By Polycarp Auta, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Cleft lip and palate are birth defects that occur when a baby’s lip or mouth do not form properly during pregnancy. These birth defects are commonly known as “Orofacial Clefts”.

Cleft is caused by a combination of genes and other environmental factors that an expectant the mother comes in contact with, including what she eats or drinks, or certain medications she uses during pregnancy.

Other factors may include diseases like diabetes, obesity, and excessive consumption of cigarettes or alcohol, as well as poor mother’s nutrition level.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that globally, one in every 700 children is born with the condition.

WHO added that one in 1,200 children estimated cleft incidences, are of African descent. 19,000 cleft children are born every year in Africa, out of which 12,000 are in West Africa and 6,000 in Nigeria.

Dr Akintunde Akintayo, a Consultant Surgeon with the Plastic and Reconstruction Unit, Department of Surgery, Jos University Teaching (JUTH), had told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in an interview that cleft often occurred when certain body parts and structures did not properly fuse together during fetal development.

According to Akintayo, cleft lip is a congenital opening on the lip, while the palate is an opening in the throat.

“As a baby develops during pregnancy, body tissue and special cells from each side of the head grow towards the center of the face, and join together to make the face.

“A cleft lip happens if the tissue that makes up the lip does not join completely before birth and this results in an opening in the upper lip.

“The opening in the lip can be a small slit or it can be a large opening that goes through the lip into the nose.

“A cleft lip can be on one or both sides of the lip, or in the middle of the lip, which occurs very rarely. Children with cleft lip also can have cleft palate,’’

Akintayo, who said that the abnormality could be hereditary, added that the mother’s lifestyle during pregnancy could increase her chances of having a child with cleft.

He, however, assured that cleft was treatable.

The surgeon explained that anyone born with cleft might likely have other abnormalities, and therefore, advised mothers to be wary of their lifestyles during pregnancy.

“Cleft is hereditary; it can be transferred from parents to children. But it is a treatable condition.

“It is not possible to have a society that’s totally free of cleft because it is genetic, and it is difficult to correct genes, but the cases can be reduced.

“When both parents have cleft, it increases the chances of their children coming up with the condition.

“But specifically, mothers must take good care of themselves and avoid indiscriminate consumption of medicines during pregnancy.

“We also advice intending couples, who both have cleft, against getting married; this will automatically reduce the number of cleft victims in our society,”

How enlightened are people about this condition? But how can access to treatment be increased for victims of cleft? Whose responsibility is it to ensure such access? What is the government’s role in tackling the menace? These and more are the questions that readily come to mind in a bid to understand the condition and curb it.

In the light of the above, and worried by the situation, Smile Train, a non-profit organisation, founded in 1999, with its headquarters in New York City, has been providing corrective surgery for children with clefts.

Currently, it provides free corrective cleft surgery in 87 countries, training local doctors and providing hospital funding for the procedures, with the sole aim of supporting 100 per cent free cleft repair surgery and comprehensive cleft care for children globally.

In Nigeria for instance, Smile Train has sponsored more than 25,000 free cleft treatments since 2002.

Beyond the surgeries, its sustainable model empowers local medical professionals to provide other cleft care in their own communities such as orthodontics, speech therapy and nutritional support.

Commending smile train for providing free treatment for cleft victims, Akintayo said that the organisation had sponsored more than 300 free surgeries in JUTH since 2007.

According to him, the free treatment introduced by Smile Train and other similar organisations has increased access to treatment for victims.

“But we need to do more in creating awareness, particularly in rural communities.

“Smile Train is doing well in this regard, but a lot of victims are still not aware of the existing free treatment.

“In JUTH, surgery for cleft costs between N75,000 to N100,000. These figures may look small, but it is big for a family with a lean income.

“Inhabitants of urban cities like Jos may not know how and where to access free cleft treatment, but the people in rural communities must be adequately sensitised in this regard.”

Prof. Emmanuel Ameh, of the Department of Paediatrics Surgery, National Hospital, Abuja, who also threw more light on the condition, called on federal and state governments to commit more funds towards improving surgical treatment and care for cleft victims.

According to Ameh, the spate of deaths due to unavailability of surgical procedures for those with medical conditions such as cleft, keep going higher, and that the policymakers, who should consider the issue as critical, usually view surgical care as too expensive.

He noted that the government often placed more emphasis on treating infectious diseases over other health conditions.

“Over the years, policymakers believe surgical care is very expensive and tend to neglect that aspect of medicine.

“Government at all levels lay more emphasis on infectious diseases over other medical conditions and one classical example is the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

“Currently, nine out of 10 people in Low-Income Countries such as Nigeria lack access to basic surgical care.

“So, there is a need for the government to invest more funds into surgical and anaesthetic care.”

He further advised the government to expand surgical care to cover 75 per cent of the population and 50 per cent of children less than 15 years of age.

The surgeon further called on the government to ensure that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), removed restrictions on the treatment of surgical conditions.

Ameh also called on the government to train more experts in providing surgical care, particularly in the aspect of life support.

Rhoda Ajiji, a beneficiary of the free treatment offered by smile train, narrated her ordeal before she could access treatment.

Ajiji, a resident of Maijuju community, in Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau, said that some people from her community did everything to prevent her from getting treated.

“In 2009, I heard of the free treatment offered in JUTH by Smile Train. It was at the village market that someone told me about it.

“But when people in my community, including members of my family, heard of it, they refused me going for the treatment.

“They warned those with motorcycles or cars not to pick me, so, I had to trek for two days to go to JUTH for treatment,”

Dismissing the claim in some quarters that cleft could be a spiritual attack on the victims, Rev. Ayuba Asheshe, the Secretary General of Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), agreed with Akintayo that it was a genetic condition.

According to Asheshe, the Church does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of their health condition, but supports people, irrespective of religious background, to seek medical help when in need of one.

“Most Churches today have established hospitals and these facilities cater for the health needs of not just its members, but the general public, irrespective of religious or cultural affiliations.

“So, the Church does not discriminate on basis of health condition, but we support our members to seek medical attention alongside prayers when passing through any health challenge,”

Asheshe promised to create awareness on the availability of free treatment for people with cleft lip and palate.

Da Samuel Jok, the District Head of Riyom, promised to support the efforts of Smile Train, and other relevant agencies in providing succor to all cleft victims in rural communities.

Therefore with concerted efforts by critical stakeholders in the health sector, it is believed that cases of cleft in Nigeria, particularly in rural communities, would drastically reduce, as those who are currently suffering from the condition would access the free treatment courtesy of Smile Train. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Nyisom Fiyigon Dore

**If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

By Zubairu Idris, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

In what looked like a scene from an action movie, under the cover of darkness, gunmen stormed Government Boys Science Secondary School in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State in December 2020.

Before security agencies would respond to distress calls, the bandits had whisked away no fewer than 300 of the students from their hostel. They spent one week in captivity.

Earlier this month, gunmen kidnapped five students of Federal University, Dutsin-Ma. Their captors are still demanding ransom as at the time of filing this report.

The above scenarios reflect the security challenge Kastina State has faced in recent years. In addition to abductions, there is also the challenge of banditry, cattle rustling, and robbery, among others.

This has continued to raise concern not only among the residents of affected communities, but also to the government and other stakeholders.

The consequences of the problem on the socio-economic lives of the people in the 34 local government areas of the state have been enormous, ranging from poverty, hunger, school drop-out, among others.

For instance, some farmers have abandoned farming activities. The implications of this need not be explained.

The most affected local governments areas are: Batsari, Danmusa, Jibiya, Kankara, Safana, Faskari, Sabuwa and Dandume.

In these areas, many of the residents have migrated to where they consider safe even when such areas lack basic amenities. The vulnerable—widows, the poor, orphans, children and the aged being the worst hit.

Some residents of such communities have lamented that bandits move freely with weapons in their areas, adding that sometimes they enter markets to extort the residents.

“Sometimes they kidnap young women who are unable to migrate and rape some of them.

“In some places, they also impose taxes on the residents before allowing them to cultivate crops,” residents who pleaded for anonymity told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Another resident, who gave his name as Mallam Abdullahi, said: “Sometimes, residents sleep on roof tops. Sometimes we sleep in the bush and return in the morning in our bid to escape from terrorists attack.

“As I am speaking with you, the only people left in our area are widows, children, the aged and the physically challenged persons as all able-bodied men have fled the community.

To change this narrative, Gov. Dikko Radda, said during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, that the task of his administration would be “providing peace and prosperity for the people”.

“The insecurity issue will be paramount for this administration, and we will deploy all available resources to end banditry and criminality across the state.

“We will also engage communities in this fight to ensure that security is sustained.

“To those affected by banditry and other forms of insecurity, I assure you that my administration will do its best to rebuild your lives.

“We will also focus on your mental wellbeing and provide special support to women and girls who have endured unimaginable pain,” the governor said.

As demonstration of vow, Radda on Oct. 10, 2023, inaugurated Katsina Community Security Watch Corps (KCSWC), to complement security agencies in the ongoing fight against the menace.

Radda recalled that during his electioneering campaign, he traversed the 361 wards in the state and witnessed the devastating effects of insecurity on several communities.

“People have been denigrated to poor living conditions, immense psychological trauma, and a complete demolition of socio-economic development,” he said

He said in line with his campaign promises security has been the topmost priority of his administration and has invested vast resources to ensure sustainability in the fight against the criminality.

“This should come as no surprise to anyone as 22 out of 34 local governments in Katsina face severe security challenges,” he said.

Radda, therefore, said the introduction of the Community Watch Corps (KCSWC) illustrated his administration’s proactive approach to those security challenges.

“By leveraging localised knowledge and fostering trust, we are not merely addressing symptoms, but targeting the roots of insecurity in our state.

“To our dear officers, as you step out into the field, remember that you now bear a significant responsibility.

“You are not just protectors but also role models, mediators, and pillars of support. Remember, the real essence of your training goes beyond physical readiness or tactical expertise.

“It is about the development of a character that understands the value of empathy, community cohesion, and cultural respect“, he said.

He urged members of the team to be guided by the core valued behind establishment of their team.

“You have been saddled with the responsibility of facing a deadly enemy who has no respect for life or peaceful existence.

“These bandits have brought pain upon our mothers, daughters, sons, and fathers, and it is our religious obligation to protect them,” Radda said.

He promised to fully support all the security agencies, the security watch corps, vigilant groups, amongst others to enable them would work together to eradicate insecurity.

The State’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Nasiru Muazu-Danmusa, said the government would not negotiate with any criminal, but would do everything humanly possible to protect the people.

“I think Katsina has highest number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-west zone as a result of that insecurity.

“However, we are making efforts to reverse the narration by putting in place excellent strategies that will address the problem,” he said.

Muazu-Danmusa said the government has benchmarked salaries of the KCSWCs on the basis of the national minimum wage to boost their morale for effective service delivery.

He further said the government was constructing offices for the corps, has provided them with patrol vehicles, motorcycles, weapons, gadgets, among others for their effective operations.

“So, we are going in tandem with the provision of the constitution in providing them with all these things,” he said.

He said that the corps was made up of indigenes of their host communities who have been in forefront in the fight against the terrorists therefore are familiar with the terrain.

The Commissioner of Police the Police Command in Katsina State, Mr Aliyu Abubakar-Musa, said recently the Command recorded successes in fighting banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and other criminal activities in the state.

“Notwithstanding the modest achievements, more still need to be done”, he said.

Abubakar-Musa said 1, 005 suspects were arrested in connection with 853 reported criminal cases in June, 2023, alone.

He also said the command has rescued 171 kidnap victims and neutralised five suspected kidnappers during the period under review.

The CP added that the police recovered 600 suspected rustled animals, four AK 47 rifles, six locally made guns and 517 live rounds of ammunition, among other achievements.

To ensure sustainability of the new approach, the governor also inaugurated “Security Intervention Trust Fund Committee” that would secure funds to be used in addressing those security challenges bedeviling the state.

Radda said the committee would identify prominent state indigenes and corperate organisations to solicit funds required for that purpose.

He said the committee would suggest areas where the funds would be utilised, and propose modest projects to be executed with the funds raised.

Such projects, he said, would be support the security measures in such areas as rehabilitation of victims and job creation for young persons.

Mr Aliyu Abdulkarim, a resident, advised the government to provide the corps with modern weapons and ensure that they worked in synergy with other security agencies.

He further advised the government to do everything possible to boost morale of the KCSWC personnel.

Abdulkarim also advised the neighboring states to work in synergy with Katsina by sharing intelligence, operation and resources to rid the entire zone of the unfortunate security situation.

It is expected that if the community-based approach works the people of the state would sleep with their eyes closed, while socio-economic activities would flourish more than before. (NANFeatures) (www.nannews.ng)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria. 

By Kadiri Abdulrahman, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

The world recently gathered in Marrakech, Morocco for the annual World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) meetings.

The meetings, which had been scheduled for 2020 were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and came 50 years after similar meetings were last hosted on the African continent, the 1973 meetings in Nairobi, Kenya.

Little wonder the organisers did not allow the devastating earthquake that affected Marrakech and some other parts Morocco in September to derail the hosting right as the organisers decided to go ahead with the meeting.

In a joint statement ahead of the meeting, the World Bank President, Ajay Banga, IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva; and Kingdom of Morocco Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah Alaoui said the meetings will hold by “adapting the content to the circumstances”.

They said that since the Sept. 8 earthquake the World Bank and the IMF staff had worked in close coordination with the Moroccan authorities and a team of experts to thoroughly assess Marrakech’s capacity to host the Meetings.

“In undertaking this assessment, key considerations were that the meetings would not disrupt vital relief and reconstruction efforts, and that the safety of the participants can be assured.

“Based on a careful review of the findings, the Managements of the World Bank and IMF, with the Moroccan authorities, have agreed to proceed with holding the 2023 Annual Meetings in Marrakech.

“The meetings will be conducted in a way that does not hamper the relief efforts, and respects the victims and Moroccan people.

“At this very difficult time, we believe that the annual meetings also provide an opportunity for the international community to stand by Morocco and its people, who have once again shown resilience in the face of tragedy.

“We also remain committed to ensuring the safety of all participants,” they said.

Hosting of the meetings by Morocco apparently brought relief to Moroccans, especially residents of the beautiful city of Marrakech, many of who took advantage of the influx of visitors to make brisk business.

At the Marrakech Menara Airport, hundreds of residents came with vehicles to convey delegates to their destination at exorbitant fees.

As it turned, the city is also a huge tourism destination, with hordes of visiting tourists, mostly Asians and Europeans jostling for space with delegates for annual meetings of the Bretton Woods institutions.

Some home owners in the city also vacated their homes and rented them out to delegates and tourists, charging between 300 dollars to 3000 dollars for the one week duration of the meetings.

A taxi driver, Abubakar Awal, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that residents of Marrakech were happy WITH the presence of many participants from across the world for the meetings.

“Welcome to Marrakech. We are happy to have you all here. Morocco is a beautiful country and I am sure you will enjoy your stay,” he said.

Adil Imam, another resident of the city, said that the influx of people into the city was a huge relief from the recent tragic earthquake.

“We are happy that people are coming in here from all over the world. We will do everything to make you enjoy your stay here,” he said.

And they did. The city is beautiful, with working social amenities  like electricity, potable water and a good road network,  and warm, friendly citizens, always eager to engage visitors and show them around.

All houses are beautifully painted brown; every single house in Marrakech! And as Abubakar, said, the city is called “brown city”.

He said that other major Moroccan cities like Rabbat and Casablanca also have their different colour codes.

The roads are good and very busy, accommodating every moving vehicle, from exotic cars to motorcycles, bicycles and even carts that are pulled by horses.

Every conversation with a “Marrakechian” easily drifts towards the “gulugulu”, a local aphrodisiac, that they are all proud of.

As they say, “gulugulu makes homes happy. When you take gulugulu lock the door with your wife inside and throw away the keys.”

The multiplier effect of the meetings on the city, no doubt will linger for years in the minds of the locals.

Marrakech in Morocco is proof that Africans can make Africa work. It is worth visiting. (NANFeatures)

By Rukayat Moisemhe

The emergence and development of ceramic industries in Nigeria boomed between 1970 and 1980, riding on the back of availability of raw materials, massive human resources and adequate technology.

The earlier ceramic industries have all gone moribund and unlimited quantities of substandard ceramics products are being continuously imported into the country.

Prior to 1980, the ceramic sector was considered as one of the Small and Medium Scale Industries that contributed importantly to the construction industry, export earnings and employment in Nigeria.

Today, there are only ten operating ceramic industries in Nigeria because of several problems ranging from lack of workforce with adequate generic and technical skills, haphazard way of raw material mining, trade barriers and others.

Hence, the functioning ceramic industries are no longer performing creditably and can not play the expected vital and vibrant role in the economic growth and development of Nigeria.

This situation has been of great concern to the citizenry, operators, practitioners and the Organised Private Sector(OPS).

The situation is more disturbing and worrying when compared with what other developing and developed countries have been able to achieve with their ceramics industries.

Notably, Nigeria occupies eight position among the top 18 emerging economies for ceramics trade, but it is the only country in the world without significant ceramics exports in spite of her enormous solid mineral resources.

The state of ceramic manufacturing business in Nigeria concentrated only on ceramic wall and floor tiles, with virtually no meaningful efforts on the wide range products of tablewares, sanitary wares, china wares, porcelain, electrical porcelain insulators, refractories, structural clay bricks among others.

Currently, the introduction of ‘intelligent ceramics’ where ceramic application is being utilised across several sectors of life such as housing, healthcare and automobile etcetera, could be critical in restoring wealth to the country’s economy.

It could, therefore, be a critical key to unlocking next-generation energy storage and enabling future generations to harness renewable technologies.

According to research, sensors build into ceramic flooring can detect human presence and activate traffic signals, while the advanced products hold enormous developmental potential for global resource efficient solutions.

Mr Patrick Oaikhinan, the only Professor of Ceramics Engineering in Nigeria, said that
the industry, upon revitalisation, could be a critical focus for the new administration to employ not less than five million Nigerians directly and indirectly.

This, he said, was achievable if the government could mobilise human and financial resources needed to solve the technical, economic and constraints hindering the sector.

Oaikhinan noted that 13 ceramic industries namely Okigwe Pottery, Richware Ceramics, Modern Ceramics, Quality Ceramics, Nigerian Italian Ceramics, Arewa Ceramics, Jacaranda Pottery, Ceramics Manufacturer, Eleganza Ceramics, Maraba Pottery, Plateau Pottery, Ladi Kwali Pottery and Jos Museum Pottery have all gone moribund.

He said that the sector had been captured by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals that focuses on poverty reduction, gender equality and environmental sustainability, among others.

He charged the government to revitalise the domestic the industry sector for the emergence of new ceramic entrepreneurs and facilitating new business start-ups.

Oaikhinan emphasised the need to get the moribund ceramic industries back on track to enhance competitiveness, wealth and job creation.

“To achieve this, the nation needs to direct the National Universities Commission through the Federal Ministry of Education to make ceramic science, ceramic engineering, ceramic technology, and mineral engineering as stand-alone compulsory degree programmes in all universities in Nigeria.

“This is necessary as the non- inclusion of these ceramic courses in the over 220 universities in Nigeria have blocked the avenues for people with abiding interest in ceramics as a career.

“Government must formulate policies, provide general guidelines for the formation of ceramic industrial clusters, provide financial instruments for solid mineral characterisation and ceramic capacity building and skills development, technology development for smart, sustainable and inclusive ceramic growth.

“Policy makers should create a supportive regulatory framework to keep ceramics manufacturing competitive and make the sector a contributor to the inclusive and sustainable development of Nigeria.

“Nigeria must establish ceramic skills acquisition centre or academy to support the resurgence of the local ceramic industry through the building of bridges between industry and education to ensure there is a skilled workforce for the future, as well as leading young people to a career for life,” he said.

He also emphsised the need for interface with external assistance such as JICA-Japan, GTZ-Germany, USAID-United States and others, to re-engineer and reposition the industry.

Oaikhinan urged the government to tackle issues of international market access and trade barriers vide a trade policy instrument to encourage the domestic industry.

He added that string actions must be taken against all unfair trade practices, including counterfeiting, infringement of intellectual property rights, dumping and others.

“As Nigeria gradually recovers from the debilitating effect of COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on the economy and with a new government in place, Nigeria needs to beam its searchlight on several areas hitherto neglected to revamp the economy.

“Wealth can be generated from the exploitation of ceramic solid minerals such as kaolin, ball clays, feldspar, quartz or silica sand, calcium carbonate, talc, bentonite, and so on.

“These minerals, if processed, can contribute 511.57 billion dollars to the Nigerian economy and an approximately 2.1 billion dollars can be saved on varieties of ceramics importation by 2025,” he said.

Another contributor, Dr Patrick Irabor, a Raw Materials, Ceramic Research and Development Consultant, advanced reasons for human capital development, local raw materials exploitation and processing, by public and private stakeholders.

He said this would help to reposition the ceramic manufacturing industry within the next 20 years.

According to Irabor, Nigeria is losing out on the vast global ceramic market, estimated to be about 240 billion dollars by the Ceramic World Review.

He demanded explanation for the collapse of the industry in view of the availability of local raw materials for ceramic development and production.

In Irabor’s views, the collapse were due to poor quality raw materials and absence of the primary raw materials processing industries in Nigeria.

He added that most of the moribund ceramic industries in Nigeria collapsed due to shortage of expertise and skilled labour, lack of value added raw materials, poor technology and management skills.

Irabor said revitalisation of these ceramic industries could begin with the sensitisation and re-awakening of investment interest of relevant stakeholders, especially where public and private sectors are involved.

He said Nigeria must conduct a full and complete technical appraisal and feasibility study on the moribund plants as well as exploration of investment capital
through public-private partnership and technical-foreign investment.

“Nigeria offers a formidable market potential for a wide variety of manufactured goods and services.

“However, the current situation in the ceramic sector in Nigeria, where only eight companies focusing on tiles alone are operational does not offer positive prospects to contribute handsomely to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP).

“It is certain that the revitalisation of moribund ceramic industries will drive the growth of a wide-range of allied industries.

“This the chemical, metallurgical, energy, power generation and transmission among others that would contribute to the nation’s GDP.

“Added to these, would be the conventional application of ceramic products and services in housing, hospitals, hotels, educational institutions, research centres, industries, restaurants, general building construction and value chain enterprises, from which government can generate revenue.

“Therefore, with appropriate investment, manpower, machinery and raw materials, the revitalisation and reactivation of these moribund industries, will no doubt, revolutionise the ceramic manufacturing business in Nigeria and the West Africa sub-region,” he said.

Summarily, it is observed that Nigeria is still decades behind in achieving the level of ceramic product-range development and production to offer significant impact on the national GDP.

With the current level of ceramic tile production of over 100 million square meters in Nigeria alone, there are prospects for the country to be at par with China and Indian if the revitalisation of the moribund industries are diligently implemented. (NAN)

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

***If used, please credit NAN and the writer***

By Kayode Adebiyi, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

On October 7, a WhatsApp user shared a video of a middle-aged man being mobbed for allegedly stealing another man’s genitals at the Abacha Road axis of Mararaba, an outskirt of Abuja.

Upon further interrogation, one man who gave his name only as Taiwo claimed to have witnessed the incident and recorded the video, saying the alleged manhood thief returned what he stole due to fears that he would be lynched if he refused to do so.

“The mob decided not to take him to the police because he may not return the manhood he stole and they don’t trust the police,” he said.

The police later intervened and reported that the alleged victim’s sex organ was functioning, as confirmed by medical experts at a close by government hospital.

Similarly, on the same day, at Sharp Corner Bus Stop, Mararaba, one person accused somebody of stealing his genitals. As usual, the crowd pounced on the accused and almost lynched him.

The police came to his rescue. It was later discovered that the young man raised a false alarm. But before then, the harm had been done. The accused man badly injured and his car set ablaze.

The charred car was there at the time of writing this report.

Scenarios like the above have become common within the Federal Capital Territory and its environs, where jungle justice dispensers apprehend and attack individuals for allegedly stealing genitals.

From Lugbe to Bwari, Gwagwalada to Nyanya and elsewhere, there is hardly a day without FCT residents being served yet another sordid dose of mob action over alleged missing genitals.

Many male residents of the territory now move around with chunks of charcoal and alligator pepper said to be antidotes to the powers of genital thieves.

The situation has become so problematic that the FCT Police Command arrested and charged 14 men to court for false information to innocent residents over the disappearance of their genitals to disappear.

Within a week, several mob actions were carried out against more than 12 accused persons in the FCT alone.

The FCT Commissioner of Police, Haruna Garba, said when the false alarmists were taken to the hospital for evaluation, medical tests conducted on them revealed that their male organs were intact and also very much active.

It appears that the disturbing allegation of missing genitals are a seasonal wave that blows across the country in sequences, the FCT being its current stop though some states such as Cross River have had their share of the incidence.

It is probably making a stop from neighbouring Nasarawa State, where the menace peaked in August.

On Sept. 23, 2023, the police in the state had to issue a statement warning residents against raising false alarms and mob actions against suspected perpetrators of missing genitals.

Like the case in the FCT, the police said that medical examinations conducted on victims with cases of mysterious genital disappearance in Nasarawa Eggon, Obi, Lafia and Keffi Local Government Areas gave all the victims a clean bill of health.

Last month, the Cross River State Government also released a statement debunking rumours of missing male genitals in the Calabar metropolis and its environs.

In 2020, Dr Ninyo Omidiji, a medical doctor with the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, told a national dailythat people who claim that their genitals were stolen might have depression or anxiety.

“Medicine is science and anything science cannot prove empirically or methodologically does not exist,” he said.

Some medical experts say people who raise false alarms about the disappearance of their sex organs might be suffering from Koro Syndrome.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information, which provides access to biomedical and genomic information, defines Koro syndrome as being “characterised by a person’s acute anxiety attacks.

“This is due to their overwhelming belief that their sex organs are retracting and disappearing into their body and that this retraction is fatal, despite the lack of actual physical changes to these organs.”

It says the syndrome is a psychiatric disorder that has two classifications: an endemic, culture-related type epidemic in parts of East and Southeast Asia; and a sporadic and non-cultural type appearing throughout the rest of the world.

The definition and non-cultural type of the syndrome corroborates Omidiji’s position on the wave of allegations of missing genitals in the FCT and elsewhere.

However, there are people who still hold tight to the belief that ritualists indeed `steal` people’s genitals.

Many, like Taiwo even claim to have witnessed the restoration of missing genitals after the alleged perpetrators were apprehended.

Plausible or not the controversy is here with us. Mob response to cases of alleged missing genitals that poses civil disorder and extrajudicial meting out of punishment should be discouraged and discontinued.

So far, the situation has not led to any known fatality in the FCT due to timely intervention by the police. However, those falsely accused of stealing genitals must get justice.

Also, false alarmists, as well as members of mob that subject innocent citizens to molestation, should be rounded up and prosecuted. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria

By Cecilia Ologunagba, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

For over 63 years, Nigeria has actively participated in the UN General Assembly as one of the prominent Member States of the global body.

The General Assembly is the main policy making and representative organ of the UN.

It is composed of representatives of the 193 Member States and other entities which meet in sessions dedicated to discussions on current issues of critical importance to the international community.

The Assembly is also said to be the largest networking gathering, where Member States take advantage of the massive turnout to engage in bilateral and multilateral meetings as well as side events, among others.

Ending the war in Ukraine, promoting climate action and ramping up efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) topped the agenda of the High Level Week.

This year, the Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, joined other world leaders to contribute to the global discourse, highlighting the achievements of his country in contributing to global peace, prosperity and sustainability.

Tinubu, who was sworn in as 16th President of Nigeria on May 29, in his inaugural speech to the Assembly, urged UN member States to demonstrate more commitment to the crackdown against terror financing.

He also urged them to show commitment to curb economic sabotage, and illicit mineral and arms smuggling in the developing world.

The president said his aggressive economic development diplomatic push for new investment has been demonstrably effective in presenting Nigeria as business-ready, adding that the ease of doing business was not the major challenge to large scale investment.

“The question is not whether Nigeria is open for business. The question is how much of the world is truly open to doing business with Nigeria and Africa in an equal, mutually beneficial manner.

‘’Direct investment in critical industries, opening their ports to a wider range and larger quantity of quality African exports, and meaningful debt relief are important aspects of the cooperation we desire,” the Tinubu said.

Demonstrating his push for investment, Tinubu met with the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa and the President of Angola João Lourenço.

He also had audience with, President of Union of Comotros, Azali Assoumani, King of Jordan, Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, and the Secretary-General  of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Mr. Hissein Taha, on the sidelines of the session.

The Nigerian leaders also met with the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, and with business community in the U.S. as well as Nigerians living in the U.S, among others.

Discussing with his South African counterpart, Ramaphosa on stronger economic and regional ties, Tinubu said South African Mining industries had a role to play in the Nigerian solid minerals development sector.

‘’Your business community has done well in Nigerian Telecommunications. We have great mineral wealth across our land, and you have good expertise in this area.

“We expect to deliver jobs and mutually beneficial results in this area as brother and sister countries,” the President said.

Ramaphosa agreed that the two countries have much more wealth to create together in close and intentional partnership, with each nation leveraging each other’s respective strengths.

Also, meeting with Taha, Tinubu reiterated that the Islamic world has a strategic role to play in the sustenance of peace and development in Africa, and across the globe.

‘’I am ready to collaborate with you. Your effort in supporting agricultural growth and food security through the provision of resources from Islamic banks has been most commendable and our region is appreciative.

‘’I am determined to work with you in uplifting Nigerians and Africans,” the President said.

Meanwhile, at Nigeria-U.S. Executive Business Roundtable, Tinubu assured prospective investors of his administration’s determination to adopt necessary fiscal and regulatory measures toward the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

He said that was the reason behind his bringing successful Nigerian industrialists and public officials to share their experiences and operational plans, respectively.

Tinubu said this was in addition to all he had done to boost the confidence of the global investment community in Nigeria, by reforming the fiscal, monetary, regulatory and tax policy environment.

Boosting the confidence of global investment, the Nigerian leader rang bell at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (NASDAQ) in New York.

Tinubu, while performing the task, was in company of some Nigerian business leaders and officials of the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. (NGX).

The President also used the opportunity, presented by the historic moment, to advance his foreign investment push in front of financial markets at the famous stock exchange.

Also meeting with Nigerians in the diaspora, Tinubu assured then that Nigeria is home for business opportunities and that they should contribute their quota by investing in the country.

According to him, change of mind is important in achieving success in all their endeavours.

In addition to Tinubu’s participation, the Nigerian delegation also participated in other high-level events such as High-level dialogue on Financing for Development; High-level meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response.

The delegation attended Climate Ambition Summit, convened by the Secretary-General; the Ministerial meeting of the Summit of the Future; High-level meeting of the Universal Health Coverage,.

Also, the delegation participated in High-level meeting of the on the fight Against Tuberculosis.

The Minister of State for Environment, Kunle Salako, who was part of the president’s entourage, spoke on the efforts to mitigate the impact of Climate Change, noting the decision by Tinubu’s administration to remove fuel subsidy.

According to him, removal of fuel subsidy has reduced the country’s consumption rate by about 33 per cent.

“I had highlighted this development in some of the meetings I attended or represented the President and at the meeting of Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change and at the meeting of Commonwealth Ministers of Environment and Climate.

“Nigeria participated in the meeting of Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change where I represented President to pass a resolution to adopt the Nairobi Declaration for final vetting by the meeting of AU.

“I also represented the president at the first meeting of Commonwealth Ministers of Environment and Climate.

“During the meeting the ministers decided to approach the 28th Conference of Parties in Dubai come late November to early December with common front of pushing for better financing for climate action’’, he said.

While commending the president on his maiden outing, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris said Tinubu’s the outing showed that Nigeria is back to the fold of great nations.

“It appears that the world is welcoming Nigeria back to its fold. So much is happening, and Nigeria is being expected to lead the way. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has just done that.

“Nigeria is becoming a very important nation once again, taking its rightful place, President Bola Tinubu didn’t speak for Nigeria, but for the rest of Africa,” said the minister.

Idris described the president’s outing as fantastic because it demonstrated the leadership position he has taken in Africa, being the ECOWAS President. (NANFeatures)

**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria

By Oluwafunke Ishola

Mrs Aisha Al-Hassan is a 33-year-old trader and mother of three children. Her life revolves around her family and business.

Unfortunately, she died from postpartum hemorrhage complications that arose after delivery of her fourth baby.

Sadly, Al-Hassan is among 14 per cent of Nigerian women who had died as a result of maternal death.

According to the World Health Organisation, postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is losing more than half a litre of blood within 24 hours of childbirth.

PPH affects 14 million women every year—killing 70,000 of them, primarily in low-income countries; and those who survive often face long-term, disabling complications, such as heart or kidney failure.

A common cause of postpartum hemorrhage is anaemia, or severe iron deficiency. Anaemia affects as many as 37 per cent of pregnant women around the world.

Dr Hadiza Galadanci, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Health Sciences, Bayero University Kano, said Postpartum hemorrhage was the number one cause of maternal death, with data showing that Nigeria has the highest maternal deaths globally.

Galadanci explained that there was a critical flaw in the way PPH was diagnosed, noting that healthcare workers often have a hard time recognising how much blood loss was too much blood loss.

“The only tool they have is a rough visual estimate,” she said.

Galadanci and a team of researchers in four African countries with high maternal mortality in a study they called E-MOTIVE, discovered that about half of the women who experience PPH were never diagnosed at all.

“Therefore, they never got lifesaving treatment,” Galadanci said at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeepers Conference held on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New York.

The professor added that when PPH was identified, healthcare workers relied on a series of five treatments to stop the bleeding: uterine massage, oxytocic drugs, tranexamic acid, IV fluids, and genital-tract examination.

“But those interventions were being delivered sequentially—and far too slowly.

“We asked ourselves, why don’t we bundle the interventions together, administering all five at once. We tried it and we decreased cases of bleeding by 60 per cent,”she said.

Concerned by the slowing improvement to reach the Sustainable Development Goals for the survival of mothers or babies, Gates Foundation dedicated its 2023 Goalkeepers Conference to spotlight the need for urgent action to accelerate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) and reduce maternal and child mortality.

Countries have united behind the target to accelerate the decline of maternal mortality by 2030. SDG 3- Good health and wellbeing includes an ambitious target: “reducing the global maternal mortality rate (MMR) to less than 70 per 100, 000 births, with no country having a maternal mortality rate of more than twice the global average”.

The global MMR in 2020 was 223 per 100, 000 live births; achieving a global MMR below 70 by the year 2030 will require an annual rate of reduction of 11.6 per cent, a rate that has rarely been achieved at the national level.

Melinda French-Gates, Co-chair, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, says investing in women’s healthcare, particularly in high quality, affordable, equitable healthcare was a sure way to build a better future we all imagined.

According to her, there is a widening health gap and declining prospects for women globally.

“Maternal mortality is highly preventable, but sadly 800 women die from childbirth daily.

“Statistically, the day a woman gives birth is the most likely day she is to die,” she said.

According to her, brilliant researchers supported by the foundation have developed new interventions that can ensure more women have access to lifesaving care.

Noting that their work is opening up new, low-cost and mobile—avenues of preventing and treating deadly childbirth complications.

“When combined with better primary health care and more resilient health systems, these innovations have the potential to save thousands of mothers’ lives in LMICs around the world by 2030,” she said.

On innovations that are shaping maternal health, Prof. Bosede Afolabi, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine University of Lagos, said anaemia wasn’t just a cause of postpartum hemorrhage but also an effect—one that could lead to long-term consequences ranging from heart disease to depression.

Explaining that a woman with severe anaemia was much more likely to bleed heavily during her delivery, noting that an anaemic women cannot survive the same volume of blood loss as nonanemic women.

Afolabi unveiled a one-time, 15-minute intravenous (IV) infusion of iron solution to assist anaemic women in Nigeria and beyond (an IV drip that can replenish women’s iron reserves during pregnancy—or even after pregnancy—and it could help treat severe cases of anaemia quickly and effectively.)

“This solution could mean not just saving women’s lives but also helping them lead better ones,” Afolabi said.

Unveiled also was a micronutrient supplement that fights malnutrition, noting that a malnourished mother translates to a malnourished child.

According to Afolabi, globally, more than one billion women and children lack access to good nutrition and healthy diets, with supplements and vitamins as common solutions that’s readily accessible in wealthy nations.

In contrast, Afolabi said that low-income countries lack access to such interventions, adding that Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) are interventions that could assist millions of pregnant women.

“They contain 15 essential minerals and vitamins including folic acid and iron; easy to use, low-cost and ready to scale. Most importantly, they work.

“In current studies, MMS significantly reduces the risk of low-birth weight by 12 per cent and very low-birth weight by 22 per cent, both of which are factors in infant deaths today.

“In today’s world, we tell women to take folic acid and iron, which are poorly tolerated and often thrown away and address only two nutrients.

“In my country- Nigeria and others, including Pakistan and Ethiopia, researchers are working hard to bring this support to all pregnant women.

“These supplements represent more than just help; it also represents hope because a solution is finally being tailored to solve malnutrition in communities that were overlooked for far too long,” she said.

Afolabi also unveiled a hand-held portable AI-enabled ultrasound machine that assesses pregnancy, noting that it’s cheaper, convenient to use and could mean more timely diagnostic and interventions and few risks to newborn and mothers.

“It’s inspiring to see more tools in research and testing that could have an impact in keeping mothers safe during childbirth. That’s the world that excites me and a world mothers deserve,” Afolabi said.

Similarly, Bill Gates, Co-chair, Gates Foundation, said more lives would be saved only if all mothers and babies have access to both quality health care services and the innovations spotlighted.

Gates noted that global under five-years child deaths was 4.6 million children, explaining that 2.2 million children die before they are one month old; 1.7 million die a week after birth, while one million children die the same day of birth.

Lamenting that there was little knowledge of the cause of neonatal deaths in the first 30 days of life, which made the foundation to establish Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS- an initiative of the foundation started in 2015 to learn more about the root causes of child death by taking blood and tissue samples from children who died.)

Gates acknowledged that over the past decade, the field of child health had moved faster and farther than he thought he would witness in his lifetime.

“We need to make the effort to take this knowledge and low-cost tools and do our best to get them out into the world so that in those fragile times of pregnancy and first two weeks that more kids grow up to live healthy and productive lives,” Gates said.

Gates, therefore, stressed that providing access to quality health care for mothers and babies to live long and healthy lives requires policy changes, political will, and more investment in women’s health and health care workers, including midwives.

Furthermore, Eva Nangalo, a midwife from Uganda, said that midwives are the backbone of maternal and child healthcare in many communities around the world.

Nangalo attributed the deaths of mothers and babies in Uganda to shortage of power, lack of equipment, absence of essential medicines and lack of transportation.

She called for inclusion of midwives in policymaking that borders on maternal and neonatal health, provision of modern equipment, facilities and medicines to save the lives of mothers and babies globally.

On efforts to scale up the innovations, Mark Suzman, Chief Executive Officer, Gates Foundation, emphasised it was ultimately the responsibility of the global, regional and national health authorities to integrate the innovations into health systems.

Suzman said that more than 50 countries are paying more in debt servicing than in health.

“You can’t achieve health outcomes or save over 800 women who die daily from preventable maternal deaths if you aren’t allocating into core human development – health and education,” he said.

He noted that Goalkeepers was about possibility, accountability, hope and commitments, stressing that the outlined innovations are concrete, implementable actions which are low-cost, save lives and could be rolled out fast.

“Yes, we are behind in the SDGs and it’s a tough half-time, but we can meet those goals by 2030, if we take actions now,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Goalkeepers initiative led by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is designed to inspire and incentivise thinkers and doers toward achieving the 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

These Goals form an ambitious blueprint for reimagining a better future for all by 2030 and were agreed upon by all member states of the United Nations. (NANFeatures)

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Edited by Vivian Ihechu