The Greater Horn Of Africa’s Climate-Related Health Crisis Worsens As Disease Outbreaks Surge

WHO Regional Office For Africa 

Press Release

New analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) has found that the number of reported disease outbreaks and climate-related health emergencies in the greater Horn Africa have reached their highest-ever level this century, deepening a health crisis in a region where 47 million people are already facing acute hunger. Most parts of the region are battling the worst drought in at least 40 years, with an unprecedented fifth rainy season failure now anticipated, while other parts face flooding and conflict. 

Petition To Profs Olu Obafemi And Akachi Ezeigbo On FGN

 By Tony Afejuku

Professors Olu Obafemi and Akachi Ezeigbo need no introduction to anyone who belongs to the profession of scholastic or literary or critical studies. In fact, the two of them – scholastic gentleman and learned lady respectively – do not need this column’s validation of their academic learning and significantly significant literary-cum-creative standing in our clime and beyond. 

*Prof Akachi Ezeigbo 

I have more than considerable respect for both of them not because they are voluminous as scholar-writers or as scholar-thinkers. But because of what each one of them individually means to me – even though they seemingly are two of a kind. But let me explain myself better without peeling each one’s scholastic or literary potato. That is not the goal of this enterprise now. What do I mean to say without keeping you in any cage of suspense a little longer than necessary? 

Professors Olu Obafemi and Akachi Ezeigbo are two of the monumental admirers of this column. Deliberately, I have withheld the harmonious exchanges of ideas and praises relating to this column (and other matters) that we have shared – and are still sharing. The pictures they share with me, among others, help to constitute the pedal points of this column. What have we shared and what have we not shared? 

Stealing The Nation!

 By Nnimmo Bassey

To say that Nigeria is being stolen is an understatement. It is a sordid situation. Shocking stories from the oil and gas sector continue to hit the news. Rather than being numbed by the monstrous pillaging of the nation, Nigerians should wake up to the wake-up call, especially in an election season.

By some deft choreography, the blame for the stealing and pollution in the oil field communities of the Niger Delta has been deflected to the poor communities.

This devious deflection has been so successful that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which has the fingerprints of multinational oil companies all over it, criminalizes communities and holds them up as being responsible for interferences that may occur on oil facilities in their territories. 

Living With Lagos Agberos

 By Ochereome Nnanna

Touting at the motor parks is a nationwide phenomenon. It was originally a group of largely uneducated young ruffians who clustered around the motor garages to work as commercial vehicle drivers, loaders and conductors. They later formed unions, notably the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN.

Fired up by drugs and alcohol, these hoodlums can do anything to make money. In Nigeria, the fiercest touts are found in Lagos, Oyo and Anambra states, which are great centres of road transport distributions. They are mostly known as agbero(“passenger carriers”, in Yoruba). Igbo also call them agboro which is just a corruption of the Yoruba word.

The Disgraceful Partnership Between Nigeria And Ethiopian Airlines

 By Rotimi Fasan

A nation just as the peoples that constitute its being should have a healthy sense of self-worth. There is a kind of behaviour it must not be seen to engage in if it would not destroy the dignity of its people. Thus, even if it’s only for reasons of national pride, the proposed partnership between the Federal Government and Ethiopian Airlines, one that would see Nigeria outsourcing the management of its soon-to-be revived national carrier to Ethiopian Airlines, ought not to be followed through.

As with a relationship between a leader and their advisers, it is the prerogative of the leader to choose which piece of advice to take but the duty of their advisers is to offer honest advice that is neither tainted with fear nor favour. In this instance, many, if not most Nigerians, who have anything to say on the matter are opposed to the partnership. 

Buhari’s Legacy And Tinubu’s Albatross

 By Shaka Momodu  

Fellow Nigerians, it is the season of politics and another election cycle is upon us. Candidates are presenting themselves to the electorate to be considered for various positions. But this cycle is looking more and more like 2015 when men and women, young and old, reasoned in reverse order. All efforts to make them see the danger and demagoguery that then-candidate Muhammadu Buhari represented proved futile. They were deaf to reason and blind to the red flags.

  *Buhari and Tinubu 

Today, we are all experiencing the consequences of electing incompetence dressed in borrowed robes as president. See the mess that Nigeria has become – a tragedy of monumental proportions. In just eight years, Buhari and his All Progressives Congress (APC) have turned Nigeria upside down, a land flowing with milk and honey, has been turned into a famished land. They say once bitten, twice shy, but strangely, many are at it again, eager to repeat their foolery.  

Why Climate Change Must Define Our Elections

 By Nick Dazang

Following unprecedented rainfall this year, the vast length and breadth of this country has been flooded. Most adversely impacted are Kogi and Bayelsa states. Kogi State, which is located smack on the confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue, has been submerged by water. Bayelsa, which is down stream, has been cut off completely from civilisation, with nearly one million of its citizens displaced.

It is a tale of woe for nearly all the states of the federation, including the Mambilla and Jos plateaux, which experienced the most torrential rains in a generation. Not less than a conservative 700 Nigerians have lost their lives. Millions have lost their properties and live in camps. And millions more are prone to diseases and hunger as a consequence.

Proactive Waste Management In Anambra

 By Paul Nwosu

There is a brand new gear in waste management in Anambra State. Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s well-articulated manifesto in turning Anambra State into a liveable and prosperous clean and green land has been given new pep and drive through the new directions in waste management put in place by the government.

The managing director and CEO of Anambra State Waste Management Agency (ASWAMA), Sir Mike Ozoemena, stresses without mincing words that open dumping of refuse is now anathema in Anambra State. Soludo leads the charge by insisting that the earlier impunity of keeping the environment dirty is fizzling out for good. According to Ozoemena, “Everywhere in the world, the municipal councils are faced with dealing with waste management and refuse disposal.”

Self-Defence In A Helpless State

By Festus Ogun

Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), a former Minister of Defence, once told Nigerians to defend themselves against killers in the country, saying the armed forces were not ready to defend them. He expressed his dissatisfaction about the attitude of the Nigerian military in the face of the security crisis rocking the country during a convocation at the Taraba State University, Jalingo.

*Danjuma 

In his words, “Our armed forces are not neutral. They collude with the bandits to kill people, kill Nigerians. The armed forces guide their movements; they cover them. If you are depending on the armed forces to stop the killings, you will all die one by one.” 

He, therefore, encouraged Nigerians to defend themselves as the country’s leadership and governance system appeared impotent to render necessary security help, for they were no longer neutral. He went further to say, “I ask every one of you to be alert and defend your country, defend your territory and defend your state. Defend yourselves because you have no other place to go. God bless our country.” 

Traffic Infractions: Are Laws Punitive Or Corrective?

 By Taofiq Adebayo

If you cannot patiently bear correction, endeavor to avoid fault    – Norm Macdonald (1959-2021), Canadian stand-up Comedian, Actor and Writer 

Laws are generally made to regulate human behaviors as relate different aspects of our lives. Established laws help ensure fairness, balance, equity, parity and sanity in a society. Human excesses are checked through the enactment of laws as they serve as guidance and standard for acceptable behavior. 

A society without law would encourage disorderliness and abuses by other people. Abuse and misuse of power are inevitable in a setting where there are no laws.  Where there is no law, they say, there is no sin. Offences are bound to occur when laws are enacted. Committing an offence then means the individual has disobeyed the law. 

Liz Truss: Lessons For Nigeria’s Leadership

 By Ahanonu Kingsley

After steering the cause of a turbulent United Kingdom economy as Prime Minister, Liz Truss resigned from the exalted office she sought and fought very hard to occupy just some 44 days ago. It’s honourable that she saw the weight of the office, admitted her inability to deliver on the mandate, and resigned. Indeed, it reflected how she valued the nation above herself.

*Liz Truss

But then why did she become Prime Minister in the first instance when she knew she’d resign in just 44 days? Isn’t it a waste of time and resources, considering that the Conservative Party had to organise a long walk of campaigns and debates in the bid to shop for a replacement for Boris Johnson, who equally resigned just two months ago?

Does it not appear to be a calculated scheme to scuttle a candidate who appeared prepared and suited for the role? Erstwhile Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has a more realistic plan that captures today’s UK economic reality. He appeared more prepared for the position he sought and aimed to assume. But what did the establishment do? They whittled his soaring influence, decapitated his chance of winning, and brought in Liz.

Towards Universal Health Coverage In Nigeria

 By Fidelis Onyejegbu

May 2022 signifies a landmark in the healthcare delivery history of Nigeria as the National Health Insurance Scheme (2004) was repealed by the National Health Insurance Authority Act. The golden provision in the new legislation is that health insurance coverage has been made compulsory for all Nigerians and the country’s legal inhabitants. 

It is a laudable provision as it has provided a legal foundation for large scale uptake of health insurance coverage in Nigeria – a step toward the attainment of Universal Health Coverage in the country. The UHC connotes a situation where everyone has access to the health care services when and where they need them without any financial difficulty. The National Health Insurance Scheme Strategic Plan (2020-2030) stated that only about 4.2 per cent of Nigerians are covered under the Social Health Insurance.

Nigeria’s Political Structures Of Corruption!

 By MC Asuzu

There have recently been discussions in this country concerning Nigerian politicians who have no political structures and those who had them, as the veritable determinants of those who will be able to win elections in Nigeria and otherwise. It was a very interesting discussion indeed. But what kept coming back to the mind of some of us who are incapable of any partisan political persuasions and/or memberships and participation is this: what structures are the people saying these things thinking of?

What does political structures by a single politician mean? Is it individual politicians or the group of people who wish to work together under specific political ideologies that develop such political structures? These organisational groups of people are simply called political parties, is it not? So, when politicians are talking of personal political structures (but not those of political parties), it becomes necessary to examine what these people may be having in mind and what it is that they themselves really have done in those regards.

#ENDSARS: Nigeria Must Demand Accountability, Justice

 By Osai Ojigho and Chuka Arinze-Onyia

It has been two years since young Nigerians protesting police brutality and corruption by the infamous Special Anti-Robbery Squad were violently attacked and killed by the police and military across the country, and yet there has been no accountability. This is despite the fact that there is ample and documented evidence of the gruesome brutality perpetrated on peaceful protesters by members of the security forces across the country. 

The brutal attack of protesters by the Nigerian authorities is part of a current trend of governments across the world attacking protesters in their bid to silence dissenting voices. Protesters in Cameroon, Senegal, and most recently, Iran, have been met with all sorts of violence and excessive force, and many have been killed as a direct result of the violence deployed by state actors.

Appraising Nigeria’s Healthcare Delivery

By Carl Umegboro 

In a civilized climate, this wouldn’t stir interest but in Nigeria, where public officeholders largely work contrary to public interest, it should. Recently, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, underwent a leg surgery in a hospital in home-country. It was a departure from the flawed status quo. Over the years, at any slight ailment, people in authority fly abroad with public funds, which chiefly accounts why healthcare centres are left in decay. Osinbajo literally displayed leadership acumen. 

The message is simple – a prudent leader can’t live foreign, abandoning the led to their fate in home facilities. The action is a template that must be sustained for a turnaround. Government is about the people. This accounts why Section 14 (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, explicitly provides; “It is hereby, accordingly declared that (b) … the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” 

Hypertension, The Silent Killer!

 By Tom Frieden

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is one of the most common health conditions, affecting about 30% of adults in Nigeria. Uncontrolled high blood pressure leads to heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease, and kills 10 million people each year worldwide, making it one of the deadliest global health issues. 

Treatment for HBP is extremely effective for most people; taking proven, high-quality medications can add years to your life and make those years more enjoyable. But in Nigeria, less than 3% of people with HBP have it under control. Hypertension is called the silent killer because there are no symptoms; many people do not know that they have hypertension. Many of those who are aware that they have high blood pressure are not taking medications regularly. Medication for hypertension needs to be taken every day. 

Help For Flood Victims In Kogi, Bayelsa, Others

 By Moshood Erubami

The torrential downpour from  rain and its consequences have come against pre-warnings that the resultant flooding will destroy crops, houses, schools, and businesses including the losses of lives, with many injured and countless losing their livelihoods, while millions will be displaced.

The loud shout for immediate action on the effects of global warming and climate change and its consequences in flooding resulting from the climate emergency is now. It is most tragic and pitiable that most residents of the states ravaged by the flooding in Nigeria now pull up canoe boats in front of their houses to access the outside outlet to reach their various destinations while waiting for the government both in the state and federal, for actions that could bail them out of the condition and mitigate their affected economic and social conditions. The images captured of the consequential menace of the heavy rains are nauseating with men, women and their children largely affected with life-impacting consequences wading in waterlogged streets after the flooding.

Championing Rule Of Law At Home And Criminality Abroad

 By Owei Lakemfa

Only a quarter of the eight million Palestinian people live in the Palestine; one million in Gaza, 750,000 in the occupied West Bank and 250,000 inside Israel. The rest, or over six million, are forced to live outside with at least three million of them classified as stateless persons with no legal rights. Yet these Palestinians in the diaspora are hunted like rabbits by the Israeli state.

(pix: The loyal Nigerian Lawyer)

On September 28, 2022, two Palestinians were confronted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by four men working for Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency. They snatched one of them, a programmer from Gaza while the second Palestinian escaped. The victim was then taken to a chalet where he was tortured and interrogated directly by two Mossad agents via video call.

The New Strait Times, Malaysia’s oldest newspaper published since 1845 reported that for 24 hours, the Palestinian was interrogated and beaten by his Malaysian captors whenever the answer he gave were not satisfactory to the Israeli agents.

ASUU Wins!

 By Tony Afejuku

By the time you read this, our public universities that our federal government’s intransigence caused to be closed for well over seven months may have been opened or are about to be opened.

Those who have seen the well above seven months of battle or of war between the FGN and ASUU as super serious contestation and deadly game of brawn and brain akin to those that can only be found in a play or a novel of tragic proportions might be happy to get to the end of the play or novel at last without pause.

Tinubu: Should Nigerians Really Shut Up?

 By Promise Adiele

Nigeria’s god of literature, Wole Soyinka, needs no elaborate introduction. His evident literary flourishes underscore a deep mastery of the English language which he eminently utilises to address socio-political conditions in his native Nigeria and across the world. He has, several times, confronted misrule, urging the economic weary, downtrodden masses to stand up against bad governance and reject the entrenchment of power monsters in the polity. In his globally acclaimed civil war memoir, The Man Died, Soyinka magisterially submits that “the man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.”

*Tinubu

By that epoch submission, the Nobel laureate encourages victims of feral exercise of power to speak up and not shut up because death is the comeuppance of timid acceptance of political and economic terrorism. Soyinka’s advice to the populace to speak up contradicts Bola Tinubu’s admonition that Nigerians demanding a new beginning from the present All Progressives Congress disaster should ‘shut up.’ Tinubu, the APC presidential standard bearer, was unmistakably direct when he recently encouraged his audience to tell those demanding a change of government in Nigeria to ‘shut up.’