The Nation Newspaper

Tag: stopping

  • Stopping lawyers from forging judgments  

    Rather than keep the law, some lawyers are breaking it, according to Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen and Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Opeyemi Oke. According to them, these lawyers forge court judgments to suit their whims. Some do it to be made SANs. How can they be stopped? ERIC IKHILAE reports.

    One major threat to professionalism in legal practice was the prevalence of fake lawyers. Cases abound where individuals, who claimed to be lawyers, were found to be fake.

    To address this challenge, various measures were put in place by regulators. One is the recently-introduced stamp, which every registered lawyer is expected to have and affix to any document he/she authors or endorses.

    While it seems the problem of impersonation had been addressed, a new challenge of forged judgments has cropped up.

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, blew the lid off this worrisome development on September 24, this year, when he disclosed that some lawyers forge court judgments.

    Justice Onnoghen, who was addressing a packed courtroom, during the Supreme Court’s 2018/2019 new legal year celebration and the conferment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), jolted all when he disclosed that some lawyers submitted forged judgments in their application for SAN.

    The CJN said: “I have to point out the fact that, in the just-concluded exercise, some applicants were found to have engaged in dishonourable conduct, such as forgery of judgments, resulting in their being reported to the Police for investigation and possible prosecution.

    “We have to know that if one is not for any reason qualified to wear silk as a Judicial Officer, he cannot wear it as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.”

    He did not name the lawyers.

    Nigerians were yet to fully digest this bombshell from the CJN when the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, drew the nation’s attention to a similar discovery in her jurisdiction. This time, the alleged culprit, was identified as Edward Oseghale.

    Oseghale was said to have been engaged by a property owner in relation to a case involving the landlord and a tenant. Rather than diligently prosecute the case, the lawyer reportedly forged a judgment to meet his client’s interest.

    The Chief Registrar of the Lagos High Court, Taiwo Olatokun, who represented Justice Oke, alleged on September 25, that Oseghale altered a judgment he earlier obtained in a separate case, but with similar suit number, but different year, and presented it as the judgment in the new case.

    The lawyer was, however, exposed when the defendant, who was sceptical about the authenticity of the judgment, went to the court to ask for a true copy of the judgment, only to discover that the said judgment did not exist.

    The Registrar said: “We had a report that a supposed defendant asked for the certified true copy of a judgment. He (the defendant) produced what he had and the Magistrate in the case realised there is a fake suit number in the document.

    “The lawyer (Oseghale) also had another matter in another court, which had the same suit number, but different dates. And we also confirmed that there was no such matter before that court.

    “The false judgment also had the stamp of the Assistant Chief Registrar, who admitted that she had not signed the document.

    “The matter is already in the hands of the police and we will ensure that he is prosecuted. The officers of the Lagos State Judiciary who are involved are willing to testify against him. The lawyer (Oseghale) would have gotten away with it, if the defence counsel had not come to court.”

    The Registrar said forgery among lawyers was not new.

    Effects on the profession

    To observers, the increase in cases of forgery among lawyers has thrown up a major issue of ethical challenge in the legal profession, which must be addressed in view of, not only its damage to the dignity and integrity of the profession, but its harmful effect on the society.

    They argue that where an unsuspecting litigant or client engages the services of a lawyer to conduct a case or procure documents, only to discover that the product is forged, after expending funds and time, will not only do damage to the profession, but also to the client who had expended his/her resources.

    There is also the argument that the victim, in some instances, could land in trouble for tendering forged documents, even when it was not his or her making.

    The Lagos High Court’s Registrar expressed similar worry when she noted that the “the issue of false judgments, rulings and orders had become a source of embarrassment to the state judiciary.

    “We have gotten emails from various embassies as well as countries like the United Kingdom and the United States requesting to confirm the authenticity of some of these documents. In a lot of instances, they turn out to be fake.

    “This is a serious matter; it is painful to the Chief Judge, because some of these forged documents have been acted upon abroad. I have been a victim of individuals forging court documents; my signature has been forged on some of these documents,” Mrs. Olakotun said.

    A SAN, Sebastine Hon, warned that, if not addressed, things would get out of hand, because many would be tempted to adopt the practice.

    Measures to address the challenge

     Observers have suggested that stringent measures should be adopted to curb the practice in view of its negative effect on lawyers who describe themselves as “learned.”

    To enhance its capacity to detect any forged judgments/documents in future, the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC), the body saddled with conferring the SANship on deserving lawyers, has reviewed its guidelines for the award.

    In the just-reviewed “2018 Guidelines for the conferment of SANship and matters pertaining to the rank,” issued on August 31, this year, applicants are required to provide more details about judgments and other documents to be submitted.

    In Paragraph 14, which is the longest, the guidelines dwell on the requirements for the judgments and other documents to be submitted by applicants. The section is sub-titled: “Particulars of contested cases and documents.”

    The paragraph states:

    “(l) Every applicant will be required to provide particulars of contested cases which he considers to be of particular significance to the evaluation of his competence in legal practice and contribution to the development of the law. The applicant shall attach a certified true copy of all the judgments referred to in his application which shall be neatly arranged. indexed and bound as well as appearances marked/identified and flagged. In addition, the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee shall require a detailed table of appearances showing pages where participation was recorded on the certified true copies of record of trial proceedings. 

     (2) Where cases are reported in a well-known law report, the applicant shall in addition to providing the citation also attach copies of the reported case. 

     (3) Where the cases are not reported the applicant shall provide certified hard copies and a soft copy of such cases along with his completed application form. 

     (4) All judgments submitted by the applicant must show that the applicant‘s name is reflected as having duly conducted the case as lead counsel. 

     (5) An applicant shall provide particulars of cases as follows

     (a) 20 final judgments of the High Court or Superior Court of Records provided that in respect of such cases conducted at the High Court or Superior Court of Records, an applicant shall provide certified true copies of complete record of trial proceedings and processes signed and filed by the applicant (excluding exhibits) and a soft copy in at least twelve contested cases from trial stage to judgment, showing that the Applicant as counsel substantially conducted the trial. In addition, an applicant shall provide letters of instruction from the client(s) as well as a letter from the Head of Court or judge that delivered the judgment, confirming/verifying the applicant as counsel that conducted the case from trial stage to judgment. 

     (b) 5 final judgments of the Court of Appeal supported by briefs along with valid notices of appeal duly settled and argued by the applicant; 

     (c) 4 final judgments of the Supreme Court supported by briefs along with valid notices of appeal duly settled and argued by the applicant; however, where it is manifest that the applicant himself has conducted the case from the High Court up to the Supreme Court, he will be required to submit 3 final judgments of the Supreme Court supported by appellant/ respondent briefs along with valid notices of appeal duly settled at appellate courts and argued at the three tiers of courts; 

     (d) Final judgment under paragraph l4,5(a), (b) and (c) means the decision of a court of competent jurisdiction which decides and or determines the rights, interests and obligations of parties to its logical conclusion or finality and does not include bench judgements/rulings, consent judgements. judgements in non-contested cases like default judgements and judgements in undefended suits; 

     (e) Subject to paragraph 14(5), documents to be presented by applicants includes:

     (i) For record of trial proceedings of the High Court or other Superior Court of Records in civil cases, the documents are: Writ of summons/ originating processes, statement of claim or statement of defence, counter-affidavit, reply and written address. 

     (ii) For record of trial proceedings of the High Court or other Superior Court of Records in criminal cases, the documents are: Charge/information sheet, final written addresses as well as final address on no-case submission. 

     (iii) For appellate cases under paragraph 14(5) (b) and (c) the documents are: Judgment appealed against, notice of appeal, appellant brief or respondent brief, respondent’s notice and reply brief. 

     (6) Where it is discovered that a candidate whose application contains any alteration, imprint or false information calculated to mislead. such a candidate shall be blacklisted from applying for the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and shall be prosecuted with any other person involved as the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee may deem fit.  

    (7) In providing particulars of contested cases, an Applicant shall provide particulars of recent cases decided within 10 (ten) years preceding the date of application and which demonstrate that the applicant is (a) Currently engaged in fulltime legal practice; and (b) Abreast with current developments in the field of law.” 

    On its part, the Lagos State High Court has introduced a seal, with some distinguishing features, to be affixed to documents issued by the court.

    Mrs. Olatokun said: “We have introduced the use of a seal, even though the seal is being forged, the original one has a distinct feature. When placed under a light, parts of the seal will turn blue that will prove its authenticity.”

    How to curb forgery in legal practice

      While observers and lawyers commend the measures so far adopted to address this challenge, many said more were still required.

    Hon described the practice whereby lawyers submit forged judgments for the highest rank in the legal profession as “unsalutary and condemnable. He argued that the development was a reflection of “what is going on in the society, where people, who do not merit anything, resort to cutting corners to get what they want.”

    He praised the LPPC for its diligence in detecting the fraud. He supported the committee’s decision to refer the case to the police for more investigation, urging the police to conduct a thorough investigation, prosecute and secure conviction, where offences have been disclosed.

    To him, the alleged offence, if proved, also amounts to professional misconduct, which would require the involvement of the LPDC to hand out appropriat punishments to the culprits.

    He added: “That will act as deterrent to people, who may be tempted to take such similar steps, otherwise it is a dent on the coveted rank of SAN. This is because if they (the regulators) do not vigorously pursue this, you will see a lot of people trying to abuse the system. And it would not be good for anybody’s image.

    “There is the need then to have all judgments of the Supreme Court reported on time. If all judgments of the apex court are reported within two months, it will be easy to verify any judgment submitted to the screening committee by applicants for the rank of SAN.”

    Another SAN, Chief Mike Ozekhome, expressed similar view. He said the lawyers found of forgery should not only be prosecuted and jailed, if found guilty; they should also be banned from practising.

    He added: “The issue of forgery also amounts to grave professional misconduct. After prosecuting such lawyers, they should be handed to the LPDC, who should look into it with a view to disbarring such lawyers, by stopping them from ever practising law again.”

    A senior member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Abuja, Dr. Abubakar Quadri argued that the problem arose because the society lacks without value system, adding that morality and decency have been consumed by the urge to succeed at all cost.

    Quadri said: “What do you expect in a society where the majority of the leaders parade fake certificates, and where merit has been supplanted with mediocrity?

    “Be that as it may, there is the need for a concerted effort of stakeholders in the profession to address this challenge. The NBA should take the lead in this and ensure that its members are not involved in this crime. Because, the effect on the society could be catastrophic.”

  • Stopping the N50b illegal poultry trade

    Stopping the N50b illegal poultry trade

    With the crash in oil prices, Nigeria needs to boost its revenue through other sources. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) believes it can save the country N50 billion by curbing poultry smuggling. Maritime Correspondent Oluwakemi Dauda reports from Singapore.

    It is a huge task, but the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says it is prepared to confront it to ensure a saner economy. Smuggling has deprived the country of huge revenue and rendered many companies comatose. By tackling the problem, Customs is set to protect N50 billion poultry investments, boost farmers’ earnings and create jobs to meet the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s objectives.

    Over 80 per cent of smuggled poultry comes in through Benin Republic. The unhygienic products are said to be partly responsible for digestive and intestinal problems of consumers.

    NCS operatives have taken the war against importation of frozen poultry to the creeks, footpaths and other flashpoints to check their influx into the country.

    Customs officers from the Federal Operation Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, an investigation revealed, have increased their patrols on land and sea, fortified check points and swampy areas, where operational boats and vehicles could not access with committed officers.

    A senior official of the National Agency for Food, Drug, Administration and Control (NAFDAC), who does not want his name mentioned, said the special anti-smuggling operation initiated by Customs Comptroller-General (CCG) Alhaji Dikko Abdullahi against illegal importation of frozen chicken and turkey had started yielding results.

    The official told The Nation that FOU officers had increased the tempo against imported frozen poultry on Badagry Road, Gbaji, Seme, Idi-Iroko, Abeokuta and Ijebu-Ode to achieve national food security and protect the economy.

    With the high rate of seizure by officers and men of the unit, the official said the country could no longer be a dumping ground for smuggled poultry, most of which he said were preserved with chemicals dangerous to health.

    The official pointed out that since the launch of operation “Hawk Descend” to date, Customs has seized over N600 million worth of poultry products from smugglers.

    It was learnt that 29,341cartons of smuggled frozen poultry products valued at N132,034,500.00 with payable duty of N26,406,900 were seized between January and last month by the FOU officers in Ikeja.

    Officers of the unit, it was learnt, also recorded 1,030 various remarkable seizures, valued at N593,673,300.00.

    Prior to this time, a source said Customs had various modes of operation, which basically included hinterland operations. But with the new directive from Abdullahi outlawing all forms of hinterland operations, the source said officers and men of the service had devised other methodologies which are in tandem with global best practices.

    He said NAFDAC was happy over the strong will with which officers and men of the service have pursued the interception and destruction of imported poultry products, because the industry has contributed 25 per cent of the agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and created over 40 million jobs for Nigerians.

    He drew attention to the health hazards posed by the products, stating that smugglers often hide them in fuel tankers to bring them to the markets for consumption.

    “The Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, of the service remains a beacon and rallying point in view of the strategic role it plays in the anti-smuggling drive.

    “The unit plays a big role because of its statutory functions and this is evident from the paradigm shift in its anti-smuggling activities since inception of the current administration, which has led to huge seizures of poultry products and other items that have remained unprecedented in the annals of the service.

    “The smuggled poultry products are usually preserved from spoilage with formaldehyde, the same chemical used in mortuaries to preserve corpses. This exposes consumers to carcinogenic substances, which predispose people to cancer.

    “The domestic poultry industry as predicted by a 2011 Nigeria Agribusiness Report, is growing. Onallo Akpa, an executive of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) estimates commercial production at N51.2 billion and rural family production at N320 billion, with 553,000 metric tonnes of eggs and 708,000 metric tonnes of broiler meat being produced as at 2011. With the poor economic situation of the country, high rate of unemployment and dwindling fortune of the crude oil at the international market, the figures must have increased,” the source said.

    He continued: “Six  kilogrammes of eight chickens we eat in Lagos and other big cities in the country is imported smuggled chicken. We have no doubt that the current efforts of Customs against smuggling of poultry products will reduce that by 50 or 60 per cent. If we are able to achieve that, it will help in generating millions of new jobs and save the country about $1.5 billion because we estimate that the total amount used to bring smuggled chickens into this country is about $2.75 billion yearly.

    “The poultry industry is in a good position to generate employment, create wealth and contribute to the economic development of the country. Poultry constitutes 25 per cent of agricultural GDP; as producer of animal protein, they do not only employ poultry farmers, they also have farmers of maize, farmers of soya beans, farmers of groundnuts as their members because the poultry farmers consume about 2 million tonnes of maize, and need about 500,000 farmers to produce that every year. Other crops like soya, palm kernel and rice, among others, are being used for the formulation poultry feeds,” he added.

    Poultry business, according to the source, has contributed 25 per cent of Nigeria’s agricultural Gross Domestic Product and created over 40 million jobs. The Federal Government, he said, through the NCS could not continue to watch things go down the drain with the increasing rate of smuggling poultry products in the country. Poultry is very strategic to the growth of Nigerian economy like that of other countries of the world.

    “If Customs allows the smuggling of poultry to continue, what will be the fate of over N50 billion investments in this country? What will be the fate of employment created by this industry for Nigerians?” the official asked.

    When contacted, the Area Controller, FOU, Ikeja, Mr Adamu Turaki, said the smuggled poultry products do not only pose serious health risks, but their importers also circumvent payment of Customs duty since the items are prohibited.

    Officers and men of the unit, Turaki said, are waging a serious battle against poultry products smugglers because they are depriving the nation of its needed foreign exchange and job opportunities for the citizens.

    “The Nigeria Customs Service, in its renewed determination to strike a final blow to poultry products smugglers, recently launched operation ‘Hawk Descend’. You will recall that Government in its wisdom banned the importation of frozen chicken and turkey into Nigeria. It is pertinent to note that smugglers all over the world thrive on products whose trade are controlled, restricted or out rightly banned. This explains the strong will with which the Nigeria Customs Service have vigorously pursued this project.

    “We are aware of the dangers posed by the importation of these products in terms of the adverse effect on the economy and in terms of depreciation of our GDP, resulting in unwarranted cases of unemployment and the attendant health hazards. They need not be over-emphasised. The NCS in its effort to sustain the campaign is strengthened by the outcome of a recent medical research which re-confirmed our fears about the health hazards inherent in the consumption of smuggled products.

    “We have a responsibility to protect the heavy investments of our local farmers and we cannot abdicate this responsibility. The fight against smuggling of these unwholesome products will be taken to the creeks and other flashpoints, we suspect provide access to smugglers. We have heightened our aggressive patrol activities to actualise this mandate.

    “We are, however, not pretending that even with all our arsenal, we can win this war on our own and that is why collaboration with stakeholders and dependable allies has become most expedient,” Turaki said.

    He added: “The unit remains fully committed to this campaign and will stop at nothing until smugglers of the products are decimated and their supply chains blocked. We strongly believe that this strategy will help in checkmating and possibly bringing smuggling of the products to a halt.”

    The Customs chief stressed the need to protect local farmers and the attendant creation of jobs from the negative effect of those he described as “unpatriotic persons”, who have taken smuggling as means of livelihood.

    Turaki praised Abdullahi and his team for their unalloyed support and encouragement with the provision of an “enabling environment”, which informed the achievements the unit has recorded.

    The Chairman, Chicken Traders Association at Alaba-Rago Market, Lagos, Alhaji Sanusi Salau, said the biggest part of poultry industry is broiler chicken and the country produces about 300,000 metric tonnes annually.

    “The biggest part of poultry industry is broiler business and, in this country, we produce about 300,000 metric tonnes of chicken annually of which we are consuming about two million tonnes of maize. This aspect alone has enabled the poultry farmers to engage over 500,000 maize farmers without putting into consideration others who will take part before it gets to the market and end users.

    “Let’s now imagine the number of jobs that would have been created in poultry industry alone if we can put a stop to about 1.2 million metric tonnes of chicken smuggled into the country on yearly basis,” Salau said.

     

  • Stopping teenage pregnancy

    Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) is an abnormal tract extending between the bladder and the vagina that allows the continuous and involuntary discharge of the urine into the vaginal vault. This occurs when there is a prolonged labour.

    In the process, the unborn child is tightly pressed against the pelvis, cutting off blood flow to the vesico vaginal wall and therefore affecting the tissues. This leads to a hole between the bladder and the vagina, resulting into an uncontrollable leakage of urine through the vagina.

    Teenage pregnancy has been so rampant in our society today. According to statistics, about 16 million girls of ages 15-19 years give birth yearly. That is about 11 per cent of all births worldwide. Half of these teenage births occur in just seven countries, which are India, Ethiopia, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Nigeria. Teenage pregnancy poses serious health risks that can even lead to death, as most teenagers indulge in unprotected intercourse. This is because of lack of proper orientation.

    VVF occurs in teens because their pelvic bones are yet to be fully developed. According to a radiology study of early 1990s on teenagers in the United States, it was found out that the actual size of the birth canal was smaller in the first three years after menarche than at age 18, and that the dimension of the inlet, midplane and outlet of the birth canal of these young adolescent were contracted.

    In Nigeria, of 241 fistula and 148 that were controlled, it was found that 27 per cent occurred  in girls of age 15 years and below, 59 per cent occurred in girls of age 18 and below. This shows that early age at marriage was significantly associated with fistula. Malnutrition of these young mothers also contributed to the risk of fistula.

    Teenagers involved may face some social challenges, such as isolation from the society due to the putrid smell brought about by the urine leakage and lack of supports by family members. Teen mothers are less likely to complete their education. They also suffer depression.

    Fistula can be treated either transvaginally or laparoscopically. Some possible complications may occur afterwards and these include recurrent formation of the fistula, injury to ureter, bowels or intestine and vaginal shortening. But laparoscopical has become more prevalent due to its greater visualisation, higher success rate and low rate of complications.

    Everyone has a role to play in curbing this disease. Parents need to educate their kids, both male and female about intercourse and dignity. Girls may be the only one at the physical risk, but both are responsible for another person’s life. Parents should also avoid the habit of early child marriage to protect the lives and future of their children.

    The government must provide adequate facilities to hospitals to treat fistula cases. It must enact a legislation to stop child marriage and punishment should be meted out to those engaging in the act. The vulnerable, which are the teenagers, also have the important role to play. They must resist peer pressure and focus on educative write-ups and videos produced against VVF.

    The media will help by educating teenagers on why they must not engage in premarital intercourse. I believe this health risk can be reduced and stop if these measures are put in place.

     

    Oyebimpe, ND II Food technology, ADO POLY

  • ‘Stopping spot kicks has always been my strong point’

    ‘Stopping spot kicks has always been my strong point’

    Prime FC goalkeeper Adejare Adeniyi has revealed the secret behind his penalty saves in the ongoing Federation Cup tournament.  The 22-year-old, who has sharp reflexes in goal, said he had been a keen penalty stopper since his secondary school days at the Anglican Grammar School, Ogbomoso.

    Adejare became a hero at the club after saving the Omoluabi Giants in four Federation Cup matches which they won via spot-kicks at the ongoing tournament.

    He was instrumental to Prime defeating El-Kanemi Babes in the Round of 64, edging out last year’s finalists, Warri Wolves in the Round of 32, First Bank in Round of 16 and repeated same magic against Gateway United.

    The former Crown FC safehand has saved 10 out of 20 penalties to keep the 2012 Federation Cup giant killers in this year’s tournament.

    “I thank God for my form so far. It has been the will of God, but I have been a keen penalty stopper since I was in secondary school and stopping spot kicks has always been a part of me. I thank God for the performance of the team so far,” he said.

  • Stopping examination malpractices

    SIR: Malpractices at examination centres these days have snowballed into uncontrollable proportion. And if no drastic measures are taken urgently to nip the monster in the bud, the standard of education in the country would definitely be dragged to the mud.

    It is no longer a secret that students are being assisted by their subject teachers in collaboration with the WAEC and NECO invigilators in the examination halls. All the students need to do is to pay what they call signing fees and other financial benefits to the invigilators and subject teachers who in turn take the question papers to a secluded corner to solve. The solved questions, which are carbonated, are later shared to the students who finally copy them into their answer scripts.

    In other words, students no longer cudgel their brain for anything since their subject teachers do the entire job. This practice is now commonplace in virtually all the centres in the country. The financial benefit derived from the practice by their subject teachers and the invigilators is so juicy that exam invigilation is being lobbied for by teachers.

    Unfortunately, this irregularity is taking preeminence now the federal government is striving to restore the standard of education. The year 2015, the utopian year education is expected to regain its sterling quality, in addition to being available and affordable for all is very much at the corner but apparently little or nothing has been done to attain the enviable height.

    Because of the monetary benefits derived from the deal by the players, it cannot be stopped unless our examination bodies, including the educational system are sanitized and restructured.

    To achieve this aim, proper orientation should be given to WAEC and NECO staff especially those that are dispatched for invigilation. Proper screening should be carried out on schools applying for exam centre, and only when they satisfy all the Ministry of Education conditions that approval should be given to them. Furthermore, any invigilator found guilty of the offence should be disciplined.

    I therefore call on the Minister of Education to intervene in this crucial matter with every amount of seriousness in order to save the country from total collapse. Otherwise, the country is likely to be infested with uneducated graduates in the near future.

     

    • Nkemakolam Gabriel

    Port Harcourt    

  • Stopping a running tummy

    Stopping a running tummy

    HAVING an upset stomach is not only uncomfortable, it can also be downright embarrassing. With the stressful lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits and rising trend in patronising fast food eateries, many are faced with the challenge of resisting a running stomach.

    As the rainy season draws to a dramatic end, with its unending downpour and resulting floods in most parts of the country, it is observed that the contamination of food from water sources is on the increase.

    This in turn gives bacteria direct access to the stomachs of its victims through the foods they ingest. However, this health condition can be averted if people would be a bit more cautious and cleaner.

    According to Dr. Charity Onabolu, “Stomach upsets is an issue that a lot of people have to deal with on a regular basis in our part of the world because of the poor health habits some Nigerians practice. The quality of meat we buy from the market is sometimes filled with all kinds of worms because it is always exposed to flies and dust and the people who buy the meat do not wash it as properly as they should. In the long run, people fall ill.”

    In cases where very high hygiene standards are practised, the culprit can be as simple as eating too much too fast or an unexplainable case called the irritable bowel syndrome according to experts.

    While the discomfort from a stomach upset can be agonising, Dr. Onabolu states that it is important for the right symptom to be identified to avoid wrong drug prescription: “When we address stomach upset cases, there can be a wide range of causative factors. Most times, each causative factor might present a similar symptom and if care is not taken, the patient might end up ingesting a drug that will worsen the condition or do absolutely nothing to solve the problem.

    “We regularly see this kind of scenario in places where people want to self-medicate. The feel funny in their belly for a while and they jump to the nearest chemist to buy an over the counter drug like Flagyl or Thalazole when sometimes all they need is sugar solution or a glass of mint tea and some rest.”

    Where nausea, vomiting containing blood, unintentional weight loss, paleness and fatigue are experienced, Dr. Charity insists that the patient is immediately rushed to the hospital for intense medical check-up and treatment.

    Some foods that have been identified to worsen stomach problems by health practitioners are coffee, citrus fruits, fatty foods, onions, alcohol and chocolate.

    The most common causes of sudden, severe abdominal pain include:

    a perforated peptic ulcer an open sore that develops on the inside lining of your stomach that has broken through the lining gallstones small stones that form in the gallbladder appendicitis- this is a medical emergency where the pain will be agonising and your appendix may need to be removed an infection of the stomach and bowel most people get better without treatment after a few days

    kidney stones small stones may be passed out in your urine, but larger stones may block the kidney tubes and you will need to go to hospital to have these broken up irritable bowel syndrome a common condition where the muscle in the bowel wall tends to go into spasm and tightens but the pain is often relieved when you go to the toilet a urinary tract infection that keeps returning- the patient usually feels a burning sensation when they urinate a long-term peptic ulcer an open sore that develops on the inside lining of the stomach constipation heartburn and acid reflux stomach acid leaks from the stomach and up into the oesophagus, the tube that runs from the mouth to the stomach.

    Tips for a healthy tummy

    EAT healthily and regularly. It is easy to spend our working lives gulping down food between meetings and then sitting in front of the TV with a takeaway in the evenings, but eating this way can cause problems with your digestive system.

    Stop smoking. Smoking can weaken the muscle that controls the lower end of the oesophagus (gullet), causing heartburn and acid reflux.

    Lose excess weight and exercise regularly. If you are overweight, your tummy fat puts pressure on your stomach and can cause heartburn.

    Do not binge drink. This increases acid production in your stomach and can cause heartburn, as well as making other digestive disorders worse.

    Beat stress. Anxiety and worry can upset the delicate balance of digestion and worsen digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

    Homemade tummy upset remedies

    AT some point or another it seems that everyone has experienced an upset stomach, vomiting or diarrhea.

    Whether a side effect of a medical treatment or medication-or a symptom of an illness or virus, stomach upset and gastrointestinal distress stops you in your tracks. Stocking a cupboard with a few home remedies for nausea can get you and your tummy back on track and back into your busy schedule.

    Give ginger a try to alleviate nausea.

    Ginger has been used for centuries for the treatment of a number of ailments ranging from nausea and vomiting to congestion. For those suffering from an upset stomach, ginger is a favourite at-home treatment.

    Making a ginger tea from the natural root is a more direct, soothing method of treatment. Simply combine two inches of ginger root, cut into thin slices, with 4-6 cups of boiling water and allow the tea to simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Strain out the ginger pieces, sweeten with lemon and honey if desired and sip slowly.

    Mints offer upset stomach relief.

    The power of mint as a digestion aid is well known. The aroma alone seems to settle a queasy stomach. Peppermint is often more commonly recommended but, milder mints such as spearmint may be less pungent and overpowering for younger tummies. Sweeten mint teas with a little honey if desired for taste.

    Chamomile tea soothes the tummy.

    For centuries, teas of chamomile have been used to treat ailments ranging from stress and anxiety to digestive ailments and even rheumatoid arthritis. While the many medicinal claims are not easy to prove, the use of chamomile to soothe and calm is widely accepted and those soothing effects seem to extend to the digestive system.

    Either purchasing a pre-packaged herbal chamomile tea or making your own from steeping leaves, serves to help a tensed nausea patient relax-which may contribute to the stomach easing properties of the herb.

    Charcoal

    Although it sounds odd, charcoal may play a role in soothing an upset stomach.

    Manage your diet well during times of digestive issue.

    If vomiting or diarrhea is intense, it is important to stay hydrated with the proper liquids. Try sipping clear, liquid which is high in sodium to replenish that electrolyte.

    Once the diarrhea or vomiting has subsided, it is wise to begin solid foods with Bananas, Rice, Apples, and Toast bread as a diet to offer the body some much needed fiber and nutrients while keeping the flavours bland. Nibbling on high fibre foods helps rebuild energy levels, restore balance in the digestive system and gets you back on your feet.

  • Pdp praises Jonathan for stopping N5000 banknote

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for reversing the planned introduction of N5000 currency note by the Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN).

    It described the President’s action as an indication of his responsiveness to the wishes of the people.

    A statement by the party’s national Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, yesterday said the President has a listening ear, adding that the government has demonstrated that power really belongs to the people.

    Metuh maintained that the PDP will continue to anchor its policies and programmes on the needs of the people and will not relent in serving the interest of the nation at all times.

    He said: “The primary concern of the PDP is to ensure the welfare of the generality of Nigerians. We know full well that the opinion of the people in every government policy and action matters a lot if we must achieve this cardinal premise of our manifesto. This is the essence of this decision by the President to reverse the introduction of the N5000 note”

    Praising the National Assembly for standing on the part of the people in kicking against the proposed N5000 note, Metuh said the synergy between the lawmakers and the executive will lead to the success of the administration’s transformation.

    The statement added: “The critical role of the National Assembly as the representatives of the people is tangentially commendable at this juncture. We pay a deserving tribute to the maturity of the leadership of the National Assembly, Senate President, David Mark and the House of Representatives, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal in meeting with the President and in working together with him to guarantee the best for the nation.

    “We also commend Nigerians for their constructive criticisms of our programmes. Our party appreciates this pivotal role of the public in the making of good governance and shall continue to promote it.

    “It is for this reason that we established the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA), so that every Nigerian will have unrestricted access to information and be educated enough to make contribution on how the nation is governed.”