Welcome to Rev4mation's world: 05/20/15

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

NSN raises the alarm over anaemia in women

A new survey conducted by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria has revealed that one in every three Nigerian women suffers from iron deficiency.

According to the NSN President, Prof. Ngozi Nnam, who spoke at a briefing organised by Unilever Nigeria, the survey also estimated that about 49 per cent of women of reproductive age have anaemia, 24.3 per cent have low iron levels, while 12.7 per cent of them are iron-deficient.

Iron deficiency anaemia is a condition in which the red blood cells or their oxygen-carrying capacity is insufficient to meet physiological needs of the body. Its symptoms include, fatigue, dizziness, weakness, drowsiness and shortage of breath.

Nnam said though many health conditions cause anaemia, evidence has shown that 50 per cent of the cases are due to iron deficiency; while adolescent girls and pregnant women are the most susceptible.

“Pregnant women, teenage girls and women of reproductive age are among the most vulnerable to iron deficiency anaemia because they need a lot of iron. Increasing iron intake during adolescence, preparatory to pregnancy, is crucial to decreasing the risk of iron deficiency anaemia and negative birth outcomes.

She called for national policy that would ensure that many foods produced and consumed in the country are fortified with iron.

On the survey sponsored by Unilever, Dr. Folake Samuel, said preliminary research findings show that although many Nigerian women are aware of the benefits of eating iron rich-foods, many of them do not eat it.

Samuel said, “Nigeria has many foods that are rich in iron; however, the consumption of iron- rich foods is still low and this calls for action and intervention.

“As such, a significant proportion of the women frequently experience various symptoms of iron deficiency. Many mistake a woman looking pale as a sign of pregnancy, not knowing that it is an indicator of the fact that she is anaemic,” she said.

The Hygiene and Nutrition Social Mission Director, Africa, Unilevers, Myriam Sidibe, said the programme was to sensitise the public on the importance of iron nutrients.

Clinic offers succour for childless couples

The Medical Director, Olive Branch Clinic, Lekki, Lagos, Dr. Ikenna Emeka, has said that the clinic would now be offering assisted reproductive procedures for childless couples.

Emeka said this at the inauguration of the clinic in Lagos on Monday.

He noted that the inclusion of in-vitro fertilisation services was to provide succour for Nigerians with reproductive challenges.

“Infertility is a common and distressing problem, which often creates pressure in an otherwise stable and happy relationship. Peculiar to us in sub-Saharan Africa is the large premium our culture places on immediate procreation and child-bearing.

In his address, the Chief Medical Director, Medical Art Centre, Lagos, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru, urged couples to embrace the assisted reproductive services as an option to treating fertility challenges.

Ashiru said, “It is about giving nature a helping hand to help couples conceive. With continuous research and practice, I am optimistic that fertility challenges will be brought to the barest minimum level in Nigeria.”

GSK partners ENOF on asthma control

GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Limited has partnered with the Elias Nelson Oyedokun Foundation to raise awareness about asthma management in children.

Speaking at a symposium in Lagos as part of activities marking the 2015 World Asthma Day themed, “You can control your asthma,” the Medical Science Liaison, GSK Nigeria, Dr. Omolabake Okunubi, said until recently, awareness in Nigeria about asthma was relatively low, and people were unaware that the disease could be controlled.

She said though there is no cure for asthma, scientific evidence shows that the condition can be effectively controlled, hence the need to educate affected persons and their caregivers on how to manage it.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease characterised by recurrent breathing problems and symptoms, such as breathlessness, wheezing, chest tightness and coughing.

Okunubi said, “We aim to create as much awareness about asthma as possible. We do this in partnership with government organisations and non-governmental organisations, such as the Elias Nelson Oyedokun Foundation. This partnership with ENOF will help us increase people’s awareness about the burden of asthma in Nigeria and how it can be controlled.”

She added that GSK has taken a step further to ensure that asthma medications are accessible and affordable for all.

“We understand the cost implication required in the treatment and control of asthma and that is why we have rolled out medications that are affordable, so that patients suffering from the disease can have access to quality medication. We recommend that patients visit their physicians for appropriate assessment,” she added.

Delivering a presentation entitled, “Asthma in school children,” Consultant Paediatrician with the Massey Street Children Hospital, Dr. Abimbola Mabogunje, said there was the need to educate care givers in schools and crèches on the first line of treatment for children living with asthma.

According to her, there should be a management plan tailored specifically for each child suffering from asthma, such that they are adequately catered for when there is an attack.

Mabogunje said, “Schools need to be educated and empowered to help a child with asthma. It is not a death sentence, it can be controlled. There should be a rescue plan in place for acute episode.”

President of ENOF, Mrs, Lola Ilaka, said to prevent deaths from asthma among children, the organisation would train caregivers and teachers in improved asthma care.

Neimeth, Cardiovascular Support Club inaugurate hypertension clinic

Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc, in Association with the Cardiovascular Support Club of Nigeria, will, today, formally commissions the Free Diagnosis and Hypertension Management Clinic.

A release signed by Head, Corporate Affairs/General Service, Okey Nwaka, states that the event will hold at the corporate head of office of Neimeth, 1, Henry Carr Street, Off Oba Akran, Ikeja, Lagos, today Wednesday May 20, 2015 at 11.00am prompt.

The reverse innovation initiative is aimed at addressing the high prevalence of the “silent killer” (hypertension) in the locality.

It is expected to cater for members of the Industrial Tenants Community, men of the Police Service, Isokoko station, Ashade market men and women, Guinness, GTB, Mobil gas station, Triumphant Church and, indeed, the general public.

We invite the general public to take advantage of this CSR programme to measure their BP regularly and receive free medication for two months and thereafter, avail yourself of the anti-hypertensives at 50 per cent of the shelf price.

Our medical experts will be on ground to offer professional advice on lifestyle and habit.

Anxiety as Jonathan, ministers hold last FEC meeting

President Goodluck Jonathan

Anxiety on Tuesday gripped ministers and other top government officials in Abuja ahead of the last meeting of the Federal Executive Council under the Goodluck Jonathan administration scheduled to hold on Wednesday (today).

The apprehension was triggered by a report (not by The PUNCH) credited to the Minister of Information, Patricia Akwashiki, that President Goodluck Jonathan would dissolve his cabinet during a “valedictory session” of the FEC on Wednesday(today).

But Akwashiki on Tuesady refuted the report and urged the general public to disregard it as “false and malicious.”

The minister, in a statement by her Press Secretary, Joseph Mutah, said at no time did she speak to journalists on the dissolution of the FEC by the President.

Akwashiki said she was surprised that a news report, which initially quoted an unnamed minister from the South- West, ended up crediting her as having made the “tendentious comment.”

The FEC is the highest decision-making body of the Federal Government and it consists of the President, the Vice President, all ministers, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the National Security Adviser, the Head of Service of the Federation and some top presidential aides.

The council members meet every Wednesday to take decisions on national issues.

Since the tenure of the current administration expires on May 29, the council’s valedictory session has been fixed for Wednesday (today).

A minister, who spoke with our correspondent on the report that Jonathan might disband the FEC during its session on Wednesday( today) said he was not aware that such would take place.

He said that he was aware that some of his colleagues had been making contacts in order to confirm if such would happen during the meeting.

The minister said, “I am not aware that the council will be dissolved. Some of my colleagues had actually called me to find out. Since I don’t have any information on it, I am also still reaching out to know the true situation.

“The truth is however even if it happens, it won’t meet any of us unawares.”

Another council member, who is not a minister, however, said although the President would expectedly thank members during the meeting, he might not dissolve the cabinet since he still has over a week to be in the saddle.

He said, “The news is everywhere that Mr. President may dissolve the cabinet on Wednesday (today). I have been trying to confirm this but I have not been able to do so. Let us wait and see what happens.

“But dissolving the cabinet during Wednesday meeting will mean that the President will be running the affairs of the country alone as a sole administrator till May 29.

“I don’t see him doing that now. That can be done next week, very close to the handover date.

“You should also note that many of the ministers are members of either the government’s Transition Committee or the Inauguration Committee.

“The question is if the council is dissolved now, will they continue serving on the committees in their personal capacities or will they cease to be members? Let us wait and see how it plays out.”

Preparatory to the Wednesday (today) meeting, some council members met separately with Jonathan on Monday.

The meetings were held apparently because the President was scheduled to attend the 47th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government holding in Accra, Ghana on Tuesday.

Among those who consulted with Jonathan on Monday evening were the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke; Minister of State, Finance, Bashir Yuguda; Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Emeka Eze; and the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, Nwanze Okidegbe.

Niger lawmakers get N17m each, stop gov’s removal

Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu

The impeachment plot against the Niger State Governor, Aliyu Babangida, may have been stalled as the members of the state House of Assembly pushing for the governor’s removal have been paid N17m each.

Our correspondent gathered that the lawmakers after receiving the N17m each were also promised by the state government that their other demands would soon be met.

Consequently, the lawmakers have decided to stop the impeachment move against the governor.

Though the Speaker, state House of Assembly, Isah Kawu, refused to comment on the issue when our correspondent sought his reaction to the development, sources at the assembly complex including lawmakers, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the development.

The speaker, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone said, “I cannot speak on this issue on the telephone or anywhere on the matter.”

But one of the lawmakers confirmed this to our correspondent.

He said, “It was not as if the governor bribed us, it is our legal entitlements and we have a right to ask for it before the expiration of our tenure. We have been paid and calm has returned to the assembly complex.”

Asked whether it was true that the lawmakers had dropped the impeachment plot against the governor, the lawmaker said, “there is no need for it again.”

Another source in the state House of Assembly Complex told our correspondent that each of the lawmakers was paid N17m as part of the allowances they were being owed since February.

This development, the source, who is a worker in the assembly complex said, had brought calm to the House of Assembly complex as the state police command had withdrawn security operatives from the building. This, he added, had given the lawmakers free access into their offices.

It will be recalled that last week, the lawmakers had sacked the leadership of the assembly and elected a new leadership over a series of allegations including non-implementation of house resolutions, poor staff and members’ welfare and non-release of the statutory allocation to the assembly for months. This, it was learnt, was done to pave the way for the removal of the governor.

To frustrate the lawmakers, the governor had headed for the court where he secured an order to restrain the legislators from making any move to impeach him.

The governor had gone to the court after the peace meeting between him(Aliyu) and the newly elected principal officers of the House failed.

The House of Assembly was also occupied by security operatives for so many days to prevent the members from entering into the assembly complex to carry out their legislative duties.

Due to this, Kawu had threatened to institute a legal action against the Niger State Police Commissioner, Mr. Emmanuel Amore, over what he described as the illegal occupation of the state House of Assembly by security operatives.

APC won’t use zoning to pick senate president – Akande

Chief Bisi Akande

Contrary to expectations, a former acting National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, has said that the party will not choose the next President of the Senate through zoning.

Akande, who spoke with some journalists in Ikeja, on Tuesday, explained that zoning was strange to the APC.

A member of the APC’s Board of Trustees, Akande said the party’s constitution did not recognise zoning, adding that zoning was a creation of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

The former governor of Osun State said the leadership of the party shot down the idea of zoning when it was brought up by the party’s current National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

He said, “Zoning is very, very strange to the APC. There is no zoning in our constitution. We don’t want to copy the PDP in whatever we are doing. We have the best of brains and culture among our leadership. We want the best for Nigeria. Because of this, we don’t want to entertain zoning

“It is true that sometime after the general election, the (party’s) national chairman wanted to toy with the idea of zoning and unanimously we said no, we don’t want to zone.”

Describing the PDP as a prodigal party, Akande said one of the institutions through which the ruling party frittered the nation’s revenues was the National Assembly.

He said, “We are taking over from a delinquent (PDP) administration and one of the most prodigal institutions of that administration is the National Assembly. The (former) Central Bank Governor said the recurrent expenditure of the National Assembly was N10bn and that it rose to about N150bn.

“Their personal income is prohibitive and secretive. This created the scramble for the leadership of the legislature and we don’t want our party to be involved in the prodigal nature of the National Assembly.

“In order to tone it down, we need to do a lot of compromises and sacrifices and we need to select from among the leaders who are in the Senate that would be able to control the culture of the Assembly according to the policy of our party.”

The Ila-Orangun-born politician recalled that during the second republic, the President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, hailed from the North just as the Vice-President, Chief Alex Ekwueme hailed from the South-East and the Speaker of the Senate, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezuoke, hailed from the South-East.

He also said that in the current political dispensation, President Goodluck Jonathan is from the South-East while the Vice-President, Namadi Sambo, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, are from the North.

Akande said, “This can happen. We don’t want to say Christian, Muslim or Ibo or Yoruba. We want to be careful, otherwise, we won’t be able to produce the best. We are trying to select the best man. We don’t want what brought the PDP down (to bring us down).”

When asked if the exclusion of zoning in the selection process would not affect the federal character nature of post sharing among the zones of the country, Akande said no, adding that the exclusion of zoning would be used only for the post of the Senate President.

He said, “We are talking about Senate President. Once we pick the Senate President, others would follow suit and they will now say, since the Senate President is from so and so zone, then the deputy senate president can’t be from there; that he should be from elsewhere. But we must choose the best person first.”

Police arrest graduate for car snatching

Anidi Reginald

A computer science and information technology graduate from a university in Cotonou, Anidi Reginald, has landed in police net for car snatching in Enugu.

Anidi, 27 years old, is said to have graduated from the university in 2013.

The suspect, from Enugwu Eke in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, was arrested by officers of the Ogui Division after he and members of his gang snatched a Honda Pilot car, with registration number AAA 598 CH, from the owner at gunpoint.

The incident occurred at Ozalla, in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state on Saturday, by 11.00am.

It was gathered that the suspect and members of his gang, who are currently at large, had, after snatching the vehicle from the owner, headed towards Enugu metropolis. But, unknown to them, the victim had already alerted the police, who chased the vehicle down to Presidential Road, where a gun battle ensued between the policemen and the gang.

Anidi was eventually apprehended, while other members of the gang escaped, after the police overpowered the hoodlums in the gun battle.

The Public Relations Officer of the Enugu State Police Command, Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the development, said an automatic pump action gun, one cut-to-size English-made single barrel gun, and cartridges were recovered from Anidi.

Amaraizu said the suspect was currently helping the police in an ongoing investigation into the activities of the gang.

The police spokesman further disclosed that the vehicle had been returned to the owner.

The suspect reportedly blamed his action on peer influence and unemployment.

Late hotel worker, Edeh, buried in Enugu

Late Chibuike Edeh

THE remains of the late Chibuike Edeh, a worker with Protea Hotel, Benin, who was reported to have died few days after he was arrested by the police for allegedly stealing N48,000 from a hotel guest, have been buried.

A brother to the deceased, Chibuzo, told Southern City News on Tuesday the late Edeh was buried on Sunday at his hometown in Nomeh, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

He said the body was conveyed from Benin, accompanied by his family members and friends.

Southern City News had on March 17, 2015, reported how the death of the 27-year-old man sparked series of protests by his friends and family members who accused the Nigeria Police of “torturing” him to death in less than 48 hours after he was arrested and taken into police custody.

The aggrieved family had expressed dismay that rather than finding the late man at the Adesuwa Police Division, where he was said to have been taken to after the arrest, they made a shocking discovery of his body at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Ugbowo.

The police had explained that the “suspect” was knocked down by a Toyota Camry car as he tried to escape while leading police officers to recover the stolen money from a fence between the hotel and an NNPC mega filling station along Sapele Road.

Meanwhile the family’s solicitor told our correspondent that a team of policemen had been deployed by the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, to further investigate the matter.

“There were some policemen from Abuja, who said the IG asked them to come and reinvestigate. They are in Benin. I met with them yesterday,” Igbinedion added.

He said the Police Service Commission had yet to reply to the letter sent to it and that the Edehs had concluded plans to drag the three parties in the case to court at the expiration of the 30-day ultimatum.

But the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Stephen Onwochei, said he was not aware of any deployment of police officers for the case.

Onwochei said, “All I know is that, about a week or two now, we have had detachment of policemen from Abuja, both Homicide Section and Terrorism Section. It’s not only because of one specific case but the general security situation, particularly these cult-related matters.

Suicide bomber kills nine in Adamawa, B’Haram attacks Magadali

Director, Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade

The fighters of the Boko Haram Islamic sect attacked Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State on Tuesday.

An intelligence source said on Tuesday that the attackers attempted to overpower a unit of soldiers without success around Barkin Dutse.

The source said that the insurgents were still involved in a gun duel with troops as of 2.20pm when our correspondent filed this report on Tuesday.

It was learnt that the soldiers had an upperhand against the insurgents while some troops were drafted to the Cameroonian side of the border to block it.

The source stated also that soldiers surrounded all the exit points to and outside Madagali to prevent the insurgents who invaded the area from fleeing.

“As we speak now, the Boko Haram members are attacking Madagali. They attempted to overpower a military unit at Barki Dutse area but the soldiers responded sharply to the attack.

“They have not been overpowered completely; they are still fighting but soldiers have been deployed to all the exit points from Madagali.

“Troops have also gone to block the Cameroonian side of the border to prevent them from escaping.”

It was further gathered that a suicide bomber killed nine people at Garkida, in Gombi Local Government area of Adamawa State.

It was learnt that the suicide bomber detonated the Improvised Explosive Device at the Garkida Market when activities were picking up in the market on Tuesday.

It was further gathered that some members of a youth vigilante group apprehended another set of two suicide bombers who were caught with unexploded IEDs wired to their bodies.

The two terror suspects were said to have confessed that six of them were involved in the mission to unleash violence on the Garkida Market.

They were also said to have told their interrogators that the whereabouts of three of the suicide bombers was unknown while one died in the suicide attack on the market.

“A suicide bomber has killed nine people in Garkida Market today (Tuesday). You know today is the market day and the bomb went off when the people were selling their wares in the market.

“I can’t say the exact time it happened but it was in the morning. Two of the suspects who had bombs strapped to their bodies were apprehended.

“The two who were arrested confessed that there were six suicide bombers who were sent to the market but three escaped and one died in the explosion.”

Our correspondent could not get the Director Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, to comment on the story as calls to his mobile telephone line did not connect.

Also Olukolade did not respond to a text message on the issue as of the time of filing the report.

Meanwhile, the troops of the Nigerian Army said they have killed a large number of insurgents in an encounter with the terrorists’ elements at a location in Gwoza Local Government Area.

Investigation revealed that the soldiers and the insurgents had a long-drawn battle on Saturday in a hilly hamlet between Paulka and Gwoza.

A security source who confided in our correspondent said that the troops of the 121 Special Forces battalion carried out the military action that culminated in the killing of over 50 of the insurgents.

It was learnt that the soldiers who were deployed in the hilly mountains of Gwoza close to the nation’s border with Cameroon sighted a large number of the Boko Haram insurgents and engaged them in a gun duel.

The source said that the insurgents were moving out of the Sambisa Forest to get food items in a particular location when they were sighted and the gun battle ensued.

It was gathered that a soldier who was hit by the insurgents’ bullets was quickly flown to Maiduguri for urgent medical attention.

The soldiers of the 121 Special Forces Battalion last week encountered many insurgents between Paulka and Gwoza. Several of the insurgents were killed in the attack.

“Our guys who were drafted to the top of the hills spotted the terrorists while they came out of their hideouts in the Sambisa Forest to look for food.

“They were not expecting the attack, so we got them seriously. One of the soldiers who sustained bullet wounds was immediately moved to Maiduguri for urgent medical action.”

Our correspondent could not get Olukolade to comment on the development also as calls to his mobile telephone line did not connect.

He also had not responded to a text message on the issue as of the time of filing this story.

N5bn fraud: Nnamani’s co-accused plead guilty

Chimaroke Nnamani

Four of the six companies standing trial alongside a former Governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, accused of N5bn money laundering, have pleaded guilty to amended counts in relation to the offence.

The four companies –Rainbownet Nigeria Limited, Cosmos FM, Capital City Automobile Nigeria Limited, and Renaissance University Teaching Hospital – pleaded guilty on Tuesday following their re-arraignment on an amended 10-count.

The companies are being prosecuted separately from Nnamani by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to fast-track their trial.

The move was to save their assets from being eroded, because the trial had made little or no progress since 2007 when it commenced due to Nnamani’s ill health.

Apart from the four companies arraigned on Tuesday, others who were standing trial with Nnanami include his erstwhile aide, Sunday Anyaogu, Hillgate Nigeria Limited and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School.

In the amended 10-count levelled against Rainbownet Nigeria Limited, Cosmos FM, Capital City Automobile Nigeria Limited, and Renaissance University, the four companies were accused of failing to comply with a lawful enquiry by Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, who was then the EFCC’s Director of Operations.

Lamorde, it was said, had ordered investigation into the complicity of the four companies in the alleged offences.

The companies had, however, allegedly refused to release their cash books, fixed assets, various vouchers and cheques to the EFCC operatives for investigation.

They were also accused of failure to give the breakdown of their trade creditors and to show the names of their creditors and amounts from between 2002 and 2006.

The offences according to the EFCC prosecutor, Mr. Kelvin Uzozie, were punishable under section 38(2) of the EFCC Act, 2004.

Upon reading the 10-count to the four companies, their counsel, Mr. Rickey Tarfa (SAN), pleaded guilty on their behalf.

Following the guilty plea, Uzozie urged the court to adjourn the matter for review of facts of the offences.

Consequently, the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Yunusa, adjourned the matter till May 27, for review of the facts of the case.