblings’ lives. He believed I could achieve great things and gave me an extraordinary dose of confidence, pushed me to get the best education and to aspire to the highest position possible. I am ever grateful for his support and contributions to my life achievements. He used to discipline us with many sayings and proverbs.

    Notable among them are “Survival is seized in the midst of tragedy”, “Leadership is acquired in the trenches of crisis” and “Management is learnt in the midst of scarcity.” The wisdom in these sayings I hold dear to my heart and have tried to pass it on to my children.

    As Regional Director for Africa at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) with the grade of UN Assistant Secretary-General, we understand you were directing ILO programmes in the then 53 countries of the Africa continent and you were also ILO’s Special Rep to the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities, the United Nations Economic Community for Africa and the African Development Bank. How did you feel wearing all these hats at the same time and what were the challenges involved? 

    To comprehend my challenges as the first women Assistant Director-General of the ILO and Regional Director for Africa, it is important to describe the uniqueness of the ILO.  It was created in 1919, after a destructive world war, with the aim to pursue a universal and lasting peace that must be based on social justice. After the UN was created in 1945, the ILO became its first specialised agency in 1946. Incidentally, the ILO established its first field office in Nigeria in 1959, before the nation’s independence in 1960. ILO is a unique UN agency with normative and developmental objectives. It has a tripartite structure of three stakeholders: the governments (regulators of labour), the workers (suppliers of labour) and the employers (the demanders of labour). ILO is highly political as it aggressively advocates labour standards, employment and job creation as effective instruments for economic and social justices for all peoples.

    This was the world I entered in 2000 to take charge of all ILO programmes in the whole continent of Africa. I was prepared to a certain extent for this daunting job as I had worked at the World Bank and UNIFEM, now UN Women. I had also lectured at universities and had been a civil servant and a diplomat. The skills acquired through these positions prepared me, to a large extent, to perform and excel at the job. But they did not prepare me for the kind of the tough tripartite negotiations required to broker industrial peace between unions, employers and the governments in a continent of different language blocs which included Anglophone, Francophone, Arabophone, Lusophone. I had to learn fast!

    The great confidence my boss had in me, his coaching, the well of support from my country’s government and some colleagues, especially the women, helped me to perform well and achieve the objectives of not only the ILO office but also those of the tripartite partners. I was one of the few regional directors recruited from outside the ILO who stayed for a long time: a term of eight years.

    What were the challenges that you faced?

    Yes, there were several challenges of which the greatest was leading as a woman in a male-dominated institution while managing some major events which occurred during my tenure. First, the transition of OAU to AU with the primary responsibility of my office to support the reform of the role of the Labour and Social Affairs Commission in AU. Secondly, the occurrence of some national conflicts on the continent which required intensive hands-on attention of the ILO in mitigating their negative impacts on job creation and labour relations. Thirdly, finding a balance between a high-level job that demanded constant travel and family life was extremely challenging.

    Nevertheless, I immensely enjoyed the experiences and achievements the job offered me and I remain ever appreciative of the experiences, expertise and networks acquired through the job, which I have been sharing with African young professionals and leaders of today.

    As an expert on labour issues on the global stage, would you say the average Nigerian worker has fared well over the years, compared to global standards?

    I will be very cautious in answering this question as I have been out of the loop of active labour sector management for a long time. However, from what I learn from the media, from the Covid-19 reporting and personal observations, life is becoming increasingly untenable for workers in most countries, including Nigeria. Most of the gains made in MDGs are fast evaporating and hopes of effectively implementing SDGs are threatened. Poverty is on the rise among workers and families. The Nigerian workers’ situation is exacerbated by the devastating health and economic impacts of Covid-19 which have made a bad situation worse, in that it has triggered high inflation, a steep fall in the value of the naira, and high rise in the cost of living, all in the contextual climate of an existing high unemployment rate and cessation of non-essential work due to Covid-19 lockdown.

    The most painful fallout of this is that any prior discussions on minimum wage becomes impossible now since the minimum wage must be recalibrated based on the newly increased cost of living and the depreciating value of the naira.  Furthermore, the criteria of access to social protection and security that favors the workers in the formal sector and excludes those in the informal sector heightens insecurity for majority of the population who operate in the informal sector while fueling some sense of insecurity.

    These create a conundrum of challenges exacerbated by COVID-19 and its attendant health and economic costs. The challenges are also worse in the informal sector where income for daily bread is also sourced on a daily basis and the majority of the populations, workers and families are disproportionately affected by limited access to utilities like water and light, needed for implementing the Covid-19 protocols. The availability of sufficient palliatives and access to them may prove difficult as the determination of beneficiaries will be challenging especially in cities and even in villages.

    So, is there any hope for the Nigerian worker?

    Curiously a protective solution adopted to stem the spread of Covid-19 which constituted in total lockdown and mandatory working from home for non-essential workers may offer a unique opportunity to start addressing the dichotomy of attention given to workers in the formal and informal sectors. We can take advantage of how the big companies are re-imagining work, workplace in the home spaces; and worker rights and conditions, including emoluments and benefits packages, to start thinking out of the box regarding the employment reform needed to enhance and harmonize the treatment of all workers in the formal and informal sectors of the economy.

    You have worked in Nigeria, Switzerland and the USA. From your experience, which of these countries has the best work culture and environment?

    For every professional, each country offers some advantages and disadvantages. The most important advantage is the peace and support in the workplace that helps professionals achieve the institutional objectives. The next advantage is measured by the facilities the city of work offers the professional and family, like housing, proximity to the office, transportation and security. Of course, low cost of living is a big plus in a city of work. The greatest advantage is a city that enhances a professional’s ability to enjoy quality work, life and family balance. Geneva offered most of these advantages while Nigeria offered me the work-life and family balance. Washington was very advantageous in offering phenomenal access to enormous networks of learning from peers and institutions. Accessing supplementary education is very easy in the US. As I said, each city of work offers different comparative advantages for the professional or worker.

    What is your message for the girl-child in Nigeria?

    In my view, we the adults are failing the girl child as well as the boy child. Both are dangerously exposed to negative development events and technologies of the 21st Century. Of course, the girl child bears, as her mother, the brunt of most of the negative cultural and technological driven disadvantages of development.

    The only advice I can give a girl child is to create awareness in her regarding her precarious state, which could even start before her birth, ‘femicide’, and provide her with strategies, skills and networks to enable her to fight off the numerous abuses she will be subjected to before her teenage years and adulthood. The girl child is a legitimate heiress of her mother in all respects, made to accept and cope with her preordained and pre-birth lower status, the paucity of her rights and the presumed ownership of her body by the boys and men in her life.

    The boy too is a real heir of his father; proudly modelled after him even before birth, with high status, numerous rights and limitless access to leadership, ownership and power over man, woman and nature. The stage for suffering abuses related to women inequality is set for a girl baby and a girl child. The rest moves into action, like a movie. The irony is that we adults marvel at how and why the girl-child should suffer so much abuse. We conveniently ignore that we wrote the script and we direct the movie of her abuses. I have tried to address this and other inequality issues suffered at all ages through an NGO, “Other Half Empowerment Initiative”, which I founded several years ago.

    Would you say that the lockdown contributed to the numerous rape cases that have occurred in Nigeria lately?

    The phenomenon of rape and other forms of violence against women and girls (VAW & G) had been rampant before COVID-19 in almost all countries, including Nigeria. Actually, VAW & G, including rape and domestic violence constituted a global pandemic long before the COVID-19 outbreak. However, there has surely been a significant spike in rape and gender-based violence cases in Nigeria since March, which incidentally was the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The high frequency of rapes and gruesome rape-related murders exacerbated by COVID-19 lockdown has shaken the entire nation to its roots. These heinous acts were quickly denounced with a nationwide outrage and swift action taken by Nigerians, especially by women who took to the streets to demand urgent action on rape and justice for its victims. This necessitated an urgent response from President Muhammadu Buhari who declared that ‘violence against women is a national crisis’ and reiterated his government’s commitment to fighting gender-based violence.

    I really appreciate the governors of Nigeria’s 36 states who quickly followed suit by declaring, for the first time in history, a state of emergency on rape. The serious mobilization of national consciousness, mostly by women organisations on the horrific nature of rape and rape instigated murders of young women, girls, and even elderly women fast-tracked the adoption of concrete actions to fight all forms of VAW & G. Most important among them is the proposal to establish a registry of sex offenders and rapists for the first time in this nation’s history. This is a very big step in the right direction as Nigerians are mobilized and ready to take concerted actions to address rape, which is one of the most contemptible acts of VAW & G.

    Having had the experience of coordinating the first generation of UN global VAW & G campaigns in 2000 as the Regional Programme Director of UNFEM (now UN Women) for West Africa, I greatly admire and commend the Hon. Ministers of Women Affairs and Humanitarian Affairs. Their highly coordinated and rapid-response advocacy and campaign against VAW & G yielded unprecedented, prompt and concrete results. Additionally, their strategic collaboration with women and human rights CSOs, and the clear terms of engagement and partnership with the federal and state governments, and community leaders also aided greatly in this endeavor.

  • QUEEN CELESTINE: Day I met Donald Trump

    QUEEN CELESTINE: Day I met Donald Trump

    Queen Celestine is a beauty queen and model who won the Miss Congeniality award at the 2014 Miss Universe pageant.

    In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she opens up on her experience at the Miss Universe pageant, winning Miss NYSC pageant, memorable encounters as well as her experience as a model.

     

    TELL us about your experience during the Miss Universe pageant?

    Honestly, I would say getting to Miss Universe was great and at that point, I was still young in terms of pageant and how you really put yourself together. But getting there, I had a lot of fun, exposure and more. I also met the current President, Donald Trump, he was not the president at that time. Also having to meet different people from different countries, culture , character and I learnt a lot. It was amazing , just being in that competition and having to share that moment with different people who are now like pageant sisters, and are now my friends. It was really amazing, I had so much fun.

    What are some of the memorable experiences?

    In pageants, you do a lot of tour in terms of going to different restaurants, different events, doing shoots together, exercising together. Just having to be around those girls to do different activities and bonding on a different level. Some of the most memorable experience obviously would be when I won the Miss Congeniality award, which was being voted by the girls in the camp. For me, winning that was good, at least I brought something home to Nigeria. I was given an award for my country and it just made me feel special.

    What inspired you to go for the competition and what were your expectations?

    What inspired me to go for the competition, I am not really sure. Interestingly, I used to be a tom boy, so when I went to serve in Osun state for my NYSC, I competed for Miss NYSC for my platoon. Then everybody kept saying I could do it. I tried and I won the competition. From there, my sisters kept on informing me about this and that event, always encouraging me to try this and that. I was inspired by love from family and people who believed in me , that I could do things that I did not think about. So, it was just because I had a lot of people giving me positive vibes, that this would work. That was what kept me in the competition. My expectation was that, for every time I tried I would be able to grow and be a better person. Learn something and use the platform to do something for myself and the country at large.

    Did the pageant open other doors for you?

    Well, the pageant did open doors for me, in the sense that I was able to use that platform for networking with friends, and colleagues. This basically gave me one step higher than I was. This no doubt expanded my network, it opened doors for me in terms of relationship and businesswise.

    Tell us about life as a model?

    Life as a model was a bit simple. I do a lot of things and even while I was modeling, then and now I still do other things. These include selling things. So, my life was not just about being a model alone. I was just helping my sister with whatever she needed then, working and basically doing my thing. So, it was a lot trying to do everything on my own and trying to stay afloat. So, I would say life as a model was busy. There was a whole lot of activity going on with the shoots, busy but quite interesting.

    What were the challenges?

    My challenges as a model would have been just maintaining the right diet, keeping shape. I think that was it.

    How would you assess the performance of Nigerian models today?

    Nigerian models today have done so much and it is incredible. We have few model managements to help our models, boys and girls to be able to travel, go to other fashion shows in other countries. Nigerian models have been doing well in places like South Africa, New York , California. They are doing so well of late and as we are growing and progressing, you will see that people are learning more. So, whatever craft they choose, they learn and some people are just born gorgeous models. They have been doing so well especially those outside the country. Even the ones here are really doing well, the pictures are great.

    What inspires the things you do?

    Nothing really. I do things because I love it or because I have a passion for it.

    I grew up in a family that is so cozy, there is that love and wanting to share space by hanging out with your cousins, sisters. Being in that circle has been good and everything I do.

    Who or what influenced your passion and personality?

    I have to say my mum and my dad. My dad is a retired Police Officer. He was always busy at work but he always had time as well, whenever he was free. You would know that he was around, so caring and so quiet. My mum is not so quiet, she is the funny one. She does this things that are so funny. So, I am like that. Sometimes, I can be quiet and sometimes , I can be out there. They are the people that made me who I am today. I can see how my mum is always fun to be with, fun loving people like to be around her. So, I grew up to be that person that could always put smiles on people’s faces. Also, my mum is an amazing cook. I came from a home where everyone literarily is a good cook. So, I grew up loving good food too.

    Tell us about the people you admire?

    Basically, I don’t think I have one person. I have met a lot of people in life and different people do different things. For me, to admire you, it means that you have confidence in yourself, you are a hustler, you are strong. You don’t let things break you down. I basically admire the hustle and the striving around me. I am not the social media person. So, I am not the type that would just go and google people and rap them randomly. I admire the people around me. People, I have watched over the years, grow in the issues of their life, and they just keep pushing and pushing.

    So, for me I admire people who have drive to do something in their life and they keep pushing, no matter how you feel until you get there. These are the things that I admire.

    What other things that occupy your time?

    I am not the TV person or a movie person per se. Not the type that is always watching Movies on my phone or playing games. I play physical games but not on my phone. I love cooking and when I am not cooking, I am wine tasting, because I sell wine and spirits. If I am not doing that, I am hosting people, talking to family or reading.

    What lessons have you learnt working in the sector?

    For me being a model is a career. It is not just something that is on the side. I was more of a pageant girl. So, I wasn’t doing runways. I was more of a commercial model but the lessons that I learnt is that you have to always come prepared.

    There is always someone who is finer, taller or whose waist is more cinched than yours. You have to come prepared, you can’t give excuses. Modelling like other businesses is a serious business.

    Whatever client that you are working with does not have the time to start to mould you. So, the days you don’t come prepared, you will probably lose the job or whatever it is that you are doing.

    Do you have people that you mentor?

    Yes, I do have people that I mentor. A number of people do reach out to me and in my sister’s church I have talks with the youths, share my thoughts advise them when I can. So, I reach out to them and guide them.

    Tell us about your beauty routine. What is the secret of looking good?

    It is quite simple. I am a very simple person and I actually reached out to people who are experts in skin and hair care, and I get different products. So, in the morning when I wake up, I shower, feel fresh and do my hair and face routine. I do a lot of DIYs at home because I like a lot of natural products. I just basically stay fresh and my skin is natural. The secret of looking good is being positive. I feel happy from the inside, and once I’m excited, I come out looking good. So, that is the secret, putting up a happy face.

    How do you relax?

    My relaxation also depends on my mood. If I just want to be alone and relaxed, I go  to the Spa, massage and get something to calm and soothe me. Also, I can choose to stay with family and play games like monopoly. So having that laugh and at the same time not doing so much. It is fun having drinks with friends or I just sleep.

    What is your favourite travel destination and what do you like about it?

    My favourite travel destination so far would be Dubai because I have been there a couple of times and I also schooled there. The reason is that I have a few family there  and it is just more of relaxation with friends. Every time, I go to Dubai, it is more of sightseeing and relaxation. Yet having gone to other places, hopefully if coronavirus allow us to travel, I would have a new favorite destination.

    What type of books do you like to read?

    I like novels, motivational books, books about life, relationship and how to save.Different things really, nothing about Science though.

    What is your definition of style?

    I would  say style is a mirror.So, your style would reflect the kind  of person that you want to be addressed as.It is mirror of  what you want people to  see. This would be wearing something that doesn’t represent me. I will never wear anything  that doesn’t  portray who I am.That  would be a no for me.

    What items do you treasure most in your wardrobe?

    What I treasure in my wardrobe would be my perfumes, my Jeans, my crop,shoes and wristwatch. My perfumes comes first.

  • ‘Quality sleep enhances immune system’

    ‘Quality sleep enhances immune system’

    As the world battles with the scourge of COVID-19 pandemic, Vice President, Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy (NSP), Dr. Nnenna Nina Chigbo, in this interview with Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME x-rays issues such as the deadly disease and how a strong immune system from quality sleep can help resist this infection.

     

    WHAT is the relationship between healthy sleep and a strong immune system?

    Documented evidence shows that certain cells that help fight infection in the body increase significantly during sleep. During quality sleep, hormones that help our body are better regulated.

    On the other hand, lack of sleep can cause long term issues such as a lower immunity and it can increase your risk of conditions such as diabetes, heart and cardiovascular issues and obesity. These complications increase your risk of contracting viral diseases like the COVID-19.

     What is sleep disorder and how do comfortable mattresses and beddings help prevent them?

    Sleep disorders are changes in sleeping patterns or habits that can negatively affect health e.g. restless leg syndrome, jetlag, and narcolepsy.

    Sleep is important for health and poor sleep impairs function. Sleep is critical for the proper functioning of the body, including immune function, tissue healing, pain modulation, cardiovascular health, cognitive function, learning and memory.

    Sleep disruptions occur across the life span and in individuals with various conditions that are typically treated by physical therapists.

    Good quality mattress determines a great deal how well you will sleep. The body needs to align well with the mattress – not too soft and not too hard. A bad mattress can affect the spine and cause damage to the body.

    Secondly, when you are not comfortable on your mattress, it will affect the quality of your sleep and can be detrimental to your physical, mental health and overall quality of life.

     Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy (NSP) recently set up a COVID-19 committee. What is its mandate?

    The NSP set up a 20-man COVID-19 taskforce committee with representatives from the six geo-political zones. The essence is to support the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19 in combating this novel virus in Nigeria.

    We are raising awareness on the laid- down protocols to mitigate the spread of the infection and advising the government on better multidisciplinary approaches to the management of the COVID-19. More so, we are advising the PTF on discharge protocols and follow up for the people infected with the virus.

    Many of the cases in Nigeria are asymptomatic and therefore our approach must differ from what obtains in other climes. We are also advising on the use of exercise and quality sleep to boost the human immune system to prevent infection in the first place.

     What are the steps taken by the society in terms of enlightenment on the COVID-19 pandemic and have there been areas of collaboration with corporate outfits?

    The NSP has through the national taskforce initiated the formation of state taskforce committees in the 36 states and Abuja to replicate what we  are doing at the national level. We have been engaged in massive media campaigns on COVID-19 and on the role of physiotherapy. Indeed, prescribed exercises can play a role in the prevention and management of COVID-19.

    We have offered the PTF technical advice and manpower to fight COVID-19. We have collaborated with big organisations like Mouka Foam in creating jingles that convey the importance of preventive measures like using quality sleep to boost the immune system.

     What inspired the collaboration between the NSP and Mouka on the issue of boosting immune system to fight infections?

    The NSP already endorsed Mouka Foam due to the good quality of their products. Both parties are also helping the Federal Government in fighting this pandemic so we decided to work together in some areas.

    To what extent is the level of partnership, in terms of awareness creation, and what would be the intended impact on the populace?

    NSP and Mouka are collaborating to raise awareness and in so doing equip the populace with relevant information that can help boost the body’s immune system. The expected effect is fewer cases of COVID-19 to be recorded in Nigeria

     How do quality mattresses like those of Mouka help to improve mental and body performance which leads to a strong immune system as part of the benefits of quality sleep?

    When you sleep well, you feel better. Why? This is attributed to the increase and peaking of those cells that protect you against diseases. Your hormones also function better. Now, a good quality mattress will help you achieve this. When you sleep well, your mental clarity and overall mental state are improved. Sleepless nights leave you grumpy and restless the next day. Note that a bad mattress will also leave you sore and induce inflammation and pain in your body.

     What do you think the citizens can do in addition to what is already in place to combat the spread of the deadly disease?

    Exercise, a balanced diet and quality sleep. These three can be added by the individual to complement what the government is doing. They should also follow all laid-down guidelines like social and physical distancing, wearing of facemask and hand hygiene.

  • How hospitals rejected my mum till she died — Ex-Shina Peters’ dancer Tessy Yembra’s daughter

    How hospitals rejected my mum till she died — Ex-Shina Peters’ dancer Tessy Yembra’s daughter

    On May 27, the Nigerian entertainment industry lost yet another famous personality in the person of Tessy Yembra to the cold hands of death. Yembra was a popular society figure, who came into the limelight with her dance steps in the Fuji Garbage and Afro Juju videos of Chief Sikiru Ayinde Barrister and Sir Shina Peters respectively, among others. Unfortunately, she passed on at a time the world was on lockdown and she could not make the urgent contacts she needed to make with her friends. Her daughter, Dolapo Beckley, spoke with PAUL UKPABIO about her last moments and how the death of her two major benefactors aided her journey into early grave.

    Ou mother was very popular, but not many people seemed to know what part of Nigeria she hailed from…

    My mum was an Urhobo woman. She hailed from Delta State.

    If you were asked to describe her, what would you say?

    She was a down-to-earth person; loving, caring and kindhearted. She was so full of life. There was never a dull moment with her. She always wanted to give her all.

    She always wanted to make both the rich and the poor happy. She loved children a lot, so it was not a surprise that she died on Children’s Day.

    She wanted peace to reign around her. She took no nonsense from anybody and would tell you her mind straightaway, no matter who you are.

    If you offended her, she would tell you, “Ah, you made me mad yesterday. But I have to tell you my mind. Don’t bother; you are still my brother, you are still my sister.” She was unique.

    Your mother had a way of making friends easily. Tell us about some of her long lasting friendship that you know of.

    Maybe it was her personality, her character. Anyone who saw her just seemed to like her. They just loved her person, her livelihood, everything about her. People wanted to be friends with her because of her aura. People just love her naturally.

    •Dolapo
    •Dolapo

    She had friendship that lasted over decades with people like Chief Dupe Jemibewon, who she used to call Sister Dupe. She had very long lasting friendship with Sir Shina Peters and his wife Sammie.

    I remember the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke and his family; she loved them with all her heart. She was willing to travel miles with them at a moment’s notice to participate in whatever they were doing.

    She loved them, and was always the preferred event anchor person at her society friends’ parties.

    She was a special friend of the late Iyalode Adunni Bankole; a friendship that many admired and it brought her more friends. She was able to be friends to all these people even when they were in different classes. Aisha Guobadia was also close to her, and many more. She loved them and was so full of life. She always wanted to be happy and for people around her to be happy too.

    People say the death of Senator Isiaka Adeleke, the ex-governor of Osun State, affected her. What can you say about that?

    It affected her a lot because they were good friends. When she heard the news of the death of that man, it was like a major thing happened to her.

    While they were both alive, my mother liked going to Adeleke’s hometown in Ede. She called him ‘Gov.’ Most times, wherever ‘Gov’ was, it was likely she would be there. He always had one work or the other for her to do.

    And her friendship with the family was not limited to ‘Gov’. It extended to the wife and other members of the family. When he died, it really took a toll on her.

    You know what the Yoruba call Alaanu (benefactor)? He was her Alaanu. When she had stroke nine years ago, it was ex-Governor Isiaka Adeleke that nursed her to good health.

    He deliberately made sure that he nursed her to good health. He paid all her bills and he was always watching out for her.

    He would repeatedly tell her, Tessy, you have to always watch out for your health. You have to be careful about your health. Don’t take this, don’t take that.

    He was a brother that she didn’t have. So when he died, it really affected her. It was like she didn’t care anymore! Even until her death, some of her last words were, ‘Ah, if Gov were alive, things wouldn’t have been like this for me!’

    After the death of ex-Governor Adeleke, was she still going to the Adelekes’ home in Ede?

    Once in a while, she used to go there to see his wife and the other members of the family. Sometimes, Uncle Demola, the Senator and brother of ‘Gov’, would call her and she would go for their events.

    But it was no longer like before. His death really depressed her. My mother’s health started deteriorating after he died. She couldn’t travel up and down like she used to do. And she started dancing less and less.

    There was also Otunba Feyi Winfunke. What role did he play in her life?

    Oh! That too was like an elder brother to her. But he died earlier. He was the owner of Waterparks in Ikeja; a wealthy man in those days! He was also one of her benefactors.

    When that one died, something in my mum died too. It was actually that night when she returned from his wake that she developed a stroke.

    That was nine years ago. On the way back from that particular event, she was robbed. She got home and I comforted her.

    But in the middle of the night, she woke up to go to the rest room and that was when she had a stroke. Otunba Feyi Winfunke was good to her and created business opportunities for her.

    Apart from dancing and anchoring events, what else was she doing as a means of livelihood?

    She used to buy and sell jewellery. She had friends who came from abroad to give her stuffs to sell. She recruited ushers for big events and supplied wine for parties.

    Much earlier in life, she used to train dancers. She was also selling clothes which women wore to high society parties.

    If you gave her your aso ebi (ceremonial uniform) to sell, you knew that you would reap good profit, because she would  sell to the high and mighty.

    What exactly was the nature of her sickness?

    She had high blood pressure. Much later, she became diabetic, but she was able to manage it properly. Things, however, took a drastic turn during this Covid-19 holiday.

    All those years when she was bubbling at major parties, did she have these sicknesses?

    No, she wasn’t diabetic then. But she used to have high blood pressure of which by the time she took her drugs, she would be okay. Along the line, she became diabetic.

    Was she consuming much of sugar?

    Of course she was! She was always at parties. When you live such a life, definitely you will have sugar issues at some point.

    That is because when you are at parties most times, even if you don’t want to drink or eat cake, your friends will say take a little or are you quarrelling with us? She used to come home with cakes regularly.

    Even people she has done favours for in the past send cakes to her. She would give my children those cakes and the children would force her to eat the cakes with them. So, one way or the other, she was doing sugar!

    How many children did she have?

    We are just two. My brother is in America.

    How did he react to her death?

    He felt pretty bad. I feel pretty bad too (pause). He will pull through. I will pull through too. I have to remain strong for my mother and for my children.

    Did Tessy use to talk to him? Does he wish to come to Nigeria?

    Yes, they often talked. She always wished him well. And occasionally, they were doing video calls. He does not want to come to Nigeria.

    How many children do you have now?

    I have two: a boy and a girl. It was the girl that she did birthday for recently. It was her last socials.

    What does your brother in America do for a living?

    He works in a supermarket. He is just managing himself.

    When last did he come to Nigeria?

    He has not been coming. It is almost 15 years now that he was last here.

    What do you recall of your mom in her heydays when she was creating dance-steps for music videos?

    She was a creative, vibrant woman. Give her a beat and she would create a dance step for it and dance her heart out! No one will see her and would not say, ‘Wow, this woman is energetic and stylish!’ And she would dance till daybreak. She was so energetic; I can’t be a match for such energy.

    Which of the musicians do you remember that she worked with?

    There was Monday John, Sir Shina Peters, Dele Taiwo, Obesere and the late Barrister, just to mention the few ones that I can remember now. I know that there were many more.

    Did she used to tell you stories about her works with famous people?

    Yes, she used to. And I was seeing them myself on television basically when I attend a few parties with her. I was living with Sir Shina Peters as far back as when I was two years old. He was the one paying my school fees then.

    He took care of me. I knew my mum’s friends. I knew the people she was working with and I knew that it was her job. Early in life, I knew that was what was bringing food to the table. I was coping.

    Tell us about her last one week.

    She became weaker but still she pretended to be strong. I was telling her, ‘Mum, see the way you are walking; you are weak.’ When I woke in the morning I would ask her how was your night? She replied. ‘It is fair.

    God will heal me.’ We would then hold hands and pray together. I took her to the General Hospital at Oguntolu, but we were told that only emergencies could be attended to.

    I still ensured I bought the card and registered her. My mum never liked the atmosphere of a hospital, but she was dedicated to taking her medications.

    Her case was not regarded as an emergency! I’m sorry, but just like the other bad cases that we met there, we were all told to go back home, and most of the sick people went back home to die like my mum did. (Tears welled up in her eyes, and poured forth as she forced herself to concentrate on the interview).

    I refused to leave as my mum kept telling me that she was feeling awful pains all over her body. I explained to them at the hospital that my mum could not sleep. She was generally complaining of severe headache and pains all over her body.

    Next, I took her to a nearby clinic on the advice of one of her friends who knew someone there. She was treated for malaria and typhoid just to give her some form of relief. She actually said she felt a little bit better. But the second day, it became worse.

    So I asked her what we should do and she said she didn’t know. I called some doctors and nurses that we know around, they all suggested tests. A nurse volunteered to take us to a lab. When we got there we found that she had low blood count, like 20 per cent.

    We tried to boost her blood but she was not improving. Then she became weaker. At that point, she was not sleeping again and was hardly eating. Even to drink water was a problem. She sat up for two days and could not sleep.

    I told her please lets go to the hospital again; at least they will see there that it is an emergency. We got there still she was not taken in. Instead, they told us to call Covid -19 number whether they would take her in since they were the only ones that could take in people for treatment.

    We called and sent texts but there was no response. A friend of hers sent in a car for us to take her to another General Hospital, but at that point, she couldn’t move her body again. Four of us carried her into the car.

    She was in so much pain. We went to Gbadaga General Hospital again. When we got there, I pleaded with them but they didn’t answer me. They said why did we wait for it to get so bad before coming? I told them that I brought her but your people didn’t take her.

    We left for Ikeja General Hospital. When we got there they gave us hope. They allowed us to register her, cleared a bed space for her.

    Later they came back to conduct a test for her, all sorts only to tell us to take her to LUTH in Idiaraba. On our way, she stopped breathing. I beat her, she was not responding. I touched her she was still warm. I didn’t know she was dead.

    At LUTH, the doctors were scared to touch her because of the Covid-19 pandemic. And when eventually they looked at her, I was told she was brain dead, no pulse and she had stopped breathing.

    I asked what that meant, they said she was dead. I fainted. They revived me. That was when it dawned on me that my mother was dead and I would not see her anymore.

     

     

  • I feel good finding love again — Prophet Abiara

    I feel good finding love again — Prophet Abiara

    Prophet Samuel Kayode Abiara is a retired General Evangelist Worldwide of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC). He is also the founder of the Christ Apostolic Church, Agbala Itura, with headquarters in Lagos and Ibadan. In this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, the 77-year-old clergyman, who took a new wife about two years ago, talks about his new love, the 5G communication network controversy, why many female pastors don’t remarry after losing their husbands, and plans to reopen churches after the shutdown impelled by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    We are told that the coronavirus pandemic will be around for a long time. How does that sound to you?

    Prophet Samuel Kayode AbiaraCovid-19 is not a new thing. Epidemics had happened many times in the past. Even before the birth of Jesus Christ, there were epidemics. It is not a new thing. History tells us that when the smallpox epidemic broke out, it killed millions of people. Cholera, Lassa fever, Ebola, malaria all killed many.

    It is a signal to all the people of the world. Christ Jesus talks about the end of this age in Matthew 24. At the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, you will hear rumours of wars and many incidents will continue to happen. Epidemics will break out. There will be fake prophecies and fake prophets. It is the word of Jesus Christ manifesting.

    It is one of the signs of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not something we should fret about.

    You say we should not worry but scientists have said we should be ready to live with it. What is the way out? What should be the roles of clerics in this critical time?

    The Bible does not put us in darkness concerning this. In Isaiah 45:7, God says I form the light and create darkness; I make peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things. I’m still the same God. If that is the case, we must still go back to that same God and pray to Him; appeal to Him to deliver us from this pandemic. God will surely answer our prayer.

    He said call upon me in the day of trouble and I will answer you (Psalm 50:14-15). At a time like this, we need to gather together and pray unto God and God will answer our prayer. When the enemies wrote a letter to Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, that they were coming to fight him, Jehoshaphat called all the people, the men, the women and the children, they all prayed unto God and God fought for them.

    We need to pray to God Almighty. Only God can solve the problem. Scientists have tried, doctors have tried, they did not find a solution to the problem. It is a manifestation that God has absolute power over everything, so we have to return to Him.

    Christian leaders are divided over the reopening of churches. What do you think is responsible for this?

    You can’t blame anybody for the position taken on this issue. Everybody has their own opinion. In my own opinion, which is biblical, Roman 13 says we must obey the authority. God put our political leaders there to guide the people; to rule. God rules through people. He put them in positions. You know in government, you have experts in different fields; in hygiene, health matters, medicine and science.

    I think the people in government are looking at Covid-19 pandemic from the angle of health; that if they embark on lockdown, it would curb the spread of the disease. That is their own field. I think we all have to obey and comply with the rules and regulations of government.

    Besides, the lockdown is for a while; it is not something that will last for a long time. If government asks us to do something, let us comply and obey. Let us continue to pray for God to give us peace because He has power over nature.

    Some allege that some of the Christian leaders who are advocating for immediate reopening of churches are driven by pecuniary gains. How do you react to that?

    That is their own opinion. It is not true. Government is aware that by opening churches, the disease could spread further. No responsible government would allow its citizens to die. They must find one way or the other to curb this epidemic. It is normal for people to criticise the policies of government no matter how noble they are.

    I want to believe that it is a thing God laid unto their hearts. Remember it is not the first time the world will be having such epidemic. The lockdown has a history behind it. When it happened in the past, the governments of that time put up the same measure to arrest the spread.

    I am particular about clerics, not government…

    That is their own view. You know in a situation like this, churches normally have financial challenges. It is only when some people come to church that they perform their obligations.

    But that notwithstanding, when they don’t open churches, God knows how to take care of His people. I don’t think churches must because of money lose people. It is not right. It is good to abide by the rules and regulations of government.

    There is this argument too that faith-based institutions are expensive and beyond the reach of an average person. The argument is that missionaries made education free and in most cases, affordable to all but reverse is the case now. What is your take on this?

    If you want quality, you will pay more, and if you want inferior, you will go for it. Nobody forces anybody to attend a particular school.

    If you like it, you enroll in their school. There are many schools. If you cannot afford to go to a private school, you go to a public school. If you want quality education for your wards and you can afford it, you choose private.

    I wonder why people criticise the fees being charged in private institutions. In private institutions, the owners employ versatile and competent professionals and teachers.

    The owners of these private schools pay heavily to engage these professionals and teachers. I don’t think it is fair to criticise the owners of private schools.

    Nobody is forcing anybody to go to private schools. If you like you come, if you don’t like, you take your children to public schools.

    Of late, killing of young virgins has been on the rise. What do you think is responsible for this?

    That was what Jesus Christ was talking about when he talked about signs and end of this age and signs that our Lord Jesus Christ is coming.

    Because He said in Matthew 24:12 that sins will be rampant. I just finished a sermon online. The present world is worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. It is sad that people no longer fear God.

    They kill at will and do so many bad things. They cut and sell human parts at very ridiculous prices. It is a sign of the end of times. That is why people must be careful and move closer to God.

    People now rape. Fathers are raping their daughters. That is an abomination. That was what they did in Sodom and Gomorrah.

    To stem this tide, we need to pray more and government needs to do something about this. My advice to government is that the judicial process must be hastened. Cases drag for too long in courts. That should not be.

    Aside that, some of the criminals get light sentences and this tends to encourage others to commit crime. Imagine the case of a kidnapping suspect dragging for four or five years and government continues to spend money on these suspects.  In 1984, the capital punishment that was in place discouraged many of these criminals from committing crimes.

    For many years CAC was factionalised with members belonging to different camps. Recently, efforts were made to bring the church under one umbrella. When is the process going to be concluded and what should we expect?

    We thank God that church is making efforts and the president, Pastor Abraham Olukunle Akinosun, is making efforts to bring the church together. I believe everything is settled. Very soon, you will hear officially from the church that everything is settled.

    Now that you are retired as the General Evangelist Worldwide, what roles do you play in church?

    Many. If they have retired me in the office, I’m not tired. Like every organisation, there are rules and regulations. According to the rules and regulations of the CAC, when you clock 75, you are expected to vacate the seat and allow younger elements to come to the saddle.

    Even before the time, I had informed the CAC that I would be clocking 75, and when the time came, I vacated the position.

    Prophet Samuel Kayode Abiara

    The church does not stop me from ministering. I just finished ministering to millions of people via Facebook. The grace of God is with me.

    How does it feel to find love again?

    I feel so good. You can see me. The woman takes good care of me. She is a woman God gave me. She is a good woman. She takes care of me. She has respect for me; she has respect for all my children.

    All my children love her so much and they take care of her. I enjoy her company. She is like my former wife. I thank God Almighty for giving me a woman like her.

    Most female pastors do not remarry after losing their partners. But that is not the case with male pastors…

    It is their choice. I think many female pastors prefer not to marry because they want to take care of their children, and you cannot blame them.

    But if they decide to marry, it is not a bad thing, because it is in the Bible. Those who want to marry among them get married; it is their own choice. And those who do not want to marry, it is their choice.

    Are we expecting babies from you very soon?

    (Prolonged laughter) Will you help me to take care of them? But if God gives me two or three sets of twins because of this lady who is taking good care of me, I will praise God and the whole world will rejoice with me, and you journalists will join me in celebrating. It will be news all over the world that I have twins again. I dey kampe.

    Some of your colleagues said it was the 5G network technology that caused the coronavirus pandemic and that Christians should resist the technology. What is your take on this?

    That is their own opinion. The Bible did not say so. Even before Christ Jesus, there were pandemics. According to Psalm 91, those who are in the place of the Almighty, will be under the shadow of Almighty and He will protect us from the pandemic.

    The Bible does not say there will be no corona. The argument that G5 caused coronavirus is not biblical. God made the technology in the world for our comfort.

    They are not dangerous. They are not to harm us. Look at television, look at phone, will you say if you use the phone now, you will have sickness?

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming them for holding their views. But the Bible does not say that. What I’m saying is that epidemics had been in existence before Jesus, and God said He will deliver us.

    When we move closer to Him; when we are with Him, God will continue to make us have more knowledge to make life very easy for us.

    God even said knowledge will continue to increase and our comfort will increase. That is why I tell people that it is dangerous to enjoy this comfort without accepting Him.

    Talking about palliatives, you distributed materials to some people through the Abiara Foundation. Considering that you are retired, what is the source of your funds?

    You see, I had to do this because of the current challenges many church members are facing. There is no pretence about it; things are hard for so many people, even Christians.

    I decided to give out food and other materials as my own contribution towards lifting those who are in need.

    On the source of my fund, I used part of the money meant for my allowance to do this. You know we can’t sit down and watch people suffer, because the little you do will go a long way.

    If others who are a bit comfortable a bit do their own part, everybody will be happy. There is no wisdom in eating while others are hungry.

  • NASS probe of NDDC’s IMC beyond oversight function- Ndukwe

    NASS probe of NDDC’s IMC beyond oversight function- Ndukwe

    Obiaruko Christiane Ndukwe, founder and President of the Citizen Quest for Truth Initiative, a Non Governmental Organization, has been in the forefront of the clamour to sanitize the NDDC, in this interview with selected journalists in Abuja, she disclosed that there is more to the probe of the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC by the NASS than the façade of oversight function and other sundry issues, OKODILI NDIDI was there. Excerpts

    The Interim Management Committee of the NDDC has alleged that the NASS is prosecuting it because it refused to pay some lawmakers for fake contracts. Do you think this is the case?

    The reason for the probe of the IMC by the National Assembly on the surface can be attributed to an oversight function which is constitutional. But beyond the veil and just as the IMC has alleged, it is suspicious particularly when there is an ongoing probe of a 19-year period, since the creation of NDDC and suddenly, the Lawmakers in the National Assembly want to commence a probe. What is the rush in doing that? Which is more important now, the probe of a 19-year period or that of a 6-month period? I am surprised that these Lawmakers have given prominence to their own probe above that which the President has ordered.

    It’s not enough to hear from our Lawmakers, we must also hear out the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC, and the supervising Minister. Incidentally, the Minister and one member of the IMC are also members of the Senate and the House, respectively. If the IMC says they are being witch-hunted for not approving some suspicious and fraudulent payments for some Lawmakers, then, it is a serious matter and must be investigated. Who else can do that, if not the Forensic Auditors?

    It’s obvious that some persons want the Forensic Audit in principle but they do not want it in practice. I have been privileged to see some of the documents purportedly showing that there are demands for contracts not executed. The money is too huge to be ignored. Am surprised that the Niger Delta people and in fact, Nigerians are not lending their voices. It is clear that politics has blinded our ability to speak up against this deliberate rape of the economy through the NDDC. When a child is crying and pointing his finger at a particular direction, it’s either his mother or father is there or in most cases, a scary masquerade is in that place. In this case, the IMC has spotted a scary masquerade and that needs to be checked out.

    The IMC has been accused of flouting the Procurement Act under the watch of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, what is your take on that.

    We are in a pandemic and the law is very clear that at such times, the Commission with the approval of the Minister can award certain contracts for intervention, that may not have any budgetary provision and them later on, send the details for the President to approve. The problem is that people are not reading nor doing some research.

    First what does the Constitution say about such situations?

    Permit me to put it out here; Public Procurement Act 2007 No.14.

    42—(1) A procuring entity may carry out any emergency procurement where; (a) goods, works or services are only available from a particular supplier or contractor, or if a particular supplier or contractor has exclusive rights in respect of the goods, works or services and no reasonable alternative or substitute exits. (b) there is an urgent need for the goods , works or services and engaging in tender proceedings or any other method of procurement is impractical due to unforeseen circumstances giving rise to the urgency which is not the result of dilatory conduct on the part of the procuring entity;(c) owing to a catastrophic event, there is an urgent need for the goods, works or services making it impractical to use other methods of procurement because of the time involved in using these methods.

    Now read further: 43—(1) A procuring entity may for the purpose of this Act, carry out an emergency procurement where; (a) the country is either seriously threatened by or actually confronted with a disaster, catastrophe, war, insurrection or Act of God. And finally, this: 43—(2). In an emergency situation, a procuring entity may engage in direct contracting of goods, works and services.

    So where has The IMC gone wrong? It’s a simple case of giving a dog a bad name in other to hang it.

     How has your group, the Citizens Quest for Truth Initiative been fighting the sleaze in NDDC?

    We are not a crime fighting group. Rather we are registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a Leadership group. We identify good leadership, encourage them and also train citizens to follow in that direction. And where there is bad leadership, we also identify them and speak up.

    We started our advocacy with the NDDC few months before we became officially registered. It is on record that amongst all the groups which have pervaded the media space, we are the only NGO that has transverse the nooks and crannies of the 9 States of the NDDC, verifying the state of projects executed, interviewing citizens and putting out our findings in the media space. Although, as the case is in our country, it was difficult for us to access information on how much the Commission at that time received vis-à-vis projects executed.

    But to a large extent, we were able to ascertain that NDDC was functional in very many communities albeit with several abandoned and substandard projects. But things are better today, because we have a responsive team that waits no time in granting us access to information on the activities of the NDDC. As a matter of fact, Citizens Quest For Truth Initiative is built on the foundation of search for the truth. We don’t believe in handouts rather, we try to verify and ascertain the veracity of the claims, allegations and counter allegations.

    Ours is to put out our findings, lend our voice and let the authorities responsible rise up to the occasion.

    The call for the scrapping of the NDDC is gathering momentum, do you subscribe to this?

    I have not heard much about the call for a scrapping of the NDDC, but assuming without conceding that it is true, then, it validates the President’s order for a Forensic Audit. Before winding down the Commission and coming up with something new, we must find out where we made mistakes with a view at finding the solution before we can move forward. NDDC is a child of a necessity and you can’t throw away the baby with the bath water.

    Do you think that the present funding structure for the NDDC is hampering its performance, especially with the difficulty in getting its budget passed by the NASS?

    The issue of no budget or low performance of the budget only began with the 2016 Budget. The question is, what has happened from 2001 to 2015? And in any case, why would anyone or group of people choose to frustrate the Budget of an interventionist agency like the NDDC? The hidden but hard truth is that budgets are usually influenced by individuals who have the power over its funding and implementation.

    As long as it has to do with Contracts, it must be either facilitated or hampered, drowning on those involved. Just as the President recently changed the laws and granted autonomy to the State Assemblies and the Judiciary, except something similar is done for such intervention agancies, it will be difficult to achieve maximum results in the implementation of the NDDC master plan.

    Unfortunately, it seems that nobody is interested in the development of the region. Those who should ensure that the region that sustains the national economy are being fingered in the violation of the region.

    For instance, the IMC through the Managing Director and the Executive Director, Projects have laid bare the truth on the violent looting of monies meant for meaningful development. Need I repeat same here? Sadly, no one cares. The Niger Delta youths have lost focus as many of them are given the crumbs from the loot, so they are satisfied rather than demand to know the identities of those who have held the region hostage.

    The 2019 budget was passed only few weeks ago and it has elapsed. Surprisingly, the same Lawmakers who frustrated it’s passage and implantations are now asking for details of the performance of the same budget. Where does that happen? The sad reality is that the Lawmakers responsible can probe the actions of others under what they refer to as oversight function, but who will probe the Lawmakers for the deliberate delay of the passage of the budget? They have become untouchables. In the end, it will only mean that under the Change Government of President Buhari and the APC, no meaningful project was executed. There are no presidential legacy Projects after five years of Buhari on the saddle. Who is responsible for this mess and who gets punished?

    Do you think the forensic audit will expose the big names behind the fraud in NDDC, or will it end up as previous investigations in Nigeria?

    If the President is determined without being cowed by the same actors who plundered the region, then we should be prepared to be shocked by the big names behind the sleaze over the years.

    The Forensic Audit will definitely open up a can of worms. We are already reading some of the preliminary findings and the names are not strange. Have you ever wondered why a particular state has produced the Chairman of the Senate Committee on NDDC for 20 years now? Do you think it is ordinary and do you expect that those involved in this organized scheme will fold their hands and watch anybody expose them? They have too much money to fight back and this is a typical example of “we are fighting corruption and corruption is fighting back.” We are seeing that already. They have what it takes to mobilize more stakeholders to join them in the fight against Akpabio and the IMC. The truth is that the fight is against the President who ordered for the Audit.

    The Buhari I know will not backtrack on this Forensic Audit, no matter the blackmail by some people who are the big names behind the sleaze.

    Apart from the NDDC, which other ways do you think the government can address the challenges of the Niger Delta region?

    Very simple in principle but difficult in practice because of the importance of this region to the nation’s economy, it must be treated on the exclusive list where the President can override the National Assembly to engage in massive development. The bottlenecks experienced in the passage of the budget can be overcome if the Commission is treated like the NEMA.

    The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs should not only be seen as a supervisory body but must be empowered to influence decisions taken by the Board and Management of the Commission. It does not matter who the Minister is. Again, the Act establishing the Commission has to be amended considering that the initial master plan is supposed to end this year, 2020.

    We have to go back to the drawing board and find out the way forward and that’s why the Forensic Audit is necessary. It’s not just to expose those who plundered the resources but to find a way to close the loopholes. The President can declare a state of emergency in the region and ensure that those who have hampered development in the region are not allowed access anymore.

    The multinational companies in Oil and Gas can go into partnership with the Ministry to engage in more quality projects like the LNLNG is doing with Federal Government to construct the 39-km  Bonny – Bodo Road with two mini bridges, cross culverts. Hospitals, Universities, dual carriage Roads and Bridges, Housing schemes can be built under a direct partnership with the Federal Government through the Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs, instead of paying monies to the Central Bank which ends up in the pockets of a few professional hawks.

    The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, has been dismissed as inefficient and irrelevant to the Niger Delta region, do you agree.

    Those who allege are not well informed. The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs has a signature project known as the East-West road which falls the critical projects to be handled by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, managers of the Sovereign Wealth Fund now known as the Presidential Infrastructural Development Fund, PIDF. The Ministry is merely a supervising body.

    Those dismissing the Ministry are not even aware that the NSIA has refused to complete the East-West road, from the point where President Jonathan left it in 2015. My group has written them, no response. We took our advocacy to the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs and we have visited the Contractors handling the project.

    Without wanting to take too much of your time, I will oblige you to give me space again to speak on our findings concerning the deliberate marginalization and underdevelopment of the region by agents of some politicians. It’s a full discourse on its own.

    Some of the people who opposed to the forensic audit insist that the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, 

    The last time I checked, Akpabio didn’t initiate the idea of a Forensic Audit. It was the Governors. The President merely accented to it and asked Akpabio as the supervising Minister to handle.

    So how can anybody twist the truth, accusing Akpabio? Until we stop playing politics with development, we will remain in the dark while the rest of the world is moving on.

    Others allege that he is one of the beneficiaries of the sleaze that bedevilled the Commission and therefore lacks the moral strength to champion the audit.

    If Akpabio was a beneficiary of the sleaze, we will find out. Do you think that any reputable Forensic Auditor will trade their hard earned reputation for a cover up for a Minister? The more reason the Audit should be carried out. Akpabio ought to be the one frustrating the Audit if the allegation is true.

    Those who allege should submit the evidence. It is not enough to throw tar at people without substantial evidence. The issues I mentioned about those in power who have hijacked jobs to themselves, got paid without executing them, I have the evidence.

  • CHARLES AWURUM: Artistes are supposed to be the society mirror

    CHARLES AWURUM: Artistes are supposed to be the society mirror

    Comic actor Charles Awurum has been gracing the screen for years. The actor who until the Supreme Court removed Emeka Ihedioha as governor of Imo State, was the Special Assistant on Entertainment. He speaks with SAM ANOKAM on his four months experience as SA, his fight with Bobrisky, what he is currently doing among other topical issues.

     

    You were the Special Adviser to Governor Emeka Ihedioha for four months before the supreme court thought otherwise. what were you able to do within that short period of time?

    It was a very short period. We didn’t have in mind that it was going to be short but we were able to impact the state positively. When we assumed office, I discovered there were problems among the guilds. For instance, the actors guild have been having a problem that has lasted for eight years. There were two factions which the then governor Rochas Okorocha intervened but couldn’t settle. I brought both factions together and sorted out the whole issue and they were all happy.

    I went around other guilds like the producers, directors, musicians, Disk Jockeys, etc – I tried to bring all entertainers together. We started on a clean slate. I felt that entertainment was only happening only in Owerri the capital city, I then decided to shift some of the entertainment to the local governments. We did all of these and started to bring in people from outside the state even in the diaspora.

    We started talent hunt round the state in the 27 local governments so as to finalise in December but it wasn’t to be. It wasn’t easy. When I got in some people felt the governor brought in somebody that is not based in Owerri and they needed somebody who has been in the state. They forgot that I have been in Owerri and worked with the Art council. I also worked with the IBC (Imo Broadcasting Corporation) for a long time before I left Owerri. Then somebody feeling he was appointed before me as a Personal Assistant to Ihedioha, felt my appointment would subdue his and started carrying campaign of calumny against me.

    When people realized it was not true, he became mad. Though he was there before me he was then working for the governor as a band man. I was going through a thick atmosphere but I was able to make productions. If you came to the state during my short but eventful time, you would enjoy Imo. The governor and the people were happy. If we had been given a longer time, Imo would have been something else now. But the supreme court decided on their own to take Imo away from Ihedioha and that is going to do a lot of harm not to Ihedioha but to the great people of Imo who saw light coming. If you saw the change in Imo within seven months, you would know that the governor had a keen interest in making Imo a great place for people to stay. I shouldn’t keep quiet because an artist is supposed to be the mirror of society and not because I worked for the PDP government. When you see the truth you say it. The judiciary did not do well. They decided on their own to destroy Imo.

    The new governor might perform but everybody knows that Ihedioha was moving at a very fast pace in developing the state and the entertainment sector was going high. Usually, in this clime, when you give appointment, people believe they are going there to grab money so, anything you do from stopping them from grabbing that money they would want your neck. That was exactly what happened to me. But my intention was to work with the spirit the governor came with – develop Imo the much I can in entertainment. This disruption was not good for the people of Imo state.

    The disruption notwithstanding, what are those things you continue to do personally that you would have done for the state via entertainment if given more time?

    I am an actor, producer and director. I will be doing my productions. I can go to Imo state to shoot my movies. Then, I had to speak with some of these marketers, producers to come back to Imo for us to work together, to see how we can grow our people. The talent in Imo is enormous. When I did a talent hunt in Abia state some years back, I went to the 17 local governments and I saw raw talents wasting.

    I wanted to bring up the young ones join them with the stars and grow them. Now, I still have the opportunity but it would not be that big. I can only do what I can do on my own. My intention was to push productions down to Imo state.

    Ever since you started as a comic actor, Nollywood had not really had more of your likes coming up, why is this so?

    At the time we were up there, most of the productions you know usually have up and coming comic acts supplementing the like of myself, Mr. Ibu, Victor Osuagwu and the rest. They were allowed to express themselves.

    Nobody oppressed anybody and our duty is not even to train people, it is the producers’ duty. Our own is to be called to come and act. Anybody that is telling you that we didn’t groom others should know that it is not our fault.  The truth is that we decided not to go with what is happening now. When a production would be done with N200,000 and people will not listen to you not to go and do that production. They want to be stars, they want to be known but in the end, those productions you do will not even sell. Before, somebody gets N200,000 to shoot a movie, they will come and beg you, this time they don’t even beg again, it is the actors that go to beg them. They will not be paid, fed, given accommodation. How they suffer throughout the production is not their business.

    And that is why you don’t see most of us on sets now. If you don’t pay me what I’m worth, I will not act. There is no need forming everybody knows you and you don’t have the money. Like what the Actors Guild President is doing now, if he carries on this way, things will surely change. This is the first time I am seeing anything like this. If nothing is done now to change the attitude of producers, things will spoil. You see actors going out to steal because they are not making money yet, they don’t become that star. When you produce a sub-standard film it cannot sell. We have done our best. There are some people I even brought up. They are now popular but I don’t want to mention names. We did our best.

    Sometime ago, you got involved in a controversy with Bobrisky, what actually happened?

    I was not really fighting Bobrisky. I was trying to let the society know as well as addressing those producers who think they can make money through things that cannot help the youth. When you see somebody that is not supposed to be an inspiration, you want to make that person a role model. A role model to who? We have some of them who never wanted to bring up their head but because of Bobrisky, they started to spring up. I felt bad when I saw a production with Bobrisky in it. We shoot films where we use men to behave like women and we all know he is a man but not somebody that has changed his sex, behavior and you want the young ones to emulate such person.

    Once you start using her that way, you breed more. It is an offence in this country. Everybody knows this and still they keep quiet. Nobody wants to talk and even those that made the law are not saying anything. He is wrongly influencing the up and coming generation.

    I really was not happy about it. I have to say my mind. Fortunately, that reduced his being into production. Like they say, if he dies and there is heaven and he goes there, God would not know if he is the person He created. Our society is not the western world. We have our culture. I also shouted when they started porn in Nigeria. It is not good. Our society does not approve that. You will see children who do not know what they are entering into get lured into it. And the producer will be happy making your money? I will always talk.

    That Bobrisky case made me mad. The brother of the producer of that movie who is my friend called to ask why I was attacking Bobrisky, I said bros, first of all I didn’t know you are the owner of that movie. Secondly, you should not do things like that just because you want to make money.

     Again, when Ihedioha was removed by the supreme court, popular comedian turned lawmaker, Uche Ogbuagu began to say some things against him, what came to your mind when you heard it?

    Yes, I heard everything. What came to my mind was that politicians are not to be trusted. You don’t need to be a human being to be a politician. A human being who you call your friend who you eat and drink with then, all of sudden something happens to him, you abandon him and start saying things about him. Even if you abandon him and keep quiet, it is a different thing. When you start saying certain things, people know it is not true. Uche Ogbuagu is my very good friend and brother but I was not happy with what happened because I know the relationship between him and Ihedioha. If there is a problem, Ogbuagu have access to the governor and the governor respects him. I don’t know where that came from. At the time our governor was in pains, most of his friends left him. Some of his brothers also abandoned him. It is just a picture of the world. With Ihedioha’s case, use it to know what can happen to you tomorrow. I know how good Ihedioha was to all of us. Most of our politicians are not human beings. They are just there for their personal gains not for those people who voted them in.

    With what you have done, with your antecedent, if this current governor calls you to continue what you are started, would you accept it?

    I don’t think I will. Not because of anything but I needed to rest from what I experienced. I needed to sit down and really know what I want. I am not a politician, it really affected me. I love Imo. I can do anything for the state but for now, I need to ask myself some questions. I am on holidays maybe when I return, we can talk with whoever is there.

  • ‘Obese people are more susceptible to asthma’

    ‘Obese people are more susceptible to asthma’

    Professor of Medicine and Consultant Physician at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Professor Greg Efosa Erhabor, in this interview with Gboyega Alaka and Medinat Kanabe speaks on World Asthma Day, prevalence of the disease in Nigeria, link with obesity and latest treatment breakthroughs. Erhabor is also president/founder, Asthma and Chest Care Foundation

     

    IN celebration of World Asthma Day, can we say Nigeria is doing well in the area of Asthma management?

    We have come a long way from where we used to be. The World Asthma Day (WAD) is an annual international event with goals to improve asthma awareness and care around the world. Several chest physicians across the nation now celebrate WAD yearly to increase awareness in all the geopolitical zones by educating healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers and the general public. This has improved public alertness, thereby prompting quick response to patients with asthma when they need help.

    Also, more resident doctors are showing interest in pulmonology and training to become chest physicians. This has resulted in more standardised ways of management in our various tertiary and secondary hospitals. Basic asthma medications, inhalational therapy and nebulizers are increasingly being used by a lot of hospitals and this shows some measure of progress. Although, this still runs short of what is expected and there is still a big divide between what happens in tertiary hospitals and primary and secondary care services.

    For advancement of any disease, it is a triangle of patient management, training and research. There is still poor government involvement and active support to strengthen research and patient care in asthma in Nigeria.

    ​Can we have statistics on asthma prevalence rate in Africa as a whole and Nigeria in particular?​

    Asthma prevalence ranges from high prevalence countries like South Africa, which has a prevalence of 33.1%,to low prevalence countries like Gambia with 4.4%. Nigeria’s prevalence falls in-between. Works that have been done in the ISAAC study and studies done by scholars in Nigeria shows that the prevalence ranges from 5% to 18.7% depending on the cohort being studied. Most studies show that there is an urban-rural gradient with more asthma being diagnosed in urban than rural areas. Anecdotal evidence had shown that about 15 million Nigerians may have asthma.

    Are there some new risk factors associated with asthma management Nigerians need to look out for other than to ‘avoid smoking and other activities that trigger asthma attacks?​

    ​Basically, asthma results from interplay of genetic and environmental factors, a situation known as nature and nurture. Individuals with family history of asthma are prone to developing asthma. When individuals with genetic predisposition to asthma get exposed to certain triggers in the environment, they develop symptoms of asthma. Triggers are extremely small and lightweight particles transported through the air and inhaled into the lungs. They precipitate asthma attacks and are usually found in the environment. Triggers include pollens, house dust mite, cockroach allergens, cold air, spores, fumes, smoke, sprays, perfumes; exercise, certain drugs like aspirin, tobacco smoke, prolonged exposure to air pollution, and agents found at work place like chemicals, amongst others. People with allergies such as allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, sinusitis, or atopic eczema are predisposed to developing asthma. The most common trigger still remains house dust mite. However, there is new interest in the role of obesity in the development of asthma.

    Some people have linked obesity with asthma; what’s the connection?

    Within the last few years, there has been a growing number of literatures on the obese asthma syndrome. The detailed discussion of this topic will be beyond the scope of this article. How obesity contributes to asthma in an individual may vary. However, these are a few ongoing factors that have come up as the relationship:

    First, obese people are more susceptible to many strong risk factors of asthma like allergens, chemicals, cigarette smoking and air pollution. There are many things that have been attributed to it but one common one is that the diet that promotes obesity such as the western diet has high levels of saturated fatty acids, low fibers, low antioxidants and high in sugar. There is a growing literature that the harmful effects of these dietary components could lead to increased neutrophilic inflammation which predispose to asthma and increased bronchodilator response.

    Also, there have been some studies showing that obesity can lead to low circulating Vitamin D and vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in the development of asthma and obesity.

    There is also what we call a bidirectional relationship. Obesity predisposes to asthma and asthma also predisposes to obesity. For example, sixty percent of adults with severe asthma in United States are obese.

    Obese patients have worse asthma control and lower quality of life. Obese asthmatics do not respond as well to standard controller medications like inhaled corticosteroids and combination long-acting beta 2 agonists with inhaled corticosteroids (LABA/ICS), as non-obese patients. Furthermore, obese adults have 1.6 to 3 times more risk of developing wheeze and asthma.

    Obesity can cause or worsen gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea and both of these conditions have caused increased risk of developing asthma.

    Patients with asthma who are obese usually have chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, which is due to the release of certain pro-inflammatory chemicals (cytokines) in the body. One of these is Leptin, which is synthesised by adipose tissue (fat tissue) and its levels in the body increases with obesity. Leptin and leptin receptors are found within the cells of the lungs, promote inflammation and contribute to bronchial asthma. High levels of leptin cause impairment of lung function, increased airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) including exercise-induced bronchoconstriction and worsening of asthma symptoms.

    Why is asthma more prevalent in children than adults? Are there some genetic factors associated with it too?​

    ​Asthma is really not more prevalent in children as newer studies have shown. However, we need to do more multinational and intercontinental research to evaluate the prevalence because it appears asthma is still much underdiagnosed in both children and adults. Asthma runs a bimodal pattern – childhood asthma and adult asthma. Asthma tends to be more in number and in severity among boys than girls in childhood. This becomes balanced at puberty between the ages 12-14. However, between 15 to 50 years of age, females predominate. Early childhood events may influence the development of asthma, the so-called hygiene hypothesis. However, what determines the progression is being debated. Some believe once you develop childhood asthma, you continue to have symptoms. Others believe that there is a rule of third; that following development of asthma, a third goes into quiescence, some recover and others progress.

    In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic where getting medical attention is becoming difficult, what’s your advice to the average person living with asthma out there?​

    Management of asthma is usually a partnership between the physician and the patient with asthma. Asthmatics are encouraged to work with their physicians to develop a self-management plan which includes plan for acute exacerbation of asthma. Central to this management is the following:

    1.  It must be individualised and personalised. There is need to study their asthma and treatment must be personalised for each person.
    2.  Education is paramount. They need to be educated on asthma, the different components of asthma, how to recognise their triggers, inhaler techniques, self- management plan, amongst others.
    3. The early use of anti-inflammatory drugs which include inhalational steroids is advocated.
    4.  Reserving rescue medications only for acute exacerbation. The lesser they are used shows a good management of their asthma.
    5.  The use of combination therapy using long acting beta 2 agonists and inhaled corticosteroids (such as Budesonide/Formoterol, Fluticasone propionate/ salmeterol, Fluticasone propionate/ Formoteroletc) for long term maintenance of asthma. These medications can also be used as rescue medications. There are other newer drugs used in advanced countries but these are not readily available and affordable.
    6.  As a principle, it is advised to take inhaled medications for asthma because it gets delivered to the site of action, and small doses give maximum effect. However, some inhaled medications can cause oral thrush and this can be prevented by using spacer devices or rinsing the mouth immediately after use.
    7. Monitoring of their asthma, using a peak flow meter which allows them to calibrate their asthma because the peak flow meter has a colour-coded portion red, yellow and green. The Green zone shows you have good control, no asthma symptoms and you can continue to take your medications as usual. Your peak flow reading at this time is between eighty to hundred percent of your normal readings. The Yellow Zone is termed the zone of caution! The patient may have cough, wheeze, chest tightness or shortness of breath. He or she may be waking up at night due to asthma and can do some, but not all, usual activities. Use your inhaled bronchodilator with your anti-inflammatory medications and you may think of either changing medications or increasing dose. The Red Zone is the medical alert! The patient is usually very short of breath and quick-relief medicines have not helped. That person needs urgent attention.

    Asthmatics should be managed as when there was no pandemic. When they notice deterioration in their health, they should contact the nearest health facility as soon as possible. The continual use of medications like aminophylline can be dangerous and should be discouraged. Early use of steroids is encouraged because of the anti-inflammatory properties.

    What are the newer therapies in the management of asthma?

    Severe allergic asthma could sometimes be very difficult to treat, in other words they may not respond to the commonly used asthma medications. In recent times, several new medications, known collectively as ‘biologics,’ have been approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma. Biologics are unique in that they target a specific antibody, molecule, or cell involved in asthma. Because of this, they are known as ‘precision’ or ‘personalised’ therapy.

    A biologic is a medication made from the cells of a living organism, such as bacteria or mice, that is then modified to target specific molecules in humans. For asthma, the targets are antibodies, inflammatory molecules, or cell receptors. By targeting these molecules, biologics work to disrupt the pathways that lead to inflammation that causes asthma symptoms.

    Some examples of these drugs include: Omalizumab, which targets allergy antibodies known as IgE and Mepolizumab, reslizumab, and benralizumab, which all target pathways that affect eosinophils – which are cells involved in the disease process of asthma. The commonest and most widely used is Omalizumab, particularly in Europe, the United States and other regions. These drugs are used as add-on therapies for the treatment of inadequately- controlled severe persistent allergic asthma, despite the use of high dose inhaled steroid and long acting bronchodilators in patients aged 6 years or over.

    Among those who used these drugs, severe exacerbations were noticed to decline significantly. Omalizumab is given by underneath the skin injection once every 2-4 weeks based on initial serum IgE level and body weight.

    The major drawback of these agents is the prohibitive cost. For example, a vial of 150mg for Omalizumab, cost on the average $1,188. Aside this, these drugs are not readily available in most low and middle-income countries, like Nigeria. Another disadvantage is that they are mostly injectables and so they have to be administered in the hospital setting under strict monitoring.

    Adverse effects such as fever, increase susceptibility to upper respiratory infection, headache, fever, urticaria, injection site induration, injection site itching, pain, and bruising all contributed to making the use of these medications not very desirable.

    Other forms of therapy include Bronchial Thermoplasty which is an innovative, non-drug procedure developed for the treatment of severe persistent asthma. It involves the use of thermal energy to reduce the increased airway muscle that is associated with airway constriction in asthma patients and also to prevent permanent airway damage, otherwise called airway remodelling.

    In recent time, experts have also advocated the use of Tiotropium which is a long-acting antimuscarinic agent. This drug works by relaxing the airways smooth muscles and reducing the increase mucus secretion associated with difficult -to-treat asthma.

    With current COVID-19 pandemic, are more asthmatics presenting with COVID-19?

    Current observational research has shown that asthmatics do not come up with increased exacerbation during COVID-19. But this is still evolving because COVID-19 affects the parenchyma of the lungs rather than the lung airways.

    Perhaps asthma protects against COVID 19 via a different immune response elicited by the disease. ACE 2 receptor expressed in respiratory epithelium have been documented as the route of entry of SARS-Cov2 in humans. However, asthma patients have a decreased expression of these ACE2 receptors.

    Therapies used by patients with asthma can reduce the risk of infection or of developing symptoms leading to diagnosis. Suppression of viral replication was shown, as the inhaled corticosteroid, ciclesonide, blocks coronavirus RNA replication by targeting viral NSP15. There have also been reports of the inhibitory effects of glycopyrronium, formoterol and budesonide on coronavirus HCoV-229E replication and cytokine production by primary cultures of human nasal and tracheal epithelial cells.

    How best can one manage a severe allergic reaction like cough or wheezing during the lockdown that wouldn’t be misconstrued or taken for symptoms of COVID-19?​

    As doctors, we usually say that all that wheezes is not asthma. However, wheezing is not one of the symptoms in COVID-19.​ Cough in COVID-19 is dry, continuous, associated with fever, sore throat, muscle aches, breathlessness and other constitutional symptoms. Cough in asthma is usually episodic, associated with wheeze, breathlessness, chest tightness, and triggered by exogenous factors.

    At what point exactly do you place an asthma patient on nebulizer?​

    ​Nebulizer is a drug delivery device used to administer medication in the form of a mist inhaled into the lungs. Nebulizers break up medical solutions and suspensions into small aerosol droplets that can be directly inhaled from the mouthpiece of the device.They can be oxygen driven, thereby giving a dual approach to effectively managing patients with asthma. There are various forms of nebulizers. These include the ultrasonic, jet powered and mesh nebulizers. These devices are basically used in managing acute exacerbations of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and in the delivery of certain medications in managing other diseases. The aim of nebulizer therapy is to deliver a therapeutic dose of a desired drug as an aerosol in the form of respirable particles within a short period of time, usually 5–10 minutes.

    The medications delivered via nebulizers can also be delivered using an inhaler with a spacer device and this may achieve the same result with a nebulizer. However, nebulizers are useful in acute settings. It is useful when patients do not have spacer devices, if they are too young to cooperate or in the elderly who have poor co-ordination between device actuation and breath, or any condition that makes it difficult to use the inhaler therapy. Research has shown that healthcare providers find it more convenient to administer nebulizers to patients in severe respiratory distress because less education or cooperation is required at such times, it can be oxygen driven, and it is less patient dependent.

    In carrying massive awareness campaigns on asthma management, what strategies would you suggest to reach those who actually need such education?

    I met with a group of experts in Tromso, Norway, about two years ago and we were thinking of the use of ‘M’Health as a means of education, and managing patients with disease like asthma and COPD. ‘M’ Health is a term used for practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile devices like phones, tablets, computers, PDAs, variable devices that are smart etc. This is a very easy way in which you can use your smart device to track the patients; it also contains applications that can allow the patients to make informed decision on what to do and also connect with their physicians in very severe condition. That is an innovative step.

    Other things that can be done include increasing public awareness through television, newspapers, radio, social media networks and using various public fora. There is also need for mass education in schools, churches and mosques and massive distribution of asthma information booklets.

    How readily available are nebulizers and peak flow meters in our country?

    Nebulizers and peak flow meters are now increasingly available in Nigeria compared to what used to happen in the past. OMRON has been actively involved in educating physicians, pharmacists and other healthcare practitioners globally on asthma and the use of peak flow meters, and other asthma devices like nebulizers. I am also aware that OMRON is collaborating with NEW HEIGHTS and they are involved in massive discounted sales of peak flow meters and nebulizers. Also, there are some pharmaceuticals who distribute peak flow meters free to patients. There have also been some charity organizations like Asthma and Chest Care Foundation and Breathe Easy Foundation, UK, who have been actively involved in distributing peak flow meters free of charge to patients. However, this is not enough, we look forward to more participation by philanthropists to make nebulizers, peak flow meters and asthma medications available to the masses. One of my goals as a chest physician is to ensure that every asthmatic on the surface of the earth, especially in developing country, have a peak flow meter available to him or her.

    On a final note, we want to commend bodies like the Nigerian Thoracic Society headed by Prof. Prince Ele for the work done on asthma in Nigeria. The Asthma and Chest Care Foundation, my foundation, has also been in the forefront in the provision of education, patient care and counseling, training of health professionals; advocacy and conducting of research projects towards the enhancement of the lives of people with asthma and other lung diseases. We look forward to philanthropists who will support these bodies so as to augment the efforts of the government in asthma management.