The Nation Newspaper

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  • Seven killed as protests against film spread in Mideast

    Seven killed as protests against film spread in Mideast

    •Pope in Lebanon calls for peace

    At least seven people died yesterday as angry demonstrations against an anti-Islam film spread to their widest extent yet around the Middle East and other Muslim countries. Protesters smashed into the German Embassy in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and  set part of it on fire and climbed the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, waving an Islamist banner.
    Tunisia’s official news agency said  two people  died and 29 others  injured in protests outside the U.S. Embassy in Tunis.
    Three deaths were recorded in Sudan and one each in Egypt and Lebanon bringing the toll to seven at press time.
    The Tunisia State news agency-TAP- said  both people killed were demonstrators, while the injured include protestors and police.
    Pope Benedict XVI appealed for peace and reconciliation among religions same day as the violence spilled over into Lebanon within hours of his arrival in the tumultuous region.
    The pope flew into Lebanon for a three-day visit despite the recent unrest — including civil war in Syria, a mob attack that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in Libya, and a string of violent protests across the Middle East stemming from the film, produced in the United States, which insults Islam.
    “I have come to Lebanon as a pilgrim of peace,” the 85-year-old pope said upon arrival in Beirut, speaking under a canopy at the airport on a sultry afternoon. “As a friend of God and as a friend of men.”
    He denounced religious fundamentalism, calling it “a falsification of religion.”
    The crowd at the pope’s arrival was small as security kept most people away from Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, which is named after a former prime minister who was assassinated in a 2005 bombing that some blame on the regime in Syria.
    The pontiff was welcomed by top leaders, including the Lebanese president, prime minister and parliament speaker, as well as Christian and Muslim religious leaders. Cannons fired a 21-shots salute for the pope.
    “Let me assure you that I pray especially for the many people who suffer in this region,” he said.
    But just hours after the pope arrived, violence erupted in northern Lebanon over  the film “Innocence of Muslims.”
    es the Prophet Muhammad, portraying him as a fraud, a womanizer and a child molester.
    According to Lebanese security officials, a crowd angry over the film set fire to a KFC and a Hardee’s restaurant in the port city of Tripoli, 85 kilometers north of Beirut, sparking clashes with police. Police then opened fire, killing one of the attackers, the officials said.
    At least 25 people were wounded in the melee, including 18 police who were hit with stones and glass. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
    Earlier Friday, speaking to reporters aboard his plane, the pope said he never considered canceling the trip for security reasons, adding that “no one ever advised (me) to renounce this trip and personally, I have never considered this.”
    Protests were held in cities from Tunisia to Pakistan after the Jumat prayers, where many clerics in their mosque sermons called on congregations to defend their faith, denouncing obscure movie produced in the United States that denigrated the Prophet Muhammad.
    The spread of protests comes after attacks earlier this week on the U.S. Embassies in Cairo and the Yemeni capital Sanaa and on a U.S. consulate in Libya, where the ambassador and three other Americans were killed.
    After standing aside earlier this week in the face of protesters, security forces in Yemen and Egypt fired tear gas and clashed with protesters yesterday to keep them away from U.S. embassies.
    Egypt  president, Mohammed Morsi, went on state TV and urged Muslims to protect foreign diplomatic missions — his first direct public move to contain protests.
    “It is required by our religion to protect our guests and their homes and places of work,” he said. He also condemned the killing of the American ambassador in Libya, saying it was unacceptable in Islam. “To God, attacking a person is bigger than an attack on the Kaaba,” he said, referring to Islam’s holiest site in Mecca.
    His speech was an apparent attempt to repair strained relations with the United States, which was angered by his slow response to Tuesday night’s assault on the embassy in Cairo. Police did nothing to stop protesters from climbing over the embassy walls, and Morsi
  • Felix Okoye memorial lecture

    Felix Okoye memorial lecture

    The Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS)
    will hold the 2012 edition of  the Dr. Felix Okoye memorial
    lecture on Tuesday, September 18, 2012.Venue is  the Ayo Ajomo Auditorium, University of Lagos.
    The lecture, with the theme, ‘Judicialism and electoral process in Nigeria: What the Supreme Court did, what the Supreme Court may do’, will be delivered by Justice Ibrahim Tanko Mohammed.
    The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) will be the special guest of honour at the event, which will kick off by 4pm.
  • Police set to release Cynthia’s body

    Police set to release Cynthia’s body

    Nine days after the
    burial rites of late
    Cynthia Osokugo were performed in her Bebe, Ovia Agbor hometown in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State,without her corpse, the police in Lagos say her family can now  come and collect  her remains for burial.
    The Area Commander in charge of Area ‘E’, FESTAC Town, Mr Dan Okoro, said last night that Cynyhia’s corpse has been transferred to the mortuary from pathologist theatre following the completion of the autopsy on it.
    Okoro,an assistant commissioner of police, said Cynthia’s family was being contacted to  go to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital mortuary to collect her remains.
    Okoro had said on Wednesday that the family would  not be able to collect the corpse until the police were in possession of the autopsy report.
    He did not however say yesterday if the police had received the autopsy report. He only said the pathologist was through with  the corpse.
    A casket suspected to be Cynthia’s was seen at Lekan Ogunshola Memorial Mortuary.
    Cynthia, daughter of Major-Gen Frank  Osokogu(rtd),  was murdered in Cosmilla Hotel. Lake View Estate, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos on July 22 allegedly by her Facebook friends, Okomu Nwabufor and Eike Odera.
    The suspects and two others have already been charged to court in connection with her murder.
  • We’ve kept our promises to workers, says Amosun

    We’ve kept our promises to workers, says Amosun

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State says  his administration has kept his promises to workers by implementing the National Minimum Wage, paying their  salaries as and when due ,and creating a work-friendly environment for them.
    Swearing-in  two Principals-General in  Abeokuta,Gov.Amosun explained that it was a deliberate policy of government not to  owe workers’ salaries. “This informed our decision from the very first month in office to augment the monthly federal allocation of the local councils with about N500 million,” he said.
    He  reiterated that his administration would not borrow for the purpose of clearing  the salary arrears accumulated by the previous administration.
     “Government can borrow to execute capital projects but not recurrent expenditure; we will not default in meeting our own obligation to workers,” he said.
    Besides the piecemeal payment of salary arrears  owed by the last government, he said  government has approved the promotion of teachers which should have been done in 2009 and 2010, pointing out  that promotion of workers as and when due would boost their morale and increase their productivity.
    He deplored the decay in the education sector in the country and  said government would pursue its free and qualitative education policy with single-minded commitment.
    He explained that the renovation of dilapidated school buildings would continue while writing and instructional materials for the new session would be made available to pupils of public primary and secondary schools.
    He said the construction of  26 world class model schools is going on as planned.
    The governor charged the newly sworn-in Principals-General, Mr. Funso Ogun and Alhaja Hafsat Ayinde, to work hard to uplift the standard of education in the state and restore the  values once cherished by parents to the school system.
    And receiving a delegation of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), led by its National President, Mr Adedoyin Idowu Owolabi, Governor Amosun said the nation was in dire need of more professionals in the public sector, especially chartered accountants.
    Government,through transparency and prudent financial management,he said, had raised the monthly Internally Generated Revenue of the state from about N700 million to over N2 billion.
    While expressing total support for the Whistleblower’s  Protection Bill initiative of the Institute, he promised to engage more accountants in the public service of the state.
    In his remarks, the National President of ICAN, Mr Adedoyin Idowu Owolabi,  lauded the exemplary leadership style of Senator Amosun, especially his commitment to honesty, transparency and accountability, which he said “are the ideals of the accounting profession.”
  • ‘Fafunwa Educational Foundation promotes academic excellence’

    ‘Fafunwa Educational Foundation promotes academic excellence’

    The Fafunwa Educational Foundation was established to promote academic excellence and raise the standard of edu
    cation in the country,Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee of the foundation, Dr. (Mrs.)Pat Akumabor, has said.
     Briefing reporters in Lagos ahead of  the 16th edition of the foundation’s lecture and indigenous languages awards,Dr.Akumabor said the late Prof. Babs Fafunwa,  a former Minister of Education, had a passion for educational development and  contributed a lot to the advancement of education in Nigeria.
    “Prof. Fafunwa was the architect of the 6-3-3-4 educational system. He believed that it is ideal that at the primary school level, mother tongue should be used to teach pupils, to make learning easy.
    “We don’t want the legacy he bequeathed to us to die. We want his dream of academic excellence in Nigeria to be realised. That was why the foundation was established.
    “For the past 15 years, we have been organising lectures yearly on education and giving indigenous languages awards to the three best PhD students selected from the University of Lagos, University of Ibadan,  Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Lagos State University, Ojo,” Dr. Akumabor said.
    The Secretary of the foundation, Mr. Muyiwa Obiyomi, said the topic of this year’s lecture is, “Entrepreneurship Education: Repositioning Nigerian Education for National Transformation”.
    The event is scheduled for   September 25 at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos with Prof. Pat Utomi of the Lagos Business School as the guest of honour,  Dr. Okey Anueyiagu, an Economist as chairman  and Education Minister, Prof. Ruquayyat Ahmed Rufai, as the Special guest of nohour. The winner of the indigenous awards will go home with N500,000.
  • Causes of infertility in male & female—Ayo Ajayi

    Causes of infertility in male & female—Ayo Ajayi

    Apart from infections such as,(staphylococcus, gonorrhea, syphilis), wrong lifestyle, poor Libido, Alcohols, spiritual weakness and other related factors, the following physical defects causes male infertility:
    INFECTION: This lead to sperm blockage. A lot of men suffer one of the infection or another. The most common of these are:
    STAPHYLOCOCCUS (IMMUNE DISTROYER): Infection can lead to infertility both in men and women. Experience has shown that the reason only majority of men are infertile or cannot impregnate a lady is because of one infection or another. More than 30% of modern couples from mid-40s are infertile. These infections ordinarily do not cause it until the infection is prolonged and not cured for a long time.
    Oftentimes, a man thinks that once he is sexually active and can go more than two rounds of sexual intercourse in a night, he believes that nothing is wrong with him. But this is a fallacy. Because being sexually active is not an indication of being fertile. Although there are various reasons that can lead to infertility in men from his kind of lifestyle( having an unprotected sexual  intercourse), his diet( the kind of food , drink he takes), the nature of his work( working around hot ovens) and any history of venereal diseases. What we are particularly concerned about now is the male infertility that is caused by venereal disease. When a man contracts venereal diseases and if not well treated or cured could lead to staphylococcus infection. Most times staphylococcus infection in man is not easily detected until it has done a lot of damage to his reproductive organ. Most of the time, such a man will be having some common symptoms like: feverish condition, fatigue, headache, quick ejaculation, internal heat, worm like moving sensation in the body, body weakness, stomach noise, yellowish urine, dryness of the hand and leg as if there is no blood in the body, serious waist pain etc. All the above symptoms to him will seem normal until he goes to hospital for test before he can really detect that he has a big problem. On the other hand, any man who usually feels any two or more of the above symptoms should go for laboratory test for Seminal Fluid Analysis (S.F.A), to culture and sensitivity of the semen. Any result that indicates any of the following should be of great concern to such person:
    AZOOSPERMIA:  This is the absence of living sperm or isolated sperm in the body.
    OLIGOSPERMIA: T his is called low sperm count or inadequate sperm. Related to this, are other factors like Motility (sperm swimming ability) and Morphology (structure of the sperm cell).
    VISCOSITY: This is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear stress or tensile stress. It can also be called watery sperm count.
    VARICOCELE: This occur when varicose vein are or grouped together in the scrotum.
    ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION: This is inability of a man to perform his sexual responsibility either partial or total such as low libido, quick ejaculation, impotent etc.
    FEMALE INFERTILITY:
     In woman a number of factors can disrupt this process at any stage. Female infertility be it Primary infertility or Secondary infertility. The most common problems are Ovulatory Disorder (a woman that is not menstruating, ovulating well as a result of Hormonal in balance. This can cause by one infection or the other in the Ovary such as staphylococcus infection, Candida Abican etc. If all these above mentioned is not well treated, it can cause a woman not to be fertile.
    FIBROID: This is common being tumor in female, and typically formed during the middle and late reproductive year. Why most fibroid are asymptomatic, they can grow and cause heavy and painful menstruation, painful sexual intercourse and urinary frequency. Research has show that more and more of our generation women are now suffering from fibroid, and why these is so alarming is the fact that fibroid is so common among older women. Most of the time after they have stopped bearing children and in their menopausal stage. A couple should seek help on infertility, if the woman is younger than 35years and has not become pregnant after having unprotected intercourse while ovulating for one year. Such woman should seek health care provider so that they can direct her to go for test such as Higher Virginal Swap Culture (H.V.S.C), blood culture, urinary culture etc.
    NATURAL CURE FOR INFERTILITY: Traditional medicine is highly effective in treating the sickness mentioned above. It is time for doctors trained in the western system of healing to recognize and accept the fact that there are other equally effective methods of healing. Orthodox doctors need to be open-minded, so that they can work creatively with traditional healers. After all, most of our people now prefer traditional medicine to scientist drugs. Moreover, many of our today?s African orthodox doctors were brought up on traditional medicine, which is part of our heritage. Infertility should be strictly continues and not cyclical from puberty till extreme old age. There is no limitation on what roots and herbs can take good care of, if only one meet the right practitioner.
     For further information and consultation on any Health related issues especially on Infertility in both men and women, sexual Transmitted Disease (S.T.Ds), Erectile Dysfunction (low libido, poor libido, quick ejaculation etc), Pile (chronic pile, hemorrhoid pile etc), and Diabetes. Please call on: 08038606858, 08051291852 or visit: www.ayoherbalng.net. Email: info@ayoherbalng.net. We also deliver through courier in any part of the world if need be.
  • Drugs that aid sleep

    Drugs that aid sleep

    Not all available drugs work well for all insomniacs. A few products are available for people who prefer natural products.  Melatonin is a natural night hormone that helps us to sleep. It is produced by our bodies to control the sleep-wake cycle.  Artificially prepared melatonin may be useful for jet lag and for night shift workers.  Ramelteon (Rozerem) is a drug that behaves like melatonin. It is used as a hypnotic or sleep inducer.  It can cause dizziness and should be avoided in people with depression because it can worsen the symptoms of depression.  It was shown to cause birth defects in rats.  However, it lacks the typical side effects of all the older sleep aids.  L-Tryptophan can help some insomniacs fall asleep. It is converted to the hormone serotonin within the body.  Serotonin is in turn converted to melatonin and promotes sleep.  Herbs that may help insomniacs are: chamomile, valerian root, St. John’s wort, passionflower, lavender, kava kava, and lemon balm. Too much valerian can cause head ache, vivid dreams, blurred vision, and affect the heart beats.  St. John’s Wort interferes with the actions of some anticancer drugs, anticlotting agents, and contraceptives.  Therefore one should ask the pharmacists for advice before buying a herbal sleep aid. Sominex Herbal® has three active ingredients: hops, valerian, and passion flower extracts.
    Histamine is a chemical messenger that promotes wakefulness in the brain.  Many over-the-counter (OTC) sleeping pills contain a sedating antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (Nytol, Unisom, Sominex, Sleepinal, Compoz, Zzzquil) or doxylamine (Unisom) or promethazine (also Sominex). They may cause side effects of daytime drowsiness, dry mouth, dizziness and memory problems.
    OTC drugs that contain both a hypnotic antihistamine and a pain killer can also be used at bedtime to promote sleep.  Such products that contain the pain killer acetaminophen plus an antihistamine are: Tylenol PM, Aspirin-Free Anacin PM, Excedrin PM, and Midol PM.  Advil PM contains the pain killer ibuprofen and the hypnotic antihistamine diphenhydramine.  NyQuil combines antihistamines with alcohol.
    About two thirds of menstruating women lose sleep during their menstrual period.  According to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation, 67% of women who menstruate toss and turn for two or three days during every menstrual cycle.  This may be because of premenstrual insomnia or because of painful menstrual cramps or other bodily discomforts during their period.   Like people who are jet-lagged or depressed and women with PMS, women with premenstrual insomnia lack deep stage-sleep.  Drugs such as Midol PM taken at night time give relief of menstrual pain and sleeplessness.
    Some drugs are not OTC drugs and are controlled.  Controlled substances that are used as sedative/hypnotics generally require a prescription before purchase and usage.  These include zalepon (Sonata, Starnoc), zolpidem (Ambien, Ambien CR, Stilnox, and Sublinox), and eszopiclone (Lunesta).  Zalepon and zolpidem are used to induce sleep rather than maintain sleep.  Eszopiclone is used to induce and maintain sleep. Zalepon and zolpidem are effective sleep aids, but depending on individuals, may produce side effects of morning grogginess, dizziness, headache, nausea, drug tolerance, rebound insomnia, difficulty swallowing or breathing, dangerous sleep-related behaviours (parasomnias) such as sleep-walking and performing learned activities (such as driving) under a state of sleep or hypnosis (sleep-driving).  They may also cause new or worsening depression and suicidal thoughts or actions. Eszopiclone has some similar and some different side effects.
    Stilnox-related automatism has been well publicized.   In Australia in 2007, it was reported that a man who fell to his death from a balcony may have been sleepwalking under the influence of Stilnox (zolpidem).  An Australian student fell from the Sydney Harbour Bridge while under the influence of the same drug.

  • Levante: Martins is strong, fast

    Super Eagles outcast, Obafemi Martins will be a good buy for Levante in the Spanish La Liga according to the club’s sporting director, Manolo Salvador.
    In an interview with the club’s official radio station on Friday, Salvador said: “He’s strong, has speed, with many movements and a good player that suits our type of game.
    “We are fortunate to have signed him. It is a pity that he cannot compete in the Europa League, but the La Liga is the most important thing,” he said.
    Speaking further, Salvador confessed that the Nigeria international suffered a lot while negotiating his switch from Rubin Kazan.
    “”From the first contact I had with Martins in Munich (Germany) two months ago, he has never given me signals that he would act on the contrary.
    “Martins was prepared from day one to come but it was not in his hands. He never talked about money. He believed better things would come when he might have joined Levante and that I value a lot,” Salvador added.
    Meanwhile, Martins arrived in Levante last night and is expected to undergo routine medical examination in the coming days, a statement on the club’s official website disclosed.
    The striker, 27, it would be recalled, joined Levante on Thursday  on a two-year contract in a free transfer after Rubin Kazan agreed to terminate his contract before its expiration date.
  • Kanu: Monrovia draw good for Eagles

    Kanu: Monrovia draw good for Eagles

    Former Nigeria captain Nwankwo Kanu says the Super Eagles’ 2-2 draw against Liberia last weekend was a good result.

    The Nigerian team came from a goal down to lead 2-1, but surrendered the lead to finish level, drawing criticism from some fans.

    But Kanu says the result puts the Super Eagles in a good position. “It is a good result for us,” Kanu, who is now a Nigerian football ambassador, said. “It is never easy to go away from home and win. And the players did their best.

    “At least we have the opportunity to complete the job when they come for the second leg in Calabar.” The winner of the two-legged tie qualifies for next year’s African Nations Cup in South Africa.

  • NDE empowers 450

    NDE empowers 450

    The Ondo State Coordinator of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE),Mr Olaitan Olayinka, says the directorate is training 450 people in skills acquisition.

    Olayinka, who made the disclosure in an interview with reporters in Akure, said the participants were receiving training in various centres located in the three senatorial districts of the state.

    He said the centres were located in Akure (Ondo Central), Ilutitun (Ondo South) and Ogbagi-Akoko (Ondo North) and that each of them had 10 classes of trades with 15 trainees in each of the classes.

    Olayinka listed the trades as computer, radio/TV, electrical installation, interior decoration, catering, hair dressing, welding, plumbing and cane furniture.

    He said the skill acquisition programme was being funded through the country’s Debt Relief Fund (DRF) for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

    The coordinator said the duration of the programme was six months, and that it would run twice a year with a monthly stipend of N5,000 for each trainees.

    He said the National Open Apprenticeship Scheme had been divided into basic and advanced schemes for effective training of participants.

     

    “The Rural Employment Promotion Department recruited 80 graduates and non-graduates for training in both livestock and arable farming for a period of four months at our agriculture centre at Mariwo in Ifedore Local Government area.

     

    “The directorate acquired five hectares of land for farming and designed and built 12 huts for each farming project.

     

    “This year, we have embarked on different employment training programme for which we engaged 100 graduates and 590 non-graduates mostly in agricultural skills,” Olayinka said.

     

    He said the Director-General of NDE, Malam Abubakar Mohammed, would soon be in the state to inspect the programmes and projects being executed by the directora

    In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Bolaji Osho, the Principal of Akure Centre, called for increased in staff salary and more training equipment.

     

    A trainee in computer at the centre, Mr Kolade Jerry, an HND holder, said he enrolled for the programme to have a good knowledge of computer operation and repair, so that “I can make a living from it’’.