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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Benin has charged Nigerians to imbibe healthy lifestyle in this period of diseases.

Mr Austin Akomah-Mordi, Director of Communication Information of the church, gave the charge at a news conference on Wednesday to announce the church’s annual project tagged: “All Africa Service Project.”

He said the project was to persuade the public to imbibe the tradition and habit of environmental cleanliness.

According to him, developing the culture and tradition of healthy lifestyle begins with purging oneself of the slum in your system and the environment we live in.

He said the project would begin with the cleaning of the environment within selected areas of the state on Aug. 21 in Africa countries, where the church had branches.

“The All Africa Service Project started in 2006 with the aim of serving the community and encouraging the public to imbibe the tradition and habit of environmental cleanliness.

“It is also to encourage the spirit of sacrifice.  Therefore, on Saturday, Aug.21, the church in Africa will observe the All Africa Service project.

“Members of the church will embark on environmental sanitation, repairs of failed portions of roads, clearing and cleaning of blocked drains.

“Other acts of service will include repair and painting of public places and buildings.

“In Benin City, members of the church will converge in eight active religious jurisdictions known as “Stakes” to execute some projects that will be beneficial to the immediate communities.

“These stakes are in Ihogbe, Ikopkan, New Benin, Oregbeni, Sakponba, Siluko, Ugbowo and Uzebu.

“Outside Benin City, the stakes are in Ekpoma, Asaba, Warri and Ekete and smaller gatherings called districts located in Agbor, Ogwashi, and Nsukwa.

“Together, it is estimated that this labour of life of the Latter-day Saints will positively affect over 50,000 members of the public,” he said.

He said the church had collaborated with several bodies, including local governments, to provide trucks to evacuate wastes, paints, brushes and manual labour to designated stakes.

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By Kevin Okunzuwa 

The Oxford English Dictionary has defined Migration as the movement of people from one place to another, which can either be within a country or between countries.
According to migration experts, migration can either be permanent, temporary or seasonal.  They add that migration happens for a range of reasons, but not limited to economic, social, political or environmental.

They identified the ‘Push’ and ‘Pull’ factors as major cause of migration. According to them, the  push factors are those that encourage a population to leave its home while the pull factors are those that draw a population to another area or place.

In simple language, the desire for economic emancipation by most migrants has been mostly identified as the pull factor.

However, international immigration laws continue to hinder easy migration leading to increased level of irregular migration which has become a global concern.

Experts explained that desperation to achieve the desired goal of either economic or political emancipation, was responsible for the high level of activity of irregular migrants.

Recently, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that the Libyan Coast Guard rescued and returned some 250 irregular migrants to Libya.

The UNHCR had tweeted “some 250 persons returned to Tripoli after being rescued/intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guards.
“UNHCR and partner IRC are on the ground providing medical care and humanitarian aid.’’
Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
Irregular migrants, unaware of the many risks that await them along the routes to their desired country of destination, continued to put their lives at risk in their quest for greener pastures.
Research shows that in spite of the fact that countries have continue to tighten security at their borders, the level of activities of irregular migrants have remained high.

Here in Nigeria, the Federal Government said it was worried about irregular migration. It said unlike in Europe, the issue was not people coming in, but Nigerians leaving the country.

And to mitigate this, the federal government enacted new laws to checkmate the trend.

Speaking on the worrisome phenomenon, Mr. Mohammed Babandede, Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service(NIS), said  “Nigeria has demonstrated it is committed to the fight against the smuggling of migrants.

He said “we are aware that a lot of our citizens are dying in the desert and the sea.

“The government believes that only harsh measures will stop the dying. Accordingly, the new regulations include severe punishment for illegal migration.
“The old immigration law from 1963 established only modest fines of less than one euro ($1.08). New fines for infractions can go up to 3,000 euros ($2,800).
“Prison sentences for serious violations of the immigration law will be much longer than in the past.
“Nigeria is one of the main countries of origin of illegal migration. In the last year alone, around 30,000 undocumented Nigerians crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
“Hundreds die each year attempting to reach the continent. Human trafficking has tarnished Nigeria’s reputation around the globe.
“Current estimates point to more than 10,000 Nigerian women forced to prostitute themselves in Europe.
“Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari believes these numbers are a blight on his country’s reputation and has called for a coordinated strategy to fight smugglers and human traffickers.

Determined to reduce the incidences of irregular migration and create safe haven for would-be migrants, the International Organisation for Migration( IOM), recently held a training session for Editors and media executives in Abuja.
At the opening of the three-day training, IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria,Mr Frantz Celetine, said his organisation decided to partner the  media because of their very crucial roles to getting the right messages across to the right people.
Celetin said the decision for the training was for deeper collaboration with media outfits and practitioners in disseminating the right information on migration.
The IOM chief pointed out that it was unlikely for its target audience to get information from official reports, hence the important role of the media.
He, therefore, called on the media to get directly involved in the work of IOM to help address issues of migration in Nigeria.
“IOM would like to use this dialogue to facilitate your direct involvement in the dissemination of credible information on migration in support of its efforts to ensure orderly, dignified, and safe migration.
“Maintaining good media relation is indispensable and contribute to IOM’s daily work.
“IOM will continue to work with you to shed light on the plight of the people, and the often-hidden opportunities that arise from migration.
“Governments, migrants, potential migrants, and average citizens are much more likely to hear about IOM’s work through the media than through official reports.
“IOM is committed to working with journalists who will act as conduits of the organisation’s message,” he said.
Celestin described the media as a very relevant part of all aspects of human endeavour, including promoting issues of safe and regular migration as well as discourage irregular migration.
He expressed great conviction that with the support of the media some of the challenges faced by migrants, returnees, internally displaced persons and refugees could be addressed.
Accordingnto him, the media “holds” the key to addressing other such issues such as stigmatisation, harassment, misinformation, and vulnerability to trafficking and exploitation.
Giving insights into the work of the IOM, he said that the mission in Nigeria “focuses on three broad pillars: Migration Data Collection and Management, Preparedness, Response, Transition and Recovery, as well as Facilitated Migration and Migration Management.
“Under our facilitated and migration management pillar, we work with the government to promote orderly and humane migration management.
“IOM supports the Federal Government through Migrant Protection Assistance programming, Labour Mobility and human development, Migration health, and Policy frameworks and coordination.
“IOM has supported the return of over 22,000 Nigerian migrants since 2017 and reintegrated over 11,000 migrants in the country,” he said.
Celestin added that between January and May 2021, almost 20,000 migrants benefited from IOM’s health assessments before travelling to various countries.
He also pointed out that IOM introduced the Migration Information Data Analysis System (MIDAS) in Nigeria to strengthen the federal government’s ability to process individuals’ identities when entering or exiting.

He added that MIDAS had been installed at 32 locations, 14 land borders, four seaports, eight state commands, the NIS Headquarters, and five international airports.

He said that the IOM had series of activities ongoing, stressing that without the media, such activities could happen unnoticed.
Some of the issues discussed during the training sessions included : Reporting Migration: terminologies, Human rights, migration and the media,  media ethics: data protection, overview of trafficking in persons in Nigeria,; mental health and psychosocial support .
Others were environment and climate change, migration and COVID-19: challenges and the role of the media in countering misinformation.
Participants, who were drawn from the broadcast, print and online media, lauded IOM for the training, saying they had become more knowledgeable about so many issues on migration.
According to them, the training espoused them to so many age-long wrong usage of certain terminologies when reporting migration such as ‘illegal migrants’ which is judgmental instead of  ‘irregular migrants’ being most appropriate.
They mentioned some other wrong expressions on migration to include use of ‘trafficking’ for ‘smuggling’ or vice versa, victims instead of survivours and such other harmful words which offend humanity.
Mrs. Bimbo Oyetunde, General Manager, Bronze FM Benin, said ” the training was insightful and refreshing. As gate keeper of my station, the several topics taught have enriched my knowledge on migration and the lessons taken away will help me change the old narrative on migration reportage.
Mr Ufuoma Egbamuno, news manager, Cool fm, who described the training as excellent said ” it was an eye opener for me as it has changed my view point on migration reportage.
” By this training, i am now better informed on how to pen migration stories without offending humanity. I will henceforth learn to give migrants, especially irregular migrants a voice away from the old stereotype way of headling migration stories,” he said.
For Mrs Huawa Bata, Controller news, Radio Nigeria/ Peace FM, Maiduguri, the training has made her take a resolution for the creation of migration desk in her station to improve reportage on migration issues like never before.
All in all, IOM’s Project Assistant , Mr Elijah Elaigwu ,expressed optimism that ” after this training, my organisation is hopeful that  we will begin to experience more of dignified and safe migration among migrants.

Paris Forum secures $40 billion commitment to advance gender equality

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By Usman Aliyu

The Generation Equality Forum (GEF) on Friday closed in Paris with a close to $40 billion commitment from stakeholders to advance gender equality.

In a communique signed by Margaux Bonnet, Head, GEF Press Office, the Forum also launched a global five-year action journey to accelerate gender equality by 2026.

The Forum, held between June 30 and July 2 engaged nearly 50,000 people in a mainly virtual format to generate action for the rapid advancement of gender justice.

The Global Acceleration Plan for Gender Equality was designed by six Action Coalitions – multi-stakeholder partnerships that have identified the most critical actions required to achieve gender equality in areas from gender based violence and technology to economic and climate justice.

The Forum also launched a Compact on Women, Peace and Security and Humanitarian Action, and announced new gender equality initiatives focused on health, sports, culture, and education.

Reflecting on the Forum, African Union Goodwill Ambassador on Ending Child Marriage Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, said, “This week, I relived the experience of 1995, when I was a young women’s rights activist at the Beijing Conference.

“The COVID-19 context and other barriers are now an even greater inspiration for innovation, solidarity and inclusion.

“I am grateful for the commitments made this week. Now it’s time to invest in girls and young women even more – for resources to reach rural and marginalized communities, for technology for public good and available to all, and for member states greater accountability to human rights of women and girls.”

The Forum also confirmed ambitious policy and programme commitments from governments, philanthropy, civil society, youth organizations and the private sector.

“The monumental conclusion comes at a critical moment as the world assesses the disproportionate and negative impact COVID-19 has had on women and girls.

“Gender equality advocates have pressed for gender-responsive stimulus and recovery plans to ensure that women and girls are not left behind as the world re-builds,” the communiqué said.

Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women was quoted as saying that the Generation Equality Forum marked a positive, historic shift in power and perspective.

“Together we have mobilized across different sectors of society, from south to north, to become a formidable force, ready to open a new chapter in gender equality.

“The Forum’s ecosystem of partners – and the investments, commitments and energy they are bringing to confront the greatest barriers to gender equality –will ensure faster progress for the world’s women and girls than we have seen before.

“UN Women will maintain a critical role driving the Forum’s 5-year action journey, overseeing the implementation of commitments to ensure accountability and progress over the next five years,” she said.

Speaking to mark the close of the Forum for the Government of France, the host of the Paris Forum, Ambassador and Secretary General of the Generation Equality Forum Delphine O said, “After two years of collective work with Member States, civil society and philanthropic and private organizations, we succeeded in raising the largest amount of investment to advance gender equality and women’s rights ever.

“By implementing a new way of tackling global issues through efficient multilateralism, the Generation Equality Forum reversed the priorities on the international agenda and made gender equality, for too long underestimated, a long-term issue for the international community, along with climate, education and health.

“France will continue to be at the forefront to accelerate gender equality progress.”

Meanwhile, in addition to the significant commitments unveiled at the opening ceremony, the final two days of the Forum saw the unveiling of a wide range of commitments from every sector.

The Government of Burkina Faso expressed commitment to work with Benin, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Togo to develop shared commitments related to family life education; free care for pregnant women and children under five years; and pursuing legal and social change to end gender-based violence including FGM and child marriage.

The United States Government also committed to a range of significant policies and investment requests including an investment of $1 Billion to support programs to end violence against women, and $175 Million to prevent and respond to gender-based violence globally.

Open Society Foundation’s commitment was at least $100 Million over five years to fund feminist political mobilization and leadership among others.

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Colloquium: Experts task Nollywood on fight against harmful traditional practices via movies

By Usman Aliyu

Theatre arts experts have called on Nollywood artistes to use their movies in the fight against harmful traditional practices that violate human rights.

The experts spoke during a colloquium organised by Igbinedion University to mark the 50th birthday of renowned Nollywood film maker, Lancelot Imasuen, on Thursday in Okada, Edo State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the colloquium was entitled “Cultural Revival through the Screen”.

Prof. Irene Agunloye of the University of Jos, Plateau State, in her presentation, noted that some cultural practices posed a threat to the empowerment of women and their rights, hence the need for cultural transformation through a medium such as film.

The professor of African Drama, Gender, Women and Film Studies said since culture is man-made, it was amenable to transformation, particularly in those areas that violate women’s rights such as Female Genital Mutilation, among others.

While analysing the Imasuen’s production titled: ”Wede”, Agunloye said the Nollywood director demonstrated commitment to women-centred issues which he projected unequivocally in the movie.

“His message in this film is that though leadership in our society is generally patriarchal, it does not imply that women are powerless, passive, silent and ineffectual.

“In challenging the repressive traditional culture of female genital mutilation, Imasuen shows that social change is inevitable in every society.

“He advocates for a constructive and contemporary use of tradition. Imasuen has shown his commitment in using film to campaign against harmful cultural practices that inhibit women from developing their full potentials,” she said.

Prof. Barclays Ayakoroma of University of Africa, Toru-Orua, Bayelsa State, said Imasuen had carved a niche for himself in the Nollywood industry because his contributions remained indelible as they are words on marble.

According to him, if there are 10 of Imasuen, the Nollywood will be strategically elevated and will not be second to Bollywood in terms of production quantity, but second only to Hollywood in terms of production quality.

Ayakoroma, who is the Head, Department of Theatre Arts of the university, said Imasuen was the first movie director to initiate cross-border relations in film making in the country.

Ms Brandi Callum, Founder, Brandi Callum Group International, Georgia, United States of America, in her lecture, applauded the celebrant for creating dignity for African culture through his movies.

Callum, who noted that no Hollywood movies represented Africa in right way, said the celebrant was making the kind of movies she would have loved to make as a black woman.

Earlier in his address, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye, Vice-Chancellor of the university, said the occasion was to provide a unique opportunity for students of Theatre Arts to come face-to-face with veterans.

He said that the creative arts and profit from the Master Class would follow as a major outcome of the colloquium.

The theme of the colloquium, he explained, was carefully chosen to reflect the contemporary challenges plaguing the time-honoured cultural values.

”As reflected in the modes of dressing, speech mannerism, and the general behavioural patterns.

“Today, as a university upholding creativity as the honing device of every human developmental quest, we deem it fit to expose our students.

”Particularly those in the Departments of Theatre Arts, English and Literary Studies and Mass Communication to the world.

”Of experiences garnered by the great Nollywood stars here present – a reflection of our Academia-Industry interface endeavour,” he said.

He also said: “It is instructive that all of Lancelot’s filmic endeavours and the creative impetus injected into them are valued within the academic circles.

”And indeed, by others within and outside the country. They have received at several times, global acclamations.

“As the premier private university in Nigeria, Igbinedion University’s commitment to academic excellence and scholarship remains unshaken,” he said.

Ezemonye said that no amount of recognition was too much for the celebrant because he had given so much to the society by effecting social edification and sustainable national cohesion.

In his remark, the celebrant, Imasuen, commended the university for the honour, pledging that he would be more committed henceforth to pursue social change through the screen.

He noted that there was hope for better Nigeria because the youths are not lazy, but industrious and creative.

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Smallholder women farmers achieving high productivity via sustainable agriculture practices

By Usman Aliyu

Small-scale farmers, with less than two hectares of land under cropping, produce the larger percentage of the food in Nigeria with women peasants making the chunk of the farming population, studies indicate.
However, the prominent role of these farmers in the agricultural value-chain in the country, still faces heaps of challenges leading to problems in crop yield and realisation of cash.
Agronomists observe that this situation would persist unless smallholder farmers employed sustainable farming practices to protect land, water, soil and genetic resources or precision farming practices.
The experts argued that except the farmers adopted practices that are more resilient to natural occurrences, they would not be able to produce enough food to feed their families or meet public demands.
The claims of these experts are largely substantiated by the experience of some smallholder women farmers in Kwara, before they gained knowledge on climate resilience and sustainable agriculture practices, courtesy of the Centre for Community Empowerment and Poverty Eradication (CCEPE).
CCEPE is the state-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), which focuses on respecting, promoting, protecting and fulfilling the rights of the poor and excluded people by focusing on their empowerment.
The NGO, few years ago, organised a training for the women on how to mitigate the impact of climate change by improvising with inorganic materials to improve on agricultural productivity at a near zero cost.
While relating her past in agribusiness, Mrs. Iyabo Babatunde from Gbago community in the Asa local government area of the state, recounted her perpetual yearly shortage due to lack of requisite knowledge on sustainable practices.
The situation, she said, affected her outputs and consequently earned her abysmally low income, the earning which was always insufficient to meet her ends needs and sponsorship of her children’s education.
“Until we were trained, I never realised how much I had missed in the business. The challenges were too many for me because I was bereft of better farming technique. This invariably affected my production yearly. I was also restricted to subsistent farming system where I could only produce to feed my family and rarely, able to make surplus for sale because of low yield. This training, however, changed the narrative,” she said.
Babatunde said since she could not afford to buy inorganic fertiliser to enhance the growth of her crop, she quickly found solace in the use compost manure which she learnt at the training.
“As soon as I applied the lessons in agriculture practices, I began to earn in higher income from improved productivity.
“I am now able to send my children to school as well as to take care of my personal needs,” she said.
The experience according to Mrs Rukayat Ibrahim from Apa community is similar to that of Babatunde, but said that the sustainable farming practice has turned her to a queen among her contemporaries, who had no opportunity of attending the exercise.
“The moment I began to apply the techniques, I became a queen before my colleagues because I begin to recover from the losses,” she said.
Besides, she added that the training also exposed her to rights and responsibility between the rights holders and the duty bearers as it related to agriculture practices.
Sharing the same sentiment, Mrs Rashidat Dauda from Ipetu community, said she was nearly dispirited at a point from the farming business because her time and efforts were not reasonably justified by the output.
“For instance, anytime I harvested cassava, the produce would be meagre; the same thing with maize, guinea-corn and others.
“I was advised to always apply fertiliser and pesticide, but where was the money to procure them?”, asked Dauda, who said she had been a farmer for more 25 years.
She boasted she could conveniently make organic fertiliser from yam peel, cow dung and compost among others, thereby hastening the growth of her crops when applied.
“When I put this to practice, it increased my harvest across all crops, tubers and vegetables. It was a huge surprise to all of us that benefitted from the training.
“On pest control, we were tutored on how to soak cassia leaves (botanically known as Cassia fistula, golden shower or Indian laburnum) in large volume of water and add little detergent or kerosene to it for usage. I applied it on my farm. Ever since, I do not have recurring problem of pest disturbance.
“All these among other factors cumulate in the bumper harvest I now experience each farming season and the ensuing improved earnings. We have extended the training to our contemporaries for them to enjoy the benefits,” she said.
Dauda, nonetheless, urged government to assist women farmers by addressing other challenges such as herdsmen attacks, lack of access to land use, lack of access roads and storage facilities, saying these were inhibiting the huge potentials of women farmers towards ensuring national food security.
“They should never underrate our capacity. We produce and sell at local markets; we do not export our produce. We should be assisted to produce for national food sufficiency,” the woman farmer said.
Calling on the government to lead the charge of embracing the use of organic fertiliser, Mr Abdulrahman Ayuba, the Chief Executive Officer of CCEPE, explained that apart from saving huge resources usually spent yearly on bogus purchases of chemical fertilizers, it was climate friendly, thus increasing resilience and adaptability of smallholder women farmers to the environment.
“It will help in restoring the environment and balance the ecosystem as well as ensuring production of safe, chemical free, and healthier crops (food) that will not be rejected at the point of export,” he said.
He urged governments to embrace climate smart agriculture and agroecological practices, with an appeal to other NGOs to join in efforts towards increasing productivity of quality and healthy crops at reduced costs.
The methods, he noted, would reduce practices that lead to global warming and climate change and build the women farmers’ resilience to effects of climate change.
The CCEPE boss expressed delight that the training was able to achieve the desired aims and objectives among the women farmers group.

How mobile clinic project is proffering solution to rural health problem

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By Usman Aliyu

One of the major challenges of life in rural communities in developing countries such as Nigeria is lack of access to basic amenities. Facilities such as power supply, motorable roads, schools as well as equipped hospitals for quality and affordable health care services are not readily available in these remote areas like in urban areas.

Experts blame the situation for the countryside experiencing a higher prevalence of chronic conditions like heart diseases, respiratory diseases, stroke and diabetes among others.

Limited health promotion, disease prevention programme and healthcare services, the experts noted are responsible for a higher rate of mortality and disability among the rural dwellers, than in the urban communities.

A development association in Diaspora, Igbomina Community in North-America (ICNA) in 2016 launched a mobile clinic project for quality healthcare delivery to their kinsmen at home. They are acting on the importance of health.

Mobile clinics are aptly put as vehicles, designed to be fully functional primary care clinics. Whether they are aircrafts, buses, boats or trains, they come complete with examination rooms, wheelchair lift and the same medical equipment and technology that can be found in a clinic.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) corroborates that mobile clinics offer flexible and viable options for treating isolated and vulnerable groups, thereby improving access to local, on the spot primary health service for people living in underserviced communities.

Therefore, the initiative by the ICNA which is tagged “Igbomina Mobile Clinic seeks to take healthcare services to the doorsteps of the residents of local government areas that make up the Igbomina clan in Kwara.

Chief Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, the Secretary and Coordinator of the project, explained that the intervention, which started in Ifelodun, Irepodun and Isin local government areas, afterwards, enjoyed partnerships from the state government, corporate entities and development unions of neighbouring communities such as the Offa Descendants Union (ODU).

Oyin-Zubair asserted that the project had catered for the health needs of about 400 Igbomina communities in Offa, Oyun, Ifelodun, Isin and Irepodun local government areas of the state through the provision of a first line of medical care services to the people.

“The initiator is in partnership with the Landmark University Omu-Aran, where it donated a mini-mobile clinic bus to the institution to impact healthcare services in the localities.

“The focus of the mobile clinic is to highlight and provide preventive care in the areas of major silent killers such as diabetes, hypertension, malaria and other ailments.

“In the short period of operation, the project has impacted and saved many lives. Precisely between July and September of 2016, over 4,500 patients were seen and cared for,” he said, recalling how a baby’s life was saved in one of the covered communities due to a timely intervention of volunteer doctors and medical practitioners.

Meanwhile, Mr Emmanuel Adewuyi, Chairman, Project Implementation Committee while expatiating on the mode of its operations said a roster was prepared for the clinic to cover the nooks and crannies of Igbominaland.

“The committee ensures that come rain or sunshine it dutifully executes its mandate of twice a month outreach programme that has effectively touched over 10,000 lives while providing medications in excess of over US $2 million at open market value.

“This programme has indeed become a model that many across Kwara South Senatorial District depend on for their health services. In its short life, the clinic has set a high standard and distinguished itself as a great life-saving programme while demonstrating the power of collective will for a singular purpose and agenda,” said Adewuyi.

Justifying the sponsorship of the free health care initiative, Chief Nurudeen Adeyemi, the Chairman of the ICNA said that such intervention became necessary because ailments such as malaria, diabetes and high blood pressure among other killer diseases were common among the people.

Adeyemi said he was elated that many lives had been saved through early diagnosis and treatment, describing the gesture as the organisation’s only way of giving back to the society.

He decried the huge deficiency in the health sector, particularly in the rural communities, and called on the three tiers of government to fix the challenges inhibiting quality health care delivery among the people.

Adeyemi, who is a United States of America-trained automobile engineer and vehicle designer, announced a plan to use a larger platform to extend the services to other parts of the state. He attributed interest in community development and humanitarian activities for the efforts to improve the health lot of the people in many Kwara communities.

One of the beneficiaries, Mr Samuel Akanji described the programme as non-discriminatory, which caters for medical care of everybody, including herdsmen living in remote villages.

Akanji commended the initiators of the health scheme and the volunteers for their community services with attestation that that singular effort has saved the lives of many residents particularly the down-trodden. He thereby urged “well-to-do” individuals of Igbomina origin to help in ensuring sustainability of the initiative.

Also appraising the project, Oba Abdulrauf Oyerinde, the Oniwo Of Odu-Ore in Isin local government area of the state, said the health project was the best thing to have happened in the land in recent years.

Oyerinde noted that the zeal and high commitment of the sponsors, mobilisers and medical volunteers towards the implementation of the health programme was worthy of commendation.

However, the project coordinator said the intervention needed more funds for continued services, and medications. Medication according to him are purchased from the United States and shipped to Nigeria, with complementary medication for malaria purchased locally.

“About $10,000 worth of medication is required every 3 months for about 4,000 patients (about $2.50 per patients). This laudable programme is a continuous project with urgent needs for medications,” he said, calling on other well-to-do individuals and corporate bodies to support the applauded life-saving programme towards improving the life expectancy of the Igbomina people.

The South South Professional Women Association (SSPWA), an NGO, has asserted that books are great sources of knowledge with tremendous potential to transform lives and societies.
The SSWPA’s National President, Mrs Maryam Haruna, made the assertion at the launch of the annual Read-A-THON- Gift -A-Child-A-Book Educational Project in Benin.
The occasion was part of activities to mark the 2021 World Book Day.
She said: As an organisation, we recognise that education is a fundamental human right which ensures access to knowledge.
“This knowledge builds your capacity, and helps you develop relevant skills for improved lifestyle and the society.”
Haruna was represented by the association’s Edo Coordinator, Dr Nosa Aladeselu.
She said the project was one of the association’s flagship educational projects “which seeks to revive the reading culture and encourage young people to take pleasure in reading.
“We join others around the world to celebrate the World Book Day which was constituted by the United Nations Education Scientific Organisation on this day in 1995. ”
She noted that the body decided on this project in response to a 2014 British Council’s Report of Girls Education in Nigeria.
According to that report, less than 15 per cent of girls in the South South have no education, compared to their contemporaries in some other parts of the country.
Haruna said there was need to be deliberate and intentional about the formal education and empowerment of women and girls.
“In our strategic plans to ensure that our youths, especially the girl- child, benefit from the knowledge derived from consistent reading, SSWA launched the maiden edition of its annual READ -A-THON challenge and Gifted-a-child book programme.
“With the support of friends, associates and networks, our organisation procured and also received book donations and other supplies.
“These are currently being gifted to children and distributed in targeted community schools in seven states including the FCT.”
She listed the states to include Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Rivers, and Lagos.
“By establishing this annual event in the South South region and Nigeria, SSPWA hopes to arouse and sustain deep interest in learning, reading and writing in our girl-children.
“Other educational interventions to position the girl-child for sustainable growth and development include, writing competitions, writers’ workshops, literary and debating clubs, spelling bees, STEM programmes, book drives, and more,” she said
Haruna added that the body had designed book banks across the country, where books and educational accessories could be lodged for subsequent distribution to schools
“Today, we celebrate the winners of our maiden ‘Reading and Summarising Competition’ which had about 200 participating scholars from three states.
“The success of these competitions and award ceremonies across the region has given us the needed impetus to institutionalise this programme as an annual education event,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that six students, who emerged overall winners from three different senior secondary schools in Benin, were named SSPWA’s Students Ambassadors.
The winners, Aisosa Osayande, Ugbo Happiness, Nwodo Augustina, Aifuwa Ehinomen, Nzeadibe Diamond and Blessing Ebi from, Idia, Itohan and Iyoba colleges, are expected to pioneer SSPWA’s reading clubs across the country.
The highlights of the occasion were presentation of books and plaques to winners and certificates to students who participated in the competition.

By Kevin Okunzuwa

Constitutional lawyer, Chief Richard Oma-Ahonaruogho, has advised the Federal Government to take adequate steps upon completion of due investigations into Friday’s military helicopter crash, to protect its military hardwares and personnel.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said gave the advice in a condolence letter he entitled “Ironic as it may sound, death gives meaning to life” made available to newsmen in Benin.
Oma- Ahonaruogho described the death of the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, as one death too many for a nation at war with the Boko Haram insurgents and other criminal elements.
He however, said Nigerians and family friends were relieved that the late COAS’s wife erreanously reported to have crashed with her husband turned out as false.
He said “while the nation mourns the death of Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and others who died in a military helicopter that crashed in Kaduna, yesterday, May 21, 2021;
“The relief that his beloved wife, Mrs Fati Attahiru, who was earlier but erroneously reported as one of the dead is alive, came as a soothing balm for a beleaguered nation.
“There is no gain saying that the air mishap, is one too many for a nation at war with the Boko Haram insurgents and other criminal elements at this time in our nation’s history.
“And it is hoped that adequate steps would be taken upon completion of due investigations to protect our military hardwares and personnel.
“With twenty days to his fifty-fifth birthday on Aug. 10, 2021, the life of the late Chief of Army Staff, whose appointment to that highly exalted office, lasted barely four months (116 days) from his appointment as the 25th Chief of Army Staff on Jan. 26, 2021, to May 21, 2021.
“That may be considered short lived, but he no doubt lived a significant life and died in the line of duty for his beloved nation for it takes love for one’s country to enlist in the armed forces.
“Being too grief stricken for now, a nation in mourning, will hopefully awake to a brighter and better tomorrow from the sacrifice of the life and times of the late Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru who was a highly decorated Officer.
“As we mourn his demise on the one hand and contemporaneously celebrate the life of his wife, Mrs Fati Attahiru, ” adding that “Nigeria shall overcome.”

Resident doctors in Edo donate blood for indigent patients

By Usman Aliyu

Members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) Edo State Hospitals Management Board on Monday donated blood for the use of indigent patients who may be in urgent need of blood transfusion.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the donation was part of the first quarterly Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) of the association in 2021.

Declaring the event open, Dr Moses Imologomhe, the Managing Director of the Central Hospital, Benin, commended the association’s leadership and members for deeming it fit to donate for poor patients.

The gesture, he said, was timely because the public was not keen to blood donation.

Imologomhe decried shortage of blood in hospitals and urged the public to cultivate the habit of periodic donation of blood to save lives.

He added that “blood donation is good because it helps the donors to know their health status, as well as treat any observed ailments.

“We are happy that the ARD is keying into the very good things happening in this hospital.”

The President of the association, Dr Osayande Edorisiagbon, told NAN that the donation was conceived to ameliorate the financial burden on indigent patients whenever they came to the hospital.

The blood, the president said, would be used for poor pregnant women who may need it, indigent children in paediatric clinic, among other emergencies. 

He said “we do between three to four OGMs every year and we usually have scientific conference where we invite professionals in particular fields to come and educate us more so that we can improve our knowledge and skills on management of our patients.

“But this time around, we decided to bring this together where we can invite doctors and other well meaning Nigerians to come and donate blood so that we can have it in stock.

“In case we come across any of these patients, we can make the blood available to them as much as possible at no cost to them at all.

“That is why we have been able to put this programme before our business session tomorrow to be able to get people together, get doctors together and even non-doctors alike to come around and donate blood for this purpose.

“This will be our own humanitarian service or free service in respect of what we do in the clinic to the general populace.”

Edorisiagbon asserted that the donation would be a continuous event as all donors could not be taken in a day.

He said that the association would also take the blood donation campaign to public places and offices to educate the public on the benefits of blood donation.

He explained that “one of the benefits of blood donation is that you have the opportunity to do general screening because you cannot donate blood when you are not fit.

“When you come to donate blood, screenings are done to know your health status.

“This can help to reveal the kind of treatment you need at that time, and saves one of cardiac diseases”. NAN

By Usman Aliyu
Malnutrition is an issue that no country can afford to overlook. Literally, malnutrition connotes ‘bad nutrition’ and aptly describes the imbalance between the body’s supply and demands of nutrition.
Nutritionists describe it as an abnormal physiological condition caused by inadequate, unbalanced, or excessive consumption of macronutrients, micronutrients, or both.
From 2019 statistics of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), malnutrition is a direct or underlying cause for 45 per cent of all deaths of under-five children in the world. The data rate Nigeria as the second country in the world with the highest burden of stunted growth among children, an impaired development evidently caused by malnutrition.
The studies noted that the national prevalence rate of stunted growth in Nigeria is 32 per cent of children under the age of five. The findings further revealed 2 million as the estimated number of children in Nigeria that suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), while only two out of every 10 children affected are currently reached with treatment.
Similarly, seven per cent of women of childbearing age, according to the UNICEF, report, suffer from acute malnutrition in Nigeria.
Nutritionists identify the four broad sub-forms of malnutrition as wasting, stunting, underweight, and deficiencies in vitamins and minerals and these conditions make children, in particular, more vulnerable to disease and death.
It is because of this ugly situation that some public hospitals in Kwara devised a means to help in the fight against incidence of malnutrition.
Civil Service Hospital, Ilorin is one of such hospitals that have adopted food demonstration for nursing mothers as a way to check cases of malnourished children in the society.
Since poverty is said to increase the chances of malnutrition in a family, the hospital teaches mothers how to improvise with locally available ingredients to form balanced diets for their infants.
Mrs Margret Olayinka, is a Community Health Officer and the Head of Department (HOD), Immunisation Unit of the hospital, a section that spearheads the food demonstrating activities for nursing mothers during visits to immunise their children.
Olayinka explained that the decision to engage in the activities was taken following the discovery of cases of malnourished children among infants who came for immunisation some years back.
“There is something we call growth monitoring that we carry out for a child from birth until he or she is fully immunised.
“From growth monitoring like checking weight and arm circumference, we discovered children that are underweight for their age.
“When we interviewed their mothers especially of children of six months and above on what they feed their children with, some would say breast milk while others could not give satisfactory answers.
“From this, we decided to introduce what we call fortified pap to them. Fortified pap is a semi-solid food they can give to the children once they reach the age of six months in order to guide against malnutrition,” she said.
The senior health officer adjudged that the effort had been very fruitful as no case of malnourished child was reported since the introduction of the demonstration.
“This is because what we taught them to be doing is characterised by a form balanced diet. All the nutrients that a child needs are found in the foods we asked them to make.
“Besides, the fortified pap we always talked about is cheap and economical, even for the mother and the family at large to consume.
“It is made from guinea corn, soya beans, crayfish, and fish. Even fish and crayfish may not be really necessary for whoever that does not like their aroma.
“The most important ingredient is soya beans because it is highly proteinous. So adding it to the pap makes it more nutritious for babies. It helps them to develop well”, said Olayinka.
She also said mothers were trained on how to introduce and make family foods like beans, amala, semo, ewedu and moimoi for babies in a different way from for the adult’s.
“We teach them how they can peel the back cover of beans, cook it and make it very soft and give to the children.
“We teach them how to make moimoi for children; how to prepare solid foods like amala, semo as well as how to make ewedu with crayfish or mashed fish.
“All these ingredients will make babies derive the necessary nutrients they need. We also teach them how to match fruits together like doing smoothies for babies for vitamin acquisition”.
Testifying on the benefits of the food demonstration sessions in the fight against malnutrition, Mrs Bola Mohammed, a nursing mother and resident of Ilorin related how she used fortified pap learnt at one of the training sessions to save her malnourished daughter.
“Since we were told that our breast milk would no longer be much useful after six months without complements, we need food supplements.
“We were taught ways to prepare supplements with natural and locally available ingredients if we do not want to use those package baby foods.
“My little girl, she was malnourished and suffered weight loss. When I brought her here, I was asked to buy ingredients like guinea corn or millet, soya beans and add groundnut or dry fish if I like and grind them together to make fortified pap.
“As soon as I fed her with it, I began to see changes. This food is cost effective because right in our household we consume pap.
“So when we prepare pap, we can use it for our breakfast. So it will save us the labour of cooking another thing to eat in the morning”, she said.
Mohammed commended community health workers in the hospital engaged in the demonstration, saying it was really helping the society in many ways.
Corroborating the stance, Mrs Abisola Olayemi said the fortified pap and tom-brown she learnt through food demonstration had proven effective in nourishing her children and improving their growth.
Olayemi, who demonstrated how fortified pap and tom-brown were made, laid emphasis on the need to carry out the preparation under a very hygienic environment to avoid contamination.
She said the foods were devoid of any preservative that could be harmful to children.
Notwithstanding this, Olayinka, the sectional head of the unit, identified lack of money as the major challenge that always threatened the continuation of food demonstration.
“As we all know, money is the alpha to everything. We buy all the ingredients we use – guinea corn, soya beans, crayfish and fish among others, even the cooking gas.
“Our major challenge is financing the demonstration from time to time. With inflation, price of everything has soared.
“Nobody is giving the money, we leverage relationships to finance the food demonstration”, she said.
She, however, assured that the unit would continue to improvise to ensure that the programme does not stop.
She explained that immunisation is free, hence it would be difficult to levy nursing mothers, but says that the unit would source for resources within its means.
Another challenge for the programme is the Covid-19 pandemic. The Kwara senior health officer said the outbreak of the pandemic changed the routine at the hospital.
“Covid-19 has stopped us from meeting people in groups. We used to carry out the demonstration in groups of 20 mothers; it was a kind of group discussion.
“But Covid-19 has forced us to stop this gathering. We do attend to our patients now one after the other. We don’t even want them to wait. At a point, we stopped the demonstration.
“As a result of this development, some new mothers have not been able to witness the demonstration or benefit from this training”, she added.
The unit head, nevertheless, said arrangements had been concluded to resume the demonstration in line with the new normal.
“We have concluded arrangements to resume the food demonstration services, but with strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols.
“We will have to reduce the number of participants per training session. This place used to be crowded, but that cannot happen again”, said the senior community health worker.
She called on private hospitals in the state to introduce the programme, saying its benefits for mothers and infants were important to their well-being.
In her reaction to the efforts of public hospitals in Kwara, Mrs Chinwe Ezeife, the Nutrition Specialist at the Kaduna Field Office of the UNICEF, commended the health workers for their proactiveness in the fight against malnutrition.
“It is my biggest joy is that they are integrating nutrition services as part of their routine. The food demonstration services will give the practical skills to pregnant and nursing women on how to prepare complementary foods, which they have to introduce to children of six months and above.
“The counselling on maternal nutrition will build their skills and enhance their capabilities for optimal infants and young child feeding practices,” she said.
Ezeife, thereafter, called on policy makers in Nigeria to see nutrition as a human capital development.
According to her, policy makers must know that nutrition is not just a health intervention of well importance but a human capital development issue that requires head-on attention.
“In fact, this is in line with the SDGs of which nutrition is very important,” she said.