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The officer in charge of Anambra State Office of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Mr John Tumba has denied allegations that NECO officials demand N2000 from applicants wishing to register for the 2012 Nov/Dec Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the examining body for private candidates.

Tumba explained that the checks and balances he put in place make it impossible for any officer to add a kobo on any revenue items. He said the selling price of the registration card is conspicuously displayed around the office and wondered what informed the embarrassing publication.

The Nation had reported that rather than sell the forms N7,550 as advertised in National Dailies, the Awka office was selling for N9,550. But Tumba said that the N7,550 does not include charges by cyber cafés and banks.

He also said that NECO had no powers over what cyber café’s charge for Biometric capturing even though they sold the machines to them at N30,000.

He insisted that the office, in line with NECO’s policy, demands only bank drafts and not cash for the registration cards from candidates.

“Nobody can dare add a kobo. I have never sat down to negotiate with anybody for a dime to be added and I have invited the Fin bank and Union bank staff as well as authorised cybercafés to find out where the problem is from but they all denied that. We are completely transparent and people are free to register anywhere they want despite the recommended cybercafés.”

Tumba said further, “Anyone wishing to buy in cash can do so from post offices and Banks nationwide but will be charged a commission of N300 maximum by the selling bank or post office. The commission charged by Banks on Drafts doesn’t go to NECO. It is therefore mischievous to think that Anambra state NECO office is conniving with banks to extort money from candidates by insisting on payment in bank draft. Anyone is free to find out if such commission on drafts finds their way to NECO office.”

On the allegation that his office told candidates to patronise some cyber cafes for a fee, Tumba referred this reporter to a circular with Ref. No. NECO/EA/SSCE/EXT/GEN/38/VI/II dated 15th May, 2012 signed by one Abubakar M Gana which required the State Officer to advice candidates to patronise suggested cyber cafes, even though the registration is not restricted to those cafes.

“The council doesn’t accept responsibility for the use of substandard cafes, as such it is only proper to always advise candidates to patronise standard cafes with good facilities. Those suggested cafes are adjudged to be good and have biometric capture machine. I clarify that neither NECO nor its staff have interest in any of the suggested cafes. I challenge you to verify from the cafes if the money charged by them goes to NECO office in whichever guise.”

Tumba however confirmed that cybercafés charge N1,000 for registration while the banks charge N500 for bank draft but could not confirm the N500 charged by some cybercafés for Biometric capturing.

The Nation reported that the advert for the guidelines of the NECO forms dated May 15, 2012 stated that no other money should be paid outside N7,550. But with cybercafé registration, bank draft commission and biometric capturing, candidates pay N2,000 extra, making it N9,550.

Sicklers go through a lot of pains. When they are in crisis, they cut a pitiable picture. Even their handlers share in their pains because they evoke emotions.

Now, there is hope of local remedy for their ailment. These remedies are from a 20-year research conducted by a septua-general Raymond ‘Latunde Alade, a former Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos worker and a lecturer at Regina Mundi Catholic Church, Mushin on health programmes.

He is driven by his passion for ameliorating sicklers’ sufferings.

‘Pa Alade went into the research for herbal treatment for sickle cell after he lost his sister, and her eight children to sickle cell. “After that harrowing incident, I made up my mind that I will go into natural ways to help people with sickle cell disease stay alive and prevent any form of crises and pain’.

“I have made researches into the solutions to sickle cell crises and pains and am still making further research into it’. There are different local materials and ingredients as pain relievers which can be used during the crises and pains being experienced by sickle cell patients. If the remedies are administered properly, they would prevent patients from experiencing any form of crises or pain.”

Pa Alade said: “I have developed cream, tea, powder, and soap to treat sickle cell. I have Joko sickler remedial tea, this I named after my mother’s first daughter. The tea prevents the red cells from ‘sickling’. It helps the red blood cells to carry the oxygen through the body system so that sicklers will not have crises. The chance of having crisis is limited when oxygen flows freely through the body.

“Ojuolari ointment is another remedy I have for sickle cell. I named this after my grandmother. The remedy is basically used to relieve pains; it is in the form of cream which is rubbed on the skin to relieve the pain. I have the muscular pain reliever powder which I called iwora. This can be mixed with food and taken together while eating. Another is the muscular pain reliever Soap, ose imarale, it is a natural soap which helps to relieve pain as well in sicklers. Muscular pain decoction, called agbo is a natural drink which also helps to relieve pain in sickle cell.”

Pa Alade said anyone who had witnessed the sufferings sicklers go through would be motivated to help find solution to the crises and would stop at nothing to bring succour to them, “Sickle cell patients go through crises and pains at any point in time. There are remedies to this and there are supportive treatment for the crises and pains. And one would stop at nothing to research into them.

“I have treated over 50 sickle cell patients both in the country and beyond, giving them natural remedies to relieve pains and crises. For instance, during labour, females with sickle cell disorder go through more pain than their counterparts with normal cell; the pain could be so serious that it can lead to death. However, I have discovered that there is a natural remedy which can help reduce these pains to a minimum level. I named it, ‘easy labour powder’ ebu ibimo nirorun. This will help expectant sickler mothers to give birth to their babies with much reduced pain.

“For men, when they go through priapism, all they need to do is to use the natural remedy which I called ero ibalo. This should be applied as a (special) paste when the erection is not able to return to normal position. For sicklers with high blood pressure, there is a natural soap, powder and concoction which I use in treating them. It is called alo fun eje ruru. Some sicklers also experience ulcer. These are wounds that refuse to heal which may sometimes lead to limping. There is concoction, which is used to heal up the internal wound, burnt carbon material will be applied after which the face of the wound will be covered with other natural materials like ‘zinc supplements’ and ‘wine’ which will be mixed with their food.

There are also natural antibiotics used in treating sickle cell patients when they have ostimo lytes- a type of wound sickle cell patient’s experience.

Pa Alade said sickle cell patients should also go through regular de-worming as, “This will help in the free flow of oxygen through the body. I concocted warm expeller, ogun aron , that contains mixture of different indigenous materials. Sickle cell patient he said are to constantly empty their stomach for easy circulation of oxygen through the body system. They should not experience any constipation.

He said sickle cell patients should avoid going on junk foods because it takes a longer time to digest, “And Junk foods induces constipation because such do not digest easily, and once they get constipated their crises is worsened.

“I also realised that when they have the crises, they become lean and ill. To treat this, I have a developmental powder which helps them to gain some weight. The powder can be mixed with food like pap (ogi, akamu). There is also the blood replenishing powder. This preparation helps to replenish the blood in the body, thus the patient looks fresh again. ‘Re- invigorating granules’, is another remedy. This makes the red blood cells come alive. It is a powder to be mixed with water and drink.”

With these supportive treatments, Alade said sickle cell patients would be prevented from having crises and pain, and stand a chance to remain alive for many years, if they take the remedies accordingly. Sicklers should avoid strenuous activities and other stress inducing activities, especially during the wet season, “Rather, they should be involved more in easy curricular activities, most especially indoor games. This will go a long way to prevent them from having pains or crises. They should eat healthily by taking a lot of vegetables and fruits. Vegetables such as ugwu, spinach (tete), green vegetable and most especially dried water leaf. Seasonal fruits like oranges, banana, garbage, cucumber and carrot. They can also take different kinds of yam”, he added.