For her outstanding commitment to voluntary fundraising for various causes that touch lives of people, Rev. Sophie Mbanisi, founder of Healing Hearts Foundation, has been honoured with an Award of Excellence by the Voice of Change Network.
The Lagos-based humanitarian organisation, nominated Rev. Mbanisi, a philanthropist because of her incredible dedication to humanitarian cause. Not only does she play a significant role in gathering support for the plight of widows, she is also, through her foundation, committed to alleviating poverty, illiteracy and helping the poor have access to basic necessities of life.
On receiving her award, the Oraukwu, Anambra State-born mother of seven, thanked the organisers for the award and her foundation team for their dedication to service to people.
“To be in a room filled with so many individuals giving their time, talent and energy to the well-being of the poor was inspiration to me. I was stunned by comments by all who spoke and the convener, Mr Gregory Azemobor. They are words of encouragement which have challenged each one of us to keep doing what we love to do…give back to the society.
“I also would like to thank members of staff of Healing Hearts Foundation and volunteers for all they have done for the foundation. Without them our projects wouldn’t have seen the light of day. I commend their selfless service to humanity and I am grateful to them,” Mbanisi said.
She also urged the society to be more active in their social responsibilities and listed funding as one of the biggest challenges she faces as a humanitarian.
“Our major challenge is financing. Every day, needs arise and the needs do not ask if there are sufficient funds. Privileged members of the society have to do more in catering for the needs of the poor. We should not wait for the government,” she said.
Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mike Ogbodu has warned criminals to leave the state because there is no hiding place for them.
Addressing reporters at the command’s headquarters in Akure, the Ondo State capital shortly after assuming duty, the new police chief urged members of the public to join hands with the police in the fight against crime. The former Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke, has been transferred to the Force headquarters, Abuja.
Ogbodu expressed his determination to fight crime in all parts of the state, even as he cautioned his men not to indulge in criminal acts.
According to him, he was in the state with the aim of projecting the vision of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, assuring that community policing would be given a priority henceforth. He called for the people’s support in the fight against crime.
He assured that the state would be peaceful throughout his tenure, adding that the state police command would not tolerate indiscipline among police officers.
Ogbodu also advised residents to report all criminal activities and suspected criminals to the police for proper investigation and actions.
Individuals and organisations whose activities increased awareness about health, safety and environment (HSE) have been rewarded with plaques and certificates of excellence. It was at the maiden Nigerian Safety Award organised by Safety Record magazine held at the Oriental Hotels Lagos.
The aim of the award was to increase safety awareness among the citizens and at work places.
Industry professionals from local and multinational companies witnessed the event, where HSE practitioners and companies were honoured for initiating strategic actions and policies to prevent work-place accidents and occupational hazards.
The event began with a red-carpet session, where health and safety professionals interacted with the media on their activities in the past years.
Later, members of panel of judges, who are HSE experts from various professional bodies, including Nigerian Institute of Safety Professionals (ISPON) and Society of Occupational and Environmental Health Physicians of Nigeria (SOEHPON), among others, arrived.
Each of the judges has more than 20 years of experience in health, safety and environment.
The chairman of the judges’ panel, Dr. Bamisayo Olagbemi, said the award came at a time statutory framework was needed to revive safety culture in the country. Recognising efforts made by safety practitioners to reduce hazards in work places and public spaces, he said, would encourage more individual actions and organisational co-operation.
“There is power in recognition and compensation. If efforts of people and companies are being recognised and rewarded as it is being done today, such gesture will encourage them to initiate more actions to change the thinking of people and bring culture of safety to their consciousness,” he said.
Olagbemi, a public health and industrial hygiene expert, described the entries submitted by companies and the safety practitioners as impressive, noting that awareness about safety in industries could improve steadily if companies’ managements were rewarded for their support and co-operation.
The publisher of Safety Record, Alhaji Lateef Alebiosu, said the award would sustain the successes recorded and raise safety awareness among workers, with the aim of ensuring accident-free society. The honour would not only strengthen companies’ safety policies, Alebiosu said, it would also encourage actions that would enhance public safety and reduce the rate of occupational accidents recorded yearly.
He said increased awareness about safety and occupational hazards had caused government and companies’ managements to introduce drastic regulations to reduce rate of accidents in public space and industries.
He said: “Safety awareness has picked up in the country in period, compared with what we used to have some 20 years back. We still want to push up the level of awareness to ensure that everybody, including school children, housewives, market women, drivers, industry professionals and the road users, is conscious of the need to maintain safety in all endeavours.”
Highpoint of the event was presentation of awards, during which individuals and several organisations were adjudged to be the best in different fields.
Oando Nigeria Plc won the Best Practice in Oil and Gas (Upstream) Award, Exxon Mobil was adjudged the best in downstream sector, while Ikeja Electric won the award for the Best HSE Practice in Power Sector.
Also, Mr Jamiu Badmos and Mrs Monica Nwosu won the awards for Health and Safety Champion. Many others, including organisations, were given commendation awards.
Badmos described the award as a reward for his professionalism, saying the feat would challenge him to do more to ensure safety in public arena and work places.
The founder and General Overseer of Word and Spirit Assembly Church, Satellite Town, Lagos, Pastor Chris Ekeh has donated the sum of N200,000 to a female ex-inmate of Kirikiri Minimun Security Prison Apapa, Miss Jennifer Ngozi Mberekpe to enable her to begin life anew after serving out her jail term.
Miss Mberekpe was recently freed from the prison where she was incarcerated for over a year ago as a result of a case of fraud leveled against her.
She was freed 12 days after Pastor Ekeh visited the prison on July 17, this year to celebrate his 40th birthday with the inmates.
Pastor Ekeh had promised to render financial assistance to any inmate that would be released after his visit. Incidentally, her case was struck out by the trial judge.
At the church service, Pastor Ekeh presented a cheque of N200,000 to Miss Mberekpe in fulfilment of his promise.
While presenting the cheque, the pastor said: “This is my own little way of sowing into your life and also a fulfilment of the promise I made during my visit to both the Maximum and the Female Kirikiri prisons.”
Receiving the cheque, Miss Mberekpe thanked the cleric, saying that the gesture was a surprise to her.
“I am much overwhelmed by this singular gesture. I never expected it. It will surely help in giving me a new lease of life. I am very grateful to you, sir,” she said.
Conscious of the maxim that cleanliness is next to Godliness, Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun has expressed his resolve to ensure clean environment. This will be achieved by ridding all parts of the state of filth. He also said proper sanitation would reduce the spate of diseases among the people.
He noted that his administration has zero-tolerance for poor hygiene and violation of environmental laws.
He spoke when he and his deputy, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga led a team comprising officials from the State Ministry of Environment to monitor the level of compliance of sanitation laws in some markets penultimate week. Some markets with filthy environments were closed down.
Responding to critics’ insinuations that closure of the markets will cripple business activities as well as affect the state’s economy, Governor Amosun said closure of such markets that did not meet the required environmental standard was never intended to cripple business activities in the markets. He rather explained that the state could no longer condone the filthy situation the society is fast relapsing to. He added that businesses flourish better in a clean and serene environment.
While closing some shops at Ewekoro/Ifo/Ado-Odo in Ota Local Government Area, the Deputy Governor Mrs. Onanuga said environmental sanitation laws were made in good faith to ensure cleanliness and healthy living.
She noted that a healthy person is a wealthy, saying that government would continue its enlightenment campaign as well as enforcing environmental sanitation laws until voluntary compliance permeates the nook and cranny of the state. The closed markets and shops would be re-opened as soon as compliance with the sanitation laws was established.
Also the Iyaloja of Oke-Aje Market in Ijebu-Ode, Alhaja Wuraola Kuforiji, appreciated state government’s concern about the well-being of traders, promising to cooperate with government by ensuring total compliance with environmental laws.
Monday Cletus, a shop owner at Ota Market in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area, commended government for maintaining healthy environment. He described the move as welcome development.
In order to sustain the level of environmental cleanliness, a new management system was established by the government in all urban areas. The system is to be driven by public-private partnership. To this end, five hook loader trucks as well as waste compactors were procured by the government to enhance evacuation of waste.
The Director of Environmental Conservation and Resources Management at the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Kunle Oshota, said: “Various campaigns against indiscriminate dumping of waste in drainage and waterways; coupled with other activities of the ministry and that of the State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA) are already yielding positive results as the level of compliance by residents has been raised.
“Recall that dump sites such as those at Saje Abeokuta, Ikoto in Ijebu-Ode, Oke Diya in Sagamu and Korata in Ota were upgraded during the first term of Senator Amosun-led administration to discourage illegal dumping of refuse while an additional one was created at Siun in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area.
“There are strong indications that when the current administration will be rounding off its second tenure in office, Ogun State will stand out as one of the cleanest states in the country. It will also have the least prevalence of communicable diseases. More so, with the ongoing infrastructural development coupled with beautification of roads, medians and roundabouts which were dumping sites, the state will be a safe haven for citizens and investors alike.”
It was a day of joy for members of Rotary Club of Omole-Golden District 9110, Nigeria when the District Governor of Lagos and Ogun, Otunba Bolaji Onabadejo and his wife, Lady Sarah visited them.
At the entrance of Excellence Hotel in Ogba, Lagos was big flex both in and outside the hall to welcome the District Governor on his official visit to the club.
The Club President, Rotarian Idowu Afelogun said the gathering, aside the official visit of the District Governor, would also feature induction of new members, presentation of N50,000 to some recipients, presentation of equipment to the trainees and donation of incubator to Ifako-Ijaye General Hospital.
In his speech, Otunba Badejo thanked members of the club for their care for him, even as he congratulated them on being punctual anytime he visits the club.
He described the club as the overall best of the clubs, noting that he’s coming was to ensure that their set goals of establishing new club members and inviting more members which is the major role to receive more trophies are achieved.
He told the club to reach out to students by given them scholarships.
The ex-President of the club, Mr Abiodun Oshinibosi said the new members are Chief Executive Officer of Golden Insurance Scheme; Mr Olutayo Gbolahan; sponsored by Mrs Titi Sunmonu; a business woman, Helen Mike-Sakpere, sponsored by the Club’s president, Idowu Afelogun; Assistant Editor, The Nation Newspaper, Mr Adeyinka Aderibigbe, sponsored by Rotarian Ganiu Lawal; a business woman and an actress, Miss Oluwabunmi Oladele; Gospel Singer, Mrs Dunni Olanrewaju (aka Opelope anointing) was also sponsored by the past President Mr Kayode Owolabi.
The District Governor welcomed the new members to the club, recalling that Rotary Club was established in 1905. Then, he said, membership comprised all men, but now women are becoming members.
He invited his wife Lady Sarah, to join him in decorating the new members with the tag labels of the rotary names and also present a file tagged Rotary Club kit to the inducted members.
Other highlights of the event were presentation of N50,000 to four recipients; another set of people who were trained in hairdressing by the rotary club through Mr Olajide Inumidun (aka ZIG) were presented with hairdressing equipment to enable them to start their own businesses.
Dr Bakare Omowunmi, in her speech on polio vaccine said government had sent them on errand to children to make them good, healthy and brilliant. She presented a gift to Lady Sarah on behalf of the polio team.
A little girl, Pamilerin Akamo was also decorated as an intending member of Rotary Club for polio eradication.
Despite the downpour, the members, ex-president and the District Governor moved to Ifako-Ijaye General Hospital to donate an incubator to the X-ray department.
Dr Adebayo Bamisebi, who represented the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, received members of the club.
The President, Omole-Golden rotary club, Mr Idowu Afelogun said: “Our responsibility is to ensure that the hospital becomes the best among other hospitals in the area. We promise that by next year, another incubator will be donated to the hospital so that more lives would be saved. The incubator was the fifth the club had donated to the hospital.
“Omole-Golden Club as the best in the world currently. The primary area of focus of the club is maternal and child health care. That is why we donated the incubator to the hospital.”
Receiving the incubator on behalf of the Chief Medical Director, Dr Bamisebi thanked the club for the gesture, assuring them that the equipment will be well maintained for the use of the children.
The Alumni Association of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti has contributed to the infrastructural development of their alma mater by building a block of classrooms.
The association, in a statement by its National President, Deji Abioye, and Public Relations Officer, Bayo Oguntuase, said the funds with which the project was financed was sourced from its internally-generated revenue.
It also said the project was embarked upon to ease students’ accommodation problems and to reduce over-population in the hitherto available classrooms.
The body said the newly-completed block of classrooms would be handed over to the management of the college today.
The alumni stressed that it is noteworthy that the accomplishment it has recorded was made possible through prudent expenditure of the funds raised by the association.
It expressed its determination to always co-operate with the management of the college to assist in its growth.
Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, was regarded as the dirtiest city in Nigeria. But three years after Governor Abiola Ajimobi assumed office in 2011, the situation changed. It has become one of the cleanest. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU, who went round the city, reports that the situation may relapse if the government ignores the return of filth and street trading.
When Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi began the implementation of his beautification programme aimed at repositioning Ibadan city, many praised the initiative, even though it was stiffly opposed.
The Governor, in his determination to clear the city of dirt, moved against street traders, hawkers and shop owners who erected their shops under high tension electric cables, those on water channels and owners of other illegal structures.
The programme was not only resisted by members of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but also some members within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In spite of all this, the governor was unrelenting in his resolve to make the city of Ibadan a reference point in terms of cleanliness.
Almost every part of the city was taken over by mountain-like malodorous garbage dumps, while wares displayed by traders struggle for space with moving vehicles and stinking drainage systems were everywhere.
At the Iwo Road Bridge, traders often compete for space with motorists on the expressway. That was the lot of Ibadan city before Governor Ajimobi-led administration assumed office. It took the unflinching commitment of the governor to clear the mess which has accumulated over the years.
Surprisingly, it is still a puzzle to many how this great achievement recorded by Governor Ajimobi on the beautification of the city within a very short period suddenly relapsed.
Currently, it is common sight in major areas of the city to see hawkers and street traders selling and buying on the roads with little or no qualms.
At Challenge, Molete, Mokola, Dugbe, Sango, Iwo Road Bridge and some other areas of Ibadan, it is hard to believe how people evaded the roads to display their wares.
One of the traders, Mrs Olaitan Agboluaje who spoke with this reporter acknowledged the effort of the state governor but complained of the approach used in handling the implementation of the beautification programme.
Traders displaying their wares on the roadside
He also decried the issue of inadequate shops provided for traders by the government who forcibly drove the traders away from the streets.
If the shops were enough, Mrs Agboluaje stated, traders will have no reason to display their wares on the roads.
“We know the governor built shops at Molete Scout Camp, New Garage, Gbagi and some other places, but tell me how many traders were really accommodated in these markets. Don’t forget the fact that there are thousands of displaced traders in different parts of the city.
For instance, out of the long list of traders displaced from Iwo road, Idi-Ape, Gate and many other areas, how many traders will be accommodated at the market built at Gbagi?
Traders displaying their wares on the roadside
“In fact, at Mokola Round-about down to Sango and Agbowo area of Ibadan, there are thousands of traders in this stretch, yet there is no single market built to absorb these traders. So, you can see where the problem lies. Unless the government is truly sincere in addressing this problem, I don’t think it will bring any desirable effect in the long-term,” he said.
A civil servant who spoke in confidence identified lack of organisation and planning as some of the major problems of the city.
Our source pointed out that members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) worsen the situation with indiscriminate parking and careless driving on the road, congestion of major roads due to absence of government agents to enforce existing traffic rules.
He said: “Most cities that are well planned with effective laws will not tolerate reckless driving, street trading, poor sewage disposal and indiscriminate parking of vehicles. In Ibadan, bus and taxi drivers will park even on the middle of the roads to pick or drop passengers because he knows there is nobody to sanction him. The annoying aspect is the attitudes of drivers of the government mass transit buses called Ajumose bus.
“They have no bus stops; they park on the middle of the roads with all impunity without minding the fact that there are other road users. Ibadan is a cosmopolitan city and it makes no sense that things are going worse in this present day Nigeria when most cities in the country are far advancing.”
The people, however, appreciate the weekly sanitation exercise which is still much effective. In most areas, environmental and health officers ensure that gutters and surroundings are clean. The impact of the exercise would have been more felt if street sweepers are engaged to sweep dirt scattered all over the streets by residents during the weekly sanitation exercise.
Southwest Report gathered that majority of the street sweepers and the Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES O) officers engaged by the government have left as government could no longer afford to keep them on its payroll due to dwindling state resources.
This has further worsened the problems of filth, street trading and indiscriminate parking in the city because there are not enough government agents to enforce its laws on beautification programme.
Speaking on the issue, former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and one of the aides of the governor, Mr Ismail Ali said the government has decided to apply massive education and enlightenment rather than the use of force to let the people see the need for keeping the city clean.
He said: “Currently, we are embarking on massive education, because if you don’t do mass education, they will not realise that all that we have been saying is in the people’s interest.
“They will think that you are trying to deny them their means of livelihood and movement, which is not true. What is more essential is to let them know that it is in their own interest. Although we are talking about beautification and all that, out of our peace, safety and security programmes, we are talking about really how to take people off where the risk is. So, what we are trying to make them realise is that the approach is subtle; we are not doing much of enforcement; we are doing much of persuasion and make people realise that they need to key into our vision.
“So, we will continue along that line; telling people why they shouldn’t be where they are, having given them alternatives. We are providing alternatives sufficient enough for them to earn their living. So, there is no reason why they should be found on the roads.”
Oyo-East Local Government Area of Oyo State, Dr. Ohize Stephen Ogirima has organised community sensitisation, free screening and treatment for women in the area.
He also organised capacity building training for local government health workers on early detection and treatment of the ailment.
Another issue that he feels concerned about is that there is little or no awareness on the part of women on the need to go for regular screening for early detection of the disease. They, most often, wait for symptoms of the disease to manifest before seeing a doctor.
Dr. Ogirima, with NYSC batch number OY/14C/1776, said he is determined to save women from the dreaded terminal disease.
•Medical personnel attending to a woman
Under the community development project known as NYSC Vanguard, Dr. Ogirima, with the support of some of his colleagues, started a sensitisation programme for residents in the four local government areas; namelyAfijio, Atiba, Oyo-East and Oyo-West that make up Oyo metropolis.
Thereafter, he established two screening centres at the Primary Health Centre, Araromi and the Ajayi Crowther University, both in Oyo town.
At the centres, about 500 women benefitted from the three-day free cervical cancer screening outreach. Medical experts from the Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN) and the Gynaecology and Oncology units of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Osun State were part of the team.
The State Hospital and the Ajayi Crowther University had agreed to work with the PPFN to ensure continuity. They also accepted to adopt the revolving fund scheme system for the low-cost cervical cancer screening units to be established. There was also an agreement on training of seven health workers from some of the health facilities in the ancient town.
While each of the two institutions has provided two members of staff for training on visual inspection methods and preparation of a Pap Smear Slide, the Oyo-East Local Government Area has given approval for the use of the Primary Health Centre at Araromi for outreach and staff training programme.
In a chat with Southwest Report, Dr. Ogirima revealed that some of the symptoms of cervical cancer include abnormal vaginal bleeding, bleeding that occurs between
regular menstrual periods, bleeding after sexual intercourse, douching as well as heavier-than-usual menstrual periods that last longer.
Others, according to him, include bleeding after menopause, increased vaginal discharge, pelvic pain and pain during sexual intercourse.
“Cervical screening is a way of diagnosing the disease at an early pre-cancerous stage and preventing the ailment from developing.
The essence of screening tests is to identify pre-cancerous changes in the cells of the cervix that could develop into cancer.
“The tests can also diagnose the disease by identifying cancer cells that are already present. If the abnormal tissue or cells can be removed, then the disease can be prevented from progressing further into cancer.
“With successful screening of cervical cancer in the past several decades, the number of women diagnosed each year of the disease is declining,” he said.
Dr Ogirima further explained that while organised and quality-assured cytology-based screening programmes have substantially reduced incidence of cervical cancer in many developed countries, successfully organised population-based cancer screening programmes are yet to be implemented in developing countries, including Nigeria. This, he said, is despite having the greater burden of the terminal disease.
On why cases of cervical cancer are on the increase, he noted that limited human and financial resources, competing health needs, poorly developed health care services, uninformed and disempowered female population, widespread poverty and the cumbersome nature of the prevailing cytology-based screening programmes are some of the reasons why the ailment is prevalent.
Proffering solutions to the problem, Dr. Ogirima advocated a realistic approach to screening of the ailment in line with the recommendation of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
He said: “Dealing with bureaucratic bottlenecks, supply of quality-assured consumables, non-availability of call and recall system as well as poor statistics on screening coverage will reduce the prevalence of the disease.
“With appropriate planning and implementation, an organised and quality-assured screening service is possible even in a low-resource setting.”
Continuing, he said cervical cancer is one of the most common types of cancer of the female reproductive system.
It is a disease in which cells of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus and the adjoining vagina become cancerous or malignant.
It is usually a slow-growing kind of cancer that may not present initial symptoms, but can be detected with regular screening by Pap tests (a procedure in which cells are scraped from the cervix and viewed under a microscope) and detection of Human Papillioma Virus (HPV).
Most cervical cancers are linked to infection by HPV. Approximately 80 per cent of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, which arise from cells in the exocervix (the outer portion of cervix), while about 15 per cent are adenocarcinomas, which arise from a different type of cell in the endocervix (the inner portion of cervix).
Educare Trust Youth Centre, Samonda, Ibadan, Oyo State capital has trained 35 school pupils on different skills to mark this year’s convention on the rights of the child.
The programme, tagged “2015 Holischool” began on August 5 and ended on September 12.
The Coordinator of the programme, Mr Moshood Folorunsho described the training as the best way to keep the children off the street during the holiday.
He also described the trainees as ‘excellent’, adding that students have been groomed and given education that is sustainable and attractive.
According to him, the children have learnt how to make tie, bags, shoes, beads, soaps, lamp holders and games, among others.
In addition, there was a leadership workshop for participants who also displayed their wares before their parents and teachers after the exercise.
“They have been trained on how to be computer literate, how to operate a camera and video camera. No fewer than 45 students applied for this programme but 35 were accommodated due to one challenge or the other. This is more or less like a summer school to keep student busy during their holiday,ý” he said.
ýFolorunsho advised the participants to practise the skills they learnt, even as he urged them to take their education seriously.
