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  • Gunmen kill ex-Borno governor’s associate

    Gunmen kill ex-Borno governor’s associate

    Some gunmen yesterday shot dead Alhaji Mustapha Flawama, an associate of former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff.

    Although not a member of the state executive council, Flawama, 62, was a member of Sheriff’s inner caucus during his tenure between 2003-2011.

    Residents said the gunmen trailed the deceased to his house at Polo area of Maiduguri.

    “They came around 10.30am in a tricycle and met him within the premises of his house. Without delay, they manoeuvred their way and fired several gun shots into his head and chest. He died on the spot. The assailants sped off, a resident said.

    They also targeted police formations and schools.

    The Chibok Divisional Police Station, a Bible and primary schools and telecom masts of GSM firms in Chibok town were burnt down.

    Chibok is 130 kilometres south of Maiduguri.

    According to an eyewitness and resident of Chibok, the gunmen came in two unmarked Golf Volkswagen vehicles armed with petrol-bombs and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to attack the police station and the schools at dusk.

  • Williams’ sisters advocate increased empowerment for women

    Williams’ sisters advocate increased empowerment for women

    Visiting tennis champions, Venus and Serena Williams, yesterday advocated adequate empowerment of women in Africa. They said the presence of women in eminent positions around the world is a demonstration of the significance role which the female gender can play in the scheme of things.

    The duo, who spoke at a news conference in Lagos, said women have more to offer if they were adequately empowered and motivated to be the best they can be.

    They stated that women empowerment and equal opportunity for the girl-child were dear to their heart, which was why they supported the Breaking The Mould (BTM) initiative, a women’s empowerment programme aimed at advancing the cause of women in Africa.

    They added that they were excited to be in Lagos, which was their first visit to Africa while noting that the tour of Lagos would afford then the opportunity to meet and impact the lives of women and young girls through the BTM initiative.

    Venus, the older of the sisters, said for her, coming to Nigeria in particular was an exciting experience. ‘‘It is exciting to be in Africa. It’s been great to be part of the Breaking The Mould initiative. We look forward to meeting Nigerian women and learn from each other as women have so much to offer’’, she said.

    She said further that they were amazed by the rousing welcome they received from Nigerians, even as she promised that they would thrill the nation when both of them engage each other in an exhibition match tomorrow.

    ‘’We have played so many finals in different places and look forward to playing another final in Nigeria. I don’t know who is going to win between the two of us, but it’s going to be a good match. We feel the excitement all around us and it makes us feel so special, loved and encouraged to do better and win more matches.’’

    Serena explained that the visit was a great opportunity to inspire and motivate women and young persons. ‘‘It is an honour as this is our first visit to Africa and Nigeria in particular. We are more excited because we are here as a family and most importantly, we are here to do something different; to mentor the young women and young kids, and in general to understand ways of breaking the mould’’, she said.

    ‘‘We are here to let them know that, if you have a dream, you can achieve it, and that it is okay to break the mould. We are really honoured and proud to be part of such a great idea. We look forward to playing each other in the presence of our lovely Nigerian fans, who have been following our coming to Nigeria on twitter through their messages.’’

    Accompanied by their mother, Oracene Price, the Williams’ sisters described Africa as a great continent that has produced many great mould breakers, even as they declared that their African descent was never a disadvantage in any way.

  • Obama, Romney, swing states and Sandy

    The last time it happened was in 2000 when Al Gore slugged it out with George Bush jnr. Al Gore won the popular votes with no less than half a million votes. But Bush won more of the Electoral College and so took the White House. This year, the possibility of history repeating itself is real. This has put both candidates under tremendous pressure in the last days of the campaigns.

    Though they are being slowed down by Hurricane Sandy, Obama and Romney’s strategists are working behind-the-scene to see that their candidates get the swing states.

    In United States presidential politics, a swing state is also known as battleground state or purple state.

    What this means is that a state designated as purple is not in the firm grip of a single candidate or party. No candidate has overwhelming support to secure the electoral college votes. As a result of this, these states are targeted by the two major political parties because winning these states is the best opportunity to gain electoral votes.

    On the other hand, non-swing states also known as safe states, are either Republican or Democratic. So, candidates concentrate less campaigns in these states. Many of the Southern states, such as Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and South Carolina are historically conservative and in the firm grip of the Republican. Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Nebraska are also in this group.

    The Democrats usually have a safe passage in California, Vermont, Massachusetts, Oregon, Hawaii, Connecticut, Illinois, Rhode Island, and New York.

    Based on this knowledge, each candidate does less campaign in their stronghold and spend time, money, and energy in the swing states. University of Oregon political science Prof. Joel Bloom mentioned three factors in identifying a swing state. These are: “examining statewide opinion polls, political party registration numbers and the results of previous elections.”

    Ohio’s reputation as a swing state started in the 1980s and it has since titled towards Democrats.

    One state to watch closely is Maine. Reason: Democrats have won the last five presidential elections. Obama won by 17 percentage points in 2008. There are, however, concerns that Romney’s Northeastern roots could change the equation.

    Michigan, where Romney was born and raised, is also worth watching. His father was a popular governor of the state. But the competition with Obama will be rooted in the economy – not nostalgia. The Obama administration’s rescue of the auto industry, opposed by Romney, is key here.

    Minnesota‘ , where Democrats have won in the last nine presidential elections, also seems a safe ground for Obama. Despite the fact that Democrats seem to have an upper hand here, the Obama campaign is leaving nothing to chance.

    New Mexico promises some drama. It has an history of hard-fought presidential elections. But despite the fact that Republicans won the state in 2004, it is still viewed as Democratic-friendly.

    For Obama, Nevada‘ may not be easy to take given the fact that its economy has dimmed under his administration. It has the highest rates of home foreclosure and unemployment. Romney can capitalise on this. But Obama still has a strong appeal to Latino voters and this may prove decisive in who wins the state.

    Over the years, Pennsylvania has tilted more towards the Democrats in presidential races. A Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS News poll gives Obama an edge of 11 per cent points.

    The Rocky Mountain West state of Colorado‘ was a major victory point for Obama in 2008. Before then, the state was won by the Republicans in eight of the last nine presidential elections. Can Romney take it back for the Republicans?

    One state that not a few is looking out for in the presidential race is Florida‘ . This state won by Obama in 2008 was where Bush jnr got the edge in 2000 earning the reputation of the most famous battleground state in America. But what role will the fact that under Obama its economy has been sour play in who they cast their votes for?

    There is also Iowa‘ , where Romney has expended energy and resources in order for Obama not to repeat his 2008 record. The president’s poll ratings in this state is lower than other nearby states. Though it has six electoral votes, this may prove very important in a close race.

    New Hampshire‘ also appears slipping off Obama’s grip. Here Romney is seen as home boy. He has an holiday home there.

    For Romney, Ohio is critical to taking the White House. In the last presidential election, its choice has always emerged the president. Under Obama, the state’s economy has steadily improved. This could help Obama win the state again. But Romney is not giving up. So, the president cannot relax.

    Until recently, Virginia was not considered a purple state.

    Hitherto deeply conservative, it seems to be changing with the population shifts in its North. Obama won the state by seven per cent in 2008. But the two candidates have conceded that they have no clear hold on the people.

    What role will Romney’s choice of Representative Paul Ryan play in who wins Wisconsin? Ryan is from the state. Democrats narrowly won the state in the last six presidential contests. Ryan’s entry has made it a true battleground state and the candidates are not giving anything to chance here.

    Interesting days sure lie ahead.

     

    A storm in president

    Obama’s favour

     

    Though campaigns have been slowed down by the historic Hurricane Sandy, it has provided Obama with a commander-in-chief moment. Coming a week before Election Day, the president is getting praised where he used to get knocks.

    Democratic and Republican governors are commending the performance of the Obama administration. Romney is the loser for this, said some analysts.

    Obama’s trip to New Jersey yesterday during which he toured the damaged areas with Republican Governor Chris Christie, a regular critic, has furthered his re-election bid. Christie has heaped praises on him in the aftermath of the storm, saying that “the president has been all over this and he deserves great credit”.

    Obama’s handling of the disaster, said analysts, is a contrast from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The then President, George W. Bush, and then Louisiana Governor, Kathleen Blanco, engaged in finger-pointing. Bush was a Republican president. Blanco was a Democratic governor. But Obama has looked beyond partisanship. For him, disaster has no party affiliation.

    Obama said: “The storm is not over yet. We’re going to continue to push as hard as we can to provide resources…no bureaucracy, no red tape.”

    An aide said he told an emergency meeting: “I want everyone leaning forward on this. I don’t want to hear that we didn’t do something because bureaucracy got in the way.”

    D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray said Obama told the governors and mayors of the thirteen affected states and the District of Columbia that they “can call the White House directly themselves” if they encounter any bureaucratic red tape.

    Several high-ranking Republicans have praised Obama. Chair of the Republican Governors Association and a leading Romney surrogate Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell said the Obama administration’s response was “incredibly fast and we’re very grateful.”

    He said Obama has been “direct and personal” in his approach to the disaster, saying that during natural disasters, “partisanship goes out the window.”

    He added: “The election’s going to come, but it says a lot about the president, and it makes me feel good to be an American that people have had the right focus.”

    The president has also downplayed campaign in order not to mismanage the situation. White House advisers, such as David Plouffe and Chief of Staff Jacob Lew, are working with him to ensure everything goes right.

    A top aide for Bush’s 2004 reelection effort Matthew Dowd said Obama has used the power of his incumbency and “done just exactly what he needs to do.”

    “The longer they can have him being the president and not a candidate, the better for them,” Dowd said.

    But Romney has not allowed himself to just lie low in this critical hour of need. He has found a role for himself by holding a relief event in Ohio to collect donations for storm victims. Reporters tried to complicate his situation when they asked him whether he was reconsidering his earlier position that disaster management should be the business of the states. He declined comment.

  • For survivors, it’s time to pick pieces

    For survivors, it’s time to pick pieces

    People in the coastal corridor battered by superstorm Sandy yesterday took the first cautious steps to reclaim routines upended by the disaster, even as rescuers combed neighborhoods strewn with debris and scarred by floods and fire.

    But while New York City buses returned to darkened streets eerily free of traffic and the New York Stock Exchange prepared to reopen its storied trading floor yesterday, it became clear that restoring the region to its ordinarily frenetic pace could take days — and that rebuilding the hardest-hit communities and the transportation networks that link them together could take considerably longer.

    “We will get through the days ahead by doing what we always do in tough times — by standing together, shoulder to shoulder, ready to help a neighbor, comfort a stranger and get the city we love back on its feet,” New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

    By late Tuesday, the winds and flooding inflicted by the fast-weakening Sandy had subsided, leaving at least 55 people dead along the Atlantic Coast and splintering beachfront homes and boardwalks from the mid-Atlantic states to southern New England.

    The storm later moved across Pennsylvania on a predicted path toward New York State and Canada.

    At the height of the disaster, more than 8.2 million lost electricity — some as far away as Michigan. Nearly a quarter of those without power were in New York, where lower Manhattan’s usually bright lights remained dark for a second night.

    But, amid the despair, talk of recovery was already beginning.

    “It’s heartbreaking after being here 37 years,” Barry Prezioso of Point Pleasant, N.J., said as he returned to his house in the beachfront community to survey the damage. “You see your home demolished like this, it’s tough. But nobody got hurt and the upstairs is still livable, so we can still live upstairs and clean this out. I’m sure there’s people that had worse. I feel kind of lucky.”

    Much of the initial recovery efforts focused on New York City, the region’s economic heart. Bloomberg said it could take four or five days before the subway, which suffered the worst damage in its 108-year history, is running again. All 10 of the tunnels that carry commuters under the East River were flooded. But high water prevented inspectors from immediately assessing damage to key equipment, raising the possibility that the nation’s largest city could endure an extended shutdown of the system that 5 million people count on to get to work and school each day. The chairman of the state agency that runs the subway, Joseph Lhota, said service might have to resume piecemeal, and experts said the cost of the repairs could be staggering.

    Power company Consolidated Edison said it would be four days before the last of the 337,000 customers in Manhattan and Brooklyn who lost power have electricity again and it could take a week to restore outages in the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County. Floodwater led to explosions that disabled a power substation Monday night, contributing to the outages.

    Surveying the widespread damage, it was clear much of the recovery and rebuilding will take far longer.

    When New Jersey Governor Chris Christie stopped in Belmar, N.J., during a tour of the devastation, one woman wept openly and 42-year-old Walter Patrickis told him, “Governor, I lost everything.”

    Christie, who called the shore damage “unthinkable,” said a full recovery would take months, at least, and it would likely be a week or more before power is restored to everyone who lost it.

    The New York Stock Exchange was again silent Tuesday — the first weather-related, two-day closure since the 19th century — but trading resumed yesterday morning with Bloomberg ringing the opening bell.

    And in New York, residents of the flooded beachfront neighborhood of Breezy Point in returned home to find fire had taken everything the water had not. A huge blaze destroyed perhaps 100 homes in the close-knit community where many had stayed behind despite being told to evacuate.

  • How Sandy will test Obama, Romney

    How Sandy will test Obama, Romney

    The hurricane that is blowing through the East Coast has threatened to create the kind of unpredictable havoc in this election that presidential candidates always fear. With all the scripted television spots and carefully choreographed live appearances, Hurricane Sandy is generating fear that might push the campaign in directions that nobody has expected.

    Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama, and their circles of advisers, are likely glued to the weather coverage, trying to figure out which way this hurricane will make the election winds blow.

    Social scientists have studied the impact of extreme weather on elections in American history, such as the ways in which Hurricane Andrew in Florida affected the 1992 contest between President George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton

    But the severity of the unfolding hurricane, which will stretch across several states if the worst predictions come true, might be more dramatic than anything we have seen in a long time. The hurricane will pose a huge test for Obama in the next few days, one that will make the debate in Denver look like child’s play.

    As voters, particularly those who are undecided, deliberate over whom they should support, they will watch Obama as he navigates through the storm and the post-storm clean-up. The crisis offers an opportunity for him to act presidential in a way for which some voters are thirsting and to demonstrate the kind of command that has often been lacking.

    He does not want to be an echo to President George W. Bush’s response to Hurricane Katrina, which became a symbol of incompetence.

    At the same time, there is little that Mitt Romney can do, other than watch to see what people think of Obama’s response, because any statement from him could easily become seen as political and offer little evidence of his own ability to lead.

    The storm has already forced the campaigns to alter their short-term strategies. Already, both campaigns have canceled events in key states such as Virginia that are in the eye of the storm.

    Romney will certainly have to pull some of the television spots that he has been getting ready to unleash in the final days of the campaign. Romney’s strategy has focused on saving for a last-minute advertising blitz for which he planned to unload his campaign’s coffers. Republicans didn’t count on a storm getting in the way.

    As Americans watch to see their fellow countrymen and women struggling through a crisis, they won’t want to be bombarded with 30-second attack ads.

    The Romney campaign will have to quickly think of ways to redesign their ads in certain states so that they fit the moment and provide voters with hope about new leadership rather than take the risk of generating criticism of the GOP being too petty and political, as occurred with Libya. Romney’s team will have to redirect some of their energy toward states not affected, leaving the airwaves silent in the other states, waiting to see whether Romney has the momentum that can carry him.

     

    •Zelizer, a professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University, wrote this piece for CNN.

  • Buhari-Tinubu ticket solution to Nigeria’s problems, says ACN chieftain

    Buhari-Tinubu ticket solution to Nigeria’s problems, says ACN chieftain

    A chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Kano State, Dr. Baffa Baba Dan-Agundi, has provided a solution to the leadership problem in Nigeria.

    He urged the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the last general election and two-time presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), General Muhammadu Buhari and the National Leader of the ACN, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to team up and rescue the country from the clutches of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) misrule.

    Dan-Agundi, a former legal adviser to the ANPP but now an ACN member, told our reporter in Kano yesterday that the former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Tinubu and General Buhari are the messiahs to salvage the country.

    He said for Nigerians to experience development and transformation, the duo must forget their political differences and unite to save the country from the mal-administration of the ruling party.

    Dan-Agundi, a former sole administrator of the Kano Municipal Local Government and a House of Assembly aspirant on the platform of the ACN, noted that only a merger between the ACN and CPC can unseat the PDP, adding that the solution to Nigeria’s problems lies in the hands of Tinubu and Buhari.

    He said: “The only person the masses in the North respect and believe in is General Buhari. Just like Tinubu is the only person people in the Southwest believe in and respect. So the ticket of the two politicians will be excellent for Nigeria. It is the only way to unseat the PDP.

    “What I want them to do is to prevent anybody from interfering in their differences because Buhari is the leader of the CPC, while the leader of the ACN is Tinubu. The merger talks should be between the two political bigwigs.”

    Dr. Dan-Agundi suggested that a rotational system between the duo should be adopted whereby Buhari would contest as the presidential candidate, while Tinubu would be his running mate, and at the end of his tenure, it would be the turn of Tinubu. He noted that there should be a written agreement to avoid betrayal of trust.

    “If Buhari is not willing to contest the presidential election, let him tell the entire world, because from all indications, the majority of Nigerians believe in Tinubu because he can be entrusted with the leadership of the country. He did well in Lagos, which Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola is building on,” Dan-Agundi said.

    According to him, some people view the ACN as a regional party, “but to be candid, it is not, as Tinubu unconditionally financed our campaign as Northerners. He has done a lot for us by sponsoring the ACN candidates in the North.

    “For example, I am not a Yoruba, but Tinubu has done a lot for me. Nobody can equal what he has done for me. ACN is not a regional party as far as I am concerned. If we have different views, we can have different platforms, just as we can agree and disagree. It’s all politics.”

  • Bakassi: Nigeria shouldn’t have gone to ICJ, says Anyaoku

    Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, yesterday said Nigeria made a big mistake by allowing the dispute on the ownership of the Bakassi Peninsula to be taken to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

    Anyaoku spoke in Abuja yesterday at the Second Annual Lecture and the Book Launch of the Society for International Relations Awareness (SIRA).

    He said indigenes of the Peninsula should have been allowed to determine where they belong.

    Anyaoku cited the example of the Falkland Islands, which originally belonged to Argentina, but were ceded to the United Kingdom (UK) after the people determined that they wanted to be in the UK.

    He also cited the case of the Rock of Gibraltar, which originally belonged to Spain, but became a legal part of the UK after a referendum by the people.

    Anyaoku suggested that since Nigeria had lost out of the case, the next step was to intensify diplomatic dialogue with Cameroun, to ensure that the people of Bakassi were adequately taken care of.

    He said: “I think this is what Nigerians should have done, but having failed to do that, they should live with the afterthought.

    “Secondly, the government should look out for Nigerians in Bakassi, who have chosen to return to Nigeria. This should be the focal point of our policy on Bakassi.”

    Anyaoku said the country’s foreign policy has been doing well since President Goodluck Jonathan assumed office.

    He said: “Nigeria does have a foreign policy and it has been more forcefully articulated since President Goodluck Jonathan came into office. Foreign Affairs Minister Gbenga Ashiru has never missed any opportunity to articulate the country’s policy with the promotion of the nation’s economic interest.

    “He speaks about protection and the defence of Nigerians in Diaspora and I am happy about that.”

    Anyaoku urged the Federal Government to adequately fund the country’s missions abroad. He said the missions were the face of the government abroad and “must reflect the real image of Nigeria.”

    The Resident Representative of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftun, Nigeria, Mr. Thomas Mattig, said the organisation would promote a better understanding and a public discussion of Nigeria’s international relations and foreign policy.

  • Abia begins physical verification of council workers

    The Abia State Government has announced that it has begun a physical verification of local government workers.

    It said this would reduce the challenges the introduction of the controversial biometric system may cause.

    The new system was first carried out by the Biometrics Committee to identify genuine workers, beginning with Umuahia South Local Government Area.

    Since the government introduced biometrics in the local governments, many issues have arisen.

    The workers have complained of non-payment of salary because the system has reportedly been rejecting their thumbprints.

    Following the non-payment of the workers, the government directed the Biometrics Committee, headed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Cosmos Ndukwe, to begin physical identification.

    Ndukwe said the verification became necessary as some workers’ photographs did not match their faces.

    He said the new approach would reduce the problems the workers were facing in the payment of their salaries.

    The Chief of Staff explained that the exercise was not to punish anyone but to assist the government in tackling staff matters at the third tier of government.

  • Police put Jos churches, mosques on alert

    The police yesterday warned Muslim and Christian worshippers in Jos, the Plateau State capital, and its environs to be on the alert for likely suicide attacks.

    The police noted that members of the Boko Haram sect may not have stopped their killings.

    Police Commissioner Emmaniuel Dipo Ayeni addressed Christians and Muslims at a stakeholders’ meeting at the Police Officer’s Mess in Jos.

    He said: “The purpose of this meeting is partly to review current security situations and challenges as we have done on regular bases.

    “If you ask me to review our situation in the last two months, I will say with all sense of disappointment that our religious leaders have relaxed the security network we all agreed to put in place at worship centres in this state.

    “In our stakeholders’ meeting in March, this year, we agreed on certain security strategies to be put in place to prevent another suicide bombing. Most leaders of worship centres complied immediately. But later on, we all relaxed.

    “The last suicide bomb attack in Jos was in February, this year, when suicide bombers attacked worshippers at St. Finbarr’s Catholic Church, Rayfield, Jos, killing over 20 worshippers.

    “We all agreed here that worship centres should be barricaded by leaders of the church and mosques that no worshipper should be allowed to come to worship centre with a vehicle and that handbags should be allowed into the premises during congregation.

    “I wish to sound this note of warning that we have relaxed and we need to wake up. the attackers have not given up. I am not saying they are coming today or tomorrow; they will strike again when they notice that we have relaxed.

    “In this command, I have never allowed my men to relax. But we don’t have enough men to police everyone in the state, hence we agreed on police-community policing. You will help us to help you.”

  • Diabetes

    The term diabetes, when not specified, refers to Diabetes mellitus, a serious metabolic disorder characterized by

    defects in the body’s use of carbohydrates.

    The other kind of diabetes is Diabetes insipidus, which is quite a different and relatively rare condition, in which an individual passes large quantities of pale, dilute urine, with consequent dehydration and excessive thirst.

    Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome in which the basic defect is the absence or shortage of the hormone called insulin. This hormone is carried by the blood to the kidneys, where it limits the outflow of water in the urine.

    The great majority cases of Diabetes insipidus are due to a tumour or inflammation in the region of the pituitary gland, thereby suppressing ADH production. Physical damage in form of fracture of the base of the skull or surgery in the pituitary area can also cause Diabetes insipidus. In addition, there is a rare inherited form of Diabetes insipidus where the production of Anti-Diuretic Hormone is normal, but the kidneys do not respond to the circulating hormone.

    As earlier stated, in Diabetes mellitus, an organ in the body (called the pancreas) is found not to be functioning properly. Insulin is a hormone produced by the Beta cells in the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Insulin is carried by the blood to all parts of the body. The body’s cells use glucose (blood sugar) as their fuel. They have receptors to which insulin becomes attached. This binding of insulin enables the cells to use glucose by converting it into energy or storing it as fat. Any defect in this process, either in the pancreas, where insulin is being produced, or at the sites of attachment of insulin to the cells, would interfere with the body’s use of fuel to produce energy.

    Apart from the malfunctioning of the Pancreas, one other cause of this disorder is unbalanced diet. Most of us consume denatured food in one way or the other.

    Also, food additives and unhealthy drinks, whether soft drinks, teas, coffee or liquor may predispose one to metabolic imbalance.

    Symptoms: Having explained the primary causes of diabetes, let us consider the symptoms. The symptoms of diabetes are frequent urination, loss of flesh, inordinate appetite, constant hunger, mental depression, progressive weakness, great thirst, dry tongue and impaired vision. The person could be irritable, restless and morose. The loss of energy is due to the loss of sugar, which is needed to generate the energy for daily activities.

    It must be noted that it is not in every case that all the symptoms are present in a patient. Therefore, it is most helpful to do tests in hospitals and diagnostic centers, in order to confirm whether a patient is diabetic or not.

    Luckily, there are simple kits now available for routine tests in this case.

    Treatment: Having touched on some causes and symptoms of diabetes, let us see how we can remove the causes and help quicken recovery where the disease is already there, or how one can prevent it in healthy bodies. One thing is obvious, that is, we must turn to Nature.

    In Holistic Lifecare, it is strongly advised that imported styles of living (i.e. cooking, eating & drinking) must be looked into especially on the use of food additives and colourants in fast foods and so-called take-away. Heavy starchy foods should be cut down drastically, if they cannot be avoided, pending total recovery from the ailment.

    As we make efforts to repair a malfunctioning pancreas, there are some fruits and vegetables known to be helpful. These include carrots, paw-paw, cucumber, onions, garlic and lettuce, combined with soya-milk mixed with guinea-corn pap or porridge.

    Many of us might say that there is no time to embark on natural lifestyles, forgetting that the time required is less than the time we would spend at the clinic when we fall sick. The choice is yours.

    Control: The Holistic remedy that has been popularly suggested for the control of Diabetes is a combination of the natural extracts of some herbs scientifically called Anchomanes difformis, Pergularia daemia, Vinca rosea and Viscum album.