The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Understanding

  • Understanding and treating bad breath (Halitosis)…2

    Begun last week, this series has examined possible causes of this condition in the gum, teeth, mouth, throat , lungs and the involvement of diabetes (fruity breath) and kidney insufficiency or disease which leads to acetone build-up in the blood, urine and breath, (nail polish breath). Coincidentally about then, I developed a minor, unproductive cough originated in the upper throat. My nostrils were partially blocked. I realized these when I began to hear wheezing sounds whenever I lay in bed and paid attention to my breathing. I reached out for a jar of Echinace with Gold seal with root. It should help a bruise gum at the site of two teeth which often catches strands of beef and which sometimes get mauled by tooth pick. I emptied two capsules with my mouth, and with the tongue, later, a finger, spread it evenly on the gum, particularly the affected area. Then, I opened a third capsule which I employed as a snuff in one nostril after the other. Literally speaking, it went straight into the head, lighting a fire as it were.You know, a cold occurs when the system is cold. Heat overcomes cold and keeps the engine running smoothly. My nostrils ran, and I felt much relieved. The wheezing sound disappeared, and gum and teeth sourness and pain abated. I have seen then thought of another way of doing it with similar, if not better, effects and feel comfortable to recommend this other method to the mother of a four year-old child who said last week that the child was suffering from Sinus and Tonsil challenges. The other method involves dissolving the contents of one capsule in lukewarm water and, with a dropper, delivering it installmentally into one nostril at a time. Each time, the opposite nostril will be blocked so that the solution in the other nostril can be inhaled.

    Mouth odour, body odour,

    These conditions appear inter-related. When I was a boy, I was miseducated by tradition that people beset by body odour were people who were not well batted immediately after birth. Now, it seems more reasonable to link this condition to a smelly internal environment where odour cannot be completely expelled through the mouth, nose, urine and stool but through the skin and sweat as well. In many cases, these other excretory organs have deteriorated in their make – up and function and the skin, as the largest excretory organ, is called into service to handle more than its fair share of work. This thinking fascinated me years ago when I read a British Broadcasting Corporation (B.B.C.) report of an experiment on why mosquitoes appeared to attack some people more than others. Socks from many men were hung in pairs outside from a window overnight in a mosquito- prone area. In the morning, the socks were checked. The ones which had the most mosquitoes belonged to men who not only sweated most in the feet, but whose sweat contain the most nauseating smell. In other words, suggests the study, mosquitoes would appear to go more for poisonous oxidations. So, to address these questions, we should try to understand some of the things in such organs as the stomach, liver and intestine which may cause odor to develop in them and how to help these organs to overcome these conditions, so that, in overcoming them, we can surmount body odour as well as mouth odour and bad breadth.

    The stomach

    Many people eat to fill the stomach, rather than filling it half way. When the stomach is too full, food cannot be well digested. Therefore, it stays longer than it should. This makes the food begin to rot before it is pushed to the intestine for further digestion. The smell of rotten food can escape upwards to the mouth and the breadth. To worsen matters, the stomach may lack enough stomach acid to digest food. This, too, would keep the food hanging out longer, and the acid which rotten food will later produce can predispose the stomach to gastritis and peptic ulcer. One way to determine if stomach acid is low is to take one tablespoonful of apple cider vinegar (ACV) in a glass of water thirty minutes before a meal. If it doesn’t hurt despite seeming high acid level, low acid is the cause of the problems. Food will digest in the stomach far more quickly and the problems in the stomach may disappear. Gas is another problem of the stomach. It may cause bloating, cramping and pain. It may come from the ingestion of air with food, through talking while eating or in some other ways, or from the gas of putrefying food, the digestion of which is compromised by Helicobacter pylori, (H. Pylori) bacteria. The bacteria can be eliminated using Golden Seal root,Ditto probiotic (friendly bacteria) and colloidal silver among other herbs. Gas can be mopped up using activated charcoal zeolyte  Pure or diatom pure. Digestive enzymes should also help. A standard product should provide amylase (for digestive carbohydrate), Lipase (fats) and protease (proteins). They help well in the intestine.

    ther useful suggestions for gas and for bloating are fennel, charmomile, Anise, ment, peppermint, ginger. Some people who have low stomach acid may think they actually have excess stomach acid and, therefore, make the mistake of consuming antacids. This has the effect of actually increasing stomach acid and worsening the problem they had set out to correct. One product I cherish in balancing stomach acid, whether high or low, is bell’s excessive acid/alkaline balance. Another is Sodium phosphate, no 10 in the 12 number series of biochemic cell salts. It addresses acidoses throughout the body. Of excessive acid and Alkaline Balance, on of the readers of this column who was advice to try it for his ulcer-related conditions, was kind enough to accept that I share his experience with other readers. David (08032013005) said to me: The acidic Stomach Alkaline balance is a piece miracle worker. I took two tablets as prescribed on the evening of June 26th, 2015 and went to bed at 9:30pm. I woke up at 3:30am, lying on my left side this. This I haven’t been able to do since September 2014 despite having been examined by specialists in Germany, Sweden and Nigeria with course of this health challenge.’’

    Thanks, David. Many people put their light under the bushel. You have kept yours on the table to light the void for other people. And what does this product contain? The ingredients are Alfalfa extract, Barley grass extract, MSM, blue green algae, chamomile extract, cinnamon extract, gilantro extract, sodium carbonate, Rosemary extract, bearbeing, Aloe vera, Turkey, rhubarb extract, sodium phosphate, potassium carbonate and potassium and potassium sul-fate.

    Blue green alga, of course, refers to SPIRULINA, often mentioned in this column.

    The liver

    When I was a boy, and wished to grow tall and muscular, I loved to eat liver. We were taught in health science literature that it was a powerhouse of all –rounded nutrients. We were not informed that it was, at the same time, a warehouse of poisons waiting to be detoxified or inactivated or in various stages of inactivation. Ever since I knew about this, I stopped eating liver. What’s the point, I reasoned, of loading up on toxins while trying to load up on nutrients.

    he liver is an important organ of detoxification as it is of digestion. Subnormal livers have been linked to cancers. They have been linked also to digestive problems which can lead to bad breath. Alcoholism can lead to fatty liver, a condition in which excessive levels of fats accumulate in liver cells, causing inflammation and making this organ unable to perform its functions. One of the well known problems of the liver, which causes belching, abdominal pain and bad breath is gall bladder disease. The gall bladder is located under the liver to store and concentrate the bile, which is produced in the liver. Bile salts help to digest fat after it is released into the upper part of the small intestine known as the duodenum. I have an acquaintance who has been beset with gall bladder problems for many years. In the beginning, stones formed in his gall bladder. Later, the stones dissolved under medication with herbs, but the gall bladder remained inflamed. He suffers excruciating pains in the upper right abdomen, belches frequently and is literally knocked out whenever he eats any fatty food. Many people have gall bladder stones without knowing they have them. Recent studies suggest such stones may be the underlying cause of low blood pressure, especially where the nails have begun to present vertical ridges. If the stones are too large to pass through the bile ducts to the duodenum, they block the flow of bile. This condition can cause inflammation of the gall bladder called cholecystitis sometimes, this condition can become life-threatening and demand surgical removal of the gall bladder. Some of the symtoms include “pain after meals, intolerance of fatty foods, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite” e.t.c

    In many studies, deficiencies of certain nutrients have been linked to the formation of gall stones. These nutrients include the fat emulsifier, lecithin, magnesium, antioxidant, vitamin A, C, and E, B complex vitamins, zinc and selenium. Phosphotidyl choline, found in lecithin, has been found to dissolve gall stones which are often calcium stones. The preponderance of calcium in gall stones suggest that there is too much free calcium in the system and a lack of magnesium. Other risk factors include elevation of cholesterol in the blood stream and decrease in the secretion of lecithin, as already stated, which may cause cholesterol stones. Rapid weight loss, which releases large quantum of fat into the system is another.

    Yet another is fiber- free diet. Food intolerance or food sensitivity may also have a role to play, according to many studies.

    Bile is a greenish- yellow substance made of bile salts, water, electrolytes, bilirubin, cholesterol, and phospholipids.

    Bilirubin is the yellowish portion of degraded red blood cells which accumulates under skin, in the nail bed or the eyes if the liver does not promptly and efficiently clears it up. Phospholips are fat molecules. Bile helps in the digestion and absorbtion of fats, absorbtion of fat soluble nutrients, such as vitamin A and E, evacuation of bilirubin, elimination of drugs and other dangerous compounds and the retention of water by the colon as a support for bowel movement. It helps, also, in the excretion of excess estrogen, which prevents elevation of estrogen in the blood of men and women. When there is not enough bile or bile flow is sluggish, these activities suffer, and the result can be not only pain an bloating from digestive system troubles but fermentation and food decay as well. Gas, such as methane, infiltrating the bloodstream can then cause headaches, bad breath and even body odour. In hospital settings, ultrasound, surgery and other methods are employed to break up gall stones so they can move freely through the bile duct and support, thereby, unhindered bile flow. In alternative medicine, the resort is to food medicine, including herbs. Historically, olive oil has been used to improve bile flow. Flax seed oil is said to improve inflammation and pain. Maria Trebent, says in her HELP THROUGH GOD’S PHARMACY:

    “interestingly, more women than men have gallstones. Nausea, vomiting and agonizing pain which shoots up and across the right rib cage towards the heart are the symptoms.  Since there are many remedies available in God’s pharmacy, it does not always have to end in an operation. A six- week course on radish juice has helped every time, unless the stones are of the rare kind that do not dissolve. In this case, an operation is necessary”.

    he story of a general’s wife taught her this remedy. She had had gallstones surgically removed and, to remind her, had mounted one of  them on the handle of a knife. As she was cutting radishes in the kitchen one day, the door bell rang. She kept the knife in the tray and went to answer the knock. By the time she returned, the radishes in the tray had dissolved the stones!

    Besides radises, herbs which protect the liver and  support its functions are known to help out in gallstone condition. Among these are milk thistle, carqueja, dandelion, lipase enzymes, turmeric, artichokes, wild yam root, vitamin C (which helps to convert cholesterol into bile), digestive enzymes, probiotic, chanka predra (the Asian name for a tropical plant known in Asian as stone crusher) and Eclipta Alba (another remedy widely used in Asia for liver, gall bladder, kidney and spleen conditions.

    Eclipta alba

    last week, I promised more information on this plant remedy after describing how it helps the elimination of  excess bile, to prevent it from being reabsorbed and converted to cholesterol, a process which leads to the use of new cholesterol sources and, thereby, ultimately reducing cholesterol level.

    Indigenously belonging to India, china, Thailand and Brazil, eclipta alba has been reported used for liver, eye, skin, hair, health, among other uses.

    There are few controlled studies on the medicinal use of this herb. But the few reported in scientific journals suggest it may be a remedy for many seasons. It has been found, for example, to inhibit growth of cancer cells, kill staphylococcus bacteria, promote hair growth, darken hair when used with honey as cream, stop nausea and vomiting in the ulcer patients. The Tawanese use it to stop bleeding. The Chinese use it as a “cooling and restorative herb” to support “the mind, liver and eyes.”

    According to an Eclipta alba literature review by BAN LABS LTD:

    “A clinical trial was conducted on 50 children suffering from hepatitis. All patients were administered eclipta alba powder with honey in doses of 50mg/kg body weight in three divided doses for a period of one to five weeks. The results revealed that 80 percent of patients recovered fully. In another clinical trial, 100 percent cure in the patients of infective hepatitis was observed with Eclipta herbal powder. A clinical trial was conducted on 30 patients of viral hepatitis with a compound herbal preparation containing Eclipta alba as one of the ingredients. The response was excellent in terms of clinical as well as biochemical parameters as compared to the placebo group. Eclipta alba is source of coumestan type compound used in phyto pharmaceutical formation of medicine prescribe for treatment of cirrhosis of the liver and infectious hepatitis.

    … Eclipta alba is widely used in India is cholagogne and de obstruent in hepatic enlargement, for jaundice and other ailments of the liver and gall bladder. The literature review speaks of stress relieving and muscle relaxant properties of Eclipta alba as well as a capacity to boost Macrophage (white blood cell) production, thereby signally an immune-boosting function. Its alkaloids help with pain reduction, it is said.

    The literature review examined damaging effects of paracetamol (Acetamophen) when it is used to induce damage in the livers of mice.

    “Treatment with 50 percent ethanol extract of  E. alba (100 and 250 mg/100g body weight) was found to protect the mice from hepatotoxic (liver damage) action of Paracetamol as evidenced by significant reduction in the elevated serum transaminase levels.

    Histological studies showed marked reduction in fatty degeneration and centrizonal necrosis in animals receiving different doses of E. alba along with Paracetamol as compared with the control group.’’

    On a final note today, there is good news in Eclipta alba for people who have hair, problems, such as falling hair syndrome. When juice of the fresh leaf was mixed with petroleum jelly, it cut hair growth time by half. When the leaf extract was boiled with coconut oil, it not only promoted hair growth similarly but blackened it. This should be good news for Mrs Toyin Obasanjo who has just begun to produce Virgin and extract Virgin coconut oil, despite all the challenges it presents. What about presenting it to friends as a beauty agent in association with Eclipta alba?

  • Understanding and controlling bad breath (Halitosis)…1

    Today, I remember the general morning assembly of my generation’s primary school days. It took place on the play field, if the school had one, or elsewhere out door on the grounds. Each class field in a long queue, attended to by the class teacher. After the Christian “worship” and prayers, it would be time for “health” inspection. Every-one showed his nails. If they were long or the underneath was dirty, they were cut and cleaned and, as punishment, the pupil was caned. The uniform, too, was inspected. Pupils who were dirty and/or wore torn uniforms were caned and sent home. Bushy hair was cut with attendant punishment. Anyone who did not bath that morning was ordered bathed by a pupil of the opposite gender. For this reason, everyone took personal hygiene seriously. And for pupils whose mouth smelled, either from bacterial or viral degradation of their mouth tissue, or from the breakfast of that day, a public mouth cleaning took place. Then those days, I learned to clean my mouth after every meal and to try and smell my breath before leaving home for school in those days and, today, before hopping off to work or elsewhere.

    Today, almost every adult of my generation is conscious of personal hygiene. We bath in the morning and before we retire to bed. Some men cut their hair about two times a month. In the female personal hygiene market, the salons are making good fortune from hair treatment, retouches and styling. Our dressing has now left the realm of wearing something to cover nudity to ego or power packaging and, for many women, coquetry in addition. But many people, men and women, young and old, fail in one department … their breath. For the breath of many people stinks.

    About four years ago, a woman aged 24 asked me for natural cure of her bad breath. When I asked if there was anything unusual about her mouth, tongue and gum, it turned out there were many. Her tongue was heavily coated with grayish and slimy matter, and the inside of the cheekbone, on one side was, a ring of infected tissue reddish on the inside and ringed by whitish  dots of inflamed matter on the edges. The Yoruba of south- western Nigeria call it owo eyo (r: m: r 🙂 because it resemble a coin, which is owo or money or cowrie (owo eyo), used in pristine times as a medium of exchange. This is caused sometimes by the human papilovirus and requires antiviral treatment. There is no doubt that exudations from this infection can tamper with clean, fresh breath.

    When we think, or talk of, bad breath, we think, quite naturally, of the mouth. But bad breath sometimes, if not often, has origins in the sinuses of the nose, the throat, upper respiratory tract, the stomach, the intestine, diseased liver and kidney(s), cancer, the blood and the lymph. In the mouth, bad breath may be temporary or chronic, that is, longstanding. Temporary bad breath may arise from the eating of spicy foods which release sulfur and certain essential oils in the mouth, intestine and blood. Bacterial in the mouth may degrade these oils and worsen the breath. While such bad breath may be easily overcome by brushing teeth and gums and resorting to mouth washes, a more difficult type may defy these approaches to eliminate it. This more difficult type often results from a film of bacteria which clings to the teeth and gums and enables these bacteria to eat up food remnants in the mouth that is not cleaned up after a meal. The poisons from this action cause teeth decay and gum disease, among several mouth aliments that are their handiwork. According to the Microbiome Database (HOMD), there are about 700 prokaryote species of bacteria in the human oral cavity. There are about 200 projects ongoing worldwide to determine just how many bacteria, friendly and otherwise, that are present in each person’s mouth. Dr. Eric Shapira, at the time he was assistant clinical professor and lecturer at the University of the Pacific School of dentistry, said “there are 50 trillion of these microscopic organisms loitering in your mouth.”

    hese bacteria may be living or dead. One of the ways it would appear nature gets rid of them is through antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA) present in the saliva. Many studies suggest that the production of IgA in the parotid siliving gland decreases with age, which may suggest why, all things equally, the mouths of young people are more resistant to bad breath or mouth odour than those of much older people.

    Dr Shapira suggests that, to get rid of this film of bacteria, the teeth should be brushed, clean of them, after every meal. Where a brush and toothpaste are not readily available, he says:

    “When you can’t brush, you can rinse. Go to the restroom after meals and get a mouthful of water, swish it around and wash the smell of food from your mouth.”

    He says that if you are at a restaurant and you cannot excuse yourself from the table that is not a food excuse not to clean up. “Take a sip from your water glass”, he says, “and discreetly circulate the water across and around your teeth, then swallow those offending bits of food.”

    Failure to do this is one way of causing trouble in the mouth. Another way may be through tooth-picking food debris caught between two teeth. A pick may miss the target and injure the gum by puncturing it. I learned my own lesson about this the hard way. Today, I use dental floss. It comes in different forms. I have graduated from the thread type to the type with a structure like a harp. I have seen even two types of this. The American-made type lasts longer. After use, I keep it in saline water and may re-use over, say, one week. The string of the Chinese brand is thinner, and may break before a second flossing.

    Dr Shapira must laugh when he learns about how I break his rules on rights that I am too tired to clean up and would like to just fling myself into bed after work. On such a night, I may open one or two capsules of Golden seal root and empty them in my mouth. Then I brush it on the gums teeth and tongue. The anti-microbial prevents adherence of the microbes to human tissue and then kills them. In the alternative, I may do the same with Diatom, also called Diatomaceous health or Edible Earth. It does the same and more. In addition to this, one may try mouth washes. Dr Shapira says the choice may be determined by colour and flavour. I take notice of two from his suggestion. The colour of one is green, the other red. The green contains essential oil such as thyme, eucalyptus, peppermint, and winter green as well as sodium benzoate or benzoic acid for preservation. The red may contain zinc compounds. A deficiency of these compounds has been linked to bad breath.

    If these do not appear to help, a dentist may be consulted. For the problem may be hibernating in the root canals or may arise from decaying mercury fillings or decomposing gums.

     

    Dr James Lind

    We cannot talk about oral or mouth hygiene without a mention of Dr. James Lind (4 October 1716 to 13 July 1794). A Scottish physician, he save British sailors from a seemingly intractable problem of gum disease and falling teeth. He discovered that citrus fruits prevented scurvy, a condition of bleeding gums, gum and teeth disease. In those days, the importance of Vitamins C for the prevention of scurvy was not known. Scurvy or bleeding comes when connecting tissue of cells is weak. Vitamin C and the bioflavoniods strengthen connective tissue. Dr Linus Paule, father of Vitamin C research of our generation who died at the age of 103 and received two Nobel Awards on Vitamin research not shared with any one, found that, by the time the gums start to bleed, bleeding would have been going on in the organs for long time. In Dr Lind’s days, 1,400 of 1,900 sailors died of survy in one single incident. Although Dr Lend was not the first to suggest citrus fruits as anti–scorbutic agents, he was the first to study their impact in 1747, which has been suggested as one of the first clinical experiments in medicines history. He divided scurvy-suffers sailors into six groups and found that the group which took cider with their meals and that which had two oranges and one lime recovered significantly enough to be fit for work.

    Borrowing a leaf from Dr Linds work, I began my breakfast this Ramadan 2015 with the juice of four oranges and that of four limes in which I dissolve one teaspoonful of wheatgrass powder for minerals and vitamins, and a quarter or half teaspoon of spirulina for proteins. Then, I do not forget to take 1,000mg of the alkaline or buffered form of vitamin C. Wheatgrass and spirulina contain chlorophyll, which deodourses the mouth and blood, and kill germs, besides.

     

    Sinuses, tonsils

    Bad breath can come also from inflamed, blocked or dripping sinuses. These are hallow passages in the nasal cavity which facilitates air movement in and out of the body and helps in the balancy of pressure. We can tell of their importance when they are blocked through the heaviness we feel in the head and in the ears. Congestion in the sinuses encourages the proliferation of germs which, in turn, breeds odour. The odour, being gaseous, may appear in the mouth as bad breath. It has been suggested by some authorities that these congestions occur to trap germs and should not be supressed but rather encouraged to do their job which involves trapping and sweeping out the microbes and disturbing foreign agents. In biochemic  medicine the colour of the mucus indicates a certain cell salt deficiency which gave rise to the condition. For example, a bloody mucoid discharge indicates a need for ferrum phosphate. Oregano oil spray are useful in keeping the sinuses free as are other circulation promoting herbs such as cayenne. If the tongue is gray, indicating candida presence, it is the time to take anti-fungals such as Amazon AF or Amazon CF or pau d A’rco. Use may be found for colloidal silver. It may be let in through a dropper and sniffed in, used for a mouth wash, or taken internally, as oral trush may indicate overload of candida in the gut and/or blood stream. This treatment may also be adopted for throat and upper respiratory tract conditions which may breed germs and throw up such odour that may seek outlet through the mouth.

    Diabetic breath

    A fruity smell in the breath suggests serious diabetes. The breath is often a telling tale for diagnosis. At the western new england university, researchers were testing a breath analyzer which can detecth if the patient is diabetes free or prediabetic. Diabetes  releated bad breath (halitosis) has two major origins. The first is Periodontal  disease (gum disease). The other is the presence of large amounts of ketones in the blood. Periodontal disease is like a two-way traffic or double-edged sword. Diabetes can cause periodontal disease, periodontal disease can complicate the problems of diabetics. A report on the IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Science says about one in three diabetics may experince periodontal  disease, heart disease and stroke. Diabetes reduces blood flow by thickening the blood and causing blockages to circulation. When the gums are not well supplied with blood and oxygen, they may become weak and succumb to infections. Infections eat up the gums, causing bad breath. If diabetes elevates glucose levels in the mouth, this will promote bacteral growth, infection and halitosis (bad breath). Gum infections are more difficult for the body to fight when glucose levels in the blood  rise. In gum disease, germs attack the structure which builds the teeth down in the gum. Gum disease may lead to gum inflamation (gingivitis). Inflamation has been found to affect metabolism and raise blood sugar, which is bad news for the diabetics  some of the symptoms of periodontal disease, which produces bad breath, are redness of the gum, bleeding gums, teeth sensitive to cold and heat and receding gums. As for high levels of Kentos in the blood which manifests in the breath, they arise as a factor when the body isn’t burning glucose and there is a resort to fats for energy. Kentons build up in the blood and urine. They are produced, also during a fast or restriction to a high protein diet, and low carborhydrate diet. Bad breath comes with high Kentons level. One Ketone fraction called Acetone is a chemical found in nail polish. So, it can cause an odour in the breath which resembles nail polish. A high Ketone level may cause a condition called Ketoacidosis (DKA), the symptoms of which may include a sweet and fruity odour in the breath, more frequent urination, nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting elevated blood glucose levels, shortness of  breath, and mental confusion.

    aturally, the question will arise: how can one normalise blood sugar level? This is an important question often addressed in this column, because elevated blood sugar is too dangerous to health and life to be treated with kid gloves. Many people do not know their blood sugar levels had been rising for years. They get to know when their Kidneys have problems filtering the urine out of the blood. In extreme cases, a paralysed kidney function may lead to amonia odour in the breath. If you were ever in an office of the 1980s where building plans were printed, the stench which greeted you in those days was ammonia. It is the stench you encounter in the pit toilet filled with nitrogenous waste. This waste is plentiful, too, in the constipated intestine, which is a mini pit toilet. If the ammonia in the intestine escapes into the bloodstream, it may cause aches and pain in the brain. In this case, it is stupid to try to suppress the pain with pain killers instead of tackling it at the root. The kidney is meant to screen it out of the blood. When it fails on a large scale to do this, the ammonia may appear in the breath as a symptom of kidney disease. Like blood pressure (low or high) from which I have seen many people die, I do not take elevated blood sugar for granted. To aid balancing of blood sugar, I have learned over many years the importance of blood sugar cleansing, recomposition of the blood, or blood building, and the care of the endocrine glands which function like an orchestra, with the pituitary gland as the choir master. These endocrine glands include the pineal gland pancreas, the thyroid,  parathyroid, the adrenal glands and the pituitary, the testes and the ovaries. There are herbs which work for them all in various degrees as there are herbs which are specific for each. As an example, the red kidney bean pod, taken as tea, clears up all swellings caused by kidney insufficiency. So does Serrapeptase which dissolves blockages. I have experimented with diatom, and have witnessed my random blood sugar come down to 90 from about 140. I am yet to check its effect on cholesterol which it is said to also control. My favorite blood sugar burners include Chromium, Cinnamon, Fenugreek, Bitter melon, Kyolic, Magnesium, Zinc, Horsetail and proprietary blends which include Nature’s way blood sugar, Bell’s Blood sugar balance, which is currently on my medicine cabinet, Amazon pancreas support and the likes of them. They incorporate these and many other sugar burners in varying and different proportions.

     

    •To be continued.

  • Understanding Fayose’s hubris

    SIR: To the people of Ekiti, Fayose is hubris personified. He is a social welfarist and a man from among them. Yet he has courted enough controversies to last the state for decades. He loves and lives it. His other name is impunity. He has mastered the art of “carrying his people along” by manipulating their reasoning and by making them feel satisfied with the little. He twists and turns facts to present the people as the direct victims of his enemies’ actions. Anything done to correct the misadventure of Fayose is done to hurt the people of Ekiti.

    Fayose is an enemy of decent living or development. He rides on Okada to attend to official duties, he eats banana in the public, and he is ever wearing casual outfits to depict “simplicity.” He has warned his people not to expect any developmental structure, but to simply eat their fill. Fayose, the “hommie governor,” is not aspiring to an elite status, so why should anyone else?

    It is therefore no big deal that Ekiti has again become an all-time low state less than 10 years after it was bailed out of the same situation. Hitherto known as the Fountain of Knowledge, Fayose in his first term in office converted it to Fountain of Nonsense but was later rescued from his maladministration, handed over first to Segun Oni and later John Kayode Fayemi who upgraded it to the Land of Honour and Pride.

    Today, Ekiti is being widely referred to as a Ghetto State and its people are being called Vulnerable Nigerians. A real pity that the smell of impunity, brigandage and gangsterism oozing out of the state is so putrid that it has become an example of how not to run a state in the present-day Nigeria!

    Like every manipulator in history, Fayose is not acting for the fun of it. He has various possible motivations, paramount among which are the need to advance his own purposes and personal gain at virtually any cost to others, a strong need to attain feelings of power and superiority in relationships with others, a want and need to feel in control.

    So how does Fayose carry out his nefarious activities? He lies, either by omission or commission, he denies or refuses to admit that he has done something wrong; he rationalizes or spins, trying to minimize the effect of his action on the people. Sure, most manipulators assert that their behaviour is not as harmful or irresponsible as someone else was suggesting, for example, saying that a taunt or insult was only a joke.

    Make no mistake that he is a dunce or a fool that knows next to nothing. Fayose as a manipulator simply refuses to pay attention to anything that may distract him from his agenda, whenever he says things like “I don’t want to hear it” or “I don’t want to do that.” Of course, he also uses diversionary tactics, not giving a straight answer to a straight question and instead being diversionary, steering the conversation on to another topic. He uses evasion, giving irrelevant, rambling, vague responses, weasel words.

    Manipulators lie about lying, only to re-manipulate the original, less believable story into a “more acceptable” truth that the victim will believe. Projecting lies as being the truth is another common method of control and manipulation. Manipulators love to falsely accuse the victim as “deserving to be treated that way.” They often claim that the victim is crazy and/or abusive, especially when there is evidence against the manipulator.

    Well, Fayose is not actually always angry; he just puts on an act. He just wants what he wants and gets “angry” when denied. Such controlled anger is often used as a tactic to avoid confrontation, avoid telling the truth or to further hide intent. There are often threats used by him to falsely report abuses that the he had intentionally contrived to scare or intimidate the victim into submission.

    While this lasts, leaders of the opposition have their blame of not putting up any fight. Observers say even if their fears are genuine, they lack reasonable courage to confront Fayose.

     

    • Segun Dipe

    Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State

  • Understanding the demand of sacrifice for success!

    Sacrifice is a universal demand for the making of stars and it is impossible to emerge a star in life without embracing the law of sacrifice. No wonder Martin Luther King Jnr. said, “Every step towards the goal of justice requires sacrifice.” We must also understand that there is no star without a scar and the scar of every star is sacrifice (John 12:24-26; Luke 12:49-50; Philippians 1:21).

    WHAT IS SACRIFICE?

    It is the act of giving up a thing for something we believe is worth more: When this is done, the reward of sacrifice attends to us.

    It is surrendering something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable: For instance, King Solomon offered hundreds of oxenas sacrifice to God and in return, God gave him wisdom and he became wiser than all the men in his days (1 Kings 3:4-5; 2 Samuel 24:24-25).

    Sacrifice is also denying ourselves of certain comfort and pleasure, for the success of an assignment or a goal (Matthew 16:24).

    Furthermore, it is going beyond one’s best to achieve a given task: We must understand that doing our best in the pursuit of a particular goal is diligence; but going beyond our best is sacrifice (2Corinthians 6:3-10).

    What are the fundamentals of sacrifice?

    Sacrifice is a choice: We must recognize that sacrifice is not a gift, but a choice. It is the choice of the wise(Deuteronomy 30:19).

    Sacrifice commands rewards and benefits: The benefits of sacrifice always outweigh its cost. That’s why whenever it’s time to sacrifice, we must ignore the present and look to the future (Hebrews 12:1-2).

    Sacrifice requires putting our body under subjection(1 Corinthians 9:27; 1 Corinthians 15:31; Galatians 2:20).

    However, we must understand that not all sacrifices are acceptable. Remember, God rejected the sacrifice of Cain but accepted that of Abel (Hebrews 11:4).

    For our sacrifices to be acceptable unto God, the following must be in place:

    It must be love-motivated: Jesus said: Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father (John 10:17-18). (John 3:16; See also Genesis 42:18).

    It must be given heartily: Whatever sacrifice we are offering to God, must be from our heart with sincerity and zeal (Malachi 1:6-8, 12-13, 2:9).

    It must be done willingly(Exodus 35:5).

    It must cost us something(2 Samuel 24:24).

    It must be done in faith: From scriptures, we understand that whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

    WHAT ARE THE AREAS OF SACRIFICE?

    Giving our lives: The Bible clearly admonishes us to give our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). It is important to note that our lives must first be surrendered unto God as a sacrifice; otherwise, every other sacrifice holds no value (Galatians 2:20; see also Philippians 3:8).

    Our timeThe best way to redeem the time is through Kingdom service which is a major area of sacrifice for the promotion of the Kingdom of God (Ephesians 5: 15-17; Psalms 90:12).

    Our resources: These include: our intellect, material resources and whatever God has blessed us with.

    WHAT ARE SOME OF THE REWARDS OF ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICES?

    Dramatic turnaround: As it is written: When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream (Psalm 126:1). Nothing commands a dramatic turnaround like sacrifice. Remember, Abraham became a trans-generational blessing through his sacrifice.

    Joy unspeakable: It is written: Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore (Psalm 16:11). As weengage every area of sacrifice in service of the Kingdom of God, He will definitely reward us.

    Friend, these heavenly rewards are only available to the redeemed. You must be born again by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, before you can receives them. You can do so right now as you say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!”

    Every exploit in life is a product of knowledge. For further reading, please get my books — Wonders Of Praise and Understanding The Power Of Praise.

    I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively.

    I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

  • Understanding success to be successful

    Understanding success to be successful

    Her story shows that if one wants to build a successful business, one has to understand what success means and be truthful. She has achieved that with agro business, reports. DANIEL ESSIET.

    Miss Mayowa Oluyomi Oguntoyinbo, Chief Executive Officer, A.Y.O Farms, Ogun State  has a high entrepreneurial streak.  A graduate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Ibadan, with Masters degree in Public Health from Bournemouth University, United Kingdom (UK), she had  a desire  to  create something that will outlive her and  have a greater social impact as an entrepreneure.

    Her  words:” I remember getting paid for packing ready to use bathmate sponges my mother made while growing up as a very young girl, and I have applied one or two informal skills to earn income while leaving abroad.”

    She took up a few jobs and worked as   a Veterinarian Officer and Clinician. The   job entailed Animal Health Management and treatment and health advocacy to clients and the public.

    But her dream was yet to be accomplished. Eventually, she had to quit her job as a Veterinary  Officer and went  into agro business.

    One of the major reasons why she ventured into agric-business was her passion for food.  “I like food, I like good food and I like to enjoy what I eat, I know that in war-times and happy times, food is a need that will always come first after the need to buy fuel at the moment in Nigeria.”

    With N100, 000 in her hand, she decided to start small. She started with growing vegetables such as  green pepper, red peppers, tete, shoko, ugwu, cucumber, ewedu and okro. She added  maize and pilot crops of maize, pineapple and banana and later raised livestock since her vision was  to establish an integrated farm.

    She has since been in the business for three years. Today, the business, according to her,  is self sustaining with a number of staff on her employment.  Through creativity and persistence, she has  found a unique way of growing her business.

    Like other young entrepreneurs, she has faced some challenges as a start up. In all, she identified them as being more of technical and infrastructural than finance.

    While running the business has been deeply enlightening to her, she has also undergone technical training programmes.

    She has delved deeply into the sector, acquiring knowledge and expertise in various components that make up agro business.

    She said she would have loved to work with a mentor in a similar business for a year or average of six months first, carrying out technical analysis on the land to know the basic resources required ahead before going solo.

    Her success, however, has to do with her positive mindset.  ” Of course yes, if I do not believe I can do this and overcome this then I have started failing, if again I do not speak out then I am worse off,” she said. So, what does it take to make a success of any business?  She has learned to overcome the hurdles and barriers, which came from many sources such as family commitments, experience and lack of finance.  She  had always set her eyes on greater things. She never shied away from rejection and had so much faith in the quality of her produce.

    One of the keys to her success is determination and she has a resolute spirit in the face of any challenge. She always looks forward  to finding solutions to any problem confronting her and  her family has been a great driving force,  giving her the impetus to go for her dream.

    However, as much as these attributes are the backbone of her success, it was her pragmatic approach to getting finance and retaining control of her produce that  determined her success.

    She advised young entrepreneurs to   grow with their visions. ” Do not leave any financial or strategic decision to any ‘expert” and do not be afraid to ask for help,” she said.

    Her objectives are to make young entrepreneurs in the agro industry enterprising and productive to earn as much as they can and provide job opportunities for others.

    Her greatest achievement is running a well-established and self-sustaining business.

    Looking ahead, she hopes to, establish a big wholesale business and expand into new areas.

  • Understanding the sacred status of nature

    Nature is so important in the existence of man that nobody lives without depending on it for survival. In fact, nothing can exist outside of nature. Human beings live in houses, towns and cities and depend on sunshine, rain, clothes and food for survival and growth. In a sense, nature is the platform on which living creatures ride to live and from which they derive all they require for survival, including their respiration. Nature is ever kind, gentle, patient, honest and helpful to all creatures, showing much understanding and respect for their survival instincts and making adjustment for their incursions.

    Unfortunately, the greed of man and his avaricious tendencies has always made him attempt to wipe out nature or twist its course of operation for his own selfish gains.  From the very beginning of his existence, and with increasing intensity, human society has adapted nature and made all kinds of incursions into it. An enormous amount of human labour has been spent on transforming nature. Humanity converts nature’s wealth into the means of the cultural, historical life of society. Man has subdued and disciplined electricity and compelled it to serve the interests of society. Not only has man transferred various species of plants and animals to different climatic conditions, he has also changed the shape and climate of his habitation and transformed plants and animals. If we were to strip the geographical environment of the properties created by the labour of many generations, contemporary society would be unable to exist in such primeval conditions.

    Man is constantly aware of the influence of nature in the form of the air he breathes, the water he drinks, the food he eats, and the flow of energy and information. And many of man’s troubles are a response to the natural processes and changes in the weather, intensified irradiation of cosmic energy, and the magnetic storms that rage around the earth. In short, we are so connected with nature that we cannot live outside it. During their temporary departures from Earth, spacemen take with them a bit of the biosphere. Nowhere does nature affect humanity in exactly the same way. Its influence varies. Depending on where human beings happen to be on the earth’s surface, it assigns them varying quantities of light, warmth, water, precipitation, flora and fauna.

    Man and nature interact dialectically in such a way that, as society develops, man tends to become less dependent on nature directly, while indirectly his dependence grows. This is understandable because while he is getting to know more and more about nature, and in the process transforming it, man’s power over nature progressively increases, but in the same process, man comes into more and more extensive and profound contact with nature, bringing into the sphere of his activity growing quantities of matter, energy and information.

    However, man’s technological and scientific breakthroughs over the decades have had certain negative impact on the natural landscape of the earth. Forests, for example, have been destroyed for arable land to increase; the land has been over-grazed, thus exposing it to abnormal conditions. This was all done in the name of civilization. But as time passed, the interaction between man and nature became characterized by accelerated subjugation of nature and the taming of its elemental forces. Mankind became increasingly concerned with the question of where and how to obtain irreplaceable natural resources for the needs of production. Science and man’s practical transforming activity made humanity aware of the enormous geological role played by the industrial transformation of earth. Consistently and continually, man discovered and devised new pattern of coping with the daily challenges of life.

    Modern industrial activity has embraced ruthless ways of crushing global natural systems. Indeed, the prevailing trend of the modern world is the pursuit of activities that portend great danger for the future existence of the earth. In finding solutions to the complex world’s challenges, man unconsciously creates other problems that are often too difficult to manage. Climate change, overpopulation, loss of topsoil and fresh water, increasing rates of species extinction, deforestation, imperiled coral reefs, unstoppable invasive species, toxic chemicals that remain for eons in the environment, persistent human poverty and hunger, and an increasingly inflated and unstable world financial system are some of the results that unwholesome human induced activities have brought upon the world.

    The problem of eliminating industrial waste is also becoming increasingly complex. The threat of a global ecological crisis hangs over humanity like the sword of Damocles. His keen awareness of this fact has led man to pose the question of switching from the irresponsible destructive and polluting subjugation of nature to a reasonable harmonious interaction in the “technology-man-biosphere” system. Whereas nature once frightened us and made us tremble with her mysterious vastness and the uncontrollable energy of its elemental forces, it now frightens us with its limitations and a new-found fragility, the delicacy of its plastic mechanisms. We are faced quite uncompromisingly, with the problem of how to stop, or at least moderate, the destructive effect of technology on nature.

    Human activity at various times has involved a good deal of irrational behaviour. Labour, which started as a specifically human means of rational survival in the environment, now damages the biosphere on an increasing scale and on the boomerang principle—affecting man himself, his bodily and mental organisation. Under the influence of uncoordinated production processes affecting the biosphere, the chemical properties of water, air, the soil, flora and fauna have acquired a negative shift. Experts maintain that 60 per cent of the pollution in the atmosphere, and the most toxic, comes from motor transport, 20 per cent from power stations, and 20 per cent from other types of industry.

    Many people seem not to understand that the quality of our lives as human beings is substantially a reflection of the quality of the environment which we inhabit. Many still seem not to comprehend that the environment which we inhabit, like kola in Igbo culture, is life in itself. It is whatever we give to the environment that it gives back to us. No more, no less. Most cities of the world experience environmental abuse as a result of the ignorance of the people when it comes to environmental matters. It is from this perspective that one really takes exception to various habits and activities of Lagos residents that portend great danger to the environment. How, for instance, does one explain such despicable attitudes as defecating or urinating in public places, indiscriminate refuse dumping, drainage blockage, construction on waterways, drainage alignments, throwing  of refuse into canals and such unauthorised places, turning garden and parks into arena for environmentally unfriendly activities among others ?

    As a people, we need to really come to terms with the significance of an improved environmental habit. When we deliberately choose to act in manners that endanger the environment, we are the ones that would certainly bear the consequences of such actions. Hence, preserving the sanctity of nature should be everybody’s responsibility because when nature fights back, no one could cope with its rage.

    • Ibirogba is Honourable Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Lagos State 

  • Understanding the miracle power of praise!

     Today is Easter Sunday, a day when Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As you celebrate, don’t forget that Christ is the reason for the season. I Wish You Happy And Glorious Easter!

    Recognize that though we pray according to God’s will and receive in faith, we must recognize that praise is the spiritual signature required to take delivery of our answered prayer parcels. When we pray, God answers; but when we praise, He steps in with all His power and might.This is why we can praise our way out of every valley into the high places of life. Therefore, it is not enough for us to believe, we must also engage in fervent praise to harvest answers to our fervent prayers (Psalms 47:5-7, 67:6; Habakkuk 3:17-19; Acts 16:25-30).

    Moreover, thanksgiving and praise constitute the spiritual live wire of our prayer life. This is because we secure access in prayers through praise and also take delivery of answers through same. That is what qualifies praise to be the covenant sickle of harvest for answered prayers (Psalm 100:4; Philippians 4:6; Joel 3:13).

    For instance, when Jesus got to the tomb of Lazarus, He turned on the key of praise to take delivery and said, “…Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.” Thereafter, He called forth Lazarus and the Bible records, “And he that was dead came forth…” (John 11:41-44).

    BUT, WHAT IS IN PRAISE?

    • Praise is a mountain-moving force: We must recognize that even though God has released certain blessings to us, they are being contested by the enemy (Deut. 2:24; 1 Cor. 16:9). For instance, when Daniel waited on the Lord in a fast for 21 days, the Bible records that the answer was dispatched on the first day; however, the prince of Persia withstood the delivery until help came from heaven (Daniel 10:12-13).

    Let us understand that there are resistances that we must contend with, before we can possess and take delivery of answers to our prayers. One of the ways through which we clear these resistances is through the medium of mountain-moving praise. This is not casual praise, but warfare praise.

    Let us examine some scriptural examples that qualify praise as a mountain-moving force.

    •When Judah was confronted by terrible enemies, they prayed and fasted. Then, God instructed them to appoint singers and they sang to the warfront. When they began to sing and praise God, God set ambushments against their enemies and they were all smitten (2 Chronicles 20:22-23).

    High praise is the medium through which we provoke help from above, to level out the barriers on our path. Furthermore, we understand from scriptures that when praise is perfected, our enemies are silenced. Thus, it is wisdom to engage the potent weapon of praise (Matthew 21:16).

    •When the wall of Jericho stood as a barrier against the children of Israel, the sickle of praise levelled that wall and they conquered (Joshua 6:20).

    •When the Israelites sang their way out of Egypt, God’s presence was in their midst and it cleared every barrier off their way. For instance, when they were confronted with the barrier of the Red Sea on their way to the Promised Land, it parted at their appearance. Even the mountains and the hills gave way to them.

    It is important to understand that God dwells in the praises of His people and we invoke divine presence through praise, which clears off every barrier on our path (Exodus 15:1-5; Psalm 114). However, we discovered from scriptures that God’s Word is a major facilitator of praise (Jer.15:16; See also Psalm 56:10).

    We must recognize that revelation of the Word stimulates joy and that joy springs forth praise. That is why people who walk in revelation are ever joyful, because praise focuses on the efficacy of what is written and not what is happening.

    Friend, engaging the power of praise is for those saved. You get saved by confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. You can be saved right now as you say this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Cleanse me with Your precious blood. Today, I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Thank You Jesus for saving me! Now I know I am born again!” I will continue this teaching next week.

    Every exploit in life is a product of knowledge. For further reading, please get my books — Wonders Of Praise and Understanding The Power Of Praise.

    I invite you to come and fellowship with us at the Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, the covenant home of Winners. We have four services on Sundays, holding at 6:00 a.m., 7:50 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively.

    I know this teaching has blessed you. Write and share your testimony with me through: Faith Tabernacle, Canaan Land, Ota, P.M.B. 21688, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria; or call 7747546-8; or E-mail: feedback@lfcww.org

  • Understanding will grow—Wenger

    Understanding will grow—Wenger

    Arsène Wenger admits that his summer signings are not quite on the same wavelength as their new team-mates – but he expects that to happen soon.

    Alexis Sanchez, Mathieu Debuchy and Calum Chambers all made their Premier League debuts for Arsenal against Crystal Palace on Saturday and all three impressed. Alexis played a part in both goals, Debuchy forced the save that led to Aaron Ramsey’s late winner and Chambers was composed at the back.

    Wenger knows it will take time for his new-look side to click but he saw promising signs at the weekend.

    “Technically the performance could have been better but the attitude and the not-give-up attitude was fantastic,” he told Arsenal Player. “In the end it got us through.

    “It’s normal, with the pre-season preparation we had, that we have some co-ordination problems, but overall I’m very happy with the attitude of the team.

    “There was some misunderstanding in our passing but overall I felt at the back Debuchy and Chambers played very well, they were really controlled. [Alexis] had good spells but he has to improve the understanding with his partners. The three of them have been very satisfying.”

    The Arsenal manager also praised Ramsey after he popped up in the six-yard box to end Palace’s resistance in stoppage time.

    “It’s important for us that he can score goals,” said Wenger. “It’s a continuity of what he has delivered last season and that’s good for us.”

     

     

  • Understanding and containing Ebola virus

    Since the break of the news of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in a Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) consultant at the Ministry of Finance in Liberia and his subsequent death, fears have heightened among Nigerians about the ‘mysterious’ nature of the dreadful Ebola virus, especially as the World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus spread might continue for some months in West Africa. With several reports of Ebola infection in the West Coast of Africa, countries such as Mali, Gambia, Ghana and Sierra Leone, are currently experiencing the most demanding outbreak since the disease was first discovered 38 years ago.

    The tension over the killer disease is obviously high because Ebola is known to kill up to 90 percent of infected people while death can occur in as little as one week after contacting the disease. As usual, this situation has created many self-made “Doctors” and health experts on the social media who have been bombarding Nigerians with different “authentic information” on Ebola. Presently, there is no inoculation and there is no cure for it, as doctors have only been able to trace its symptoms as high fever, redness of the eyes, bleeding from all body openings, blister rashes on the skin, vomiting, diarrhoea and general weakness of the body.

    The Ebola virus, which derives its name from Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it was first discovered in 1976, is, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), a “zoonotic” disease whose virus can easily spread between animals and humans. In the view of scientists, the virus was originally present in wild animals living in tropical rainforests of equatorial Africa. Fruit bats are one of the main hosts of the virus, as they can transmit the disease while remaining unaffected by it. The disease spreads to humans when they come into contact with blood or other body fluids from infected animals.

    The disease is highly infectious. It can be transmitted through bodily fluids, skin contact with an infected person or through indirect contact with environments contaminated by the disease. It can have a long incubation period, lasting up to three weeks, which allows it to spread rapidly before diagnosis and quarantine can take place. Patients who have recovered from it can still pass it on, through sexual contact, for up to seven weeks. It is that dangerous!

    Suspect Ebola in people who complain of fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, weakness, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain and lack of appetite. Some patients may also experience blister rashes, red eyes, hiccups, cough, sore throat, chest pain, difficulty in breathing and swallowing, as well as bleeding inside and outside of the body. Symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 21 days after exposure to the virus though 8-10 days is most common. Some people who become sick with Ebola HF are able to recover, while others do not. However, it is a common fact that patients who die usually have not reported it or commenced treatment early before it gets to critical stage and have not developed a significant immune response to the virus at the time of death.

    Prevention of Ebola hemorrhagic fever is still difficult, as doctors are still trying to unravel the mystery behind its high lethal nature. However, early testing and isolation of the patient, as well as barrier protection for care-givers (mask, gown, goggles, and gloves), is very important to prevent others from getting infected. As at now, researchers, scientists and medical workers are still trying to comprehend the Ebola virus and identify its environmental reservoirs in order to fully comprehend how outbreaks occur. They are actively engaged trying to establish an effective vaccine against Ebola viruses by using several experimental methods, but there is no vaccine available currently.

    Therefore, considering the dearth of effective treatment and a human vaccine, raising awareness on the risk factors for Ebola infection and protective measures available for individuals appears the only way to reduce human infection and death. It is, however, very important, first and foremost, to correct certain misconceptions and deliberate lies about the disease so that people do not fall victims of con men who are out now to deceive them to succumb to their plots. It is, for instance, imperative to stress that the disease is strictly a medical matter and, as such, should not be garbed in spiritual clothing. There have been reports that some religious leaders are already claiming they could cure the disease. This is a dangerous trend, as it could lead to the spread of the deadly virus all in the name of trying to heal victims of the disease. Only doctors, not spiritual, community or political leaders, have answer to Ebola and Nigerians should learn to take the right decisions to save us from ignorantly spreading unhygienic conditions. Our leaders too should be honest enough to direct their followers to the hospital when they have health issues. That is the right thing to do.

    Similarly, it must be stressed that Ebola is not contagious if people do not have contact with an infected person. It is important to emphasise this, as reports have indicated that people no longer want to exchange pleasantries through handshake for the fear of contacting the disease. One really needs to come into very close contact with blood, organs, or bodily fluids of infected animals, including people. If you educate people properly and isolate those who are potentially infected, it should be something you can bring under control.

    Also, it is equally important that our people remain calm as there is absolutely no need to panic. The situation is under control as the Lagos State Government is currently working with the Federal Ministry of Health, Centre for Disease Control, WHO and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that everything is done to keep our country secure from the disease. There is, therefore, no need for people to send panic messages through phone or social media, as this will only escalate fear and increase agitation among the citizens. Also, all self-defeating claims that Ebola can be contacted in the market, at bus stop, cinema, town hall meeting, social engagements, hair dressing salon or on football field are not medically supported because affected people, whose bodily contact could transmit the disease, cannot have the strength to attend those public places.  It is, however, vital that our people follow the basic rules of hygiene such as washing of hands, with soap and water, especially after using the gents, washing fruits before eating, cooking meat and food properly before serving, maintaining clean environment and avoiding self medication. We must be alert until the disease, which has refused to leave Africa for 38 years now, is chased away from those neighbouring countries where it is now.

    On a final note, we implore everyone to become alert to their individual health condition and promptly report any strange health situation to the nearest Primary Health care Centre to them. Fortunately, each of the 57 councils in Lagos has at least one flagship PHC which have enough facilities and trained health workers to address developing strange medical issues. Inability to do this at the appropriate time could endanger many lives. This is not the time to joke with health related issues and this is not the time to feel ashamed of revealing your health condition, procrastinate about it, be complacent, get frustrated, be superstitious or get too religious about your health, for a stitch in time, they say, saves nine.

    • Ibirogba is Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lagos State
  • Understanding Obasanjo’s leadership and lesson

    Understanding Obasanjo’s leadership and lesson

    Sitting down there at his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta watching him play his favourite Ayo game, relishing in banters and wisecracks, the mind of the close observer was actually racing through his life’s trajectory to properly locate his place in history. Of course the memory will keep coming back: the memory of an extraordinary life well spent to serve the nation and humanity at large. Yet, he does not seem to be tired – still very relevant in our national life: bracing the odds to add value in public discourses, policies and development matters even with strong commitment in aggregating collective efforts at maintaining peace through dialogue on conflict resolution both in the sub-region and the African continent.

    President OlusegunObasanjo remains an enigma whose voice even in international affairs is still important and he continues to inspire. When he recently resigned as chairman of the PDP BoT, so many political slants were ascribed to it but the reality, going by his calendar, is that he is actually well engaged, doing the rounds in global diplomacy, facilitating investment drive to Africa and mentoring towards attainment of global peace and social progress.

    Critically situated, Obasanjo’s leadership qualities have made him a relevant statesman who is accorded respect and remarkable attention as a notable African figure who is conscious of his place in history and lending his robust influence in this regard to create such worthy solutions to myriad of human conditions and public policy issues particularly in making governance more meaningful to development around the world. Like Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, Obasanjo has demonstrated that quitting the seat of power does not make a former leader a laidback but an opportunity to do more in enhancing humanity.

    Thus his leadership, in an enlightened reckoning, deserves a second look, probably researching into it as it is done elsewhere, to properly dissect and document it for a better understanding and of course this could be useful in furthering the national conversation in various spheres of our life. Indeed, in so doing, posterity can better appreciate him and his leadership contributions beyond the presidential tag.

    In analyzing President Obasanjo’s leadership content, I think political historians would likely find his intellectual bent as a formidable tool which has been instrumental to his accomplishments. We follow him through his era both as a military leader and democratic president to see conscious and deliberate actions in instituting intellectualism in his leadership style and the results have been quite impressive. From African Leadership Forum to the OlusegunObasanjo Presidential Library, we can see genuine commitment to scholarship, leadership, cultural and human advancement.

    However, a major aspect of this orientation which actually prompted this piece is Obasanjo’s literary contributions to national development and his current effort in authorizing the conversion of his popular Radio Nigeria programme, The President Explains, into a book is vintage Obasanjo. Short of a full memoir (yes, he told my friend Sola Ojewusi he is writing his memoir), the publication which chronicles his policies and programmes as president for eight years is thoughtful, effectively documenting his AsoRock years for the benefit of history and a testimony to his convictions that those years were not without some substance in effective leadership and national regeneration. The 389-page book is divided into 15 chapters covering issues such as poverty alleviation, labour, productivity and work ethics, the anti-corruption crusade, re-inventing the nation: the Kuru Declaration, primary health care, reform, development and growth, NEPAD, democracy and democratic governance, agriculture and food security, among others. Readers will find the 20 pages of rare colour pictures of the former president at different levels of power and leadership at home and abroad interesting as we are also engaged by a penetrating insights provided by Prof. Akin Mabogunje in his forward to the book.

    Indeed, The President Explains has done us the favour of having Obasanjo’s voice on his policies and programmes documented in words which can also help us to review his presidency to either condemn such policies and programmes or possibly mark them up astruly relevant then and even now as some have suggested. Now, it will be difficult for any future revisionist to distort his stewardship because he has been quite sensitive to the burden of history by giving a democratic account of his leadership in his own words, nowin print and quite frankly The President Explains is amodel for current and future leaders at such critical levels to emulate.

    Looking back, Obasanjo’s sense of history and responsibility to the nation and the larger world would also find expression in so many literary works, thirteen in all, which have also documented the various phases of his life and perspectives on leadership, governance and development issues. From My Command, an account of the civil war,Nzeogwu, an intimate portrait of a friend and mastermind of the regrettable first coup to Not My Will, a personal account of the military government of Nigeria, A New Dawn, a collection of speeches to The Animal Called Man, his prison notes, Africa through the Eyes of a Patriot, Challenges of Leadership in Africa to other such dense topics on war, conflict resolution and development issues etc,Obasanjo has been alert to the need to preserve his history, our history, which is a rarity among his contemporaries.

    Yet, from generation to generation, it is the responsibility of leaders who were privileged to be in position of authority either in government or business to document their stewardship and indeed their broad views on various subjects as a reminder of what they stood for both in private and public lives. This is why, memoir, especially in contemporary times, has become such important engagement by leaders who really worth their salt and as

     

    we can see from the western world, leaders find it necessary to write their account in office and telling us about their lives in greater detail and we can better recognize their worth or otherwise by individual judgments, in spite of the reasoning by critics that such publications tend to emphasize personal achievements. Yet, the important thing is that history is richer for it.

    Using the Obasanjoideal as an example, therefore, we need to ask our leaders both in government and business: where are the memoirs? Towards the 70th birthday of former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, I had cause to call his spokesman, Mr. KassimAfegbua, to find out if there would be a book, obviously IBB’s memoir, to commemorate the day and he answered that there was “something like that.” My interest was actually personal out of sheer interest in the amiable general and the fact that he has so much to say because of his peculiar position in our national history, but alas the birthday came without any book presentation. Again, I called Kassim but this time he had a pleasant answer to the effect that the book I wanted to see would be out soon and actually being written by two big names in Nigerian journalism (mentioned the names) and this was also confirmed by IBB in his interview with Thisday’sJaiyeola Andrews, promising to even write more. Insa Allah. This is cheering and we are waiting with the high expectation that such publications would be frank and deep as IBB’s recent interviews have signposted.

    But as we hope to read IBB, we can never have the account of the civil war as would have been rendered by the late Biafran leader,Chief OdumegwuOjukwu. Years before he died,journalists were wont to pester him on “the book”, his civil war memoir, but would always promise to write it, yet he never did. Now an important part of our history has been lost forever! The issues are well known but his specific penetration and candid takes on the inherent issues as they relate to the nation’s political and economic configuration( the political economy — who gets what, how and when) and such allied topics as power structure, sharing or rotation and leadership recruitment then and now will make a difference. Are the circumstances surrounding the civil war still prevalent today or not? Why has the presidency eluded the Igbo for so long in spite of their remarkable contributions to national development? Should we still continue with the presidential system or return to regionalism as being currently canvassed by eminent voices? Was Governor RajiFashola right or wrong on his development narrative at last December presentation at the Island Club? Is the problem with leadership or followership or both? Is the bureaucracy structure in Ghana and Dubai same as we have it in Nigeria and what implication for government efficiency? And the 1999 Constitution: is it really a liability or otherwise in proper governance? These are issues we might have gotten answers to in such oracular book the late Ikemba could have written because they constitute associated points of divergence as we headed to the civil war.

    This point also bears relevance to my friend, YusuphOlaniyonu’s postulation that the Saraki’s family shouldas a necessity engage someone to do the autobiography of the late former Senate Leader, Dr. OlusolaSaraki. In his intimate tribute, while extolling the great attributes of the politician, he lamented his futile efforts at writing Oloye’s biography. Then death struck and we also lost so much to the man generally acclaimed to be a friend of the poor. Now how do we get to know his deep philosophy, values and candid opinion on such issues that influenced such dispositions to life? No expert can do proper justice to that except Dr. OlusolaSaraki himself but that will never be!

    So, where are the memoirs? Where was Chief Ernest DegunleSonekan when Abacha struck? What was he doing at that particular moment? As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, why didn’t he stop the coup? Indeed, what are his recollections in office and perspectives on an Interim Government, particularly the one he headed? These are salient topics Nigerians would like to read from him in a memoir he should write for posterity and advancement of our nation. Other leaders like AlhajiShehuShagari, GeneralsYakubu Gowon, MuhammaduBuhari and AbdusalamiAbubakar will also be fulfilling their leadership to the nation by writing without inhibition, all towards creating a new clime of serious engagement in nation building.

    These were thoughts for reflection as my friend Sola Ojewusi and I bade Baba Obasanjo bye at Abeokuta. Still we made efforts to see the OlusegunObasanjo Presidential Library, a monument, now in proper shape, and where The President Explains would be presented to the public on January 22, and we were not oblivious to the good work of the man whose intellectual thinking compares to a modern president in enterprise and leadership. Our leaders at every level of government and business must begin to write from this day. This is the lesson in Obasanjo’sleadership from the perspective of his literary contribution and preservation of our national history.

    Olutomiwa is the National Co-ordinator, Action for Democracy and Development.