The Nation Newspaper

Category: SouthEast

Imo police turn to God

Some may have found it unusual, but personnel of the Imo State police laid down their weapons to celebrate God as the ultimate watchman of the state.

One man leaned over, arms held out as though he were going to dig up something from the ground. Another, a woman, held out both arms, her entire body stretching backwards. It was an unusual day in the Imo State police command. They sang and danced in praise of God, saying He is actually the one protecting the state.

The word of God came to mind. “If the Lord does not watch over a city, the watchman watches in vain.”

No matter how heavily armed the watchman is, his ability to stop crime is limited.

This biblical truth was confirmed by the state command when they temporarily “laid down” their arms and took up their musical instruments, dancing and singing praises to God as the Chief Watchman of the state.

It was indeed a memorable sight at the police command as hitherto stern-looking police officers and men dropped the garb of steeliness and danced to the admiration of the civilian audience.

It was at the maiden inter-faith prayer and thanksgiving service convened by the state commissioner of police, Chris Ezike to thank God for helping the command to guide the city against the nefarious activities of men of the underworld and to further seek His help in combating crime.

Aside from displaying intricate dance steps, the jubilant policemen also proved to be quite spiritual as they held the audience bound with their soulful renditions that brought down the “presence of God”.

At the event, rank, religion, tribe and status were jettisoned as the officers and men, as well as the civilians danced together freely in honour to God as the command headquarters was temporarily converted to a place of worship.

In his sermon, the Chief Imam of the State, Alhaji Dauda Onyeagocha, charged the police officers to be conscious of Allah’s injunction on justice and fairness, adding that most acts of criminalities are borne out of injustice and suppression.

The cleric further admonished the officers to adopt good conduct in the discharge of their duties.

“The best way to combat crime is through good conduct,” he said.

Onyeagocha who quoted copiously from the Quran, emphasised the need to seek the help of Allah in protecting the lives and property of people in the state.

He called for prayers from the public for the command, adding that the officers need prayers to “defeat the forces of evil”.

In his exhortation drawn from the book of Joshua 6: 1-6, the chaplain of the Imo State Government House Chapel, Reverend Bunmi Babs said that the police have a sacred duty of protecting life and property.

He stated that the Command has adopted the best approach by putting their trust in God instead of men, adding that “the name of the Lord is a mighty tower and those that run into it are safe”.

The chaplain urged the public to continue to pray for and support the Police, adding that, “as we go to sleep in the comfort of our various homes, the Policemen stay awake and risk their lives watching over us”.

The chaplain commended the Commissioner of Police for seeking the help of God in fighting crime in the state, noting that “it is only God that can guard a city”.

The Commissioner of Police who took the first Bible reading of the day taken from the book of Habakkuk 2:1-11, thanked God for all the great feats recorded by his men in 2017.

He attributed the major breakthrough recorded in the Command in the area of crime fighting to the help of God, adding that it was by divine protection that the Command did not lose any officer in the line of duty in 2017.

Ezike said the thanksgiving service was organised to commit the activities of the command for the New Year into the hands of God and seek his help to protect the state.

He urged his officers to keep up with the spirit that stood them out last year just as he also counseled them against indiscipline and nonchalant attitude to duty.

He said, “Last year was a harvest of criminals in this command. We made high profile arrests, which were responsible for the blissful celebration of the yuletide last year, but we cannot relent and with the event today, 2018 will be better than 2017”.

Wife of the state governor, Nkechi Okorocha who was the special guest of honour at the occasion, thanked the police Officers for seeking the face of God in discharging their responsibilities instead of resorting to self-help.

She praised the police for the selfless service they render to the public, adding that it is only God that can reward them for the huge sacrifices they have made to keep the state safe.

Mrs. Okorocha said, “This Command will continue to do great exploits; the Officers will continue to excel in their duties because anything that is brought before God never goes down”.

She said, “Things will never go wrong in a state that gathers for God. I thought the only thing the Police does is to hold guns, I never knew that they can gather to worship and praise God. I thank God for giving us a CP who is conscious of the things of God. We are lucky in Imo State”.

Further lauding the sacrifices made by the Policemen, the governor’s wife promised to build and equip a two-bedroom bungalow for one of the widows of the police officers who died on duty.

February 23, 2018
‘Why ITF equips trainees’

The Industrial Training Fund (ITF), a manpower-development agency of the federal government, has explained why it does not stop at merely training youths, but also provides them with starter-packs.

Speaking in Abakiliki, the Ebonyi State capital, where the Director-General Joseph Ari announced that the Fund has trained 11,000 youths in various skills nationwide, he said that youths trained without take-off capital or equipment end up wasting away with their skills.

Sir Joseph, a knight of St Mulumba, said trainees who are given startup packs usually make a success of their training.

The 11,000 were trained under the agency’s National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP).

Ari was speaking at the Staff Development Centre Abakaliki, where the Ebomyi batch of the trainees held their graduation ceremonies.

Ari was represented at the event by the Zonal Director in charge of Southeast, Mr Peter Agbo, an engineer.

Ari said the training lasted three months during which the trainees learnt various skills including tailoring and fashion design, welding and fabrication and plumbing and pipe-fitting.

Ari said the 11,000 trainees were drawn from the 36 states of the federation.

Mr Ari said the agency decided to give the beneficiaries startup packs to enable them set up their businesses.

“The decision to provide the packs was informed by our tracking and monitoring of trainees of earlier phases which revealed that where supported with startup packs, 90 percent of trainees went on to be successful entrepreneurs, or even employers of labour. Conversely where they were not, they were not as successful,” he said

The DG cautioned the beneficiaries not to sell the equipment given to them but to make judicious use of them.

“The startup packs are of high standard and cost the ITF millions of naira. Do not contemplate selling any of the items presented to you. Please go out and prove to the world that the 3 months you endured were worthwhile. Your destiny is in your hands, do not toy with it,” Mr Ari said.

While harping on the need for unity among all Nigerians Mr Ari solicited for cooperation and assistance of various state governments and other stakeholders with the ITF to enable it achieve its mandate of developing the nation’s human resource.

In a remark, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Industry, Sam Egwu commended the ITF for living up to its mandate and promised the support of the Committee especially in approving the budget of the agency to enable it do more for the teaming unemployed youths of the country.

One of the beneficiaries, Anaele Ikenna promised that the Trainees will put to practice what they have been taught and strive to be good ambassadors of the agency.

February 23, 2018
Ex-governor Orji trains youths in agric

No fewer than 165 youths in Abia central senatorial zone of Abia State have been trained in various branches of agriculture under the youth empowerment scheme of Senator Theodore Orji.

Senator Orji, a former governor of the state, represents Abia Central in the National Assembly.

Speaking in Umuahia, the state capital, Orji said that 20 of the trainees selected from the six local government areas of the zone were trained in mechanised farming at the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation, Ilori, Kwara State.

He said 80 were trained at the National Root Crop Research Institute Umudike, while 65 were trained at Federal College of Agriculture Isiagu, Ebonyi State.

The senator explained that the specific areas the youths from his senatorial district underwent the training include, fishery, piggery, poultry as well as soap making, adding that the aim is to make them self-reliant.

The senator who was represented by his former legislative aide, and Commissioner for Public Utilities, Abia State, Chief Chidiebere Nwoke, said the beneficiaries would receive take-off grant along with others in an elaborate empowerment programme coming up shortly.

He said 15 tricycles, liquid fertilizsers, farming implements, sewing machines and other empowerment tools would also be distributed to people at the event to enable them become self-reliant.

Orji said that over 180 undergraduates have benefited from his scholarship scheme in the last three years, adding that he was highly concerned about the future of youths in his zone, hence his relentless efforts towards establishing them.

He explained that the reason he decided to train more youths in agriculture was to make them part of the solution to the food crisis in society as agriculture is becoming the mainstay of Nigerian economy.

The Senator said he had also attracted some major projects in the district including roads, motorized water bore holes, rural electrification and transformers among others for the benefit of his people.

He used the forum to urge all eligible voters and youths from the zone to get their voter’s card so that they will take part in the 2019 general elections, while promising to deliver more democracy projects in the months ahead.

In a related development member representing Abia Central Senatorial district at the senate, Senator Orji has called on people of means in the society to invest in education as one of the ways to empower the teeming youths of the state and the country.

Speaking in Umuahia during his third scholarship scheme program for indigent students in the tertiary institutions in country, Orji said that education is the best base for the foundation of upcoming youths in the country.

Orji said that education is the bedrock of all human endeavors which is structured into levels and progressed on departments with the aim of grooming the mind and energise the hands into skills.

The former Abia governor said that seeing the plight of youths who are intelligent but do not have money to further their education, “Made me to resolve to contribute in my own little way to advance this noble cause of humanity”.

He noted that it is through education that the world has been reduced to a global village where people could get connected through telephone handsets, televisions and other electronic gadgets.

Orji said, “Beyond gadgetry, our health and aviation world have been greatly enhanced through education, some highly infectious and incurable diseases of the past are now curable with materials like laser machines which are used to do surgery without a drop of blood”.

February 23, 2018
Umahi flags off medical outreach

Hundreds of people in Ivo Local Government Area, Ebonyi State have been treated free of charge during the maiden edition of the Caring Heart Foundation Medical outreach.

Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi flagged off the outreach, which was sponsored by a member of the House of Representatives (Onicha/Ivo/Ohaozara Federal Constituency) Linus Okorie.

The flag-off at the Akaeze Development Centre Headquarters, Ugwuagba was attended by the state commissioner for Health, Dr Umezurike, Commissioner for Environment, Chief Din Njoku and his counterpart for Economic Empowerment, Uchenna Orji.

Others were the Deputy Chief of Staff Prof Okpara, Ivo council chairman, Senior Advisers, traditional rulers, and town union presidents, among others.

Governor Umahi who was represented by his deputy, Kelechi Igwe commended Okorie for his people-oriented representation at the National Assembly.

He said such health outreaches will compliments the efforts of the state government in the health sector.

He highlighted some of the programes initiated by his administration highlight like the construction of a modern virology centre in the state, fight against female genital mutilation and reconstruction of general hospitals in the state.

Mr Okorie in his speech said the outreach is his own little way of giving back to his constituents who have shown him so much live by voting him into the House of Representatives two times.

He said the outreach will be carried out in the three local government areas of the Constituency in the coming months to improve their health standards.

Over 150 under five children (with one critically sick baby rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki with the ambulance), 60 pregnant women (with six identified as very high risk requiring special attention) and 239 older children and adults ( with one prolapse case) were treated.

February 23, 2018
Residents to contractor: return to site

Residents of Ovom and Waterside areas of Aba, Abia State, have been groaning since a contractor handling a major road linking their communities to other parts of the commercial city abandoned work about a year ago.

The road and Waterside Bridge were in disrepair until the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu administration started fixing the road. Since the contractor stopped work, the residents have been agonising over their fate.

Some of the residents and other road users who spoke to our reporter over the leaching of some parts of the bridge expressed fears that it could collapse soon if nothing is done quickly.

They urged the state administration to order the contractor back to site. They also demanded that if the contractor is found to be incompetent, the government should replace him with somebody who will do a good job.

When our reporter visited the site, equipment of the contractor were seen rusting, an indication that it was long they have been abandoned at the site.

Some of the respondents including a man that gave his name simply as Chima who spoke to our reporter want the state government to deploy a team of experts to the site to assess the situation and fashion out a better way to address it.

“The truth is that we were happy when the state government under Governor Okezie Ikpeazu started working on the road and the bridge. If you look around, you will see how they were able to check what could have been erosion menace in the area. We were surprised that the contractor over a year now has not been to the site.

“This road was designed to link Azumini-Opobo Road, Emelogu, Pepple, Aguwa, Akpu and Ngwa roads with the city centre in such a way that if you are going to Azumini, Ovom or Opobo road, you don’t need to get to Bata or Ogbor Hill, that is when you are coming from Port Harcourt Road or Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway.

“But here we are, if you go up to Good Morning Market and other parts of Ngwa Road, you will be able to see how the contractor abandoned the work and left till date. The erosion which is washing away parts of the bridge started gradually and if care is not taken and government does not do anything to address the situation, we are afraid that by the next time you will come here as we are entering rainy season, this bridge will be impassible. We are afraid that we are going to be cut off from the rest of the city center.

“I want to use this opportunity to call upon our dear listening governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and our brother who is the commissioner of works, Hon. Eziuche Ubani to come and ensure that the situation is addressed now before it gets out of hand. They should mandate the contractor to come back to site or engage another competent hand that can address the situation and complete this project. It is a project that is dear to us because we know the economic and social benefits that we stand to gain if this road project is completed. But importantly, they should come and fix this erosion now that it is still small before it becomes full-blown.

February 23, 2018
Donor retools UNTH

a Germany-Based Nigerian medical practitioner, Dr. Alanna Ebigbo has donated a set of equipment to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH).

The donated items included an endoscopy machine, the Olympus exera III, 190 series, processor, light source and three scopes.

Receiving the equipment, which are said to be the latest models in the market, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Chris Amah described the gesture as a lifetime medical intervention.

Amah, who was represented by the director of administration in the hospital, Mr. Bernard Ugwu, said the equipment came at a time when they were upgrading their units and departments to meet patients’ care.

“We will remain grateful to you for having good motive for our people; I assure you our competent personnel will take good care of the machine,” Ugwu remarked.

The head of the Endoscopy Unit, Prof. Sylvester Nwokediuko, expressed joy that their collaboration that started last year had blossomed, adding that between that period and now Dr. Alanna Ebigbo, had donated two sets of endoscopy machines and six scopes to the hospital.

He stated that apart from the equipment, Dr. Ebigbo, also sponsored some of the UNTH staff to undergo training on endoscopy operation in Germany.

He said, “You have noticed some lapses here, we will address them, in fact, with the latest machines I will invite the Post-Graduate Medical College of Nigeria for full accreditation of the department in the college of Medicine of the University of Nigeria, Enugu campus.

In his remarks, a renowned cardiologist at the UNTH, Prof. Ben Anisiuba, said he had to put his conference outside the state on hold, on hearing the breaking news on the arrival of the latest model of the endoscopy machine to the hospital.

Anisiuba stated that he was in love with diagnostic instruments, such as the endoscopy equipment, as they could also be useful for cardiologists.

The donor, Dr. Alanna Ebigbo, had said that coming to the UNTH was to him like coming home, having been born and nurtured in Enugu.

Ebigbo, who came with his two Nigerian technical partners, Dr. Ugochukwu Ezenyirioha and Dr. Gideon Anigbo, re-affirmed his commitment to contribute his quota to the growth of the nation’s healthcare sector, adding that his scientific partnership with the hospital had just only begun.

He explained that part of the successes achieved in securing the equipment was as a result of his reports to the Olympus Referral Centre in Germany, which in turn smoothed the ground for him.

One of the medical staff who benefited from the training in Germany, Dr. Uche Ijoma, the UNTH Director of public Relations, Cyril Keleze and Dr. Olive Obienu were among personalities who graced the occasion.

Dr. Ijoma had been invited as a resource person to the European Gastroentrerology conference recently hosted by Alanna’s hospital, Das Klinkum in Germany.

February 23, 2018
Zakat foundation reaches out in Anambra

Jhaiz Zakat and Waqf Trust Fund (JZWTF), a Muslim foundation devoted to helping the needy, has provided job tools for 100 persons in Anambra State.

The beneficiaries cut across the world’s two dominant religions, Christianity and Islam.

The group’s Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Ambassador Adamu Babangida Ibrahim said JZWTF was established to alleviate the sufferings of the people.

Among the beneficiaries were 87 persons for empowerment, 10 for support in educational needs and three for medical support.

Some of the items given to the beneficiaries included, sewing machines, industrial machines, generating sets, deep freezers, plasma televisions among other things.

Ibrahim further said JAIZ Bank which had been in existence in the northern part of the country would soon berth in Anambra State and Southeast.

He said majority of the business men in the country who patronise the bank were from the south east region including clergymen from different denominations, adding that it was not meant for only Muslims.

The Executive Secretary and CEO of JAIZ ZAKAT, Imam Abdullahi Shuaib, told reporters yesterday that the problem today in Nigeria was allowing discrimination to eat deep in the system.

This according to him, had aided politicians in the land to be killing one another, adding that Christians and Muslims should love themselves as enshrined in the Holy Bible and Holy Koran

Also, about three million naira was given to other persons as part of the poverty alleviation program of the foundation.

Some of the beneficiaries could not hold back their emotions as they cried openly when their names were reeled out.

The beneficiaries were from Nnewi, Onitsha, Awka, Ekwulobia, Okija among other communities in the state.

Some of them like Raji Mariam, Hajia Milbert Okenwa, Mariam Yusuf, Ukamaka Agbataekwe, Victoria Okoye, commended the organizers for finding them worthy to benefit.

They said they were not aware of being in the list of beneficiaries, adding that names were submitted by the Imams from different locations to the organisers.

February 23, 2018
Enugu hosts global campaign against diabetes

Experts from around the world gathered in Enugu to tackle diabetes, known to be among top killer diseases.

Health Minister Prof Isaac Adewole and others have sounded the alarm loudly enough. Late last year, the minister said Nigeria accounted for a quarter of 15 million diabetes prevalence cases in Africa. Some have said nearly two million Nigerians living with the disease, according to a conservative figure, are unable to produce insulin, or that the insulin they produce cannot properly regulate their blood sugar. This condition exposes them to all manner of grim realities, including heart diseases, blindness, amputations and death.

That was why health experts across the globe converged on Enugu to seek ways of combating the disease.

The experts were drawn from China, Belgium, Congo, Cameroon and Nigeria.

Declaring the summit open at the International Conference Centre of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, the Provost, College of Medicine of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Prof. Ernest Onwasigwe, said the institution prioritises research and manpower development as a means of achieving academic excellence.

Onwasigwe explained that in order to boost learning and encourage research among academic staff, the university introduced inaugural lecture series, adding that the lecture provides the platform for their academic staff who had attained the status of professor to periodically educate the university community on their different fields.

He said, “In the College of Medicine here, I can proudly say that we have medical doctors who are gifted with such amazing intellectual quotient like Prof. Ifeoma Ulasi, the leader of this research group. The world also recalls that our team of surgeons pioneered open heart surgery in Africa in 1976 and the first separation of Siamese twins several years back”.

He said that the workshop on diabetes could not have come at a better time than now when the disease is ravaging the world. He expressed the hope that at the completion of the research study, Nigeria and the entire world would reap abundantly from the findings of the Prof. Ifeoma Ulasi-led team on diabetes.

The provost also commended the contribution of the chairman of the UNTH Open Heart Centre, Prof. Basden Onwubere, who was known for supporting good vision.

Prof. Xilin Yang of the Tianjin Medical University, China, called on African leaders to increase budgetary allocations to the health sector, stressing that with an improved healthcare programme for the people, the scourge of diabetes can be better controlled.

Yang challenged stakeholders in healthcare to join hands and fight diabetes. He praised Prof. Ifeoma Ulasi for organising the workshop with help from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Belgium.

Also speaking on the occasion, the senior programmes manager at the International Diabetes Federation, Belgium, Dr. Belma Malanda, disclosed that of the 425 million people down with diabetes globally, 200 million are women.

In his lecture titled “Bringing Research in Diabetes to Global Environment”, Dr. Malanda, lamented that the huge patients’ figure on diabetes calls for great concern by both the government and stakeholders in the healthcare. He stated that as part of efforts to address the issues of diabetes, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) now has 231 member associations in 165 countries of the world, including seven Regional offices adding that the population of its members had hit 2 million.

The coordinator of the state’s Research Team on Diabetes and organizer of the summit , Prof. Ifeoma Ulasi, had explained that the objective of the group was to wipe out diabetes in Nigeria and the entire Africa.

The renowned scholar said that by the formation of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria (DAN) since 1982, Nigerian doctors had demonstrated their readiness to combat the scourge of diabetes in the country to zero level.

Describing diabetes as a global epidemic, Prof. Ulasi, who is of the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, called on the government to subsidise the treatment of patients with diabetes, especially the poor among them due to the harsh economy.

The chairman of the University of Nigeria teaching Hospital (UNTH) Open Heart Centre of Excellence, Prof. Basden Onwubere stated that the University of Nigeria would continue to support research efforts as a sure way of improving the academic horizon of its staff and commended Prof. Ifeoma Ulasi for embarking on the research on Diabetes, even as he noted that everyone stands to gain at the end of the study.

The Research team, led by the coordinator, Prof. Ifeoma Ulasi, had paid courtesy visits to the Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sintan Ekochin, the Chief Medical Director, UNTH, Dr. Chris Amah and the Provost, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Ernest Onwasigwe. Members of the state’s research team were drawn from University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital and Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu.

February 16, 2018
‘Our old-fashioned, life-saving bridge’

Do not judge the bridge by its look. It may be old-fashioned but it means the world to the people of Amainyi community in Ihite Uboma Council Area of Imo State. It links them with other neighbouring communities. It is via this bridge that farm produce from the agrarian community is taken to the market in the city. Long files of pupils also take the bridge every morning to school in other villages.

At a time in the past, Amainyi community was famous for the wooden bridge which was the envy of other surrounding villages which could not afford the comfort of such infrastructure.

But as a result of long years of abandonment, the bridge finally collapsed, bringing untold hardship on the people of Amainyi community. They were cut off from the neighbouring villages and this adversely affected commercial, social and other activities.

Little school children had to swim across the river to school with the accompanying dangers.

Various efforts to get the attention of the government to the plight of the people as a result of the collapsed bridge were abortive until recently when the newly installed traditional ruler of Amainyi, Eze Eze Emeka Ogbonna, drew the attention of the state government.

Expectedly, the reconstruction of the collapsed bridge after many years brought huge relief to the community. It once more unlocked social and commercial activities crippled in the past.

The new bridge threw the farmers and women into frenzy and not a few of them were eager to take a walk across the bridge. The news of the new bridge also ignited joy in neighbouring communities that had hitherto been unable to visit Amainyi to buy farm produce.

The elated monarch, recounted the ordeal the people went through when the bridge collapsed, adding that the reconstruction of the bridge will once more trigger agricultural and commercial activities in the community.

According to the traditional ruler who is a trained Pharmacist, “our people went through difficult time as a result of the collapsed bridge. Traders that were coming from other communities like Umuoke in Obowo Local Government Area to buy our farm produce could not come again and several other socio-cultural activities were totally grounded”.

He continued that, “we were able to reconstruct the bridge after the state governor, Rochas Okorocha gave money to traditional rulers in the state to undertake grading of critical community roads. So we met and decided to use part of the money to rebuild the bridge. So today the people are happy because they are now reconnected with other parts of the State. But we are yet to repair the road that connects the bridge and we are sure that the governor will still intervene”.

The monarch also disclosed that the Eze-in-Council is currently completing abandoned water projects in the community, adding that “we are working hard to revive abandoned and uncompleted projects in the community to make life easier for our people”.

Some of the villagers who spoke with The Nation, expressed joy over the wind of development that is currently sweeping through the community.

Nze Durumba Nwaokocha, a widowed octogenarian, particularly relished the reconstruction of the ancient bridge, “when I was a young man we used to take turn to service the bridge. Different age grade takes turn to repair the bridge by replacing decayed logs and clearing the narrow path to the bridge”.

He stated further that, “I was devastated when the bridge collapsed. Our young men don’t take interest in community service nowadays. But during our time, most of the amenities we had was through communal efforts, we never waited for government to do everything for us”.

Also expressing gratitude, a widow and petty trader, Madam Agnes Ikuoka, said, “I am so happy about the bridge, last week I went to Umuoke market for the first time after a long time. We thank God for using our Eze to help us to repair our bridge”.

Meanwhile the state government has commenced massive grading of rural roads across the state to stimulate economic and social development.

February 16, 2018
‘How to save your life’

At a health awareness forum in Aba, Abia State, experts make a case for balanced diet, exercise and regular checks, if you want to enhance your life.

It is not enough to merely chase the cash. You need to eat healthy food, cut down on stress, see your doctor regularly and embrace exercise.

That was the message in Aba, Abia State’s commercial capital, where residents work like the proverbial bee.

Over 200 participants attended a health forum in the city, with experts warning of severe consequences should people keep neglecting their health.

A medical expert attributed the high rate of mortality in the business-minded city to pollution and inability of majority of residents to go for regular medical checks.

The expert lamented the high rate of alcohol consumption and lack of exercise among residents, warning that without a comprehensive awareness campaign by the state government and non-governmental agencies, there may be serious consequences.

The health awareness forum was organised by the Hon. Emeka Nnamani’s Foundation based in the commercial heartbeat of the state to educate Aba and Abia residents on how to manage their health and live a healthy life while trying to fend for themselves and their families.

The event attracted residents of the commercial city especially within the ages of 50-70 years who thanked the organisers for such a wonderful seminar. They also called for such seminars to be regular as they hope that a continued health awareness seminars would help to save more persons from dying in ignorance.

Speakers at the health awareness programme led discussions on high blood pressure and heart attack, two common diseases.

They maintained that eating well along with being active can also lower someone’s risk of contracting diseases, adding that to maintain a healthy weight, people should eat a balanced diet.

According to them, any act that would mount excess tension in the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body automatically leads to high blood pressure and heart attack, stressing that it could lead to renal failure, hardening of the arteries, eye damage, heart disease and stroke, as a result of brain damage.

They also urged the participants to reduce their intake of alcohol, cakes, soft drinks, sports and energy drinks, fruit flavoured drinks, salt and caffeine intake, cigarette smoking, ice cream and frozen desserts among others, but to embrace exercise as the best way to live healthily.

One of the participants, Comrade Joachim B. Anyanwu in an interview thanked God for the philanthropic disposition of the founder of the foundation whom God touched and has been using him to the rescue of the people.

Anyanwu while acknowledging that the rate of mortality was on the high side coupled with extreme poverty said the awareness programme couldn’t have come at a better time than now that high blood pressure, prostate cancer were killing people silently and however lamented on the low level of health check attitude of the people who daily over stretched their bodies while trying to make more money and putting food on the tables of their families.

“They have given us a comprehensive enlightenment and they even treated personal hygiene and how we will live healthy lives that can assist us to live long and live healthy lives. The medical tests were done without collecting any money from us.

“The reading materials that they equally gave us were free and one could just sit at home to read it and be able to apply it in order to live optimal life. It is worthy of recommendation. I think that government of the day; both the local, state and national engage more in rhetoric than practical medical care provision. Most of what the government does is on paper. People don’t feel it and I must not fail to tell you that government initiate policies but the implementation is a major problem.

“Some of the drugs that were supposed to be available at the hospitals are now diverted to their personal clinics and hospitals and government has not setup any mechanism in place to monitor these people and ensure that the proper thing is done. So, what we are witnessing is corruption in the health sector and this is causing a lot of people to lose confidence in government.

“All the government needs to do is to provide the enabling environment and the right atmosphere for agencies that have the interest of providing healthcare for our people and should be sincere in what they are doing”, said Anyanwu.

One of the experts, Dr. Nne Ihuoma Ngumoha, Director of Universal Mission, US; a charity organization in a a separate interview, called for people to live a moderate lifestyle.

Dr. Ngumoha said, “The importance of the lecture cannot be overemphasised because it is High Blood Pressure and Heart attack is on the increase. Things have really changed. The main thing is what causes HBP is stress. There is so much stress in our society unlike in the past when people are comfortable and contented with what they have. But today, a lot of people want to have ten cars. They want to build a mansion with 20 rooms. They want their children to go to school in London and that is putting so much pressure on them.

“So, once that stress comes it affects the functionality of the body and as a public health consultant, we have discovered that there are middle age death especially among men now so.

The facilitator and founder Emeka Nnamani Foundation, Hon. Emeka Nnamani narrated how he lost his friends to heart attack and other related illnesses.

He said, “It was actually meant not to come the way it came, having lost quite a number of friends in the last few months; between January and December, I have personally lost a couple of friends to High Blood Pressure and related diseases, so I felt that there was the need for the awareness on High Blood Pressure. Thank God that my partners, Universal Mission, USA and my very good friend, Dr. Umenwa who immediately put themselves together to package the material for the programme even within a short notice.

“I chose the health sector because I have discovered that there is a great level of ignorance in that area which we have to address. I’m not so sure that we have been able to articulate what it cost to the foundation to put up this programme. That is why it is a foundation and it is funded for this kind of event. But whatever the cost was, I believe the impact totally overrides the cost.”

February 16, 2018