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Tag: problems

  • Democracy best solution to our problems, says Saraki

    Democracy best solution to our problems, says Saraki

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has commended Nigerians for working to sustain democracy in the past 17 years despite the various challenges the country has encountered within the period.

    In a statement to mark this year’s Democracy Day, signed on his behalf by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki described democracy as not only the most globally accepted system of government but also the best solution to the problems confronting a multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-religious society like Nigeria.

    He said in the last 17 years, the electorate had become more discerning and sophisticated as the nation has got to the point that people elected to the various offices are now conscious of the fact that they are under constant watch and when they fail to meet the expectation of the voters, they will be given the red card.

    He said: “It is the first time in our national history that we will have 17 unbroken years of democratically elected governments. Last year, our people demonstrated that our democracy is fast maturing as they voted out a party in power and elected another party. Since then, one can notice how people have become more and more interested in governance and the performance of those elected and appointed into public offices.

    “In my own view, these are signs that our democracy has matured. Our people deserve commendation for that. This positive development is also already reflecting in the quality of governance and the level of development being witnessed across board in the country”, he stated.

    The Senate President urged elected and appointed officials at all levels of government to continue to justify the confidence people reposed in them as he said he and his colleagues in the Senate are conscious of the fact that if they fail to live up to the expectation of the people, the next elections are just around the corner.

    He added that  the nation must improve on the conduct of elections in such a manner that the free will of the electorate will be reflected in the results, adding that for the country to become a matured democracy, elections must be peaceful,  free and fair.

    “The issue of free and fair elections is a joint responsibility for all of us. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must continue to improve on its process and machinery for conduct of elections while the people must learn to shun violence and all forms of unlawful conduct during electioneering. We cannot be celebrating many years of democracy if people still take elections as if it is war and refuse to accept the decision of the majority.”

  • How to solve power sector problems, by NLNG chief

    How to solve power sector problems, by NLNG chief

    Nigeria should adopt an all-inclusive approach to solve the myriad of problems of the power sector, the Managing Director/Chief Executive officer, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG), Mr. Babs Omotowa, has said.

    He said gas-to-power has become a problem in the industry, urging stakeholders, including the Federal Government, to proffer solution to problems in generation, transmission and distribution of electricity.

    He canvassed the exploration of opportunities in the grid and off-grid systems of power generation and also leverage on the strengths of the six geo-political zones through their resources, such as coal, wind, solar, water and gas, among others, to improve power supply.

    Omotowa said the country needed a holistic approach to solve its energy problems since it has tried various methods in the past, without success.

    He said: “A more comprehensive approach to resolving problems in the power sector is what Nigeria needs at this moment. There is the need to look at the energy strengths of each of the geo-political zones for growth.  For instance, states such as Benue, Kogi, Plateau, and others within the Middle Belt zone rely on hydro power, and should be allowed to use hydro power sufficiently.

    “The Eastern part of Nigeria should rely on coal because of the abundant coal deposit in the area, to solve the energy needs of that zone. The Southern part of the country especially the South-south should rely on gas, which means that turbines would operate optimally in that area, once there is gas infrastructure. A lot of the demands for gas are in the South-western part of the country, especially Lagos and Ogun axis. They have thermal plants and some of these plants are operating sub-optimally due to lack of gas. The power plants should be linked to gas pipelines to power the turbines. There are huge but unexplored opportunities in the country.”

    Omotowa urged stakeholders to give more attention to issues such as citing of power plants where gas facilities are, and the evacuation of electricity generated from the plants to the grid, adding that they are crucial to the growth of the sector.

    According to him, it is one thing to build power plants side by side with gas facilities, it is another thing for the plant to have capacity to take or evacuate the power generated to the grid citing Afam VI as an example.

    He said: “Afam power plant, for example, is cited close to a gas facility and today it generates 650 megawatts (Mw) of electricity. However, the grid cannot take all the megawatts of electricity generated by Afam. May be the grid takes about 300Mw or thereabout. Alaoji is another one power plant with similar problems. Having considered all the issues listed above, it is safer to conclude that an all embracing approach is what Nigeria needs to solve its energy problems.”

    He said the need to provide facilities that would help in evacuating electricity to the grid for onward distribution to customers is imperative for the growth of the sector.

    The industry is battling shortage of gas, poor power generation and distribution. This has resulted in poor supply of electricity.  To resolve the problems, the Federal Government embarked on upward review of gas price to ensure competitiveness, ensures effective policing of gas pipelines to forestall vandalism,among other initiatives. However, the problems persist.

  • Insurance is solution to small businesses’ problems, says ILO

    Insurance can form a major solution to constraints faced by small businesses across the world, Alice Merry of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has said.

    She said this in a paper titled: “Insurance for Small Businesses” made available to The Nation by ILO Impact Insurance Facility.

    She said despite significant efforts by governments across the world to improve infrastructure, competency, among others, the risks that small businesses face, such as weather events, health problems, or theft of their stock, are often left largely unaddressed.

    She noted that insurance cannot address all of those risks, but it can address many of them. According to her, a range of solutions will be needed to overcome the constraints faced by small businesses.

    She said: “Governments can introduce regulation that is more supportive of small businesses, access to credit can be improved, more reliable electricity and internet access can be installed, and business skills training can improve management practices. Efforts to implement such improvements are underway across the world.”

    Speaking on financial protection, she said insurance allows businesses to avoid the financial consequences of certain risks. “Whereas a sudden and unexpected shock can take an uninsured business over the brink, an insured business is able to handle the shock and continue to operate,” she said.

    Merry, however, noted that small businesses represent the next target for insurers aiming to reach those who remain underserved in developing countries. She added that many providers would have had success with basic personal products, yet the evolution from success with these products to successful products for small businesses is not automatic.

    “Serving small businesses comes with a host of new challenges. These can be better tackled by first taking a close look at the experiences and successes of pioneers in the field.

    “During numerous interviews with insurers, challenges in offering insurance to small businesses emerged in three main clusters. And, though most insurers continue to face a range of difficulties, they were also finding ways to overcome them,” she said.

    She continued: “Insurance for small businesses poses many issues common to personal microinsurance products such as offering affordable products at sustainable rates for the insurance provider. Many of the facility’s publications cover these topics, and much of the advice in them will be very relevant for insurance for small businesses. This paper, however, focuses on the challenges and solutions which are distinctive to serving the small business market.

    “Given their economic importance, support for small businesses is clearly vital. A great deal of good work is already being done, from training courses to increasing access to credit.

    “However, if we do not also help small businesses manage the risks they face, an important piece of the puzzle remains missing. Insurance is certainly not a complete solution – as shown at the start of the paper, small businesses face a range of risks; insurance offers a solution to some of them. However, when well integrated with other interventions to boost the capacity of small businesses, improve the environment in which they operate, and reduce the risks they face, better insurance provision could provide a significant boost for small businesses.

    “On the other hand, small businesses also represent a promising market for insurers. Business owners have higher awareness of the risks they face and greater familiarity with formal or informal financial services than other parts of the population. Many insurers have shown that it is possible to serve this market at scale, and many of the lessons that they have learnt in doing so can support others hoping to do the same.”

  • Sexual problems your husband may have

    “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion….upon the earth” says the biblical story.  This five-in-one commission of mankind is inscribed in our being and characterizes our strivings from birth till death.  The terminal dominion is expressed well in human ego, especially the male ego.  With our common knowledge of good and evil, the ego too often leads us into catastrophes such as strife and war, but tamed and tempered, it can lead us to complete fulfilment in our lives.

    To have a place in society (a business, a profession, a career, a duty post, a function, a service, a role, etc.); to have a home where one is the master or mistress; to have property that give comfort, pleasure, and upliftment; to have a family; to have friends and supporters; to have achievements, contributions, honors; to  have money and the capacity to pay for what we desire, – all these are aspirations of the human ego, especially the male ego. Summarily, the male ego delights in primordial sex and powerplus, within the establishment of civil society, money.

    Not in vain have we known good and evil.  Thankfully, the five-in-one commission is now superseded by an ultimate and supreme mission: love.  The lack of love is always the greatest problem in relationship, any relationship, all relationships.  Love is the greatest preserver of spiritual health, mental health, and bodily health.  Love is an unfailing generator of spiritual health, mental health, and bodily health.  And what of social health?  It does not exist without love, whether within the nuclear family, extended family, institutions, corporations, societies, or nations, etc.

    A man does not enjoy sex at home possibly because he does not enjoy love at home.  His wife is not into his life.  A woman does not bother giving her husband good sex probably because she is not experiencing love.  She may be feeling like a slave or a propertyand wanting to punish her husband’s ego.

    Money, sex, and power are the things men chase and the woman that does not recognize that may find it difficult keeping her man, or impossible to manage the bents towards good or evil.The first sexual problem or the most important sexual problem a man may have is probably his wife.

    It is true that at least one out of forty men have erectile dysfunction and just cannot display manhood; three in ten men have premature ejaculation and can frustrate a woman; about 3% have sex addiction and the wife is never enough; our capitalist world is ever using sexual fantasy as a hook and one’s husband may consequently engage himself in non-marital sex: pornography, masturbation, consensual sex, cybersex, telephone sex, strip clubs, etc. In fact, after the first few years of marriage, sexual matters can constitute a nightmare for a regular couple in today’s world.A woman thus needs to be mentally savvy, spiritually wise, and physically capable of engendering her husband’s loyalty.

    A man may have been having good sexual relationships with his wife up to a point in their marriage.  Factors that can change their sexual relationship include: lack of connection, superseding cares (children, finance, career, etc.), Stress, poor sleeping habits, drugs and consumables, alcoholism, and physical and mental changes.

    As the world gets smaller and cultures merge, we get to appreciate life in its vastness and develop our own conscientious capability of choice.  The difference between sexual choices and sexual problems are not always black and white.  Moral conscience, religious upbringing, the media, and other influences may tug a person in different directions. A human being is a sexual being, married or single, and normally will always express sexuality physically, mentally, and spiritually and will have to relate well with other persons’ sexuality.  For a man and wife to enjoy a sound and healthy relationship, they do need to have some mutual understanding about life, sex, and family.

    Dr. ‘Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA.   For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

  • Sex problems that your wife may have

    Once in a while or recurrently, a wife might tell her husband or show her husband that she is not in the mood.  A pastor recently told me that if a woman gives her husband great cuisine routinely, runs a beautiful home, takes great care of the kids, and she helps to bring in income from her career, but does not give him sex to his satisfaction, she may not be able to keep him bound to his home and marriage.  He may not think twice about an occasional prostitute. Yes, the man is an ingrate but this reflects the “sexual sinfulness” of mankind.

    Can he practice sexual continence?  Yes, if he wants to be a saintly husband.   Such species are on the brink of extinction.  “Not in the mood” is dangerous premise coming from feminine gender with its various physical, functional, and psychological realities.  A woman may have trouble becoming aroused.  She may be functionally incapable of producing secretions and “too dry” making sexual intercourse painful and undesirable.

    She may have hormonal deficiencies and may be unable to have orgasms.  If these experiences are persistent, they may throw an intolerant man off balance.  How much each man can endure or cope with depends on communication between the man and wife, sex education, and appropriate interventions acceptable to both partners.

    A man should never have to look beyond his marriage for satisfaction and at the same time a woman should never regret her femininity.

    Infections, particularly yeast infections or vaginal thrush, are not uncommon.  A man should ask after these things, with care rather than concern, to make sure his wife is comfortable.  A woman may have a chronic disease such as diabetes that may affect her sexual capacity. A man should know the times his wife may be going through a phase: e.g. after childbirth or around menopause and be supportive and know what kind of demand he could make of her sexually.  Seeking medical help together and achieving the therapy together will result in mutual satisfaction sooner or later.

    Men may always remember that a woman is not a mere possession, she is a person and an independent biological being and men need to pay due and healthy attention to both aspects of their wives.  Men are easily egoistic and un-attentive to a woman’s detailsor may treat things that matter to her with callousness or indifference.  A man may be absorbed by job, finance, and male concerns and forget marital intimacy or put it aside just when it happens to be important for the wife.  Women tend to beemotionally labile and may inadvertently respond to male chauvinisms with asexuality. If a wife is acting “NO”, a man needs to first examine if he has done something wrong and make amends.  Communication – correct communication, timely communication, respectful communication – is important for women.  It is a woman’s prerogative to be taken care of by her husband, and that includes emotionally.

    Once acquitted, a husband needs to know what could be affecting his wife.  Psychological and physical blocks to sex can occur if a woman is overloaded or overwhelmed:  too much housework, keeping up with caring for the children, career and midlife concerns, emerging health issues, extended family problems, financial constraints, inimical neighbors and strife, etc.  Poor habits such as lack of sleep, lack of exercise, lack of hygieneand such matters may hide behind the “NO”.  Dissatisfaction with the family’s lifestyle, social status, and a mental projection of a bleak futurewith her husband can make a woman become mentally unfit for sex.  It is popularly said that there is no graduation in marriage and it requires work, mental, physical, and spiritual effort.  Restoring happiness restores sex.  What can help a wife relax, ease up, see the brighter side of life, be optimistic and trusting, be her better self or her best self?  That is the husband’s work and the result should definitely include his own sexual satisfaction.  Before a man goes after a prostitute, he should examine if his homework is complete, because even after the prostitute, he is coming back to that responsibility. The sooner he faces it, the better.

    Dr. ‘Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA.   For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

  • Sex problems within the family

    I love reading the Bible and there was a time I used to devour it but these days, I just read it daily as my roadmap.  Recently, I was looking through Genesis again.  Now, the story of the creation is the mother of all stories, the Story of stories.  If I may base my judgment solely on it, I see that the record says that the first instruction God gave mankind is to go have sex.

    At the risk of being persecuted for the rest of my life by some savage religious extremists, I better rephrase to the verbatim:  “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion….upon the earth”.  So be it. But mankind came to know both good and evil and this now, undeniably, reflects in every aspect of our lives, including in sexual matters.

    It has been so since ancient times and God intervened by spelling out Ten Commandments to guide our behavior so that we know that some things that humans do are displeasing and punishable by Divine act: for example, adultery is a sin.  Yes, we do live within blessings and curses, we manifest blessings and curses, and we continue to gain and lose blessings and curses.

    Within families, there are sexual-relationship issues that various persons live with, for example: the incest between a woman and her son; the orgies of a polygamous home; the continuous rape of a financial dependent; a son or daughter expressing himself as gay or lesbian.  The Pope might say: “Lord, have mercy”, the Rabbi rend his garment, and the Jihadist brandish the punishing sword.

    How does the family or the society deal with culpable and blameless abominations.  From the “born that way”, “made that way”, “ended that way” to the asexual that has no sexual appetite, no sexual feelings, no sexual attractions, no sexual capacity  how do we live in peace and harmony, how do we tolerate or endure, how do we understand and live and let live, how do we prevent hurt and damages, how do we support and heal and help to change the aberrant?  All these, and more, are 21C questions.

    You cannot afford to be judgmental in sexual matters. In fact, I can bet anyone a pound to a penny that soon after you punish somebody for a sexual matter, you will find yourself wanting in some greater sexual matter, faulty is some graver sexual matter, or guilty of a more shameful sexual matter. It is like “sexual sinfulness” is our common lot  from the extremes of indifference and negligence to the extremes of waywardness and excess.

    This “sexual sinfulness” can be enhanced or remedied.  The most powerful influences are probably within the home and family, especially parental example and parental training.    There are powerful influences from outside the home and the most powerful of these is probably the media, particularly television and the Internet. Cultural and religious training within the home and beyond the home are also powerful interventions and influences.

    Sexual problems have various origins. Genetic problems are those that a person is born with and are inherited through one’s genes. They include physical abnormalities, functional abnormalities, and mental abnormalities.  Spiritual sexual problems are not essentially genetic problems but may be inherited problems, through a curse. They may manifest as genetic problems or may be independent of genetic transmission. Sexual problems may arise from accidents; environmental influences; drugs and poisons; foods and consumables; social interactions; and cultural, religious, or ideological training and all these problems may manifest as physical, functional, or mental sexual abnormalities.

    Sexual problems may have a ripple effect in our work and social life. This is one reason why we should seek intervention to remedy our problems. Problems may be one-time or recurrent, for a short time or for a long time, phasic or steady, temporary or permanent, mild or severe, personally or socially impacting, etc.   What can be ignored, tolerated, or endured?  What needs intervention and what intervention and by who and in what manner?   These are matters of justice and peace, usually difficult to resolve and often, at best, resulting in wrong reactions.  To be continued.

     

    Dr. ‘Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA.   For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

  • Saving Nigerians from eye problem – CEO Bohus Biotech

    Saving Nigerians from eye problem – CEO Bohus Biotech

    [dropcap]C[/dropcap]hief Daniel Chuks Ogbonnaya is president and founder of Bohus Biotech AB, a Swedish biotechnology company. With a long history of developing and manufacturing hyaluronic acid raw material and products through the use of research, Ogbonnaya who has developed a wide range of pharmaceutical products used across five continents in eye surgeries, as well as anti-aging formula amongst others, spoke with David Lawal about his new eye clinic in Nigeria and factors responsible for the increase in blindness among children.

    Your company Bohus Biotech was established in Sweden in 1992, tell us about it.

    Before I founded Bohus Biotech in Sweden, I worked in a big company called Phamarcia. It was the biggest pharmaceutical and bio-technology company in that country and it was founded in Sweden in 1911. The company merged with the American pharmaceutical company, Upjohn in 1995. At that time, I was on Research and Development Session. Already, I was involved in a process whereby we will help sell the technology and eye products to Nigeria. But then, the idea did not materialise for one reason or the other – most likely, political. Later on, around 1999 or 1998, I was called by a friend from Germany, Professor Cock, who told me he had contacts in Nigeria and that the ruling party at the time, under President Obasanjo, wanted to do something for the grassroots. Naturally, we were very happy. Another Nigerian in Germany, one Prof. Anyanwu was also involved in that project. We met and they gave us the contact in Northern Nigeria, but unfortunately, the whole thing, as usual, ended in the sand.

    Why, if I may ask?

    To be honest with you, I don’t know. All of a sudden, the money was just not there. It was a lot of gigantic plans. The plans were perfect to get the doctors from Sweden and Germany. We were to be flying them around the country to help treat eye problems and give them medications, which was fantastic. As at that time, the population of cataracts sufferers was at 2.5 million. You can imagine, I am talking of 1999. Can one imagine where we are today, if there is any statistics on it. So after the failure of the project, I realised that somebody must do something. I started planning to maybe start from small scale; but at least to show to the people that we can do it.

    So now, 24 years after, you have finally established an eye clinic in Nigeria. What brought you home this time?

    I have been working on this for the past 5 years. We were trying to put up the complete eye clinic for cataracts operation and correcting eye defects, but the cost of putting up such project really caused the delay.

    Also, at a time, the Rotary Club in my town in Abia State was involved. They wanted to help but when I explained the cost implications amounting to about N3million, they pulled out because it was too high for them. Meanwhile, the clinic has always been my dream; to help people to see and not go blind. Then I concluded on my own to go ahead with it. Finally, the dream came through on the 6th of January, 2016. We were able to inaugurate the eye clinic, GOK Eye Centre in a town called Uzuakoli in Abia State.

    Talking about an eye clinic, why Abia State and not somewhere in the North, where eye diseases are predominant?

    I was born and raised in Abia State and that is the place I know best. That is where I got the idea from that, okay this is a problem in this part of the world. Besides, I have not travelled a lot in Nigeria. I usually come into Lagos and then to my home town.

     

    Before GOK Eye Centre in Abia, how else has Bohus Biotech impacted Nigerians?

    We established the daughter company here in Nigeria in 2010 and that is in Lagos. By then, we had two employees working with our help from Sweden to distribute our products nationwide; today we have about 15 covering 50% of the country. Meanwhile, the goal is to cover the whole of Nigeria and supply them with the products which will be used for treating eye diseases.

    What is your disposition to the need for political involvement before any major project can be implemented?

    I do not believe in political involvements because politics complicate things.

    Are you speaking from experience?

    Yes. Take for instance the project I just spoke about that was to take place under Obasanjo, that was a political involvement. The idea was that the PDP wanted to show the grassroots that they could do things for them.

    What’s your opinion on the increasing rate of eye problem among children?

    I think a lot of things are involved. Firstly, the environment in which we are living. This includes the weather; the sun, then the food we eat. Some diseases can be linked with diet. And these days, Nigerians are moving away from our local delicacies. Now, we want to copy the Europeans. You see people eating all sorted of imported foodstuffs. Of course, that really contributes to the increase of eye problems in this country.

    What habits do you think Nigerians engage in that can trigger eye problems?

    From the scientific point of view, there are claims that the Ozone layers are becoming thinner and thinner, and the more it gets thinner, the more it affects the eye. For example, in Australia, you have to make use of a Sun shade. Also, you have to swim with your clothes on. You don’t go around with bare body. Another thing I observe in this country is that people shave their hair? The hair is protective to you. God gave us to use to protect the skull from the heat of the Sun, but now everybody is shaving. The implication is that tomorrow they would suffer one diseases or the other and they will say it is my neighbour that wants to kill me, not knowing that they are the ones killing themselves. I mean, when you are talking of temperature of between 30 and 35C, the ground must be really cooking. So why should anyone be shaving their hair? It’s not good.

    Also, we should wear clothes that reflect the Sun and not the ones that absolve the Sun. It is very important. That’s something I usually forget as part of the factors contributing to it when you asked me. Also, watching the television.

    Watching television or closeness to the electronic set?

    I mean watching television, it does not matter the proximity. What matters is how long you stay watching it. Then exposure to computer screen. You can see that if you are on the computer for a long time, after a while you start blinking more, that’s because the eye is tired.

    Painfully more and more kids are exposed to computer games, television and computer…

    Ooh yes, you see more kids carrying Tablets, iPads, playing with it and then the parents are happy for giving the kids something, not knowing they are destroying them. Anyway, there is nothing wrong with those things but we should limit their usage and over-dependence on them. You can say okay, you watch television from this time to that time; not leave the kids to themselves.

    How do you think the use of preservatives affect us as a people?

    Of course, it does affect us. Any chemical that you pump into the body, it does not matter where, has a side effect. If you look at our eye-drop, it is preservative-free. Because we do not know what happens if you have preservatives in the eye-drop and somebody puts it in the eye in this part of the world and then is exposed to the heat. What could be the reactions?

    Sadly, you have not been to the North at all…

    Not for many years now. Before I left for Europe, I used to live in Kano, so I know very much about the North. I was in Jos, Plateau State; Zaria in Kaduna State, but I haven’t been there for some time now.

    A lot of things have changed

    Of course. It is my goal one of these days to travel up north, just to see what Kano looks like. It will definitely happen. In fact, I have not been to Abuja recently.

    Besides Abia State where you recently inaugurated the clinic, where else do you wish to move to next?

    Like I said earlier, I think somewhere in the North will be okay.

    Will it take almost same time as the first clinic?

    No, it won’t because from what we have done, we may get some hands to help us facilitate our building of subsequent clinics all over the nation.

    Finally, what’s your advice to Nigerians on how to manage their eyes? What kind food would you recommend?

    We should go back to nature. Meaning we eat those food stuffs that are our local foods. There are some fruits that are good for the eyes. Vegetable like okra is very good for the eye because it contains those elements that are good for the eyes. Then vegetables like pumpkin leaves have been tested to be good for the eyes. Finally, eat a lot of fruits; pawpaw, mango, oranges are very healthy both for the body and the eyes.

  • We are all one

    SIR: I appeal to Nigerians to see ourselves as one humanity. We all need to work together to save our nation before it is too late to do so. There was no group in Nigeria that was completely alien to the other in the pre-colonial days. The problems we have cut across ethnic or tribal groups, faiths or ‘non-faiths’, states and regions. The problems were caused by all. The solutions have to come from all.

    We should, as an issue of moral necessity, question how our brothers and sisters have fared with our resources as appointed or elected public officers at local government, state or national levels. The problems we have are class-based (the masses versus the ruling elites) and not ethnic or tribal based. The problems were not caused by Hausa-Fulani, Kanuri, Igbo, Ijaw or Yoruba leaders.

    Our problems are caused by the followers who individually and collectively embraced a culture of impunity in their daily lives. The followers who ensured their wards pass WAEC or make ‘progress’ in their endeavours through fraud and then expect the youth to bring up a sane society where things work. The followers who demand or offer bribes for jobs. The followers who honour individuals of dubious means while consciously or otherwise dishonour individuals of mentoring qualities because they are of little means. The followers who have forgotten that our leaders emerged from the same culture of impunity they enthroned, and that those leaders cannot establish a better society. The followers who are ready to lose their lives for their predators: the same individuals who enthroned poverty and infrastructural deficiency in the polity.

    The problems we have were caused by professionals, who failed to live by the ethics of their professions. Our problems are caused by staff of public agencies and institutions such as the Judiciary, ICPC, EFCC, Investigative and Disciplinary Panels who cover ups acts of impunity and ensure no deterrence is served. Our problems are caused by lawmakers who become law-breakers.

    The problems we have are caused by leaders who enthrone the culture of parochialism, patronage and ethnic bigotry. The leaders who ensure employments and jobs are secured because of who you know and not because of your qualities to deliver the goals. The leaders who after mismanaging the regular federal allocations which they did not work for, go ahead to obtain loans for further mismanagement and indebtedness of living and unborn generations. The leaders who when called to account for their stewardship recruit youths or ‘elders’ who they deliberately impoverished to fight for their ‘self-acclaimed ethnic, tribal or religious saviour’.

    Clearly, the nation is faced with problems of endemic poverty and infrastructural deficiency across the states and zones of the nation. Youth unemployment is of great challenge. Oil prices are at the lowest level in recent times. No one is sure of when oil prices will be up again, and for how long.

    Elections have been held and leaders have emerged.  We should now put the pre-election campaigns behind us. The opposition should engage in constructive criticism of governments’ policies at all levels and help the government to move the nation forward. The government should focus on delivering campaign promises, fight against impunity which breeds corruption and engage all on the way forward.

    The nation at this crucial moment needs us the citizens wherever we may be to proffer solutions to our problems. We need to bring up the best of creativity in us to enthrone ethical values individually and collectively, establish systemic reforms, bring up our educational system to a productive standard which can resolve our societal problems, diversify the economy, rein in the pervasive impunity in the polity, and ensure probity and accountability in governance.

    We need one another. We do not need fragmented non-workable entities. We need a united Nigeria where justice and peace reign. Let us be united in diversity to drive the progress and development of Nigeria.

     

    • Akinlolu Abdulazeez Adelaja,

     University of Ilorin.

  • How to overcome common sexual problems I

    What is Sex? Sex is perceived as taking place between one individual, not being a child that carries XY and another individual, not being a child that carries XX genes. That is to say, sex is deemed to take place between two consenting adults of opposite genders. Sex occurs when the male penis enter the female vagina. Sexual problems in men can be and usually is different from the sexual problems in women. In some occasions, these problems are similar. We will attempt to look at common problems in both genders. Common Sexual Problem in Men: Erectile dysfunction otherwise known as impotence by the public is a persistent inability of the man to get and maintain a penile erection that is sufficient for a sexual intercourse. What makes for an erection and what causes erection to occur? In individual, an erection would normally occur:

    Stage 1:

    1) At the thought of sex, via fresh imagination or a recall from memory/past experience of sexual encounters.

    2) Seeing the actual image of sex. This can be in form of video, pictures or real life sexual scene. The crucial issue is that, the person must receive some data and information into the brain, about sex. With these, a quick succession of events is activated. The hormones, testosterone and others are activated in the blood and other hormones are released to effect the erection.

    3) Talk of sex or discussion about sex.

    4) Feeling of sex: hearing of sex scenes, smelling, touching-feeling of sex. Note that, the above-mentioned set of events takes place at the level of the brain and mind. With the mind involved, the person imagines having sex as the mental picture of sex is formed in the mind of the individual. This is called conditioning and often occurs in readiness for sex. Then and thereafter the “conditioning”, the organ of penis is “instructed” by the brain to more or less get “ready” and the blood flow is activated to flow and fill those organs designed for sex.

    Stage 2:

    5) Following the above, the blood flow to the penis will increase considerably in a way similar to filling your garden rubber pipe used for watering the flowers, with the open end of the pipe tied or closed. The penis becomes turgid.

    6) With these, the muscles of the penis become firm and pointed in readiness for penetration of vagina. Erection may therefore fail if:

    • There is problem or blockade with your imagination.
    • There is problem with sensation of sight, smell, tough and hearing. •There is an abnormality with the production of hormones especially testosterones which can occur in diseases of the pituitary/brain or poor function or absent of the testes (“balls”). The hormone testosterone may also not function properly to hit the appropriate sex target even if the hormones are present as in some other situations. Testosterone along with other hormones controls the stages of sex.
    • When there is a disease that affects the blood flow to the penis such as diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and stroke, erection may fail.
    • You cannot get erection if you don’t have a penis.
    • Your erection may fail due to some medications that act on the brain and nerve supply to your penis. 7) You may not have erection if bad words, discouraging words and non-encouraging circumstances are present within.

    These words and circumstances can be a bad memory of sex. Any previous education that says sex is bad may hinder erection. Your erection may fail if you receive bad and discouraging words from your spouse or sex partner. 8) You may not have erection if you suffer as a result of bad words and physical experience and painful memory. Anxiety and depression (both affecting the brain) may also cause impotence. Erection may fail if you are suffering from other painful or diseases that limit your freedom. 9) You may fail in getting erection if you feel guilty as in some religious guilt and criminal guilt especially if you have committed previous sexual crimes and you are now truly remorseful and feeling guilty. 10) Misuse of substances such as alcohol that depresses the brain activity may also lead to impotence. Impact of erectile failure (impotence) 1) Clearly, the first thing is that you cannot have a normal enjoyable sexual intercourse. 2) Your ability to reproduce/have children biologically by your own effort is much diminished except you use other artificial methods. 3) It may cause a lot of strain/conflict between you and your spouse. 4) It may result in more anxiety and or depression because you have a sense of failure. 5) It may cause you to spend huge amount of money looking for solutions even bizarre and worthless solutions.

    Solutions

    1. It would appear logical that the best approach would be for individuals to look at the above causes and address those issues that he (including the spouse) can deal with such as encouraging words even by yourself and from the sex partner. Other means are, pursuing the path of treating existing diseases such as blood pressure and diabetes. Using appropriate and legitimate sexual images may also help to stimulate erection. Seeing suitable and appropriate sexual images may help to trigger the brain into action.
    2. If you have tried and you failed, the next stage would be to seek professional input and investigation as to the cause of the impotence. Medical professionals would then apply or recommend appropriate remedy including artificial remedies if appropriate. Medications may also be used if necessary. Note should be taken, that erectile failure is the forerunner, in some people, of failure to ejaculate (release of semen). Erection, it seems, is necessary for semen release. Failure to ejaculate may also be due to other causes such as the simple fact that there is actually nothing to ejaculate as in diseases of the organs that produce the semen.
  • Problems Fashola, Amaechi, Kachikwu have to tackle

    Problems Fashola, Amaechi, Kachikwu have to tackle

    Dilapidated infrastructure, erratic power supply and moribund refineries are some of the problems inherited by Babatunde Fashola, Rotimi Amaechi and Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu in the ministries of Works/Power/Housing, Transportation/Aviation and Petroleum Resources.   Adeyinka Aderibigbe  and Emeka Ugwuanyi  capture what the trio must do to make the difference.

    GOING by the applause their announcements as ministers of Petroleum Resources and Power drew at the swearing of ministers at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, Dr. Emmanuel Kachikwu, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Mr. Babatunde Fashola have their jobs cut out for them.

    Kachikwu (Minister of State), who doubles as the Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Amaechi, former Rivers State governor and now (Transportation, who combines Aviation)  and Fashola, who combines Power with the ministries of Works and Housing, face some herculian tasks.

    Reason: The tasks ahead are enormous in view of the huge debts and challenges they are inheriting in the two ministries. They would constantly be on the spot.

    Save for Kachikwu, whose appointment had long been foretold, the appointments of Amaechi’s and Fashola’s appointments, ended speculations over who man the critical sectors. Their emergence as helmsmen in the three important ministries, have been applauded by operators in the energy and petroleum sectors, considering their antecedents in their previous assignments.

    As NNPC’s GMD, Kachikwu has had a taste of the challenges but Fashola and Amaechi, who are coming from the state level, must brace to crack some unimaginable and embarrassing nuts in their respective ministries, now that they have the entire country as their constituency.

    Despite being substantially controlled by the private sector, the power sector remains problematic across the value chain of generation, transmission and distribution.

    The distribution companies (DISCOS), which feed the entire value chain financially, are facing funding deficit, a challenge that has affected the generation and transmission segments. The two legs depend on revenues collected by the distribution companies.

    According to operators in the power sector, the transmission network, is very weak, the weakest link in the chain. The transmission company can at its peak, wheel 5,300 megawatts (mw). Therefore, even if the generation companies can pool 10,000Mw, customers can only get 5100mw because 200Mw may be kept as spinning reserve to balance emergencies.

    The distribution companies take at best 60 per cent of what they are supposed to get. No thanks to technical and commercial challenges. Power is lost in transit due to poor equipment and facilities as well as the unwillingness of some customers to pay their electricity bills.

    As at the last count, the DISCOS were being owed N32 billion, the bulk of which was, ironically, in the hands of Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and the military.

    According to the Chairman, Egbin Power Generation Plc., Mr. Kola Adesina, the company is owed N39 billion by the Federal Government, which accumulated from when they took over the asset in November 1, 2013 to October this year.

    The Director, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), Mr. Sunday Olurotimi Oduntan, told The Nation that the appointments of Fashola and Kachikwu are fantastic. He believed the woes of the power sector would become a thing of the past with synergy between them.

    Oduntan said: “The appointment of Fashola and Kachikwu is a welcome development for the sector. They have integrity and have legacies that speak for them; therefore they will not fail in these new assignments. With Fashola and Kachikwu, the days of impunity are gone, I assure you. They will make gas available for power generation.

    “Fashola should focus attention on the entire power value chain, and ensure that the funding gaps in the sector are bridged. He should ensure that the sector gets cost-reflective tariff to keep it running.

    “The transmission is the vehicle of the sector because if the country generates 20,000mw and the transmission can only wheel 5,000mw, the distribution companies will not have power to give to customers. The cost-reflective tariff has become imperative because banks are not lending to distribution companies.

    “Also because the gas market and other equipment, which sustain the power sector are dollar dominated, the minister should appeal to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to give concession to operators in the sector by giving foreign exchange rate that will not hurt the sector.”

    Fashola should do everything to improve and expand the transmission network (national grid) by ensure that the government invests in it.

    “The sector is in dire need of funds, investments to prevent the sector from collapse,” Oduntan said.

    Amaechi, who now sit on an expanded Ministry that now includes aviation, would have the responsibility of giving to the country a modern transportation system and end the monolithic transportation system (road mode) nationwide.

    As Transportation minister, Amaechi will be sitting as the Chairman, National Council on Transportation – the highest policy formulating body for the transportation sector – that supervises states to implement same resolutions relating to transportation initiatives.

     What is Amaechi inheriting?

     Amaechi is coming to the ministry at a time when the transportation sector is in the limbo. At no time in history were Nigerians faced with the grim reality of the derelict transportation system.

    Not only have all the roads, especially those classified as federal roads become death traps, the over concentration of movement on the roads have left in its trail an impact that has earned Nigerian road as one of the most unsafe in the world.

    But more worrisome, according to experts, is the total absence of a road map for the nation’s transportation sector.

    Transportation and logistics experts have decried the absence of a national transportation policy in the country.

    Deputy National President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transportation (CILT), Prof Olakunle Oyesiku, said the absence of a transportation policy and an enabling law regulating the operations of the sector has led to the gross under development of the sector.

    Besides, Amaechi would be inheriting a chaotic sector where at every turn, private initiative and investment, rather than government’s, has driven the sector. Though, government recognised the sensitivity of the sector and the need to assure mass transportation, yet, it has continued to pay lip service to critical interventions that could bring about a virile, safe, affordable, reliable and comfortable public transportation.

    The dearth of these has forced Nigerians to result to self help, a situation where everyone saw the necessity to own a vehicle, while others even ventured into commercial activities, all because the government has given room for a vacuum.

    The unregulated operations have led to the presence of all manners of vehicles on roads. From a two wheeler bicycle, motorcycle and tricycle to cars, midi, mini and high-capacity buses and trucks as well as articulated vehicles, Nigeria has become what Patrick Adenusi, founder, Safety Without Borders, called “a dumping ground for all sorts of vehicles from all over the world”.

    Apart from pothole and crater-riddled roads, Amaechi will also be inheriting an almost moribund National Inland Waterways whose impact have been felt more on the pages of memos than in real life.

    The present generation of Nigerians may go without having any knowledge that alternatives routes such as water ever existed as a viable option promoted by the Federal Government.

    The former Rivers governor will have to decide what to do with a train service that has in the last decade battled to justify the multi-million dollar investment sunk into it by the Federal Government.

    Despite gulping over $4 billion in the last eight years, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) operates below par. The rickety locomotives and coaches, most of which are refurbished colonial heritage, continue to run on the tracks.

    In the last eight years, the NRC has spent billions revamping a network of ancient and outdated narrow gauge tracks, an effort flayed by development transportation experts.

    Prof Oyesiku contended that what the country needs is not the rehabilitation of these “worn out lanes,” but a replacement of same with “standard gauge”.

    Oyesiku, of the Department of Transportation, Ogun State University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, said only a total overhaul would bring Nigeria at par with global trend in rail transportation.

    Amaechi is going to inherit an auto policy which broadly aims at making Nigerians patronise made-in-Nigeria vehicles. Piloted by the National Automotive Council (NAC), the policy’s target is to encourage local production of vehicles, yet, there has not been any resolution about the kind of vehicles to come out of such assembly lines.

    Critics and pundits have said the audacious policy which came into being about three years ago has largely failed because of visionless leadership.

    From the states to the national, the transportation sector has been dominated by private union leaderships, who over the years that have become powerful “institutions”.

    Unions such as National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), among others have become islands unto themselves as they dictate the policy directions of successive governments.

     Changes Nigerians want

     Nigerians would want to see a transportation sector that would be the pride of Africa.

    Within the remaining 45 months, they would want to see all modes of transportation working even as government increases its stake in mass transportation via public transportation system.

    The government should draw up a workable transportation policy that would be implemented across all states to include forms and nature of transportation options to be deployed for commercials purposes nationwide.

    It must deepen its investment in railway services as it remains the backbone of mass transit option for the government. Efforts, experts insist, must be made to replace the out-of-fashion narrow gauge with standard gauge and modern locomotives and coaches/wagons for the easy transportation of goods and passengers.

    Adamson Williams, a train locomotive engineer said government must be more serious with rail-based system of transportation to achieve tangible result in mass transit.

    He said though the present locomotives of the NRC can make 150 km/ph, the weak tracks had forced them to be making only 80 km/ph.

    He noted that if actualised, a standard gauge from Apapa Ports and quays to all tank farms and stations would guarantee the most efficient mode of rail transportation in the country.

    The bill presently before the National Assembly seeking to repeal the draconian NRC Act is a good point on which the new minister may act to bring about the innovations he may have for the rail sector.

    Having tried to introduce a mono rail in Port Harcourt in the last dispensation, Nigerians look forward to the minister giving the necessary backing to the move to repeal the old law.

    Another urgent task before the new minister is the issue of petroleum tankers and containerised trucks that has sacked residents of Apapa and its environs.

    More attention, experts say, must be given to the rehabilitation of the Apapa-Oshodi truck-only lane, which had been abandoned by trucks and trailer drivers because it has collapsed.

    Much as the existing roads must by urgently fixed, efforts should be geared at providing another alternative as well as providing a trailer park for the trucks and trailers that now besieged the roads over the full concession of Apapa Ports.

    The greatest challenge before the new minister is to make the nation’s roads safe all-year-round, a feat that could be achieved by  Amaechi with the introduction of fresh initiatives to reduce the vehicular density on the roads.

    With over 100 million of its 170 million population relying road transportation as the only means of transportation, the roads with an unfair share of burden couldn’t have been less risky and unsafe.

    “If he can achieve a situation where 50 per cent of the present road users make use of other alternatives in the next four years, Amaechi would have gone into the history book as the most remarkable minister to have ever manned the transportation ministry”, Williams said.

    The route to doing that is to make other alternatives as safe, comfortable, affordable and available.

    Amaechi must also give the nation’s airports the needed facelift as not a few admit that the aviation sector, which has held the short end of the rod for a very long time, needs urgent rehabilitation.

    Pitfalls of predecessors

     What the minister told reporters after taking the Oath of Office should be his guiding principle. He told reporters: “People say I am not afraid of anything but I’m afraid of jail.” His predecessors, especially in the Aviation ministry – from Prof Babalola Bosishade to Femi Fani-Kayode and Stella Oduah – faced allegations of financial impropriety after completing their tours of duty.

    It is a fact that the Transportation ministry is a cash cow and money-spinning portfolio. But will the enormous resources be deployed to provide the best transportation system? This lies in the realm of conjectures.