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Tag: Dora Akunyili

  • Anambra to build N120m rehabilitation centre

    The Anambra State government will build a N120 million worth drug rehabilitation centre as part of efforts to end drug abuse.

    Governor Willie Obiano, who spoke at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre in Awka during the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug trafficking, lamented that illicit drug had destroyed many children.

    Obiano, who was represented by Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Health Insurance Scheme Dr Simeon Onyemaechi also urged security operatives to stop using drugs, especially while on duty. He said: “what will you teach your children who you call the leaders of tomorrow?”

    Read Also: Man electrocuted in Anambra

    The governor, who said the state was partnering the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to fight the monster, directed secondary schools yet to establish a drug-free club to do so in two weeks.

    State Commander of the NDLEA Sule Momodu praised Obiano for being a partner in progress.

    He, however, said the agency had a serious challenge because the youths see smoking Cannabis Sativa as a normal way of life.

    He lamented that the drug abuse had been the reason for the increase in crime. Momodu added that all hands must be on deck to the menace.

  • Late Akunyili unforgettable, says Aisha Buhari

    The Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, on Friday eulogised former Director- General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), late Prof. Dora Akunyili.

    She described Akunyili as a very dedicated, hardworking and transparent in her service years while speaking at the 25th anniversary of the Agency in Abuja.

    The wife of the president said her family became interested in the affairs of Akunyile during her days at the Petroleum Trust Fund, because of her transparent, hard work and dedication to service.

    “She was hardworking, transparent and dedicated to her duties and Nigeria will continue to miss her valuable contributions to national development,” she said.

    TYhe wife of the president also said late Akunyili was a firm believer in President Muhammadu Buhari’s vision for a corruption-free society, adding that the deceased contributed immensely to shaping the destiny of NAFDAC.

    Read Also: Onnoghen’s resignation: Buhari is vindicated, says APC

    “My family and I actually became interested in the affairs of NAFDAC through my intimacy with late Prof. Dora Akunyili. A close relationship forged when she worked with my husband, who was the Chairman of the then Petroleum Trust Fund.

    “May her soul continue to rest in peace.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that late Akunyili was also Minister of Information and Communications.

    She received national and international recognitions due to her significant contributions to the development of pharmaceutical industries in Nigeria.

  • NUJ to revisit salary structure for members

    The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Tuesday said it would revisit the Media Salary Structure (MSS) for journalists and other media practitioners across the country.

    National President of the body, Mr Chris Isiguzo disclosed this in Awka, Anambra State during a courtesy visit to the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C Don Adinuba.

    The MSS was muted under the administration of former Minister of Information and National Orientation, late Prof. Dora Akunyili.

    He noted that the salary received by journalists was nothing to write home about when compared to workers in other professions.

    He said, “It is clear that the salary the journalists receive is their entitlement. You don’t do them favour by paying them their salary because they work for it.

    “We will confront the issue once more, because a labourer deserves his wage, so a saying goes.

    “Why can’t we have our own structure. Our take home, do not even take us home.”

    Read Also: NUJ to FG: Give assent to PIGB

    Isiguzo who regretted that other professions including teachers and lecturers have their own special salary structures, expressed confidence of soon upgrade in view of the number of journalists currently elected into the National Assembly.

    “When in 2015, some governors were unable to pay the workers’; they ran to the federal government for bailout funds.

    “The media industry is in crisis and needs stabilisation funding to shore of media industry funding.”

  • Dora Akunyili buried

    Dora Akunyili buried

    … 27 Bishops, over 150 priests in attendance

    ·… Gowon, Ekwueme, Obasanjo, Okorocha, Yuguda grace burial

    The late former Minister of Information, Prof. Dora Akunyili, was buried on Thursday in Agulu, Aniocha local government area of Anambra State.

    Akunyili, who died on June 7, was interred at exactly 2.15pm in the family compound.

    The Madonna’s Catholic Church venue of the service was filled to the brim with people outside the church outnumbering those inside the premises.

    The church which wore a new look for the event had not witness event of this magnitude in the last six years, according to one of the church priests.

    At least 27 Catholic Bishops and over 150 other priests attended the burial of the former director general of the National Agency for Food, Drug administration and Control (NAFDAC).

    Cardinals Francis Cardinal Arinze from Rome and John Cardinal Onaikan from Abuja and three Archbishops also graced the burial.

    But for the meeting of the People’s Democratic Party in Abuja, the community would not have contained the crowd that came to pay their last respects to the late former minister.

    However, that did not stop parties’ chieftains and other prominent Nigerians from honouring the deceased.

    Among them were – the former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rtd), his wife Victoria, former Vice President Alex Ekwueme and wife Beatrice and the wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Bola.

    Others were – Governors Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Isah Yuguda (Bauchi), wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Josephine Elechi, her Abia counterpart, Odochi Orji and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha.

    Also in attendance were former Governors Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Peter Obi, Senator Chris Ngige, Virgy Etiaba, Minister of Information and Communications Labaran Maku, and Sen. Joy Emodi.

    In his homily, Rev. Damain Akpunonu said Akunyili’s death was tragedy that wanted to reap the family and the country apart.

    “We have come here today not to bury Dora, to bury her is to concede victory to death. But Jesus Christ has conquered death,” Rev. Akpunonu said.

     

  • Jonathan: Nigerians won’t forget Akinyili

    Jonathan: Nigerians won’t forget Akinyili

    •She did ordinary things in extraordinary ways, says Kukah

    President Goodluck Jonathan has said it will not be easy for Nigerians to forget the late Minister of Information and Communication, Prof Dora Akunyili, because of her patriotism.

    The President recalled the golden moments the late Akunyili brought to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) when she was its director-general.

    Jonathan spoke yesterday in Abuja at the requiem mass in honour of the late minister at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral Catholic Church at Area 3.

    The President recalled that the late Akunyili was appointed to several offices, including Minister of Information and Communication under former President Umaru Yar’Adua.

    He said her days at NAFDAC were the most cherished because of her service to the nation.

    Jonathan urged Nigerians to emulate the late minister, who he described as diligent, intelligent, patriotic and brave.

    He said: “This is our last assignment in honour of our sister. Dora was a professor of Medicine. At the public level, she served at the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), NAFDAC and then minister. Dora was more known as the Director-General of NAFDAC, more than when she served as a minister. Most Nigerians knew Dora because of her service. So, …anybody who has the opportunity to serve should serve well because what will endear you to people is not necessarily the office you hold but the service you render.

    “As a minister, Dora was good. We were very happy to work with her. She was diligent and intelligent; very forthright and extremely patriotic. Above all, she was extremely brave and could say anything right or wrong. She did not care whose ox was gored. That was Dora for you.”

    He also said: “She sought to protect the lives of Nigerians as the director-general of NAFDAC; she never compromised as regards those who trafficked in fake drugs. One thing that endeared her to me is that probably I’m one President who has worked with so many women. At times, you noticed rivalry among women. But with her, you never noticed any rivalry.

    “Today, our dear sister has left us. But to my brother, her husband, as the Bishop has told us about the virtues of a good wife, you have to thank God you will get that respect because of her achievements.”

    Addressing the late Akunyili’s children, Jonathan said: “To my children, your mother was a very dynamic woman because her works and identity have given you what silver and gold cannot give you. Yes, they might not translate into monetary rewards, but many will respect and want to assist you as her children because of her. We pray that those of us serving, that when we die, people will respect our children because of our deeds, like Dora’s. So, you have to thank God for that.

    “Let me thank the Akunyili family, the people of Anambra State, the people of Nigeria and Nigerian women for whom Dora was a role model. Her dressing represented the Nigerian woman, love and character. She was a lady who would hardly leave our memory. She was one of the few Nigerians who made the country proud. I condole with you all. May her soul rest in peace.”

    In his homily, Sokoto Diocese Bishop Matthew Kukah said funerals should be among the proudest moments for Christians because they are a reminder between Christianity and every other religion in the world.

    He said: “This is not to compare Christianity to other religions but to tell us why we are Christians. The reality of funerals is as Jesus demonstrated to us that tears are a part of our emotions as He wept for his friend, Lazarus.

    “St. Paul admonished us in Romans 13 that men and women should work in the light because it would soon be daylight. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is what set Christianity apart from other religions.

    “We know that Jesus went and came back. It is in that simple act that Christians believe that death is the beginning of a new life. We should pay attention to the legacy she left behind. By the way, she used the gifts she had.”

    Kukah added: “The Bible says happy is the husband of a good wife. It illustrates the virtues of women. The reason Nigerians mourn Dora is not because of the contracts she gave but because she had the ability to see the future. Your encounter with her was not ordinary.

    “In politics, public life and family, she demonstrated indeed that power was not everything and that power comes from God. But to some of us, when we pray that the will of God be done, we are simply saying your will correspond to ours on earth. That is why we have a lot of violence in politics.

    “She demonstrated to us that public life can be an opportunity to be noble. When we surrender our lives to God, He has a way of turning it around to something we never can imagine. She left a legacy that her family and children will be proud of. We will go to heaven not because of the extraordinary things we do in life but for the simple things we do extraordinarily. She did ordinary things in extraordinary manner.

    “When we live with good people, we tend to take so many things for granted. Her struggle will never be in vain. May God grant peace to our country.”

    Husband of the deceased, Dr. Chike Akunyili, recalled that Dora won the popular American lottery but dropped her U.S green card at the Immigration post when she was asked to choose to be either an American or a Nigerian.

    This action, he said, demonstrated her true love for her country in words and in deeds.

    He thanked Dr Jonathan and his wife for the comfort they offered him in his moment of grief.

    Dr Akunyili said the special valedictory session by the FEC also consoled him.

    He said: “When Dora died, I saw the special FEC session in her honour. That helped me in my grief. When I also had the opportunity to meet the President in his office, he held my hands and comforted with kind words. He said: ‘Give me any date for Dora, I will be there.’ Today, he is here.

    “Dorothy is an elephant and, if I start talking about her, we will not leave today. We went to Florida in the United States. At the Immigration, they told her: ‘Look, you are an American citizen (because she won the lottery and that was what favoured us). And here you are with a Nigerian diplomatic passport. You must surrender one. She used her left hand to drop her green card and retained her diplomatic passport. So, you can see the level of her love for this country.

    “Once in her local government, they brought a trailer load of fertilisers. What did Dorothy do? She shared all to the community. They told her that was not how it was done but she said: ‘This is how it will be done.’

    “Even as a professor, if you saw her at home, she would hold water for me to wash my hand. And I would tell her: ‘Mummy, you are a professor.’ She would say: ‘I married Nkem before I became a professor.’”

    He added: “One day, we went for medical check-up and we found a lump at her lower abdomen. The doctors said she had seven months. I told her that the doctors said she had seven months to live. She said: ‘The doctors have spoken but God has not spoken.’ Seven months became two years and three months!”

    “I want to thank our children. They were always there, contributing what they could. We had contact with all the best medical doctors in the world because three of her children are doctors in the U.S.

    “Dora had a message for this country. It was a message of love, courage and steadfastness. Even when she was in pain, she still attended the National Conference. You all heard what she said at the conference that ‘a country grows great when old men plant trees, whose shade they will not live to enjoy’.

    “She told me she would serve this country with the last drop of her blood. Many did not want her to go because of her health. She said she would go to the conference. She said: ‘Nigeria first and me second.’”

    The first reading was taken by one of her daughters while one of her sons took the second reading.

    Among the personalities at the ceremony were: First Lady Mrs Patience Jonathan, former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon; members of the National Assembly; members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC); Ijaw leader Chief Edwin Clark; Anambra State politician, Dr Andy Uba; frontline industrialist, Dr Stella Okoli; former ministers and former Plateau State Deputy Governor Pauline Tallen.

     

  • ‘Our Girls’: Victims and Survivors Fund; Solar projects; Dora, Dr Adegoke Kalejaiye. RIP

    ‘Our Girls’: Victims and Survivors Fund; Solar projects; Dora, Dr Adegoke Kalejaiye. RIP

    ‘O The call by American Congresswomen for a Trust Fund for the families and victims of violence, bomb blast and now the especially ’Our Girls’ from Chibock, is an addition to the repeated call in this column on the same issue when it was suggested that a Victims’ Fund be set up by the federal government provided it does not get contaminated or corrupted by the operators. Shamefully, nothing was done then except pay some hospital bills. We pray compensation, medical expenses, further treatment like mobility and hearing aids, scholarships for survivors and dependents will all be addressed.

    The N34billion solar project in one of the states is a wonderful step in the right direction. All states should encourage the erection of solar systems as an alternative to a 40-year failed national grid which will continue to fail in the foreseeable future. It is obvious that at the slow pace of power reform, Nigeria’s companies do not have the mental capacity to provide the required 100,000Mw needed right now even by 2050. If we were Japan or the UK, such electricity power would have been provided overnight by offshore electricity barges and giant generators. Unfortunately we seem to have no capacity for such emergency dynamic solutions.

    Again, a big salute to Dora Akunyili who died last week in India. Among several landmarks she led a spirited, dangerous and life-threatening fight against fake drugs which was partly successful. Unfortunately, as with anything conceived for good, some within the organisation she headed were believed to have partly high-jacked the opportunity of mandatory registration to extort from manufacturers for the issuance of NAFDAC licences. True or false, in memory of Dora Akunyili, NAFDAC should , like Caesar’s wife, clean up any smell of corruption by close supervisory monthly reporting on the honesty of staff- including bank checks of families, attention to applications and transparency in testing and reasonable, not exorbitant fees for tests. NAFDAC should not be allowed to rot.

    We say Nigeria lacks role models, but it does not. The problem is that our role models are not brought to the public’s and media’s attention. Many good Nigerians live their whole lives servicing the jammed wheels of progress and die almost unannounced. Indeed it is those Nigerians, citizens engaged in the various professions and vocations, working tirelessly for years throughout their lives who keep Nigeria going through all the political corruption, darkness and irresponsibility, through the power-failures and the nation’s petroleum and financial upheavals. Paradoxically it is not the politicians, budget, electricity or security situation that keeps Nigeria going. It is the huge workload of many unannounced but outstanding, dedicated and exemplary artisans, traders, transporters, farmers, teachers and professional who work day-in and day-out for family survival that keep the wheels of Nigeria going in spite of the evil machinations of the political class.

    One such outstanding Nigerian is Dr Adegoke Kalajaiye, a name you may or may not know. Perhaps I should use the term ‘was’ because he passed away at 59 on June 5. He went to Government College Ibadan and had his medical training abroad. You will certainly know the name if you have been a member of any of the families of the thousands of patients he has treated or scanned for babies or prostates or gall bladders or livers during his career. I have had the rare privilege of having worked with Dr Kalejaiye since the early 80s, first at Oluyoro Catholic Hospital Ibadan and later in medical practice which eventually became a partnership. Dr Kalajaiye represented the quintessential true Nigerian, not hard to find if you look. He was better than punctual as he was always early to work arriving around 7-7.15am daily for the 23 years we worked closely together. He commenced every day by praying for a successful medical day. He became our ‘Bishop’ conducting all our prayers at any ‘happening’ in the clinic. He worked consistently during each day and ended the day with prayers. He had excellent and positive attitude to work and fellow workers. In the 30 years I have known and worked with him, I do not recall a raised voice or misunderstanding as we always seemed to have the same goal, objective and methodology in any discussion or action. We never once misinterpreted the action or inaction of each other. He was always sartorially elegant but not flamboyant. He was a very good professional, delivering service in a hospital setting for 10 years before specialising in ultrasound. But he was much more than a good prayerful doctor. His medical professionalism was rewarded with an appointment to the Baptist Teaching Hospital Board. He had close brothers and sisters and was a family man who with his wife, brought up his four wonderful children to distinction and he had a grandson. May God protect them all. He was a strong member of the Full Gospel Men’s Fellowship. He was a powerful voice in the Baptist Choir and Choirmaster. Dr Kalajaiye was always available for rehearsals. He was a great writer, devoting his annual leave to writing a spiritual book each year and ‘Where Will You Spend Eternity’ was a poster in his consulting room. This week as we bury this wonderful man and already miss him greatly, May His Gentle Soul Rest In Perfect Peace and may God bring succour to his family.

     

  • Dora Akunyili (1954-2014)

    Dora Akunyili (1954-2014)

    • “Madam NAFDAC,” a woman of disconcerting honesty, passes on

    Professor Dora Akunyili’s untimely passing last week was a personal blow to many Nigerians who saw her as a symbol of the heights the country could attain if only its citizens put the nation above themselves. In a nation full of predators masquerading as public servants, she stood out for her commitment, her passion, her forthrightness and her patriotism.

    Professor Akunyili imposed herself on the national consciousness with her successful stint as Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). Like most federal agencies, NAFDAC was riddled with inefficiency and corruption. It had spectacularly failed to regulate the pharmaceutical industry; fake and expired drugs and foods were so rife in the country that they outnumbered the genuine article. Heartless businessmen were importing drugs and food unfit for human consumption into the country and reaping huge profits. The conventional wisdom was that nobody could clean up the mess.

    It was a challenge that Akunyili accepted wholeheartedly. Her tactical approach was a masterpiece of selflessness: realising that her fellow-Igbo had invested heavily in the business, she sent a strong symbolic message by tackling them head-on. Nobody could doubt the sincerity of a regulator who began with her own, and from then on her campaign was taken seriously by a hitherto-jaded Nigerian public.

    Her victories against the scourge of fake foods and drugs are a testimony to the comprehensiveness of her campaign. An estimated N5 billion worth of fake drugs was destroyed during her tenure. The infamous Ariara market which was a centre of the fake drugs trade was shut down until the traders agreed to police themselves. Akunyili preached against the dangers of fake drugs and unwholesome foods with such intensity that the nation and the world sat up and took notice. By the time she left NAFDAC, she had attained global renown which was manifested in a shower of accolades and honours.

    Her next job was that of Minister of Information. This was a very different assignment, beset by challenges of another kind entirely. The moral clarity of the NAFDAC job was replaced by the partisan ambiguities of political propaganda. Professor Akunyili approached it with her usual energy. A rebranding programme was set up; the search for a national catchphrase began; the country was touted around the world as the “Heart of Africa.”

    However, things did not turn out as well as expected. Akunyili discovered that her audience was less willing to accept her ministerial pronouncements at face value, especially when they appeared to run counter to visible evidence. The disconnect reached its peak during the illness and subsequent death of President Umar Yar’Adua. Akunyili found herself more and more out of touch with the facts that she finally famously confessed to having no information about the ailing president, even though she was Minister of Information. To her credit, she was the first credible voice within government to urge that the true state of the president’s condition be made known to the nation.

    Unlike most Nigerian politicians who hang on to office, Akunyili left both her ministerial position and her membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in order to contest a senatorial seat in Anambra State under the All-Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). She lost narrowly in a closely-fought and often-bitter campaign, but resurfaced as a member of the state’s delegation to the National Conference.

    Regardless of the ups and downs of her public career, there is little doubt that Professor Akunyili left a positive impression in the minds of a majority of Nigerians. Her competence, her passion, her commitment to excellence and her disconcerting honesty will never be forgotten. May her soul rest in peace.

  • ALGON mourns Akunyili, Bayero

    ALGON mourns Akunyili, Bayero

    The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) said yesterday that it sympathised with the Akunyili family on the death of the former Director-General of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Dora Akunyili.

    The association in a statement by its Secretary-General, Mr. Shittu Bamaiyi Yakmut, said: “We recall her passion for a better Nigeria, which she demonstrated in her national assignments.

    “As a lecturer, she expressed her desire with matching actions to transform her students at the citadel of learning. In her national call to duty at the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), Mrs. Akunyili towered as one of the most forthright public servants with impeccable character, accountability and prudence.

    “As the Director-General of NAFDAC, she sanitised the health sector as one of the crusaders against fake drugs and ensured zero tolerance for fake drugs. She became a terror to fake drug cartels. It is instructive to note that we at the local governments were more touched by her selfless service, especially by such courageous fight, awareness and advocacy of the grassroots in the battle against fake drugs.

    “The local governments benefited more from her health and safety intervention due to the limited knowledge at the disposal of the rural populace concerning fake drug and administration. Her effort brought hope to the sick. She was a symbol of hope for women in government.

    “Also as a one-time Minister of Information and Communications, she became an Amazon and a face of a new Nigeria by promoting the Nigerian project when she initiated the Re-brand Nigeria: ‘Nigeria: Good People, Great Nation’.

    “Prof. Akunyili was a change agent, whose model of patriotism illuminated in our hearts at the grassroots. She believed in the Nigerian project and championed such belief till death.

    Her contributions at the National Conference resonated in our hearts even in the wake of her battle with the ailment that finally took her life.

    “We pray to the Almighty God to grant her eternal rest and give her family and all Nigerians the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

    ALGON said it also received with shock the passing away of one of the revered traditional rulers, the Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Abdullahi Bayero.

    It said: “The news of the demise of the monarch is not only a loss to Kano State but also to Nigeria, considering his selfless and fatherly role in the socio-political development of the country.”

    ALGON said it felt affected by the death of Emir Bayero when viewed from the backdrop that the late Emir started his public life in the defunct Kano Native Authority as a clerical assistant.

    “It is disheartening that the late traditional ruler passed on when the country is facing challenges and when his fatherly advice as an elder statesman would have been useful in tackling our challenges,” the association added.

    It wished his family and all Nigerians the courage to bear the loss.

     

  • Ailment that fell Akunyili

    Ailment that fell Akunyili

    A recent report on Nigeria by the Cervical Cancer Free Coalition (CCFC) tagged “crisis card” notes that about 26 Nigerian women die of cervical cancer daily, and with the recent death of a former Information Minister and ex Director-General of NAFDAC, Mrs Dora Akunyili by cervical cancer, Assistant Editor, Investigations, JOKE KUJENYA, examines the prevalence of the ailment in the country. 

    EACH year, new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed worldwide. And despite non availability of reliable statistics, Nigeria reportedly has the 10th highest number of deaths from cervical cancer globally.

    In January 2014, the Society for Family Health (SFH), reported that cervical cancer killed about 9,659 women in the country. Elaborating on the development, Mr. Bright Ekweremadu, Managing Director, SFH, said most women get Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), infection at least once in 50 years. He said it is only a few of them that develop cervical cancer. According to him, next to breast cancer, cervical cancer, which claims the life of about 9,659 women annually, is the second most frequent cancer among women in Nigeria.

    He also noted that about 24.8percent of women in the populace harbour the HPV, the causative virus of cervical cancer in women including genital warts in both men and women.

    Experts say that cancer of the cervix, usually caused by HPV, is often transmitted through sexual intercourse. Sadly, it has continued unabated killing women in Nigeria.

    On the morning of June 8th, news began to filter across the globe that Mrs. Dora Akunyili, had succumbed to death, after spending four weeks in a Specialist Cancer Hospital, Bangalore, India, where she had gone for treatment, due to cervical cancer. Nigeria stood still.

    A few months prior to that, Nigerians were jolted to see a shaggy picture of the once robust Akunyili when she got up to make some comments during a session at the ongoing National Conference in Abuja. However, few days later, she had said “I just need to put on some weight. There is a saying in Igboland that says, let the sickness take the flesh but leave the bones because with time, the bones would grow new flesh. I just came out of major sickness, for which I thank the Almighty God for delivering me. I know that God did that for a purpose, this national conference being part of that purpose. I am well now but only need time to put on more weight. Cancer is indeed a killer disease. Please remember me in your prayers…”

    Further reports have it that she had stayed back in the country about 48hours after which she also allegedly succumbed to bouts of coma before she was eventually taken to India for proper treatment.

    As the nation mourns the late Mrs Dora Akunyili, considerable number of all women who die of cervical cancer live in just five countries namely: Brazil, Bangladesh, India, China, and Nigeria, in addition to Africa being identified as the most dangerous place to be a woman with cervical cancer.

    According to experts, cervical cancer is cancer that forms in the cervix, the lower narrow part of the uterus (womb), often referred to as the neck of the womb, and it is the most common cancer in women under 35. They said that while the main cause remains the HPV virus, early cell changes can be found through screening.

    Ekweremadu, speaking at the formal presentation of Cryotherapy Machine for the detection of cancer by SFH in Abuja, also said cervical cancer occurs in midlife and that most cases are found in women younger than 50. He also added that it rarely occurs in women younger than 20 while women over 50 are still at risk.

    Prof. Shima Gyoh, Chairman, Board of Trustees, SFH, explained that although cervical cancer was transmitted through sexual intercourse, it usually manifests in women between 40 years and above. He noted that it spreads via uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells in the cervix, the narrow opening of the womb into the vagina. Noting that it has been recognised as the most common female cancer in developing countries with approximately 500,000  new cases and 250,000 deaths occurring each year across the world; experts say a woman dies of cervical cancer every two minutes!

    A recent Cervical Cancer Crisis Card launched globally by the Cervical Cancer Free Coalition (CCFC), put the yearly death count from the five top-ranked countries at 137,817, compared to an estimated 275,000 annual total deaths from 500,000 new cases recorded in the 50 countries  surveyed in past years. The CCFC Crisis Card rated global countries according to the number of deaths from cervical cancer and the mortality rate from the disease. It states that Nigeria and 49 other countries were selected to provide a snapshot of the world and reflect geographic, economic and population variations.

    Also based on 2013 reports from health journals, cervical cancer is the second commonest female cancer worldwide with 529,000 cases and 275, 000 deaths per year with an estimated 25,000 new cases of the ailment making Nigeria to record 480 cases per week, according to a Consultant Obstetrics/Gynaecologist, Usmanu Danfodiyo of the University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto.

    Based on a study conducted in Ibadan, aimed at determining the level of cervical cancer awareness in the city, of the total 172 female respondents between ages 15 and 65, a considerable 123 of them representing about 71.5 percent, knew about cervical cancer screening, about 12, 9.8percent had done the Pap smear test, and out of which nine of the 75.0percent have had the disease detected in their bodies.

    “The major challenge in Nigeria, as we had in the incidence of HIV/AIDS is that, we, doctors, medical practitioners, are not, in line with the ethics of our discipline, allowed to disclose the status of our patients without their consent. It does not however preclude the alarming fact that scores of Nigeria women daily attend the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), and indeed, other teaching hospitals across the country, plus other centres of course, for treatments of cervical cancer. And this particular cancer is dubbed invasive because of its peculiar nature of attacking adjacent tissue; i.e., having or showing a tendency to spread from the point of origin to adjacent tissue, as some other cancers do, said a Consultant Oncologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

    In its diagnoses of cervical cancer, the American Cancer Society estimates that 11,270 were made by the end of 2009 with over 4,000 women in the country dead from the ailment yearly. In UK, over 3,000 women, according to the National Health Service (NHS), were yearly diagnosed with cervical cancer causing 941 of deaths in 2007. Also, the WHO said at least 200,000 women worldwide die of cervical cancer each year. The agency however added that if the HPV vaccine is administered globally, hundreds of thousands of women lives each year could be saved.

    And according to the CCFC projections, by 2030, almost half a million women will die of cervical cancer, with over 98 percent of these deaths expected to occur in the developing low and middle- income countries.

    Prevalence rates

    Health experts say that although the condition is readily detectable in its premalignant stage, cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer in Nigeria and fifth in the United Kingdom (UK). Among the Nigerian female population, it is said to be the most prevalent. In 2007 alone in Nigeria, it was reported that 36.59 million women aged 15-44years were at risk of developing cervical cancer. However, there are 9,922 cases diagnosed annually with 8,030 deaths. HPV prevalence was at 24.8percent as incidence of cervical cancer in Nigeria was at 250 per 100,000 women.

    In the outcome of a survey conducted by three professors of health in Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, they noted that of the total 260 women administered with questionnaires, the results showed that the respondents displayed fair knowledge of cervical cancer. 43.5percent of the also showed they knew about screening while their knowledge of risk factors was low. About 80.4percent of them also exhibited a generally good attitude to cervical cancer screening. Sadly, their level of practice was 15.4percent poor.

    Quoting World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations (UN), the World Bank and IARC Globocan, the CCFC said the mortality rate and death count highlight the inequity women face depending on where they live showing that the top ten countries with the highest cervical cancer mortality rates are found in Africa with Sub-Saharan Africa grappling with 22 percent of all cervical cancer cases worldwide.

    The CCFC in its data shows that more women die of cervical cancer in India, relatively ranked No 1, than other parts of the world. Next is Zambia with 38.6 deaths per 100,000 as the second highest mortality rate. Australia has 1.4 deaths per 100,000 standing as the lowest. Norway ranks 50 recording the least number of deaths. Nigeria on the records, rank 10th having a cervical cancer mortality rate of 22.9 deaths per 100,000.

    It is also reported that over fifty percent of cervical cancer diagnoses occur in women from ages 35 to 54, with only a fragment of about 20percent in women over 65years of age. The average age of diagnosis is also said to be 48years even as about 15percent of women develop cervical cancer between the ages of 20 and 30. It is reportedly very rare in women below age 20. However, many young women with early abnormal changes who do not have regular examinations are at high risk for localised cancer by age 40, and for invasive cancer by age 50.

    Risk Factors and Causes

    knowledge of cervical cancer is considered abysmal among Nigerian women. This factor is similarly responsible for prevalence of precancerous lesions and cervical cancer in South African women. And while it is medically established that HPV is the main risk factor for cervical cancer in women, it is also affirmed that the salient cause sexual interaction with an infected person.

    CCFC, Executive Director, Dr. Jennifer Smith, in a report, explained that generally, cancer is often the off shoot of the uncontrolled division of abnormal cells. Most of the cells in the human body have a set lifespan; when they die new cells are produced to replace them. But abnormal cells usually have two problems. One is they don’t die. And secondly, they continue mutating. Then, this result in an excessive accumulation of cells which eventually form a lump also called a tumour. Till date, scientists have not been able to decipher why cells become cancerous. This is why it is vital for people to know the increased risks of developing cervical cancer.

    “As it has been medically proven, cervical cancer, in its stages of growth, begins at the neck of the uterus, that is, the womb. It then divides into microscopic cells which can only be viewed through a microscope.”

     

    Symptoms and types

    WHILE cervical cancer is easily spoken about, not many are aware of its varying types. It is, however, important to know this so that appropriate treatment could be applied in each presentation of cervical cancer.

    A Professor of Oncological Gynaecology at the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba, Lagos, Dr Rosa, said knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer, a preventable disease, is very low while the toll of ailment on Nigerian women is very high. She thus argued that there is need for cervical cancer in Nigeria and in sub-Saharan to be given the same priority as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis and other forms of communicable diseases. She said it is high time for governments in these regions to be responsive to the wake-up call.

    With other health officials, cervical cancer symptoms are given as:

                 Bleeding between periods

                 Bleeding after sexual intercourse

                 Bleeding in post-menopausal     women

                 Discomfort during sexual                              intercourse

                 Smelly vaginal discharge

                 Vaginal discharge tinged with blood

                 Pelvic pain and a few others…

    The experts said it is important for women to be alert to these warning signs. In fact, during the early stages, those affected may even experience no symptoms at all. It is thus vital again for sexually active women to have habitual cervical smear tests. In all, it is important to recognise cervical cancer as a completely preventable disease.

    Prevention and treatment

    According to Dr Smith, cervical cancer, no matter how aggressive in the latter stages, is actually a preventable disease. Sadly, so many deaths are recorded across the world.

    She noted “It is a disease that can radically be reduced through vaccination, screening and public enlightenment. And to help our women go for screening and vaccination, it is also the collective responsibility of everyone to help them know about the disease, citing Australia’s successful control of the disorder to the country’s successful rollout of a comprehensive package of HPV vaccines, treatment and prevention.

    Professor Isaac Adewole, Vice Chancellor of  University of Ibadan, a medical doctor said “Early screening methods and prompt treatment are critical interventions that can save women’s lives.  What is required of us all is a renewed commitment to saving the lives of our women and preventing a preventable death from the disease.”

     

  • ‘Our Girls’; CBN Gov: ‘Up Naira, Down Interest Rates’; National Conference and party funding

    ‘Our Girls’; CBN Gov: ‘Up Naira, Down Interest Rates’; National Conference and party funding

    Our Girls’ are still missing since April 15, though 14 have escaped. The death toll since then from the Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen is over 1000 human beings! What manner of country will we leave for our children?

    We mourn Dora Akunyili and the late Emir of Kano and all those murdered by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen. It seems Lamido Sanusi has had his life’s ambitions fulfilled. First Bank big-shot, introduced to President Yar’Adua as a ‘Northern’ candidate by First Bank chiefs, flamboyant and queried Governor of CBN and now is it 57th Emir of Kano. Congratulations. What does it mean for Nigerian true federalism? We have seen the man behind the Emir’s mask. Can the new Emir control his herdsmen?

    Is the new CBN governor Emefiele, ‘just another CBN Governor’ or a ‘Great CBN Governor’? How he spends our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) money must be our concern. The number of people in poverty depends on the currency exchange rate. Devaluation forces many more people to earn ‘less than a dollar a day’. Improving the naira lifts many out of poverty. Does anyone in banking understand this equation? ‘Just another CBN Governor’ will yield to banking greed, ‘stability’, high interest rates and naira collapse. A ‘great Nigeria-loving CBN Governor’ will see poor Nigerians engaged in struggle, working hard with self-help banking -‘esusu’ and ‘ajo’ – for rents, school fees or generators to operate business. A Great CBN Governor will strategise to ‘UP NAIRA, DOWN INTEREST RATES’ and reverse the 40 year fall of the naira, one naira a week or a month. In five years we could be back at 1981 and N1:$1 or at least Abacha’s 1997 and N88:$1 with no loss of ‘stability’.

    A Great CBN Governor should force banks to make money available for the hard-working masses by reducing the interest rates to single digits. Is he going to sacrifice the naira for ‘stability’ –an excuse to devalue the naira but not appreciate the naira?

    To properly stimulate entrepreneurship and business in homes across Nigeria, access to single digit interest rates is essential but interest rates are kept high by CBN and banks which make billions quarterly. Can they be changed? All Nigerians deserve access to the low interest single digit breaks being selectively offered to the textile industry, agriculture, Nollywood, aviation and  industry ‘waivers’. Strangely, there is no special interest rate for medical equipment. The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), with an annual budget of N300m could easily set up a single digit interest rate bank ‘NMA Bank’ with N100m/year-a billion in 10 years. In fact Nigeria would not need these unfair ‘favoured negotiations’ if all interest rates were 5-9%. Selective interest rates are wrong. For all, or, for none.

    Nowhere do we see the Non-Sovereign 2014 National Conference N-SNC discussing the institutionalised corrupt funding of political parties at a time when governance is increasingly ‘by extortion’ with gangster-like Internally Generated Revenue machinery. This is seen on streets, at traffic lights and in LGAs where ‘uniformed and mufti thugs’ terrorise  the roads with primitive nails-in-stick barricades, often fake ID cards and outrageous demands for original receipts for luggage and radio licence etc. The police checkpoints have been smuggled back on the heels of the tinted window crackdown, the Boko Haram terror and yet we want international tourism! We are fully aware that most political parties and their agents extort with ridiculous fines and fees and rates, intimidate through uniformed agents, inflate contracts by 30-100%, sell posts, and create fictitious contracts- all corruption.

    So let the N-SNC address and solve the corrupt funding of political parties as a weapon against corruption which will reduce the cost of governance by up to 30% and make the naira buy more books in schools, more kilometres on our roads, more equipment in our schools and hospitals and more sports equipment.

    Until and unless Nigeria tackles funding of political parties there will be no serious reduction in government corruption.

    Congratulations to Nigerians for the excellent decisions by the N-SNC to insist on cancellation of any ridiculous pension and severance pay scams or schemes for National Assembly (NASS), Governors, Commissioners and State Assembles. Collectively we have saved billions. How greedy can a politician get? The N-SNC must ensure that LGAs also become part-time councillors. Politicians should have proper jobs as well as serve the people.

    However, the ‘ONE HOUSE SOLUTION’, the second half of the people’s ‘NASS Survival Strategy’ did not scale through and it is a flagrant failure of the N-SNC delegates to heed the people’s voice for a merging and collapsing of the two houses, Senate and House of Representatives, into one smaller house was thrown out. Everyone in Nigeria except the serving and retired senators and representatives knows that Nigeria cannot afford to bleed cash to cover the cost overruns, the SAP, ‘Salaries And Perks’, and Constituency Allowances in billions demanded to be controlled by NASS members. There is nowhere else in the world where mislabelled ‘dividends of democracy’ like sewing machines are bought with the government money.  It is wrong. How dare they boastfully distribute the ‘gifts’ when the money used belongs to the people?

    From all parties NASS members appear greedy self-styled ‘distinguished and honourable’ people. Repeatedly they have turned out to be ‘undistinguished and dishonourable’ and far too full of senatorial and honourable importance. Nigeria has first-hand experience of NASS workings and corruption. One NASS house is more than enough trouble for Nigeria.