The Nation Newspaper

Tag: hard

  • Constipation: Hard and dry bowel movement

    In the past weeks, we have been discussing issues relating to our digestive system. We have taken a look at vomiting, abdominal pain and also diarrhoea. In this week, we will examine constipation which is another common symptom that often takes healthcare user to the healthcare provider.

    Constipation is a common issue in both adults and children including newborn. Elderly people of both genders are often the targets of constipation. Women by their very nature and biological function may suffer constipation more at the time of pregnancy.   Overall, constipation can be concerning as it could be very distressing to the victims.

    What is constipation? Constipation is infrequent passage of stools/infrequent bowel movement that is hard and dry. We all have our habits. There are some persons who may pass faeces once a day. There are some passing faeces on every other day and there are others who may just move their bowel twice in a week. If there is significant change in these habits to say, a bowel movement once a week or once in every two weeks despite regular intake of food and water by the sufferer, then the condition of constipation has ensued. As a rule of thumb, constipation should be considered if you have not moved your bowel in a consecutive three days.

    What causes constipation? The first but by no means the most severe cause, is simply, a change in nutrition and habits of eating. If you used to eat three square meals, but you now eat once a day, it follows that your bowel movement will correspondingly change. If you eat noting, you pass nothing.

    If you eat frequently and you eat big, it means you may go to move your bowel more frequently in line with your eating and drinking habits.

    The content of what you eat matter a great deal. If you eat less fibre and vegetables, you move your bowel less as a result. If you eat more of fibre and vegetables, you move your bowel regularly in tandem. Similarly, if you consume a lot of dairy products, you may become constipated. Food may remain in the bowel more in a person who is less active than a very active individual.

    There are legitimately prescribed medications such as codeine, antidepressants and iron tablets that could result in constipation. Still, antacids for peptic ulcer, calcium and aluminium containing medicines which may give rise to constipation.  Pregnancy is a well-known event that gives pregnant women constipation concerns.  Some medical conditions such as Parkinson’s, underactive thyroid, multiple sclerosis and nerve related diseases of the bowel that may result in constipation.

    Sadly, cancer of the bowel or surrounding structures and obstructive disease of the bowel are known to cause constipation. As I mentioned earlier, in no other group of individuals is constipation more troublesome than in elderly that are by nature less active, eat less, likely to suffer from cancer, Parkinson’s and use more of constipation causing medications.  Irritable bowel syndrome, depression and anxiety may cause both constipation and diarrhoea.

    Children and newborn do also suffer from constipation. Newborn fed on artificial foods rather than breast milk, could end up with constipation as are children fed with unbalanced diets. Malnutrition could cause both diarrhoea and constipation in children.  Intestinal obstructions in children are known causes of constipation.

    How does constipation presents? Abdominal swelling, abdominal pain or discomfort, low appetite, tiredness and irritability may result.

    What are the solutions? The solutions are in line with the causes. Drink a lot of water with your meals and in-between meals. You need 2-3liters of water or more per day in our environment in Nigeria. Consider balanced diets. More specifically, add fibre, fruits and vegetables to your meals.

    If you are taking medications that causes you constipation, why not talk to your doctor for a change?

    I have written on several occasions about the benefits of exercise, I suppose you should consider physical exercise to help relieve you of constipation.  On the other hand, if you suffer from any of the illnesses listed, you may need to talk to your doctor to chart further management options.

    Acute or sudden onset of constipation with or without vomiting may be a symptom of something more lethal like intestinal obstructions.  You should not delay in seeking help. Constipation with bloody stool or weight loss may be related to cancer.  Talk to a doctor urgently.

    For medical management, doctors and allied clinicians have various measures that they can take to relieve you of constipations even if your constipation is acute or chronic.

  • Life is tough and hard

    SIR: Ever since Nigeria gained independence in 1960, the road to self-reliance and development has been messy to say the least. We’ve had corrupt leaders influencing the people, unqualified personnel in charge of ministries and agencies, politicians who only made it to high school. Right from time when the colonial masters granted us independence, there has always been the issue of maladministration-power in the wrong hands. Every new leader comes with his own batch of problems which would later have a direct effect on the citizens. When the late General Sani Abacha came on board in 1993, several Nigerians who were in opposition to his rule were locked up. Diverse human rights organizations wrote letters asking for the release of these citizens but Abacha turned a deaf ear. Many were assassinated. Talk about dreams and aspirations cut short. The then citizens passed through a lot of pain, distress and restriction of human rights. Yet our future leaders haven’t learnt that the welfare of the citizens is paramount and key to the success of any administration. The present-day Nigeria is in a state of mishap, neglect and hardship. Only few can afford to eat the legendary three meals per day.

    Ever since the recession, income and sources of revenue for individuals and families have been cut short. Fatal incidences and calamitous events have taken place which has changed the way citizens live and it’s a battle to survive in Nigeria. Downsizing by firms has increased the rate of unemployment and thrown more people in to the labour market that is already filled up. There has been a rise in the crime rates ever since. Petty thefts, kidnapping, armed robbery and cyber crime have topped the crime charts. This tough life has also made parents to withdraw their wards studying in private schools to register them in the sub-standard government schools where the quality of education is low and there aren’t enough facilities to cater for the needs of the students.

    Suicide which is always frowned at by members of the public seems to be the way out of this tough and hard life.  A recent case of suicide occurred in Lagos where a medical doctor jumped into the Lagoon and several days later, two women were prevented from doing the same. When they were interrogated, they cited their financial misery as the reason for wanting to commit suicide.

    Everyone have a tale to tell about the standard of living. To the common man, we all don’t know when prices of food crops will reduce. It’s surprising to hear that Nigeria which has the ability to grow virtually all food crops is affected by scarcity of the same food crops.

    We all wish we could wake up one day and all these suffering would come to an end-ultimate end. But alas, that could be a dream even for future generations to come.

     

    • Otolorin Olabode, otolorinolabode@gmail.com

  • Playboys hard to keep

    It”s a sunny day and the heat just won’t let you be. Stepping out on the verandah for some fresh air did some magic and you begin to get calm again? A few metres away, your eyes stray to a twosome. Two little buddies wrapped in their world. One has a pretty Barbie doll which she adores and clings to affectionately.

    The other grabs the dull and runs away. Perhaps, she is also in love with this mesmerising doll and they run around while yours truly monitor to find out who it finally ends up with. Surprised, the girl who took the dull is exhausted running around and finally throws the doll into the gutter and that is the end of the battle to win the doll (heart).Why did the person who didn’t care about the fragile doll take it only to discard shortly afterwards?

    The owner of the doll cries and cries while the hijacker could not be bothered. So why grab it only to throw it away? you wonder. That is exactly what happens in the emotional space, a place you just cannot understand or appreciate the intention of the face (heart) smiling in your direction at a glance. Is it for real, could it be some distraction or just revenge?

    The truth of the matter sometimes is that some don’t even know what they want. For Kemi, this is precisely what is happening to her at the moment. She has been in a relationship for about three years now and just cannot decode where it is heading to. The guy in question has so many other admirers and it looks like they have no future together. Playboys are hard to keep; often for everybody and nobody in particular.

    Then one day the bone of her bones emerged and fell head over heels for her.

    “I met Dauda at the bank and since we saw each other that day, we just liked each other. He is always talking to me on phone and there is always a date or a party to attend. I have never dated a guy like that in my life, and, somehow, I kept wondering where this Romeo had been all this while.”

    Her world changed dramatically and everyone could feel the love thing around our dear friend. “I began to give myself more attention unlike in the past. I changed my wardrobe, became more adventurous with my hairstyles and started attending a gym to keep fit.”

    Our babe continued to glow and then a few weeks ago, the jilted lover boy emerged from the blues. Unknown to her, he had taken some of her naked photos whilst they dated. The photos were uploaded online and everyone feasted on it. What a shame! Could this also be the end of the road for her relationship with Dauda? Yes, it was. He gave her a call 24 hours later telling her that he had something he wanted them to discuss.

    “I couldn’t sleep all night and I began to imagine the things he wanted to tell me. Of course, the likely option is that he wanted to talk about the photographs that have become a nightmare.”

    They had lunch and then it was time to talk. The words took so long in coming and when they finally came, he started with, ‘I am sorry, been trying to summon the courage to tell you all this while. Guess this is the best time to do this. I was engaged before I met you but we had some issues and decided to give ourselves some time.

    ‘Now, we are back together and I have come to the realisation that she is the one that I love, not you. What I feel for you is quite different. Once again, I am sorry.’

    Just like that! No, it must be the photographs that have upset him. He never behaved as if there was a substitute somewhere. In all of it, she was the loser in the game. A game she played carelessly, winning nothing and gaining nothing. She was the fool in the whole arrangement but somehow she made up her mind not to remain a victim forever. Love must be somewhere; the solution, of course, would be to try, try and try again.

    Wait a minute. Isn’t love supposed to be for better and for worse? Couldn’t he have forgiven her and forgotten the mess.

    Now, she is back to the emotional classroom, learning the romantic alphabets all over again. Not so easy, the words aren’t flowing properly at all, stammering all the way.

    The principle that kept our dear friend going was her determination, clinging onto the wild world of imaginations, allowing her imaginations to take her where she wants her heart to be and wishing for a better heart. Happiness finally came from that self-conscious awareness that brought Sina, the heart who loved her unconditionally.

  • How hard is it to lead?

    While delivering a lecture on leadership in Lagos four years ago, former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola painted a graphic picture of who a leader is. In the course of that lecture, he said leadership is about “solving problems and not identifying them.” To back up his definition of leadership, he cited the example of a Professor of Architecture from the University of Lagos, who after repeated visits to see him was eventually granted audience.

    According to Fashola, the professor took it upon himself to visit places in Lagos with chaotic traffic situation in order to understudy them and proffer solutions. He did this for months and as a true leader he packaged his findings into a document and sought audience with the governor to give him the document as his humble contribution toward the development of the state.

    The former governor said he was initially taken aback when the professor brought a comprehensive blueprint on how to redesign some roads in Lagos to ease traffic flow and not to request for contracts as is mainly the norm here. In essence, there were no strings attached to his presenting the document to the government, just a responsible citizen doing his bit toward uplifting society.

    At the time of the lecture the state government had already implemented some of the recommendations contained in the blueprint. The two he mentioned include the road linking Victoria Island from MUSON Centre through Command Officers mess and the underpass linking Magodo and Otedola housing estates on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

    Leadership on all fronts is fundamental, not only in solving problems but having the foresight to identify and address them before they emerge. Whether in the home, school, workplace, religious circle and in politics, purposeful leadership is essential for harmonious living and development.

    Mahatma Ghandi, the world acclaimed champion of non-violence said “When leaders exemplify the change in the world they wish to see, they win, and we all win.” The precept cuts across national boundaries regardless of how small or big the country may be. The birth place of Ghandi, India is a huge country while a country like Singapore is not.

    The ripple effects of Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership in India and the selfless leadership of Lee Kuan Yew changed both countries for good. Why? The simple explanation is because the two leaders have – in different ways – exemplified the change in the world they wanted to see.

    Our main problem back home is our warped view of the entire concept of leadership, if we want to follow on from Ghandi’s statement one will ask what kind of world do Nigerian leaders want to see? Is it a world of harmonious relationships and good governance or a world of supporting and bankrolling divisive elements in the society? Is it a world of envisioning where the nation will be in ten years’ time and ensuring that there are plans backed with self-sacrifice to ensure it is achieved?

    But how are leaders in other countries able to exemplify Ghandi’s statement and what are some of the lessons we can draw from them? If you discount the vision and the empowerment qualities of her founding fathers starting with George Washington, the first President of the United States and some of his successors in office like Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry Truman to mention just a few, the United States of America would not have been what it is today.

    Such leaders can be found in every country and in other walks of life and not in politics alone. They are in the Academia, in the news media, entertainment sector and in the public and private Sectors of every country. They can also be found in the Judiciary, Churches, and Mosques. Such leaders always try, as much as humanly possible; to exemplify the change in their world they envision. They are men of principle and conviction who passionately practice what they preach. Most of them drive themselves harder than they do their followers. They are, more often than not, men of steel and iron discipline.

    The smooth transition of power from one party to another, and from one individual political leader to another which has now become the hall mark of America today, could be traced back to the father of the nation, George Washington who had voluntarily given up power after laying a sound foundation that the future generation of American leaders have come to view as the gold standard for leadership in their country.

    George Washington taught American leaders – of his and subsequent generations – to appreciate that power  belongs to the people, and that if a leader has to choose between self and national interest, the  choice is clear. The youngest American President and the first Catholic ever elected, J. F. Kennedy said that much, when asked, if his faith would not get in the way of his loyalty to his country. His answer was unequivocal.  As far as he was concerned, America and her national interest and stability come first.

    When leaders refuse to be the change in the world they wish to see, they not only lose, their nation lose as well. One thing stands out clearly when you study the lives of  Mao Zedong of China, Ho Chi Ming of Vietnam, Josep Broz Tito of former Yugoslavia, Winston Churchill of Great Britain, Nelson Mandela and F.W  De Clarke of South Africa, Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Martin Luther King etc. Their willingness and conviction to truly represent the change in their country they wish to see is glaring. They not only talked the talk, they walked the walk. They truly practice what they preach.

    Good leaders come to office with a mindset to solve problems and make changes they wish to see. You have to seriously wonder about the success and competence of our leaders when you see that most of the problems we face, some dating back to Independence have remained virtually unresolved. As a matter of fact, some of those problems have gotten worse.

    Take the issue of Education. It was one of the best things going for our country when Nigeria got her independence from Britain. Today it is a different story. The disdain for education by our government is simply amazing. Policy somersaults reveal we really do not have a roadmap. Any wonder why we spend billions of naira to pursue education abroad.

    We’re all aware our standard of education is nothing to write home about. It is true there are more Universities now, but most of them are struggling, and the caliber of graduates they produce is a far cry from what we were used to. Unemployment has become a major problem, and it is now extremely difficult for most graduates to find jobs.

    Electricity, which is the bedrock for industralisation, has only marginally improved making it look like fixing it is rocket science. Prior to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the country faced power challenges, but it took the government less than six months to fix it before the tourney commenced. No committee was set up or white paper released – like was done in the last dispensation – to be screened and streamlined by yet another committee!

    Newer challenges are with us today. Militancy, farmers/herdsmen clash, terrorism, divisive politics are some of the issues our leaders are grappling with. Of course, corruption and crime have become the order of the day. Nigeria is doing much worse today, all things considered, because most of our leaders do not exemplify the change in our country they wish to see. Things are worse because we do not yet have a responsible citizenry who are expected to hold their leaders accountable.

     

     

  • The country is hard

    SIR: The quality of life in Nigeria is nothing to write home about. Poverty has become a common denominator as most Nigerians now swim in the scary waters of hopelessness. No other title can better capture what the average Nigerian has experienced in the last one year other than to tell President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB): This country is hard!

    From kidnapping, herdsmen terrorism, smuggling, armed robbery, demands for self determination, unpaid salaries, hike in prices of everything (including Tomatoes!), comatose electricity, collapsing or comatose business ventures, protests in first-generation Universities of Ibadan, Ife and Lagos (due to infrastructure decay), increased domestic violence leading to deaths, increase in ritual killings, abductions and suicide. Added to this awful list are phenomenal increases in unemployment (12.1%), underemployment (19.1%) and youth unemployment/underemployment (42.24%). Of course, one cannot leave out the large pool of internally displaced persons and the daring Niger-Delta Avengers (NDA). The NDA have demonstrated their capability and the consequences are legion. PMB must learn to negotiate peace and not force peace as a converted democrat.

    Of course, the anti-corruption fight is ongoing but its benefits still remain elusive to Nigerians. Corruption is getting more entrenched as people now device innovative ways to survive the hardship foisted on them. Yet, the ‘sacred cows’ continue to regenerate.  The figure of those murdered via herdsmen terrorism in the last one year is indicative of the failure of the state in its core function of securing her citizens.

    The spiral effects of the stiffening economic situation are backbreaking. The Federal Executive Council endorsed their failure to arrest pipeline vandals, stop smuggling, negotiate peace in the Niger-delta and fix the refineries and the ailing economy by forcing hike in fuel price on an already distressed people. The government should be ready for new dimensions of criminality and social problems because when there is disjunction between societally approved goals and means of achieving them, anomie ensues and people mostly innovate and rebel rather than conform.

    Corruption fight cannot be fought and won when the stomach infrastructure is threatened. Government should be apprehensive about how people are still going to their offices despite unpaid salaries! For example, my friend who lectures in a state polytechnic is owed four months’ salary and her husband, a civil servant is owed six months’ salary! Their kids are threatened to be sent out of school. Pensioners are receiving no benefits and you expect those approaching retirement to be incorruptible? Not many people will listen to the scratching disc of ‘God will do it’ or ‘Nigerians should learn to sacrifice’ when those in public offices do not sacrifice. Frustration and aggression are setting in and you can see the erosion of trust in the ability of government to save them.  One year is gone and the ‘Poor Peoples’ Republic in Nigeria’ is getting larger.  In the second part of the “You can trust me with your money” home video by PMB; the masses MUST experience the promised positive CHANGE.

     

    • Dr Oludayo Tade,

    Ibadan.

  • Kogi Utd 2-0 Supreme Court: It was hard earned victory, says Biffo

    Kogi Utd 2-0 Supreme Court: It was hard earned victory, says Biffo

    Head Coach of Nigeria National League side, Kogi United FC, Abdullahi Biffo has praised his players’ performance for their 2-0 victory over Supreme Court FC in their Week 20 encounter at the Confluence Stadium, Lokoja on Saturday.

    Biffo informed SportingLife that his team could not play at their very best due to fatigue they suffered in their away trip to Sokoto mid week.

    A goal in each half from Sanusi Pedro and Aminu Abdulkadir made it a losing return for Osho, who was asked to step aside as the Head Coach of Wada Boys in mid-season, now in charge of visiting Supreme Court.

    “I didn’t attach too much importance to this match until the blast of the whistle, you know we just returned from a 14 hour journey on Thursday, and that was telling on us today; we could have done better, but I also like to praise the Supreme Court boys, they really pressed us, challenged us all through, we promise our next game(against DSS) will be better as we will have time to rest and prepare,” said Biffo.

    Former Head Coach of Kogi United, Fatai Osho also showered praises on his former club despite his new club’s loss to the Wada Boys.

    Osho, who said his boys’ display was satisfactory having come together within just three weeks, noted that Kogi United will always remain in his heart.

    “It was a fantastic game, I can’t expect anything less from Kogi United, this is a team that is destined and deserved to be at the top, I congratulate the boys of Kogi United, it will always remain in my heart as I enjoyed my stint here, but I also commend my boys for at least holding Kogi United to this extent, this is just a three week old team, we are building a new Supreme Court, and I hope we will get it right,” Osho said.

    Chairman of the Confluence State club, Abdul Adama said the players really showed their former handler how improved they are as he remained coy on the club’s promotion ambition.

    Adama, however, called on the supporters and fans of Kogi United to continue with their support for the club as each game will be dealt with as they come.

    Kogi United have garnered 31 points from 19 games and will next host DSS FC on Saturday in Lokoja.

  • Eguma: It was a hard-earned victory

    Eguma: It was a hard-earned victory

    Dolphins Head Coach Stanley Eguma has admitted that his side laboured for victory in their Federation Cup round of 16 clash against El Kanemi on Thursday.

    A 44th minute strike by Emem Eduok was enough to take Dolphins to the quarter finals of the competition.

    A defence splitting pass from Ebube Okpokwu saw Emem outrun his marker to slot behind onrushing goalkeeper, David Obiozor in the El-Kanemi goal.

    Dolphins’ Togolese defender, Joseph Douhadji was injured early and replaced by Emmanuel Olowo in the 12th minute.

    Dolphins could have gone two up mid-way in the 2nd half when Emem Eduok ran his marker ragged down the right flank and crossed in for Bolaji Sarkin who failed to connect.

    “We had to work over our capacity to get victory today. It is a sign of good things to come and we believe that we can go on to win the trophy like we have done in the past,” Eguma said.

    Dolphins will next play Lobi Stars in the quarter finals on Wednesday.

  • The hard way

    The hard way

    •What a way to learn! Naval officer bags life sentence over motor dealer’s death

    Lieutenant Baba Adamu of the Nigerian Navy must be ruing the day he physically assaulted Mr. Pedro Ikhajagbe, a civilian car dealer who died in Lagos as a result of the clash in May 2012. Even though he might have felt entitled to his anger at the deceased, the fallout would now haunt him. His conviction by a naval court-martial and sentencing to life imprisonment is a worthy demonstration of the futility of his decision to take the law into his own hands.

    It is always necessary to emphasise the imperative of restraint and respect for order in the context of social relations; otherwise, the law of the jungle would take over, undesirably to the detriment of society.

    However, the story behind the unfortunate death of Ikhajagbe is also instructive in some other respects. The late car dealer was said to have received $10,000 from the naval officer as payment for a car which he was supposed to deliver, but the vehicle he presented was different from the buyer’s specification. This led to a rejection and agreement to provide another. At this stage, it was a case of “so far, so good.”

    Then, according to reports, things went awry as Ikhajagbe failed to keep his word to supply another car, until, one year after the agreement, Adamu, who was serving in Jos, Plateau State, came to Lagos in search of the car dealer who lived around Satellite Town in the city. It is interesting that, initially, Adamu allegedly lodged a report at the Naval Police Unit at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Wey, but rather than wait for the naval police to act, he went looking for Ikhajagbe.

    It is sad that their encounter ended in tragedy. It may never be known what actually happened when he found the elusive man, but reports said there was a scuffle and the officer subsequently rushed the bleeding car dealer to the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital in Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos.

    It is ironic that Adamu displayed such humaneness in the face of Ikhajagbe’s injury, implying that he didn’t really mean any harm but was simply overwhelmed by his sense of the man’s perceived unfairness. Perhaps Ikhajagbe would have survived if the hospital had not required a police report before treating him. Adamu was said to have been at Satellite Police Station, Agboju, Lagos, where he went to get a report, when bad news reached him that the patient had died.

    Not surprisingly, the sour development changed his situation for worse, and the police deserve some recognition for promptly arresting him. Also creditable is the business-like involvement of the naval authorities who took over the matter and prompted Adamu’s transfer to a detention facility at the NNS Beecroft. Following a probe by a Board of Inquiry (BOI) constituted by the Navy, and his subsequent trial at a court-martial, Adamu will now have to learn vital lessons he probably didn’t sufficiently imbibe before now, specifically, that there are formal public structures established to mediate in disputes between members of society, and that it is not in the communal interest for anyone to resort to self-help.

    Adamu’s sentencing is reassuring, particularly on account of his status as a naval officer, because there is a general perception in the country that members of the armed forces tend to show contempt for the law in their dealings with civilians, especially when they feel wronged or aggrieved. There have been cases where military men callously attacked and even killed civilian victims on account of some differences. It cannot be overemphasised that the military uniform should never be seen as a licence to intimidate others.

     

  • ‘I lost two daughters to hard times’

    The Nigeria  Civil Aviation Authority(NCAA)  has brokered a truce between Chanchangi Airlines and 53 of its workers over unpaid salaries. The salaries were said to have accrued since 2010 when the carrier sent the workers on compulsory leave.

    NCAA’s intervention comes on the heels of a protest by the workers’ protest to intimatethe authority of their unpaid salaries, for 36 months.

    The workers said they were asked to stay off work when the airline started having challenges and have not been paid since. They said efforts to draw the management’s attention to their plight failed.

    Before staging a protest  at NCAA Headquarters at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, the workers demonstrated at the ticket counters of the new domestic terminal.

    Led by the President of the Human Rights Defenders and Advocacy Centre, Moses Ojiekomhan, they expressed disappointment over the failure to pay them, insisting that they would seek justice.

    Ojiekomhan said it was inhuman to allow the workers to suffer untold hardship, while the airline is running smoothly, adding that it would be better to pay them off, instead of allowing their fate to hang in the balance.

    He urged NCAA to ensure that Chanchangi discharged its obligation to the workers.

    Some of the workers, he said, had lost family members because of the difficulties they have been facing since they were sent on leave.

    NCAA’s Director of Human Resources, Mr Austin  Amadi Ifeanyi, and   Director of Consumer Protection, Alhaji Adamu Abdulahi, assured the workers that the authority would look into their grievances.

    They praised the workers for being peaceful, noting that it is NCAA’s duty to ensure that all goes well in the sector.

    The airline Station Manager of Chanchangi Airline, Mr Babadiya Ahmed, has said the workers’ grievance were being looked into, adding that they was not sacked.

    He said they were asked to proceed on compulsory leave due to operational issues adding that the matter would from be resolved.

    An aggrieved worker, who identified himself as Mr Joseph Edem, claimed he lost two daughters because of the airline’s failure to pay his outstanding 36 months’ salary.

    Edem said: ”My wife abandoned me since the crisis started. Ultimately, I lost two daughters, one was 13 years old, the other aged four. They died because I did not have money to take care of them.”

    Another worker, who identified himself as Desmond Omoregie, who broke down, while narrating his ordeal, said he lost his ailing mother, because he did not have enough money to cater for her.

  • Hamas’ hard line

    Hamas’ hard line

    Comments by leader Khaled Meshaal that ruled out a two-state solution with Israel are outrageous, irresponsible and depressing.

    Israeli officials often complain that their country’s policies are lambasted around the world while Palestinians are allowed to behave undemocratically or even violently without comment or moral judgment. So here is a slightly belated but heartfelt criticism of Khaled Meshaal, the top leader of Hamas.

    Meshaal made his first trip to the Gaza Strip this month. While there he told a rally of tens of thousands that “Palestine is ours from the river to the sea and from the south to the north. There will be no concession on any inch of the land.” He also said: “Today is Gaza. Tomorrow will be Ramallah and after that Jerusalem, then Haifa and Jaffa.”

    In other words, if you were hoping that Hamas might be persuaded to support a two-state solution, taking its lead from liberation movements in Africa, northern Ireland and elsewhere that have given up guns and bombs for negotiations, Meshaal’s message was: Forget it. He, at least, will apparently not be satisfied with a West Bank and Gaza state, and continues to insist that all of Israel, including cities such as Haifa and Jaffa that have large Arab populations but are not part of post-1967 occupation, belongs to the Palestinians.

    That’s outrageous, irresponsible and deeply depressing, even from the leader of a well-known terrorist organization. It’s depressing because Hamas is not just a militant fringe group but actually runs Gaza and has significant support among Palestinians. For years, Hamas has been coy about whether it would support a two-state solution; Meshaal was anything but.

    Now contrast what Meshaal had to say with the comments of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday. Abbas said flatly that he did not agree with Meshaal’s refusal to recognize Israel, and reiterated his long-standing support for a two-state solution. Just last month, asked on Israeli television whether he would like to go to Safed, the city in Israel where he was born in 1935, Abbas replied that he would like to visit it but not to live there — because Safed is now part of Israel: “Palestine now for me is the ’67 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. This is now and forever.”

    Abbas’ statements are so much more rational than Meshaal’s. That’s why he is supported by the United States and most of the world. But the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has too often lumped Abbas together with Hamas (as it did again after Meshaal’s recent comments). Instead of drawing Abbas close, offering concessions and helping him to distinguish himself from the rejectionists, Israel has often made it more difficult for him to deliver for his people. This, among other things, has left him with little political support.

    Current prospects for peace are dim. Negotiations are stalled and the two-state solution has taken a beating. Yet it’s hard to imagine that a resolution to the conflict lies in anything other than honest efforts to improve Palestinian life and good-faith negotiations to create an independent Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. That requiresrealleadership and courage on all sides.

    – Los Angeles Times