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  • How do I stop masturbation?

    Dear aunty, I am now 24 years old but I started masturbating at age 14. When I reached the age of 16, though not courageous enough I began to approach girls but they would turn me down. Funny enough after the first ‘no’ I would not go again; I decided not to approach girls again. Masturbation continued and I have guilty conscience about it. How do I stop?

    Most men masturbate because a man needs sex at a certain age, so if they can’t have sex they masturbate to satisfy their needs. As you’re used to self-help (masturbation), how do you hope to stop when you haven’t found woman (or a wife) to fulfill your needs? You must find an alternative first before fighting masturbation. You can start by occupying your mind with something that won’t keep you indoors like outdoor games with friends or religious activities.

    Read Also: Effects of masturbation

    The fact that one or two girls have turned you down doesn’t mean you should accept defeat. When it is time for you to settle down, your own woman will show face and she won’t turn you down. When that happens, remember I told you so. Cheers!

  • Tackling traffic gridlock with technology

    Can sanity ever return to Lagos roads? The state government, experts and transportation stakeholders say it is possible if motorists comply with traffic regulations, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE

    These are ‘mad’ times for motorists and commuters in Lagos State. For many residents, hell has been let loose in the state, no thanks to traffic gridlocks across the metropolis.

    According to the Bureau of Statistics, the state lost over two billion man-hour to traffic in 2016. This figure, motorists believe, will be doubled by the time this year’s data is computed.

    Although residents and visitors to the state have been coping with traffic snars since, the current traffic pattern has increased their pains, anguish, tears and sadness.

    “Many, these days, dread to be on the roads in Lagos,” a top government worker, who craved anonymity, admitted to The Nation.

    Transportation Studies teacher Prof. Samuel Odewunmi blamed the traffic mayhem on “government’s planlessness.”

     

    Lockdown

    Odewunmi, who is Dean, School of Transportation Studies, Lagos State University (LASU), said the state got into traffic crisis because it embarked upon massive reconstruction of virtually all its arterial corridors at the same time, against the grain of urban transport planning.

    He said: “The massive reconstruction of all the major highways into the state simultaneously violates the principles of urban transportation planning. If you have three or four major arterial roads to your state, you cannot work on two at the same time. Doing that will lock down the city. What is recommended is that you embark on them one after the other.”

    He said the almost permanent lock down of Apapa-Oshodi, Marina-Mile 2 -Badagry Expressways, which is the state’s busiest corridor, the construction of the Agege flyover bridge, and the Abule-Egba to Oshodi BRT median corridor, on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, contributed to the gridlocks, made worse by the vehicular density in the state.

    Read Also: Lagos set to unlock 60 major traffic gridlock areas Inbox

    Odewunmi, a member of the state’s Transportation Policy drafting team, said the first step was for the government to admit that it has a traffic emergency on its hands. He also urged the government to adopt other measures, among which are: work on the collated reports of perennial traffic dark spots by LASTMA; profile each of them to know the causes of traffic and provide solutions to such;  and fix bad roads, whether highways, major or minor roads, as they are major impediments to free traffic flow.

    Admitting the government’s good intentions, Odewunmi said because most of the contractors have scant knowledge of roads specifics, most  roads they constructed or rehabilitated hardly last two rainfalls.

    Observing that traffic congestions are localised, Odewunmi called on the state to involve the 20 local governments and 37 local council development areas in road maintenance and developing traffic solutions in their domain, rather than having them as onlookers.

    According to him, council chairmen could be mandated to hold regular meetings with transport union leaders on how to achieve constant free flow of traffic in their respective domain.

    “Traffic management is local and governments must be involved and not just be mere onlookers. It is also important to bring road transport unions on board. They should not just be collecting revenues that are not being shared by the government,” he stated, adding that, most importantly, the government must continue to place high premium on enforcement.

    Corroborating Odewunmi, Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) Corps Marshal Boboye Oyeyemi said any transportation management policy without enforcement was a picnic. He argued that to drive sanity back to the roads, the government must be stern on enforcement.

     

    Enforcement

    Transportation Commissioner Ladi Lawanson said the government would continue to pursue aggressive awareness campaign on compliance with the state’s traffic laws. He, however, assured that the government would, henceforth, enforce to the letter the Traffic Law 2018, adding that the state’s traffic management agency (LASTMA) has been primed to ensure sanity on the road and among motorists and other road users.

    “Among other things, we are extending the working hours of all our traffic officers, as the governor has approved that they can now run three shifts, especially on perennial traffic prone corridors. The governor has also directed security cover for them against assaults and molestations in the course of their duties, while the Ministry of Justice has been directed to set up more mobile courts to try traffic offenders,” he said.

    Lawanson further disclosed that the government had approved the establishment of special traffic intervention force, which would operate on motorbikes, to enable them get to traffic prone areas on time. He also revealed plans for traffic officers to be armed with body cameras, to further reduce conflicts with motorists in the event of being apprehended for traffic violation.

    He said: “The bodycams, which would be on the traffic officers, would be deployed to further reduce human interaction and use technology to further drive sanity and enforcement of traffic on the roads. The body cams, which work like the CCTVs, would capture the details of the offending motorists and such would be ticketed and, in case of default, such a culprit could be prosecuted.”

    Lawanson also said the intermodal transportation plan would begin on a sure footing next year, as the government would take delivery of two new watercraft, making its ferry acquisitions it would use to announce its entrance into water transportation four.

    He said with the take off of the new bus scheme, and the channelisation of the waterways for increased patronage, there would be a reduction in road traffic.

    Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr Kehinde Bamigbetan  sued for Lagosians’ patience as the government battles with the intractable traffic situation.

    Bamigbetan, who identified impatience and motorists’ attitude as the bane of the traffic bottlenecks, said if drivers were patient and obeyed  traffic regulations, sanity would be restored on the roads.

    Bamigbetan said besides bodycams, the automated number plate capturing equipment (ANPR) would also be mounted on roads, especially areas prone to traffic, so cameras would pick the number plate of the offender, process the picture on the database and deliver a ticket to the culprit’s address obtained from the database.

    Bamigbetan   said the government was determined to rid the state of gridlocks. he added that no stone would be left unturned in the task of making travel seamless in the state.

    A former Transportation Commissioner, who craved for anonymity, while applauding the application of technology to enforcement, said LASTMA should do more as it has the wherewithal to resolve traffic snarls.

    The ex-transportation chief said there were traffic snarla everywhere in the state because of the absence of a transportation management plan by the agency established to ensure free flow of traffic.

    “Everywhere you go what you see now is crippling traffic. It now takes about three to four hours to move between Ikeja and Oshodi, and you may end up not been able to get to honour any event which you are invited if you did not leave home early. When you finally get ahead of the traffic, you will see nothing but the abdication of responsibility by LASTMA.

    He said what needed to be done to tame the nightmarish traffic was to give purposeful leadership and direction to the agency as it remained the only one that could help resolve the crippling traffic.

    “The traffic bottlenecks in Lagos require a more focused and aggressive solution beyond the cosmetics being applied by the government,” he said.

    According to him, traffic in Lagos is simple and easy to manage and as such does not require complex applications.

    He said: “In the past 16 years, we have never had transportation this bad. Except for traffic engineering solutions, which require more cash inflow to tackle, traffic control should not be beyond LASTMA.

    “The problem is that there’s lack of a transport plan. The Police should be involved in not more than the provision of security, but not for LASTMA to surrender traffic flow to them. Same for the FRSC, they can only collaborate. The only agency that is saddled with traffic management in Lagos is LASTMA. That mandate is very clear. Right now LASTMA has over 6,000 officers.

    “Let the leaders talk to people, who understand the problem, and let them develop a robust intervention plan that can address the challenge that traffic is currently posing to Lagosians.”

    He also carpeted the use of mobile courts, saying those who contravene the law must either be ready to pay the fine or be prosecuted. “There should not be anything like mobile courts. Let anyone who does not want to pay face the music. Enforcement must be hard and firm,” he argued.

    As the roads get busier due to the year-end activities, Lagosians could only hope they will begin to enjoy some respite on roads, as only this can save them from the ‘hell’ they seemed to have been sentenced.

  • From pleasure to grave: Why some men die during sex

    What could make a man (or woman) begin a journey of sexual pleasure and never return alive? Daniel Adeleye, in this report, relives some past incidences, and explores possible causes.

    Friday, 24th August 2018 will forever remain indelible in the mind of the family and colleagues of Sunday Eguakhide, a 56-year old Police Superintendent who reportedly convulsed and died while having sex with his mistress right in his office at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos.

    According to reports, it was just a week to his retirement and he probably decided to engage in one last romp in the office before bidding it farewell.

    Eguakhide’s secret lover explained that the late police officer was fond of taking sexual enhancement concoction whenever he wanted to meet her, a habit she said she had repeatedly warned him against because it is not good for his body.

    The woman, who said the late police officer was always having sex with her in his office, revealed that he was always pounding her ceaselessly, taking far longer time to come, due to the enhancer.

    “I didn’t like it because I was the one that used to bear the brunt of it,” she explained.

    On that fateful day, late Eguakhide had already gone one round, but, according to his lover, he was never satisfied after one round. She said it was in the course of the second round that he suddenly started panting and gasping for breath and suddenly fell off her and died.

    The case of Obi Nwoda was not different from Sunday Eguakhide, except that Nwoda was older.

    Nwoda, 65, died during a sex romp with his lover, Ifeoma Ayinka, 34, in an Awka hotel on a Saturday evening last November.

    According to a report, the incident happened at Desires and Leisure Hotel in Agu Awka where Nwoda had lodged with Ayinka.

    The staff of the hotel became suspicious when Ayinka was seen leaving the hotel premises later in the evening without her lover. They reportedly confronted her and led her back to the room where they met the 65-year old lying unconscious and promptly alerted the police.

    On interrogation, Ayinka alleged that the victim collapsed while making love to her. She was subsequently arrested and the case is under investigation to ascertain circumstances surrounding Nwoda’s death.

    The case of a 45-year-old man who slumped and died on a Sunday in August, 2017, after having sex with his girlfriend at her apartment in War College Estate, Gwarimpa, Abuja is another such incident.

    The deceased had visited his girlfriend, identified as Bridget at about 10:00 am that fateful Sunday and was preparing to leave after they had made love, when he suddenly slumped and died. Bridget said she was in the bathroom when the incident happened.

    In a sleepy community in Ikota, along Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos, the people also woke up to the bizarre story of a middle-aged commercial bus driver identified as Emmanuel, who suddenly slumped and died while making love to his wife in their home.

    It was gathered that the wife, Affiong, suddenly noticed that her husband was no longer moving while on top of her. Scared and confused, the mother of two was said to have called her husband’s younger brother, Akpan, who resides in Badore area and broke the news to him.

    She was said to have advised her husband to rest because he was just recuperating from an illness but he vehemently rebuffed her, threatening to seek the pleasure elsewhere if she didn’t allow him.

    Experts’ perspective

    Two medical practitioners spoken to, confirmed to The Nation in separate interviews that death can occur during consensual sex for a number of reasons, generally because of the physical strain of the activity, or because of unusual extenuating circumstances.

    Speaking on factors that can lead to death during sex, the Chief Medical Director, CKC Hospital, Sango-Ota, Dr Samuel Bankole, described sex as an energy sapping activity that could lead to death if either of the partners is not in a stable health condition.

    He blamed some recorded incidents of death on sexual enhancers, which their users hardly bother about their negative consequences.

    As an African, he believes in Magun (or thunderbolt) but he argued that Magun does not take the life of its victim until when such victim eat, drink or do the forbidden.

    “Sex is an energy sapping activity. Some die as a result of engaging in the act despite their unstable health condition, to satisfy their lust and some take sexual enhancements to go extra miles to satisfy their partners without minding the danger attached to it,” he stressed.

    Also speaking, Dr Olugbenga Alabi of Ota General Hospital, Ogun State, stressed that as much as sex is a pleasurable activity, it is also an activity that consumes a lot of energy.

    Alabi described the general belief that sex is a mere pleasurable event that requires no energy, as being far from the truth.

    He explained that Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP) otherwise known as the energy currency of the body, consumed during sexual intercourse, especially during orgasm is very high.

    According to him, “Death during sex is more common with patients that have background of certain illnesses, and the commonest in this part of the world is cardiovascular diseases; hypertension and diabetes.

    “They can be predisposed to death during sexual intercourse. It’s commoner with men than women because, according to the orgasm ladder, men reach orgasm faster than women. A woman may just be in stage 2 during sex while a man may have reached stage 5 and come back to zero.

    “The commonest cause of death during sexual intercourse is patient having subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). It’s a form of stroke and also a form of blood vessel taking blood to brain bursting during sex,” he stated.

    “We have cases like that of people who were rushed to the hospital. If they are rushed to the hospital on time, they may still survive but if not, it’s something very lethal.

    Alabi also stressed that the life of a patient suffering from Myocardial infarction (MI), which is commonly known as heart attack, could be cut short while having marathon sex.

    “During sex, all the body parts and soul are involved. It’s not only the body; the soul must also be ready to do it. So when all those things come to play, there is increased consumption of energy.”

    He said inadequate supply of nutrients, energy and oxygen to the heart to compensate for what it’s doing, can make it suffer an attack, which may be very lethal.

    According to him, Myocardial Infarction (MI) patients are restrained from having sex for at least two weeks in some developed countries like United Kingdom, UK, saying such may not be easily recommended in Nigeria because of government’s poor policy on health conditions.

    Regular exercise essential

    Both Dr. Bankole and Dr. Alabi recommend regular physical fitness to both male and female to stay fit and avoid complications that may arise during sexual intercourse.

    According to the medical experts, having sex uses a lot of muscles that one doesn’t normally use during the course of the day, especially during ejaculation which is the peak of sex.

    “When you are having sex, the exercise you do is greater than running a 400-metre race, so if you don’t engage in a regular exercise, that may pose a danger,” Banjoko affirmed.

    The medical doctors encouraged all to avoid living a life of physical in activity.

    “It’s important to engage in enough physical exercise; not necessarily jumping or going to the gym every day, but taking at least 10-20minutes walk daily,” Alabi said.

    He added: “Sex and death, the commonest problem still remain with the heart or its vessels. Other things may not even give you enough energy to do it. A patient that has obtrusive airwaves problem will not have enough strength to engage in aggressive sexual intercourse.

    “It also depends on the sex position they engage in. There are some sex positions that won’t consume much energy and there are other sex positions that require much energy.”

    Age really matters in sex?

    Dr Alabi also says age remain a non modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

    According to him, “When we say risk factor, in some non communicable diseases, there are no definite causes for it. Majority of people with hypertension don’t have a major cause, we only know that there are risk factors like, obesity, smoking, taking excessive alcohol, excessive cholesterol; being a black is also a risk factor for hypertension. There are other factors like genetic diseases, family history of hypertension, family history of diabetes that is risk factors for the cardiovascular diseases.

    “Of all the above factors, some are modifiable and some are non-modifiable. So anyone with family history of diabetes or hypertension, from age 55 has three risk factors combined because he can’t change his family, can’t change his race as black and can’t also reduce his age. These are non-modifiable risk factors.”

    He explained further, “As we grow older, we are like vehicle, our body parts wear and tear but unfortunately we can’t replace them. As far as cardiovascular diseases are concerned, the older one gets, the more the risk factors.

    “When some older women come to the hospital and complain that they are having irregular menstruation, I welcome them to the male club. Being a man is a factor for hypertension, so by the time women attain menopause, they are also prone to hypertension.”

    Sexual enhancement a fatal decision

    The dangers lurking for users of sexual enhancement pills, according to Doctor Alabi, are more fatal than beneficial.

    Rather than taking enhancement to boost sexual performance, Alabi advised that the one who suffers erectile dysfunction could take proper stalk of history to pick a cause of the problem.

    He warned that people should desist from taking sexual enhancement, especially the unorthodox ones that have no regulated dosage, as they could be rendered permanently impotent.

    “There are two types of erectile dysfunction (ED): psychogenic and neurogenic. Psychogenic is just like psychy. A man who fought with his wife at home may not have sexual urge for that woman until they resolve the fight. That is psychogenic. Some may be caused by systemic disease like diabetes and by the time you’re treating them and controlling sugar in them, their penile erection too will start improving.”

    “I won’t mention those things people are taking; however, though it may give them some aphrodisiac effect, the side effect is not usually too good. For instance, if someone has persistent penile erection that lasts for more than four hours and there is no medical intervention, it can render the victim permanently impotent.

    “In the pathogenesis of penile erection, the major thing is the blood vessel in the penis will dilate, it will enlarge so that the blood will flow. When blood flows in and it does not flow out, that penis remain turgid. But God has made that system a form of ying yang, such that when you need to have sex, it rises and when you finish the operation, the verve opens and the blood moves out. But in all those enhancement, especially the unorthodox ones, they don’t have that check verves.”

    “Even with our orthodox drugs that we give patients, there is improvement everyday as to reducing other side effect that can arise from it. Some years back, there was a drug called Viagra, but today there is another brand that has some advantages over the first brand,” he cautioned.

    Traditionalists’ view

    Corroborating the above views of medical experts, a roots and herbs seller, Morufat Ojo said, if anybody slumps and dies during sex, such person may have a history of sickness such as hypertension or diabetes; or as a result of sexual enhancement many are fond of taking.

    Ojo claimed that if anyone comes for erectile dysfunction solution or roots and herbs for sexual enhancement, she always tries to find out the cause of such problem before giving the patient herbs for sexual performance.

    “Some people are suffering from erectile dysfunction ED as a result of pile; some are going through both physical and emotional stress, so we ask all that.”

    “Like in the hospital where the doctor will carry out tests on a patient to ascertain the causes of sickness in the body, we ask them all that too. Some are diabetic and some are hypertensive and if we confirm any of these, we first treat them on those sicknesses before giving them sexual enhancers,” she submitted.

    Kushimo Adisa, an Ifa priest, however, has a divergent opinion on death during sex. To him it’s not possible for any man or woman to breathe off during sexual intercourse on account of health.

    Adisa believed that those that died during the actions are either victims of magun or the women they has sex with failed to bear  certain sacrifice to appease the spirit world.

    But thunderbolt does not kill its victim immediately until the man eats, drinks or does the forbidden, this reporter argued.

    Adisa however countered that, “There are many types of thunderbolt; some kill only when you do the magun and some kill immediately. There are some that the victim would be matiating and doctor would not be able to discover the problem in him.

    “So in a nutshell, there is nothing that can make a man that has erection to start a journey of sexual pleasure to die on the way, there must be something somewhere, hidden in the woman’s body,” he submitted.

    Women too

    Interestingly, the story of people collapsing during sex is not limited to men alone.

    A widow, simply identified as Esther, not too long ago, died while having sex with a police inspector, Friday Ogbeifun, attached to Border Patrol Unit, Ilaro, Ogun State.

    It was learnt that the inspector and Esther had checked in at a hotel on Dele Toye Street, Igando, one evening to have fun. While they were at it, the woman, a mother of five, slumped and was rushed to the Igando General Hospital, where she was confirmed dead on arrival.

    According to a credible source, “The policeman and the woman were lovers. The woman was a widow. What I do not know is whether they had sex before she slumped.

    In May 2015, a Lagos taxi driver, identified as Utebor, also had his finger burnt after he took a lady he met on the road, home for sex, as she reportedly died in the heat of the action.

    A police source said the exhausted lady slumped and died after a marathon session and a neighbour alerted the police at the Ipaja division.

  • Yahoo Boys: Nigeria’s newest players in the illegal ivory trade

    In this report, TAIWO ALIMI investigates how a new band of players – Yahoo Boys – use the cyberspace to market and sell illegal ivory in Nigeria

    Mohammed (not his real name) has been into cyber fraud for six years, before adding ivory marketing and sales. He walks into the room without smiling. He has chosen the place and time of our rendezvous with the aid of a contact—an antique dealer in Jakande Ivory Market, Lekki—a high-brow community of Lagos, Nigeria. The place is a quiet eatery in a backstreet of Victoria Island, overlooking the five-star Eko Hotels and Suites.

    Slim and athletic, Mohammed could pass for a university student, but upon closer scrutiny, his dark brown face with wrinkles shows a man accustomed to hustling.

    He considers himself a cyber genius. “I used to con people on the internet,” Mohammed said. “I’m a marketer now selling ivory to rich Nigerians and foreigners. It is easy and lucrative.”

    The 32-year old is not alone. He works as a middleman for sellers and buyers of refined ivory. According to him, the general decline in proceeds from 419 scams and growing police trouble have distanced the Yahoo boys from the internet fraud after which they were named and into the sophisticated and organized international ivory trade.

    “I was introduced into the business by a colleague and many other ‘Yahoo boys’ are doing it,” Mohammed said. Interestingly, this new crop of ivory middlemen thinks they are legitimate. “The police don’t disturb us. We have a string of customers now that reach out to us easily whenever they want ivory products.”

    These days the Yahoo boys’ hangouts are no longer cybercafés but five-star hotels in Lagos Island and Lekki, Lagos Bar Beach, and other places frequented by wealthy Asians and Europeans. Every day, they sniff out prospective buyers. Top on their wanted list are Asians. The boldest often directly approach them, offering ‘small price’ for any kind of ivory piece.

    The Yahoo boys are well known at Jakande Ivory Market, which Andrew Dunn, Nigeria Country Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), described as “the largest domestic market for ivory in Africa.” He said they often bring their clients there to authenticate the products before buying.

    “Many times we sneak ivory out to clients or bring them in when they insist on seeing and handling before buying,” said Mohammed. “We just bring them to the dealer and wait for our cut.” From time to time, they get tips from both sides, as impressed buyers often part with financial gifts for their services. “Dealers will add a little money on the good as our compensation.

    Our cut is proportionate with volume of trade. I have made N1000 ($2.7) and up to N5000 ($14) in a single transaction,” Mohammed explained.

    He said a happy buyer would be glad to part with N500 ($1.3) or N1000 ($ 2.7) for the link up with dealer.

    According to Mohammed, on the average, the monthly take home of a go-between Yahoo boy is between N45, 000 ($125) and N60, 000 ($166).

    Gloria Chi, an ivory seller confirmed Mohammed’s claim.

    Out of their takings Mohammed and co, however, must part with a little sum occasionally to olori (meaning leader in local language). Olori is the underground grandmaster that controls illegal activities within a locality.

    According to him, the payment called ‘protection’ is “ransom paid to olori for protection from police and other criminals,” and for them to work in his area of control.

    The sum is not fixed but is delivered whenever olori calls.

    Pressed for other payments to ivory dealers at home and abroad, he gave an emphatic NO. “We don’t work for them,” he said.

    Although Mohammed insists that his days as a cyber criminal are over, he is still using the internet to market and sell ivory, an illegal act according to an agreement reached by member states to ban international trade in ivory at the 1989 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). In early 1990, CITES added domestic trading with a caveat: ‘unless there is proof that your ivory was lawfully acquired prior to the date that the African elephant was listed in CITES Appendix I (January 18, 1990)’.

    Booming online sales

    The Yahoo boys have taken ivory trafficking to the next level by taking advantage of their expertise in cyberspace to put it online.

    “We promote our products on the internet too. We advertise on popular online media and some social media. This is what everyone who has something to sell does,” Mohammed added.

    Our investigation turned up valuable information to back up Mohammed’s claim. Jiji.ng, one of Nigeria’s fastest growing online market—which sells everything from baby stuff to clothes, electronics and cars—is awash, daily, with promos of ivory beads, trinkets and jewelry. For a little fee, sellers are allowed to post pictures, prices, and inviting descriptions of their goods online. The sellers’ contacts are also on display for prospective buyers.

    For example, a seller by the name of Ayedun Mercy put on sale original ivory beads for ?100,000 ($273) on the portal. Seven other offers for ivory-related items were also on display that same day. The adverts encouraged interested buyers to make contact, and to validate the products before payment. The owners of jiji.ng boast of having 100,000 visitors daily.

    Ronke Oyebade, Jiji.ng’s salesperson, said that adverts are automatically blocked after two reports on them. “We have prohibited items; weapons, military/police items, human organs, stolen properties and product prohibited by laws, among others. Ivory items are not under any of this category,” she said.

    Also involved in the illicit online trades are vconnect.com—a popular business-oriented portal—and nairaland.com, one of the most used online portals with high traffic 24/7. One seller on nairaland.com says he has 11 elephant tusks for sale. Another, Nnamoekenna, is looking for buyers for ivory staffs belonging to his late father, an Igbo chief.

    Lagos open market 

    If Mohammed was careful and discreet at the restaurant, he became bold and loquacious on getting to our destination; Jakande Ivory market.

    The marketplace, otherwise known as Bar Beach Market by the uninitiated, and going by the signage, is a sizable and colourful place. Though the road to the market is dirty and worn out, the market itself is clean and well kept. It has about 200 stalls in neat rows. Stalls with similar wares are in the same regions and you can pick out the grocery area on entering. Other stalls bearing stone handicrafts, traditional beads, wood masks, wood carvings, bracelets, paintings, exotic animal purses, bags and sandals, and African prints are close to the back, and the same goes for the ivory stalls.

    There, the stalls are cleaner than the rest of the market, and the environment is inviting. Even the salespersons are young and cordial. They speak English eloquently and treat shoppers well.

    Neatly lined up in transparent shelves, about 20 stalls display exclusive ivory products; from beads to pipes, trinkets to bangles, traditional pipes, combs, pendants, religious carvings and life-size ivory in different sizes. Some have been carved into different shapes; blowing pipes, animals

    and religious symbols. Multiple images of Mary, the mother of Christ, adorn the shelves.

    Prices differ. A small bangle sells for N30, 000 ($82) while bigger ones go for as high as N70, 000 ($193).  An ivory cigarette pipe goes for N40, 000($110) while necklaces cost between N100, 000 andN150, 000. ($273 and $414) For a small life-size ivory staff, the price tag is N150, 000($414) while longer ones can go for as high as N300, 000($828).

    Ivory vendor, Chi, offered to supply fresh elephant tusk for a N300, 000 ($828) deposit. “With N500, 000($1,381) I can supply you fresh ivory within three days,” she said.

    Another seller, Chinedu, said many Asian nationals and Europeans frequent the market. “Our products are Africanized. They are genuine and the best you can find anywhere in Africa. That is why most of our customers are foreigners,” he boasted.

    Patronage is equally good. According to Chinedu, “in a week, my store makes between N1million and N1.5 million” ($2778 and $4167). Out of his stock, he said the ivory tusk, carried as staff of office by Igbo chiefs, bangles and necklaces are hot in demand. “The staff is sold in pairs and Asians and local chiefs buy them regularly. Society women also come to buy ivory bangles and necklaces.”

    Chi put her monthly sale at N4million ($11,112) or more.

    With more stalls overflowing with ivory products, it is safe to estimate that mega million ivory deals pass through this market thereby worsening elephant butchery in Africa.

    Solomon Adefolu, programme coordinator of the Climate Change and Local Engagement Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) observed, “That is where Igbo chiefs go to buy their tusks, which is a symbol of authority in their locality. It is the same market that men and women with large appetites for ivory trinkets, beads and bangles go, as well as small and big-time ivory product sellers. Chinese of

    ten buy to resell when they travel home. ”

    From Island to Mainland

    Through the Yahoo boys ‘energetic online marketing, ivory trading is no longer exclusive to Lagos Island. Ivory products now adorn hidden shelves in mainland markets and residences where transactions are done.  Mainland areas such as Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, Ojodu, Yaba, and Isolo are culprits.

    This year alone, there have been several recorded seizures of ivory. According to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), 218 pieces / 343kg of elephant tusks were seized on February 13, from a Chinese-occupied apartment in Ikeja, Lagos. The occupant was arrested.

    In May, four elephant tusks were held in Tejuoso Market, Ikeja, while 329 sacks (8,492 kgs) of pangolin scales were apprehended from another Chinese national at his Ikeja home in March in Ikeja. Two days later, 78 sacks (1,771 kg) of pangolin scales were also apprehended from the same apartment.

    There is no doubt that the growing population and concentration of Asians in Lagos is aiding big sales in Lagos. Granted, the Yahoo boys are boosting the ivory market internally, but Nigeria’s biggest threat to elephant killings and ivory trade remains in international trading.

    “Even in the UK and US, that is an issue with websites and online trade,” said Dunn, who has been working in Africa since 1989. “It is much more difficult to control. But it is probably small amounts. The larger amount would be through containers.”

    He suspects that the quantum of online trading is little when compared to the amount that goes through the borders and shores. “There is domestic trade going on but there is also a big international trade going through Nigeria,” Dunn added.

    Another problem is Nigeria’s laws on ivory trade. “They are ambiguous,” he said. “Surely, it is clearly illegal to import or export ivory, but is it illegal to sell or buy ivory within Nigeria? I am not really sure. Ivory is being sold openly in Lagos; there is nobody that’s been arrested. It is a threat to Nigeria’s remaining elephants.”

    According to the Constitution as amended in 1999, under the Endangered Species (control of international trade and traffic) Act prohibited animals are classed into two groups. Animals in the first group are ‘absolutely prohibited’ from hunting or capture of or international trade. For animals in the other group, hunting or capture or international trade may only be ‘conducted under license.’

    It states that with a permit from a federal minister, international trade can be conducted. It does not mention local trading.

    Interestingly, ‘immature elephants’ are in the first list, while mature elephants are in the second list. Meaning: it is absolutely legal to trade big tusks once you can produce a permit.

    “There is an urgent need to repeal this law,” Adefolu said.

    For offenders, the current law stipulates a mere N1000 ($2.7) fine for a first timer and six-month imprisonment for a second time offender.

    A source in Customs revealed that no offender has been prosecuted. “There have been seizures and arrests of locals and Asians, but no prosecution. Our laws on wildlife are weak,” he said under condition of anonymity.

    Where the federal government has failed, Bauchi State government in collaboration with WCS—the body managing conservation in Yankari Game Reserve—has upgraded local laws on wildlife to punish offenders severally.

    “Arrested hunters and poachers face six months’ imprisonment with option of between N300, 000($828) and N500, 000($1,381) fines. Many times, we keep them in jail because they could not afford the fine,” said Geoffrey Nachamada, the landscape director of Yankari.

    As for the Yahoo boys, they are new to the police, whose focus has been on internet fraud.

    Dr Elizabeth Ehi-Ebewele, Head of Wildlife at Nigeria CITES, is also advocating for legislation that would properly protect wildlife in Nigeria. “We need legislations that are strong and encompassing to check the killing and smuggling of wildlife. They go to our forests. They collaborate with community people, and gain access to the bush. They kill any elephant, any mammal, including the young ones. To them what is important is money. They have no regard for the future. It is high time we took wildlife very seriously,” she said.

    This story was produced by The Nation Newspapers written as part of the ‘Reporting the Online Trade in Illegal Wildlife’ programme. This is a joint project of the Thomson Reuters Foundation and The Global Initiative Against Organized Crime funded by the Government of Norway. More information at http://globalinitiative.net/initiatives/digital-dangers.The content is the sole responsibility of the author and the publisher.

  • Africa and the Nobel prize

    As humans, when we have something to look forward to or look ahead to something worth celebrating, we have the deep sense of reminiscing through the sweats of the past on the path of success. However, while we keep growing and advancing periodically as humans, it requires the unpleasantness of unlearning too.

    There are times when we must deal with new data, strange ideas and innovative thinking. We can draw comfort from the fact that celebrating intellectual work, regardless of its origin, is the common heritage of all humanity.

    Over a thousand Nobels have been awarded since the prize was established in 1901. Most of those have been in sciences but there’s also the literature prize and most famously, the peace prize. According to statistics, 83 percent of all Nobel laureates have all emanated from the Western countries such as Western Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

    However, the Almighty ‘Africa’ in its majestic sense and splendor has had only 25 Nobel laureates so far in the history of the prize. Asia, despite being the largest and most populous region in the world have recorded only 49 Nobel laureates – All of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East combined have only 104 Nobel laureates in total. These regions hold 81 percent of the world’s population but only 10 percent of its Nobel laureates.

    According to statistics, the top 10 countries with the most Nobel laureates are United States (347), Britain (120), Germany (104), France (65), Sweden (30), Russia (27), Switzerland (26), Canada (23), Austria (22), Italy (20) while 25 Nobel awards in total since inception has been won in Africa. These are South Africa (10), Egypt (six); other countries are Algeria, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Morocco, and Nigeria. However, the first person from Africa to win a Nobel Prize was ‘Max Theiler’, a South African man who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1951.

    The last time Africa won the Nobel Prize was in 2011.

    Though many might opine that the barriers to entry are many for Africa such as limitation of imaginations, underfunded research institutions, negative orientation, controversy between science and myths or superstitious claims, there’s need to think outside the imaginary box, break the barriers little by little and be a researcher trying to make a difference.

    Down the memory lane, some notable Africans dating back to Albert Luthuli in 1960, have won the Peace Prize probably because we have had more than our fair share of conflict resolution. Some of them were worthy winners. The literature prize has been won by a few African writers, the first being Wole Soyinka. The question that keeps running through an average mind especially that of an African is – why are there no African winners of the Nobel Prize in science related field such as physics, chemistry, medicine or economics? Do we have scarce or shortage of scientists on Africa?

    Looking at the fundamental basis of the problem, many African countries do not conduct enough research or we do not have enough research institutions because of the nature of universities in many African countries.

    Most of these universities are merely seen as teaching institutions with no reference for research output. Research institutes do exist, but only to answer the day to day questions of existence and not for discovery purposes.

    The blame game for the dearth in advanced researches in institutions across Africa cuts across the respective quarters. The government however end up using the potential researchers who are best brains from universities by making them heads of government agencies or simply bring them to do routine administrative work.

    Beyond the blurred spectacles towards Africa’s rise, there’s need for some essential instruments to re-engineer Africa towards attaining a topshot such as availability of technology, increased funding, complete and continuous interest in research activities, the harnessing the right opportunities and seeing the need for research.

    • Alao Abiodun, Alaojoshua200@gmail.com

  • Bromate: Your beloved bread may be a cancer agent

    14 years after the NAFDAC ban on carcinogenic bromate, researches across the country have raised questions over compliance by bakers and whether the regulatory body is indeed ensuring compliance. Muneer Yakub reports.

    Confronted with the likelihood of developing cancer due to his regular consumption of the banned bromated in bread, Abdullahi Shehu (not real name) who could best be described as a bread addict, with a deeper affection for the popular ‘Agege bread’ simply exclaimed, “Cancer? From where? Bread that we have been consuming for decades?”

    “How did you arrive at that?” he asked, with shock, disbelief, and a little bit of fear, clearly written over his face, even as he announced that he was planning on having another loaf for dinner.

    Shehu claimed his burning love for bread was borne out of his inability to cook other meals, save noodles; adding that “bread, especially Agege bread, always surfaces as the way out.”

    Asked if he would quit consuming bread, having heard its health risks, Shehu confessed that he probably wouldn’t. “I’m just in love with bread,” he said, with a sorry-to-disappoint you look. “I can’t quit it, I can’t afford to miss it; I’d rather keep praying for protection.”

    Bread, bromated and Cancer

    Bread is one of the most staple, cheap, fast foods in Nigeria. It is widely eaten and ubiquitous in many households.

    Because most consumers prefer it soft, fluffy and smooth, the use of artificial enzymes and chemicals, dubbed improvers, able to provide these qualities became common in bakeries.

    Amongst these improvers is potassium bromate, which was banned by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, as far back as 2004, due to its link as a cause of cancer and many other deadly diseases.

    A decade and half after, however, The Nation gathers that some bakeries across the country still use the substance to bake bread.

    The Nigerian regulatory body took the cue from the World Health Organisation, which had proscribed the use of the substance as a bread baking ingredient in 1992, having proclaimed it as carcinogenic.

    Besides cancer, bromate has also been discovered to cause a handful of other diseases. These include renal failure, kidney failure, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea etc.

    Bromate also affects the nutritional quality of bread, by degrading the vitamins and essential fatty acid contents of the flour.

    In other words, bread improved with bromate offers close to no nutrition to its consumer.

    Therefore, considering the high amount of bread consumed on a daily basis in Nigeria, there is high dietary exposure to bromate, and, hence, a high risk of cancer and other fatal ailments.

    Only one of 30 loaves survived bromated test

    Sometime in August 2018, a research was conducted by A.S Naze of the Department of Chemistry, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port-Harcourt, to test for potassium bromate in bread sold across the city of Port-Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State.

    30 different brands of bread were obtained altogether – 15 each from Port-Harcourt North and Port-Harcourt South.

    At the end of the research, result revealed that all the 30 bread samples analysed, save one, contained bromate in high quantities, well above levels safe for human consumption.

    Earlier in July, another research had been carried out by one Nosa Omorodion of the Department of Health Service, University of Benin in Enugu, wherein 15 bread samples of different brands were collected across the state.

    But unlike the case in Port-Harcourt, all 15 bread samples analysed contained bromate in heavy quantities.

    The scenario was the same in Katsina in 2013, when Shuaibu Lawal of Katsina State College of Health Sciences carried out a test on 20 bread samples. None of the 20 bread samples examined was bromated-free.

    Scientists also carried out similar researches in Gwagwalada, a town in the Federal Capital Territory, and Nassarawa State. Sadly, no bromate-free bread was found.

    Rather, “the result showed that the locations have bakeries that use bromate content higher than the permissible limit,” Naze revealed.

    Ignorant bakers

    Findings have also shown that some of the bakers are ignorant of the constituents of ingredients they use in baking. For instance, when asked if he knew the improver he uses could contain bromate, which may be causing cancer in his customers, a baker at Mr. DBoss’s Bakery in Ogun State, simply replied, “It’s just like asking a cook what the content of Maggi is.”

    He expressed surprise at the information that there are different types of improvers, and claimed he did not know the constituents of his improver or whether it indeed contained bromate or not.

    To prove his point, he hurried inside and came out with a yellow sachet on which was an image of a chef, and a text which read “Betta Baker Bread Improver.”

    Handing it over to this reporter, Mr. D’Boss, popularly known by his bakery’s name said, “Go and analyse it yourself, take it to the lab, and see whether there is bromate in it. I only buy NAFDAC approved improver from the market; I don’t know whether it contains bromate or not.”

    D’Boss is just one of the many bakers, who have no idea what they feed their customers and are not committed to finding out— be it cancer, or other disease.

    How ‘NAFDAC approved’ bread may turn out bromated

    Since the ban on bromate from the baking industry, breads with labels bearing bold “BROMATE FREE” tag have flooded the market. Many of them carry a NAFDAC number, suggesting their approval by the agency. Yet, some of them have been confirmed to contain bromate during research analyses.

    This is because, according to A.O Emeje, a researcher, many bakers, in a bid to get approved by NAFDAC, bake a set of bread specially for presentation to NAFDAC for analysis. But after the approval, they backslide and return to their old ways.

    Findings revealed that compared to other bread improvers, potassium bromate is very cheap. So, bakers resort to its illegitimate use, despite government’s prohibition.

    A bromate seller in Lagos, Ojukwu, said bakers are some of his regular customers, followed by local morticians, who use the chemical for preserving dead bodies.

    NAFDAC gone to sleep?

    The question remains, how well has NAFDAC enforced the ban on bromated bread? How often does the body conduct random test on the hundreds of bread brands across the country?

    That may be difficult to say, considering the large number of bromated bread brands on the streets, as the afore-mentioned researches have confirmed.

    In 2015, the agency organised an on-the-spot bread test for various bakeries across the country, but that has remained the most noticeable of its efforts since the substance was prohibited in 2004.

  • ‘Farmers/herders clashes negatively affecting Nigerian economy’

    Former Lagos state Commissioner for Information and strategy and Vice Chairman of TV Continental, Dele Alake has said that the various conflicts in the country in recent times is affecting the economic, political and social lives of Nigerians, saying it was unfortunate that various reasons adduced for this challenge has not help in any way in addressing the problem.

    Read Also:The Nation/TVC summit: Experts set to discuss herders/farmers clashes

    Alake who spoke at the opening of the National Summit on Conflict resolution organised by The Nation newspaper and Television Continental in Abuja said the farmer/herders clashes in recent time has grossly affected the agricultural production of the country.

    He said even though the nation had managed to survive a break up, Nigerians cannot longer continue to overlook these challenges confronting it, pointing out that this explain why the two media houses considered it necessary to bring together stakeholder to deliberate on the way forward.

    He said: “There is no doubt that Nigeria is at a critical junction. In the annals of this country, our fire fathers created a vision of having a country of peace and harmony.

    “They created an environment that is conducive to our daily lives in peace. They envisioned a nation that is welded together as brothers and sisters where everybody goes about his or her daily duty unhindered, where our economy will thrive, our polity will be progressive and our society will be developed.

    “This we have been trying very hard to achieve and inspite of all the hiccups, the ups and down that has confronted us like every other nation, we have also managed to us ourselves together as one united forward looking country.

    “Infact, Nigeria is reputed to be one of the largest nations in the world in terms of abundant human and material resource, quite unique. We have adequate amount of sunshine, we have enough of rain fall. We have all the God give underground resources. Gold, bauxite, kaolin are available in this country, not to mention the black gold, oil.

    “We have abundant quality human resources and when you go out in the international community, you discovered Nigerians 8n the top echelon of the economy, business, politics, in the academia, sciences etc. we have all it takes to be on the top echelon of the comity of nation, but we have been struggling all along.

    “We have our own fair share of the challenges. But every time we seems to have been pushed to the precipice, we have managed to pull back to retrospect and reflect and by the grace of God, we have always managed to avoid disaster and disintegration and have trudged on in harmony and peace.

    “All along, we have been able to contend with centrifugal forces in our society and we have managed thus far. Why can’t we manage all that has happened.

    In recent times, our nation has been confronted with serious problem, the challenge of peaceful coexistence that some of our previous generations have taken for granted and we can no longer take them for granted.

    “Specifically, we have been confronted with all manner of forces that threatened us, threaten our social-economic advancement, threaten our political stability and threatening us even as a one united nation.

    “As usual, we are not going to sit down and fold our hands and keep watching till the apocalypse. This prompted two frontline media houses, The Nation newspaper and TVC to sit down, ponder on all these issues, for general good and even for peculiar interest and as responsible corporate citizens in the Nigerian project, we decided to relate a platform to bring all the parties that are contending with one another together because even after a war, the resolution will be on the round table and it will end up in discussion.

    “So, we decided that before we get to the level of an all-out war, we should bring all the warring forces to the round table to discuss because as the saying goes, to jaw jaw is better than to war.

    “There is no doubting the fact that all the clashes, with regard to the herder/Farmers clashes have impacted negatively on our environment, on our polity because there is tension everywhere, on our economy, particularly on agricultural production and sale and especially peaceful coexistence without which, no development can take place.

    “This was the prime objective and the motivation behind The Nation newspaper and TV Continental in creating this platform. We have decided to bring all of you together to vent your spleen in good conscience, in a peaceful atmosphere with a view to finding enduring solution to a seemingly intractable problem.

    “Various reasons have been adduced as causes of the clashes ranges from incursion by foreigners into Nigerian Territory or because some people wanted expansionism among others.

    “All these reasons have been unhelpful and have failed to abate the problem and these reasons have been giving discordant signs and we felt that there has a platform has not been created where the antagonist and protagonist can sit down together, face each other and come out with their own perspective, educate the public and all of us who are interested parties in the Nigerian problem with a view to resolving issues and coming out of this platform as brothers and sisters that we all want to be, which we all want to be.”

  • Farmer/herders clashes negatively affecting Nigerian economy – Alake

    …as Nation/TVC Summit opens in Abuja

     

    Former Lagos state Commissioner for Information and strategy and Vice Chairman of TV Continental, Dele Alake has said that the various conflicts in the country in recent times is affecting the economic, political and social lives of Nigerians, saying it was unfortunate that various reasons adduced for this challenge has not help in any way in addressing the problem.

    Alake who spoke at the opening of the National Summit on Conflict resolution organised by The Nation newspaper and Television Continental in Abuja said the farmer/herders clashes in recent time has grossly affected the agricultural production of the country.

    He said even though the nation had managed to survive a break up, Nigerians cannot longer continue to over look these challenges confronting it, pointing out that this explain why the two media houses considered it necessary to bring together stakeholder to deliberate on the way forward.

    He said: “There is no doubt that Nigeria is at a critical junction. In the annals of this country, our fire fathers created a vision of having a country of peace and harmony.

    “They created an environment that is conducive to our daily lives in peace. They envisioned a nation that is welded together as brothers and sisters where everybody goes about his or her daily duty unhindered, where our economy will thrive, our polity will be progressive and our society will be developed.

    “This we have been trying very hard to achieve and inspite of all the hiccups, the ups and down that has confronted us like every other nation, we have also managed to us ourselves together as one united forward looking country.

    “Infact, Nigeria is reputed to be one of the largest nations in the world,icky in terms of abundant human and material resource, quite unique. We have adequate amount of sunshine, we have enough of rain fall. We have all the God give underground resources. Gold, bauxite, kaolin are available in this country, not to mention the black gold, oil.

    “We have an abundant quality human resources and when you go out in the international community, you discovered Nigerians 8n the top echelon of the economy, business, politics, in the academia, sciences etc. we have all it takes to be on the top echelon of the comity of nation, but we have been struggling all along.

    Read Also: ‘Farmers/herders clashes negatively affecting Nigerian economy’

    “We have our own fair share of the challenges. But every time We seems to have been pushed to the precipice, we have managed to pull back to retrospect and reflect and by the grace of God, we have always managed to avoid disaster and disintegration and have trudged on in harmony and peace.

    “All along, we have been able to contend with centrifugal forces in our society and we have managed thus far. Why can’t we manage all that has happened.

    In recent times, our nation has been confronted with serious problem, the challenge of peaceful coexistence that some of our previous generations have taken for granted and we can no longer take them for granted.

    “Specifically, we have been confronted with all manner of forces that threatened us, threaten our social-economic advancement, threaten our political stability and threatening us even as a one united nation.

    “As usual, we are not going to sit down and fold our hands and keep watching till the apocalypse. This prompted two frontline media houses, The Nation newspaper and TVC to sit down, ponder on all these issues, for general good and even for peculiar interest and as responsible corporate citizens in the Nigerian project, we decided to relate a platform to bring all the parties that are contending with one another together because even after a war, the resolution will be on the round table and it will end up in discussion.

    “So, we decided that before we get to the level of an all out war, we should bring all the warring forces to the round table to discuss because as the saying goes, to jawjaw is better than to war war.

    “There is no doubting the fact that all the clashes, with regard to the herder/Farmers clashes have impacted negatively on our environment, on our polity because there is tension everywhere, on our economy, particularly on agricultural production and sale and especially peaceful coexistence without which, no development can take place.

    “This was the prime objective and the motivation behind The Nation newspaper and TV Continental in creating this platform. We have decided to bring all of you together to vent your spleen in good conscience, in a peaceful atmosphere with a view to finding enduring solution to a seemingly intractable problem.

    “Various reasons have been adduced as causes of the clashes ranges from incursion by foreigners into Nigerian Territory or because some people wanted expansionism among others.

    “All these reasons have been unhelpful and have failed to abate the problem and these reasons have been giving discordant signs and we felt that there has a platform has not been created where the antagonist and protagonist can sit down together, face each other and come out with their own perspective, educate the public and all of us who are interested parties in the Nigerian problem with a view to resolving issues and coming out of this platform as brothers and sisters that we all want to be, which we all want to be.”

  • Seeking better remuneration for Nigerian journalists 

    Irrespective of the dwindling economy and the economic comatose we’ve plunged ourselves into in Nigeria, there’s a dire need to find ways of ameliorating the plights of journalists and other beleaguered Nigerians. Journalists and indeed all Nigerian workers deserve a better welfare either from both public and private corporations or organisations.

    There are indeed dark valleys of stagnation to the joyous daybreak of economic prosperity of Nigerians but, however, the welfare of journalists is paramount hence the need to stop paying lip service, providing good and accessible welfare services is undebatable because journalists are the voice or mouthpiece of the masses within and outside Nigeria.

    The horrendous situation journalists are facing in Nigeria has, however, prompted the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) and the Coalition of Whistleblowers Protection and Press Freedom (CWPPF) to strongly advocate better welfare for journalists. This laudable move is necessary to uphold the respect and dignity which has been accorded the media profession just like every other dignified professions in the world but in a pathetic situation whereby journalists are poorly paid or not being paid at all by their employers, they get hindered in performing their responsibilities as watchdogs of the society.

    The collaborative efforts of PTCIJ with other media agencies at this current dispensation are imperative to develop a roadmap for enhanced welfare for Nigerian journalists. Laban Maku once posited that “No investment in the media can succeed without proper investment in the welfare and development of media professionals and workers.”

    While we’ve all perceived that one of the welfare conundrum which can be tailored down to poor remuneration as one of the biggest challenges facing the profession, there’s need for better working conditions of service for journalists, especially those in the news room working for long hours – a palatable environment could suffice for this, including welfare provisions for journalists which will eschew them from any negative actions.

    Without much ado, for any organisation to function very effectively either big or small, the welfare of the staff of that organisation must first be taken into consideration as utmost priority because a staff who is not taken good care of cannot function with empty stomach.

    The need for Nigerian journalists to be well and adequately remunerated coupled with the needed welfare packages to enhance their duties must be strongly advocated because of the enormous sacrifices and valuable contributions to societal growth. So, therefore, a good pay is necessary so as not fall as a prey to monetary inducement.

    The continuous peculiarities which have been germane issues over the years in press advocacy have just been majorly centred on censorship, harassment and imprisonment of journalists while the overall working and welfare situation of journalists do not get larger percentage of attention.

    Akabogu, C.E (2005), in his paper, “The Ethical Journalist and Brown Envelop Syndrome: The Way Forward”, he posited that although some journalists will always take bribe money, the great majority of journalists take bribe money because they are generally not well paid, even in the face of a lot of financial problems within and outside their working environment.

    Sadly, journalists are left at cross roads in the country in respect to survival especially with plethora of issues ranging from non-payment of salaries to journalists when due; even the salaries are not enough to take care of the basic needs of the journalists, as well as lack of recognition and acknowledgements. The poor remuneration has, however, prompted handful of journalists to engage in the “Brown envelope” syndrome act, so at the end of the day, the stain on the profession becomes enormous.

    • Alao Abiodun, a journalist, writes from Lagos. He can be reached via Alaojoshua200@gmail.com

     

  • Drugs you should not combine: Benzodiazepines

    Modern life is demanding on our physical, mental, and spiritual framework.  Many of our lives are naturally full of cares.  Professional cares, family cares, home cares, social cares, financial cares, as well as heath concerns. Professional cares can keep us awake at night burning the midnight oil.  Financial cares are perhaps primary for many people until they become stable in midlife.

    Family cares are complex and none is exempt.  Taking care of property, paying rent, keeping up with taxes and licenses, and registrations and school fees, and those factors that give us good social standing are endless cares. Then there are unexpected cares.  From repair of shoes and clothing to repairs of the car, generator, pump, electronics, it seems there is always some extra work, extra expense, extra demand on our time and life from unexpected sources.  No wonder drugs used for anxiety are commonly used in today’s world.

    Anxiolytic, antianxiety, sedatives drugs (that calm) and hypnotics drugs (that induce sleep) can be found in most homes today.  A very popular group of anxiolytics/hypnotics is the benzodiazepines.  Benzodiazepines such as diazepam and lorazepam are used to calm oneself when one has been worked up into a stat of anxiety.  Benzodiazepines such as temazepam, lormetazepam, nitrazepam are used to force oneself to sleep when sleep just won’t come.

    Benzodiazepines, though they are controlled substances, have become a  widely utilized group of drugs.   In general, the different drugs in the group benzodiazepines are respectively used for different conditions.  Some aresedative-hypnotics for sleep, some are adjuncts to anesthesia to induce relaxation and amnesia (procedural memory loss), some are anxiolytic, some are used for panic disorders, some are used to treat  seizures, some are used in the process of  alcohol withdrawal, and some are muscle relaxants.

    Because these drugs are ubiquitous, we need to educate our households about them.  Youths tend to experiment socially with these drugs.  Apart from the fact that some of them are used nefariously as date rape drugs, for mind control, and for other crimes, when mistakenly used by innocent members of the household, deaths can occur.

    Some of the well utilized benzodiazepine medications are Restoril (temazepam), Halcion (triazolam), Dalmane (flurazepam), ProSom (estazolam), – all used for insomnia to promote sleep; Serax (oxazepam); Versed (midazolam); Tranxene T-Tab (clorazepate), Niravam, Xanax (alprazolam) used for anxiety and Valium (diazepam); Ativan (lorazepam) used for both anxiety and insomnia.  Others such as Klonopin (clonazepam).are used for seizures and may not readily be found in households.

    As much as possible, benzodiazepines should not be used in conjunction with any other drug.  In particular, they should never be used with other commonly used drugs: barbiturates, pain killer opioids, or alcohol -all of which also depress the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).  Benzodiazepines should not be combined with drugs that have central nervous system actions such as tricyclic antidepressants.  If these drugs are to be combined, it should be under careful clinical care.

    A member of the household should not just take a “sleeping pill” or a sedative just because he or she thinks he or she needs it.  Some benzodiazepines (diazepam, chlordiazepoxide) are converted to active metabolites in the body and these metabolites remain in the system making these drugs long acting.

    READ ALSO: The scourge of drugs: at what cost?

    Temazepam may be more toxic than most benzo diazepines if given in high doses, for too long, or in conjunction with other drugs.  The symptoms of a benzodiazepine overdose or drug-drug interaction toxicity may include; drowsiness, slurred speech, nystagmus, hypotension, impaired motor coordination, coma, suppressed breathing, and cardiorespiratory arrest which is fatal.

    Impaired motor coordination or lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements (ataxia) is a dangerous effect of overdose or toxicity due to drug-drug interaction with benzodiazepines.  A person who losses control can have a car crash (or trailer crash or bus crash or train crash), machinery accident, fire accident, explosion accident, etc., and  can affects not only the person but other victims and property.

    Many drugs, including oral contraceptives, some antibiotics, antidepressants, and antifungal agents, inhibit liver enzymes. They reduce the rate of elimination of the benzodiazepines by liver enzymes and thus potentially can cause benzodiazepine toxicity and increase risk of benzodiazepine induced accidents and deaths.  These are commonly used drugs which a person may forget that he or she is using when embarking on taking a benzodiazepine.

    Benzodiazepines are a  widely used and popular group of drugs but they must be kept out of reach of children and out of reach of other members of the household for whom they were not prescribed and must not be used with other drugs by those for whom they were prescribed.

    Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis.  For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635