Imagine if these two were to get back together...(photos)

Awww...anything is possible sha! Former spouses Femi and Funke Kuti looking so comfortable in each others arms.

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Bill to Place HND at Par with B.Sc Passes Second Reading in the Senate

With the second reading of a bill seeking to put Nigerian polytechnics at par with the universities on Wednesday, the Senate has intensified moves to address the age-long clamour to bridge the dichotomy between the two higher institutions.

Entitled “A Bill for an Act to Abolish and Prohibit Dichotomy and Discrimination Between First Degrees and the Higher National Diploma in the Same Profession/Field and Related Matters,” the bill was sponsored by Senator Ayo Akinyelure (Ondo Central) who is also the proprietor of All Over Polytechnic in Lagos.

Leading a debate on the bill, Akinyelure who said the framework was propelled by wage disparity and gross discrimination against HND holders in the public and private sectors, noted that the situation “is threatening to derail the nation’s core policy thrust of evolving a technologically and scientifically based, self-sufficient and self-reliant society in the nearest future. Hence, the need for Senate intervention at this juncture.”

He added: “Without mincing words, and as l speak, thousands of would-be polytechnic and technology students are contemplating or have decided to opt for university education because of perceived and real discrimination against HND graduates in relation to their counterparts who are university degree holders. If this contemplation occurs, there is bound to be a vacuum created in our labour market in this regard and dire consequences are bound to follow this trend.”

Akinyelure, who claimed that polytechnic education dwells mainly on the practical while that of the university is merely theoretical, added that the degree of discrimination against HND holders in the country is so appalling to such an extent that they are employed as gatemen while their fellow university graduates are employed with dignity into ranking offices.

The senator who also claimed that HND holders in the field of accountancy, engineering, among others, had been found to be better on the field than degree holders, added that both qualifications are not supposed to compete together but should rather complement each other.

Furthermore, he said initiating this bill had become compelling in view of the fruitless promises allegedly made by the federal government to rectify the disparity between the two institutions in the past adding that the bill aims at promoting “technological advancement instead of 90 per cent of qualified candidates pursuing university education which is more theoretical without adding the needed value to the system of technological advancement of our great nation.”

But a number of senators kicked against the bill, describing it as baseless as they argued that the clamour to raise the value of polytechnic education to that of the university amount to wanting HND holders to reap where they did not to sow.

The opposing senators who described the objectives of the bill as misplaced, argued that the polytechnic education is structurally different from that of the university.

According to them, these structural differences must first of all be addressed before any clamour could be relevant.

Therefore, they argued that not only are the entry requirements into the university more complex than that of the polytechnics, it is mere university graduates that teach in the polytechnics, saying the situation is different in the university where Ph.D is the central qualification to attain ranking in lecturing.

But the opposition notwithstanding, the bill scaled second reading and referred to the committee on education for further legislation.

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With 7.5M, Chika Won’t Die

Hopewell Ukpebor writes that a 40-year-old man from Anambra State is in need of an urgent kidney transplant to stay alive

A few months ago, there was nothing to suggest that Mr. Chika Ogwili, a boisterous and easy going young man from Issieke in Ihiala local government of Anambra state, was struggling with a life threatening ailment,  as he was full of optimism for the future. Now, 40 year old Chika’s life hangs in the balance, and he is in need of an urgent kidney transplant to ensure that his dreams for the future do not just pine away.

Before August of this year, Chika was a bubbly gentleman working hard to make a decent living and there was nothing to indicate that a medical condition had been loitering around him for a long time. One which eventually manifested a few weeks ago and has confined him to the hospital bed, where he has been receiving routine and maintenance haemodialysis twice a week.

Chika has been diagnosed with Chronic Kidney disease and needs to have a kidney transplant in India which costs N7.5 million, in order to help save his life.

As the first child of a family of five, Chika has high hopes placed on him. Before he became bed-ridden, he worked as a driver for Harmony foam in Umuahia, before getting a job in Abuja as a technician at EMMACOOL, where he barely earned enough to take care of his immediate needs and that of his family.

While things have not exactly worked out as planned for him, he still burns with an uncommon optimism that things will turn out well. That hope however appeared to have hit the rocks in early August when Chika started noticing symptoms of an illness he could not explain.

At first, it seemed like malaria, and Chika was prompted to quickly visit a pharmacy to nip it in the bud, but that did not stop the illness from growing further. Soon enough, Chika started throwing up regularly especially while brushing his teeth, and later started having severe difficulty in breathing, which degenerated into nose bleeding, while he also noticed that his legs began to swell and he was always dizzy.

It was at this point that Chika hit the panic button and visited the Okwe community health centre in Umuahia, Anambra state to seek medical help.

While there, he was diagnosed to have Hypertension. However, with his condition still deteriorating and the health centre not possessing the required equipment to carry out a full treatment. Chika, with the help of his family sauntered into Abuja, where he was first admitted at Kubwa general hospital, before he was later referred to National Hospital, Abuja to see a nephrologist.

It was at the National Hospital that he was diagnosed by the Chief consultant at the hospital, and since then has been visiting the hospital twice in a week.

According to Ada Igwilo, a sibling to Chika, ‘’it was when we went there to the National hospital, the consultant told us the problem and also said that a transplant will be needed because the kidney problem is chronic, since then he has been on haemodialysis which I have been paying for worth ninety thousand naira for a session, and it Is really eating deep into our finances because right now I am broke, and I don’t know where to turn to’’, she said.

That arrangement however got complicated after Chika missed one of his hospital visits, which was usually on Mondays and Thursdays, and his appointments was pegged back to just one a week. To keep up with his treatment, Chika’s family have had to visit Zenith medical and kidney centre, where another round of tests were carried out on him.

In Chika’s medical report, Dr. Kareem, the consultant physician and nephrologists of Zenith hospital, said ‘’he is presently on routine and maintenance thrice weekly haemodialysis as well as twice weekly subcutaneous erythropoietin and weekly iron sucrose and other drugs.
He is hypertensive and his case is being managed as a case of chronic kidney disease secondary to chronic Glomerunophrytis. He will benefit from a kidney transplant  which carries a better outcome in terms of life expectancy and costs about N7.5 million’’, the doctor said.

This sum of money has only added more sorrow to Chika and his family, as the purse has run dry after spending so much on his weekly dialysis which has been sponsored by his sister since he started the treatment, while his parents are only low income earners unable to foot such a heavy bill.

To make matters worse, Chika was sacked from his work place late last month and has been struggling to make ends meet ever since. The situation has thrown him into deep pains as he struggles to come to terms with the present predicament, one that will cost him his life if help does not come soon.

Pleading with Nigerians, Chika who barely managed to speak in an emotionally laden tone said, ‘’I am pleading with everyone out there to assist me in raising this money. There is nothing too small or too big. I would sincerely appreciate your help.

‘’Do not look at the fact that you do not know me, because giving is not about that, it is about helping people in need, regardless of the situation. If you know the value of brotherhood, then you will realize that we are all one, whether you know the person or not, and I am sure that as you help, God will repay you in hundred folds.

‘’It is my prayer today that God will not allow such predicaments befall you or your family, and even as you help you will never lack. I beseech all Nigerians to come to my aid. Do not let me die. My family has suffered enough because of my illness, and they don’t have anything anymore to fund my hospital bills much less sponsor the kidney transplant. This is why I am calling on everyone to come to my rescue, since we have only been able to raise a hundred thousand naira. I pray God answers all your prayers too’’.

Chika said Good Samaritans can help rescue him from untimely death by paying into the following bank account: CHIKA IGWILO ECOBANK PLC, 4232038324. He can be contacted through his mobile numbers: 08034940624, 08088267959 and 08034040624

This is an e-mail from Leaders & Company Limited, publishers of THISDAY title newspapers and magazines and Arise Media UK Limited - the global style, culture and communications group. Its contents are confidential to the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this e-mail in error and that any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited and may not be disclosed to or used by anyone other than its intended recipient, nor may it be copied in any way. If received in error please email a reply to the sender, then delete it from your system. Although this e-mail has been scanned for viruses, Leaders & Company Limited and Arise Media UK Limited shall not accept any responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan any attachments.

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Toke Makinwa talks about pressure of getting pregnant after marriage

The TV/Radio personality took to twitter just now to talk about the pressure she's receiving from folks about her not being pregnant many months after marriage.

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Dear MJ women, would you have a problem with a boyfriend who constantly takes selfies?

It's cute when a woman takes a selfie and shares on social media but when it's a man...it's cute at first but when he does it constantly, you're like "chill Ni**a, WTH?" lol.

But seriously, would you have a problem with a boyfriend or a husband who takes selfies all the time and shares on social media? Please share your thoughts..

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"I am not in politics to compete" - Desmond Elliot

Over 1000 youths gathered at the Eagles square, Surulere on Sunday Oct. 20th to interact with actor, Desmond Elliot and to endorse his candidature for the APC constituency seat ticket at the Lagos State House of Assembly Representing Surulere constituency one. 

Speaking after the event with journalists, Desmond Elliot said 

“I have plans of taking this above legislative work, I believe 80% of the youths should have access to tertiary education and still earn a living, so we have a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Open University on admissions and to grant the students work permit. There is also an empowerment program for the youths which will come up soon; we also have plans for the elderly ones with an insurance scheme”.

 The actor who graduated from LASU promised wave of change and said he’s assured of winning Surulere for APC as soon as he gets the ticket to run.

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Foodies & Spice Cooking Show kicks off Season 5

Foodies & Spice Cooking Show, Nigeria’s only Pidgin Culinary TV Programme, has commenced its October to December, 2014 Quarter on Terrestrial and Cable Television much to the delight of millions of families across Nigeria who enjoy Healthy and Affordable Cooking Recipes. 

This Season 5, tagged “#sumfngchikiny” features recipes for Affordable meals using Chicken, Semovita, Meatloaf, Pasta, Sausages, Semolina and other easily-accessible ingredients. 

It will also focus on maintaining a healthy cooking environment including the use of HANDWASH, LIQUID DISHWASH and HAND SANITISER.

According to Geena (Gina Ehikodi), Host and co-producer of the show, “This 5^th Season of FOODIES & SPICE is a must-watch for all food-lovers out there regardless of Age, Gender or Culture. We are really grateful to CHI CHICKEN, GOLDEN PENNY FOODS, CORMART Nigeria Ltd and other cooperate bodies partnering with us to make this our best season yet”.

Top celebrities, including ORITSEFEMI, AMANDA EBEYE, JAYWON, AFRICAN CHINA, EVAEZI, LAMBOGINNY, BUCHI and others, also appear on the show to sample the meals and chat with their fans.

FOODIES & SPICE, a production of Geenamoore & Associates and wapTV, airs on TVC LAGOS every Friday 5:00 – 5:30pm; and across Nigeria on WAPTV (StarTimes 116, StarSat 189 and CONSAT 812) every Saturday 7:30 – 8:00pm, with repeat broadcast on Thursdays at 5:00 – 5:30pm.

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Before you choose any bank

Investigations have revealed that many people have a casual attitude when it comes to deciding on which bank to deal with. Like marriage relationship, banking relationship can make or mar an individual or a business entity.
For example, some people choose a bank simply because their relative or friend works in that bank. Some make the choice simply because their client or their employer bank with such bank.
Others make the choice because of the mouth watering promotional or marketing offers of the bank. Such decision has made many people victims of failed banks, with significant loss of money.
In the past when banking distress was a common occurrence and when bank closure happened at an average of three per year, some people became customers of a distressed bank a month or even a week before the licence of the bank was revoked.
Don’t choose a bank because your relative or friend is working in the bank, as he would not work there forever or be in that branch forever.
And when he chooses to leave the bank or is to be transferred, he would not likely consult or inform you. Furthermore, that person, depending on his level of responsibility may not have adequate information about the financial health of the bank. And even if he has such information, why should he disclose it to you. Meanwhile, the main reason why that relative or friend wants you to choose his bank is to enable him meet his deposit target.
The same reason applies to choosing a bank because that is where your client or employer banks. There is no law that says an employee must choose the bank of his employer. And choosing the bank of your client is immaterial to the main factor in your relationship, which is delivering quality services. Banks are major culprits in this regard. Most of them now insist that their service providers must open account with them.
The above is very instructive to the millions of unbanked Nigerians who would soon have to choose a bank, due to the vigorous pursuit of the financial inclusion goals of the Central Bank of Nigeria. While many of them are not educated, most of them have some level of education. Hence it is instructive that they are fully aware of the implications of the choice of banking relationship, and the factors to consider before making such choice.
The first factor that should be considered is service. Most times, people want to know if a bank is strong or weak before they can do business with it. But besides the financial results published annually by banks, it can be quite difficult for somebody who is not an insider to know the health of a bank. But through the services of the bank, and how it is delivered, you can have an idea.
The most important issue in this regard, is to first determine the banking services you need, or that are vital to what you do, and then inquire for the bank that offers these services, and which ones offer it efficiently. 

In Nigeria, nobody gets elected as president on the platform that he is going to be an anti-corruption crusader when he gets into office.
One thing is for sure: Muhammadu Buhari would like to be the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  He has tried three times and has failed every time.  Finally realizing it is a lost cause, he said he would not try again.
But now he is persuaded to try again.  His supporters are impressed that he won 12 million votes against Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.  However, they need to be reminded that he lost to Jonathan by over 10 million votes.

Gen. Buhari

Since the third time did not turn out to be a charm for Buhari, what are we to call his fourth attempt?  Listening to the declaration of his new-fangled presidential bid in Eagles’ Square, Abuja a few days ago, it is seems this fourth time is going to be one big charade.
The sign was provided by none other than Buhari himself.  Since his one credential is that he is a man of integrity who, as president, is expected to wrestle corruption down to the ground, Buhari decided to burnish his anti-corruption image by revealing that he obtained his 27.5 million naira APC nomination form with a bank loan.  However, what this declaration did was to tell Nigerians that Buhari is a pretentious anti-corruption crusader.  His Mr. Clean posture is nothing but a public relations gimmick.
Question marks
In fairness, some of us have known this all along.  Under Buhari’s watch as Petroleum Minister in the late 1970s, $2.8 billion (worth billions of naira today) was missing from the NNPC account.  The matter was subject to Senate investigation under the chairmanship of Olusola Saraki in 1983.  But before the report could be dealt with, Buhari conveniently overthrew the Shagari government in a military coup d’état.
Vera Ifudu, an NTA newscaster, revealed that Saraki told her in an interview that the missing money was traced to Buhari’s account at Midland Bank in London.  For this disclosure, Vera was summarily sacked by the NTA.  However, she appealed against her dismissal in court and won.  She even received a handsome financial compensation for wrongful dismissal from the NTA.
Instead of clearing his name as a man of integrity, Buhari refused to appear before the Oputa Panel set up to look into the matter (among under things) by the Obasanjo administration.
Buhari claims to be an anti-corruption crusader, nevertheless, he agreed to serve under Sani Abacha, one of the most corrupt Heads-of-State ever in the history of Nigeria.  While there has been no proven allegation that Buhari corruptly enriched himself as Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund under Abacha, it is abundantly clear that this fabled anti-corruption crusader failed to curb the rampant corruption that prevailed in the organization.  Group Captain Usman Jibrin, a board member of PTF, resigned from the organization in protest over Buhari’s irregular appointments of consultants.
In 2000, the Obasanjo administration set up an Interim Management Committee to look into the affairs of the PTF, under the chairmanship of Haroun Adamu.  The Committee discovered that billions of naira was stolen under Buhari’s chairmanship.
Political platform
Now the same Buhari who would not or could not curb corruption in the PTF wants us to believe he will fight corruption as president of Nigeria.  However, he has chosen the APC as the political platform on which to undertake this.  But the APC is an unscrupulous political party that is choc-full of corrupt politicians.  It is the party of Murtala Nyako who was impeached as governor of Adamawa State for converting state money to personal use.  It is the party where Buhari himself and others went cap-in-hand to Otta to beg Obasanjo to be their “navigator.”
Surely Buhari knows that he cannot fight corruption by being the presidential candidate of the APC.  Whatever anti-corruption crusading Buhari had in him in the past must have ended when he decided to join the APC.  Should he become president, does he intend to probe his corrupt party-members?  Has he made them understand he would be coming after them once elected?  If he has, does he really expect them to help him get elected so he can retrieve their stolen loot and send them off to jail?
A 72 year-old man with Buhari’s experience, who was overthrown in a preemptive coup by members of his own government, knows that in Nigeria, nobody gets elected as president on the platform that he is going to be an anti-corruption crusader when he gets into office.  That is a sure signal for all the politicians in all the parties to gang up against him and make sure he never makes it.
If you really want to be anti-corruption, you have to keep your mouth shut about your plans until you get elected and then catch your corrupt colleagues by surprise.  You must also have resolved not to seek re-election for a second-term.  It is not only the populace, but the politicians in particular, who insist on “stomach infrastructure.”  But if you are talking anti-corruption while still seeking the nomination of your party, it must be because it is well known to your corrupt colleagues that your anti-corruption stance is merely for public consumption.
Cleaning up APC
It is not surprising, therefore, that despite all the noise about anti-corruption coming from Buhari and his cohorts; he has failed to fight against corruption in the APC.  We did not hear him raise a voice against the incongruity of a so-called progressive party demanding a cynical nomination fee of 27.5 million naira for its presidential primaries.  One would have expected a truly anti-corruption crusader to make the point that the nomination fee is unacceptable.  Instead, Buhari readily acquiesced to the requirement in order to safeguard his all-important presidential ambitions.
Since Buhari cannot, or does not, fight against this corrupting nomination fee in the APC, and insist on its reduction to something far more reasonable, how can he expect us to believe that as president in a political system with the separation of powers; against a legislature likely to be controlled by the PDP; he would be able to fight corruption?  Somebody is fooling somebody here.  Or else, somebody is living in a cloud cuckoo land.
Charity, they say, begins at home.  If Buhari is truly anti-corruption, he should begin his crusade in the APC.  Is it progressive for a political party in Nigeria to ask its candidates to come up with 27.5 million just for the nomination papers for an election where only one person will emerge as the winner?  Is it not corrupt politicians that are likely to have this type of easy-come easy-go money?  Is this not an open invitation for the winner, if he actually manages to secure election to the presidency, to recoup this extortionate fee from public funds?
Anti-corruption bank loan
What did anti-corruption Buhari do about this outrageous APC requirement?  This is where the whole matter becomes ridiculously implausible.  According to Buhari, rather than fight against the measure, he took out a ban loan to pay for it.
Buhari told us about his “loan” out of embarrassment; in a pathetic bid to validate his anti-corruption credentials.  But this so-called loan indicates that Buhari does not understand what it means to be anti-corruption.  For Buhari, anti-corruption is a posture; it is a swagger; it is a badge; but it has no bite and, in the usual Nigerian fashion, it will be prosecuted with hypocrisy.
Buhari wants us to believe that he cannot afford 27.5 million naira.  Nevertheless, he rides around in a bullet-proof Jeep and maintains a convoy of Land Cruisers.  He cannot afford 27.5 million naira.  Nevertheless, he declared his candidacy lavishly in Eagle Square, Abuja.  Did he also take out a bank loan for that?  Four months to a make-or-break election, Buhari would have us believe he has no money.  How does he propose to finance his presidential campaign?  Is he going to take 1 billion naira loan from the World Bank for this?
Dubious loan
Why would a bank lend Buhari that amount for a presidential pie-in-the-sky that failed to materialize three times in the past?  Is that not likely to be a bad loan?  How long did it take for the loan to be processed?  What did he put down as anti-corruption collateral?  How does he propose to pay the money back?  Mr. Integrity needs to spell all this out for the sake of his fast-disintegrating anti-corruption credentials.
I did not know loans are so easy to secure in Nigerian banks today.  Perhaps Buhari could introduce me to his bank manager.  I would also not mind taking this kind of soft loan.  I am sure I can always come up with some unproductive excuse or the other for it.  Is such a loan even legal today under Nigeria’s stricter banking laws?
How many honest Nigerians can afford to give a non-refundable 27.5 million naira to a political party, on the off-chance that they will be able to secure the party’s presidential ticket?  If they win the nomination and even get elected president, how would they pay back the money?
Not presidential material
It is clear that Buhari is not only lacking the money to pay for APC nomination papers, he does not have the funds to pay for advisers, to counsel him about what to tell the public and how to prosecute an effective presidential campaign.  His advisers might have educated him that there is something called “fund-raising.”  Surely, the most popular politician in the North-West can find some of his ardent supporters to give him 27 million naira.  Certainly, a former governor of the Central Bank can easily cough up the money.
Buhari wants to fight an election that will take place in four months time.  From what he tells us, he does not have 27 million to prosecute that election now.  If this is true, he is not the right man to be president of Nigeria.  For a man who is running for election for the fourth time, that is the height of cluelessness.  It shows Buhari is lousy at marshalling resources.  Otherwise, he is fooling nobody but himself.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/muhammadu-buhari-running-president-anti-corruption-bank-loan/#sthash.p00ZhZ31.dpuf

In Nigeria, nobody gets elected as president on the platform that he is going to be an anti-corruption crusader when he gets into office.
One thing is for sure: Muhammadu Buhari would like to be the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  He has tried three times and has failed every time.  Finally realizing it is a lost cause, he said he would not try again.
But now he is persuaded to try again.  His supporters are impressed that he won 12 million votes against Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.  However, they need to be reminded that he lost to Jonathan by over 10 million votes.

Gen. Buhari

Since the third time did not turn out to be a charm for Buhari, what are we to call his fourth attempt?  Listening to the declaration of his new-fangled presidential bid in Eagles’ Square, Abuja a few days ago, it is seems this fourth time is going to be one big charade.
The sign was provided by none other than Buhari himself.  Since his one credential is that he is a man of integrity who, as president, is expected to wrestle corruption down to the ground, Buhari decided to burnish his anti-corruption image by revealing that he obtained his 27.5 million naira APC nomination form with a bank loan.  However, what this declaration did was to tell Nigerians that Buhari is a pretentious anti-corruption crusader.  His Mr. Clean posture is nothing but a public relations gimmick.
Question marks
In fairness, some of us have known this all along.  Under Buhari’s watch as Petroleum Minister in the late 1970s, $2.8 billion (worth billions of naira today) was missing from the NNPC account.  The matter was subject to Senate investigation under the chairmanship of Olusola Saraki in 1983.  But before the report could be dealt with, Buhari conveniently overthrew the Shagari government in a military coup d’état.
Vera Ifudu, an NTA newscaster, revealed that Saraki told her in an interview that the missing money was traced to Buhari’s account at Midland Bank in London.  For this disclosure, Vera was summarily sacked by the NTA.  However, she appealed against her dismissal in court and won.  She even received a handsome financial compensation for wrongful dismissal from the NTA.
Instead of clearing his name as a man of integrity, Buhari refused to appear before the Oputa Panel set up to look into the matter (among under things) by the Obasanjo administration.
Buhari claims to be an anti-corruption crusader, nevertheless, he agreed to serve under Sani Abacha, one of the most corrupt Heads-of-State ever in the history of Nigeria.  While there has been no proven allegation that Buhari corruptly enriched himself as Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund under Abacha, it is abundantly clear that this fabled anti-corruption crusader failed to curb the rampant corruption that prevailed in the organization.  Group Captain Usman Jibrin, a board member of PTF, resigned from the organization in protest over Buhari’s irregular appointments of consultants.
In 2000, the Obasanjo administration set up an Interim Management Committee to look into the affairs of the PTF, under the chairmanship of Haroun Adamu.  The Committee discovered that billions of naira was stolen under Buhari’s chairmanship.
Political platform
Now the same Buhari who would not or could not curb corruption in the PTF wants us to believe he will fight corruption as president of Nigeria.  However, he has chosen the APC as the political platform on which to undertake this.  But the APC is an unscrupulous political party that is choc-full of corrupt politicians.  It is the party of Murtala Nyako who was impeached as governor of Adamawa State for converting state money to personal use.  It is the party where Buhari himself and others went cap-in-hand to Otta to beg Obasanjo to be their “navigator.”
Surely Buhari knows that he cannot fight corruption by being the presidential candidate of the APC.  Whatever anti-corruption crusading Buhari had in him in the past must have ended when he decided to join the APC.  Should he become president, does he intend to probe his corrupt party-members?  Has he made them understand he would be coming after them once elected?  If he has, does he really expect them to help him get elected so he can retrieve their stolen loot and send them off to jail?
A 72 year-old man with Buhari’s experience, who was overthrown in a preemptive coup by members of his own government, knows that in Nigeria, nobody gets elected as president on the platform that he is going to be an anti-corruption crusader when he gets into office.  That is a sure signal for all the politicians in all the parties to gang up against him and make sure he never makes it.
If you really want to be anti-corruption, you have to keep your mouth shut about your plans until you get elected and then catch your corrupt colleagues by surprise.  You must also have resolved not to seek re-election for a second-term.  It is not only the populace, but the politicians in particular, who insist on “stomach infrastructure.”  But if you are talking anti-corruption while still seeking the nomination of your party, it must be because it is well known to your corrupt colleagues that your anti-corruption stance is merely for public consumption.
Cleaning up APC
It is not surprising, therefore, that despite all the noise about anti-corruption coming from Buhari and his cohorts; he has failed to fight against corruption in the APC.  We did not hear him raise a voice against the incongruity of a so-called progressive party demanding a cynical nomination fee of 27.5 million naira for its presidential primaries.  One would have expected a truly anti-corruption crusader to make the point that the nomination fee is unacceptable.  Instead, Buhari readily acquiesced to the requirement in order to safeguard his all-important presidential ambitions.
Since Buhari cannot, or does not, fight against this corrupting nomination fee in the APC, and insist on its reduction to something far more reasonable, how can he expect us to believe that as president in a political system with the separation of powers; against a legislature likely to be controlled by the PDP; he would be able to fight corruption?  Somebody is fooling somebody here.  Or else, somebody is living in a cloud cuckoo land.
Charity, they say, begins at home.  If Buhari is truly anti-corruption, he should begin his crusade in the APC.  Is it progressive for a political party in Nigeria to ask its candidates to come up with 27.5 million just for the nomination papers for an election where only one person will emerge as the winner?  Is it not corrupt politicians that are likely to have this type of easy-come easy-go money?  Is this not an open invitation for the winner, if he actually manages to secure election to the presidency, to recoup this extortionate fee from public funds?
Anti-corruption bank loan
What did anti-corruption Buhari do about this outrageous APC requirement?  This is where the whole matter becomes ridiculously implausible.  According to Buhari, rather than fight against the measure, he took out a ban loan to pay for it.
Buhari told us about his “loan” out of embarrassment; in a pathetic bid to validate his anti-corruption credentials.  But this so-called loan indicates that Buhari does not understand what it means to be anti-corruption.  For Buhari, anti-corruption is a posture; it is a swagger; it is a badge; but it has no bite and, in the usual Nigerian fashion, it will be prosecuted with hypocrisy.
Buhari wants us to believe that he cannot afford 27.5 million naira.  Nevertheless, he rides around in a bullet-proof Jeep and maintains a convoy of Land Cruisers.  He cannot afford 27.5 million naira.  Nevertheless, he declared his candidacy lavishly in Eagle Square, Abuja.  Did he also take out a bank loan for that?  Four months to a make-or-break election, Buhari would have us believe he has no money.  How does he propose to finance his presidential campaign?  Is he going to take 1 billion naira loan from the World Bank for this?
Dubious loan
Why would a bank lend Buhari that amount for a presidential pie-in-the-sky that failed to materialize three times in the past?  Is that not likely to be a bad loan?  How long did it take for the loan to be processed?  What did he put down as anti-corruption collateral?  How does he propose to pay the money back?  Mr. Integrity needs to spell all this out for the sake of his fast-disintegrating anti-corruption credentials.
I did not know loans are so easy to secure in Nigerian banks today.  Perhaps Buhari could introduce me to his bank manager.  I would also not mind taking this kind of soft loan.  I am sure I can always come up with some unproductive excuse or the other for it.  Is such a loan even legal today under Nigeria’s stricter banking laws?
How many honest Nigerians can afford to give a non-refundable 27.5 million naira to a political party, on the off-chance that they will be able to secure the party’s presidential ticket?  If they win the nomination and even get elected president, how would they pay back the money?
Not presidential material
It is clear that Buhari is not only lacking the money to pay for APC nomination papers, he does not have the funds to pay for advisers, to counsel him about what to tell the public and how to prosecute an effective presidential campaign.  His advisers might have educated him that there is something called “fund-raising.”  Surely, the most popular politician in the North-West can find some of his ardent supporters to give him 27 million naira.  Certainly, a former governor of the Central Bank can easily cough up the money.
Buhari wants to fight an election that will take place in four months time.  From what he tells us, he does not have 27 million to prosecute that election now.  If this is true, he is not the right man to be president of Nigeria.  For a man who is running for election for the fourth time, that is the height of cluelessness.  It shows Buhari is lousy at marshalling resources.  Otherwise, he is fooling nobody but himself.

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Chinese state media to readers: Don't name yourself 'Dragon'

In China, language learners are given the freedom to choose their own English names -- perhaps sometimes a little too much freedom.

With names like Fish, Lawyer and Surprise, many Chinese people "like to pick names that are in fact, not names," says China's state-run CCTV news.

That's why the media outlet has published a guide explaining to Chinese people what types of English names are best -- and which are better to avoid.

This slideshow contains some of its suggestions. And who knows -- they could help you out, too.

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Unending gang violence in Lagos

ONCE again, violence and criminality are spiralling out of control in Lagos, painting a nefarious image of Nigeria’s commercial capital. For four consecutive days last week, hoodlums, masquerading as political thugs, descended on Mushin and Fadeyi areas. The deadly gangs attacked themselves, maimed and robbed innocent people, sacked entire streets and destroyed cars. Businesses and places of worship were hurriedly closed down as the gangsters visited terror on the people.

The hoodlums not only killed Sheriff Alasia, a lottery agent in Fadeyi, they took anarchy to a new height by shooting dead a man, Tunde Ibikunle, who they later beheaded in an apparent reprisal. They paraded their bloody prize as if Lagos had become an ungoverned territory. “They first riddled his body with bullets before beheading him. What we have left here is his stump,” a resident said. It took four days for the police to recover the severed head.

This savagery belongs to the Hobbesian era, not the 21st Century. The thugs had mobilised themselves from Ebute-Meta, Somolu, Bariga, moving to Mushin to wreak havoc. Where were the police when this large army of hoodlums were moving across the state unchecked?

For a state eyeing a megacity status by 2020, this violence is a strong disincentive. It scares investors. Governor Babatunde Fashola, who has made hefty strides in the area of security, has been uncharacteristically indecisive in dealing with this pervasive security conundrum. He can still make amends by taking charge of the situation directly. Fashola should use the might of the state to investigate, prosecute and punish the offenders without letting politics becloud the enforcement of the law.

The governor should seize the initiative from the police, who appear to be lethargic and helpless. Not minding the side of the political divide that is instigating the violence, Fashola’s primary duty is to deliver Lagos residents from the army of hoodlums bent on tainting all his hard work of the past seven years.

Although the governor determinedly cleared Oshodi, which was once notorious for traffic congestion, filth and crime, he scores poor marks in the handling of the gangs holding Lagos residents to ransom. The inaction is jeopardising his legacy and could prevent him from concluding his tenure on a high note.

In September, thugs killed one Azeez Asake, an official of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, and two others shortly after a rally on Lagos Island addressed by President Goodluck Jonathan. The best the police have done since then is to carry out indiscriminate arrests of innocent citizens. Two other people were also killed in related assaults by the criminals. This is a long-standing trick of the police. It has never worked.

Kayode Aderanti, the new State Police Commissioner, has a huge task on his hands. Aderanti should change tack. The job of a police chief is not to issue empty threats, but to use novel investigative methods and the coercive powers of the state to checkmate criminals.

Let nobody be deceived about this threat: these marauders belong to criminal gangs. Aderanti needs to unveil his agenda for taming these ubiquitous gangs. Criminal gangs thrive in societies where government is weak. But every serious city or state that has this kind of challenge fashions a cogent response.

Early this year, the London Metropolitan Police conducted a sting operation that involved well armed and protected officers numbering about 200 against the most notorious crime syndicates in the English capital. The Met has identified 250 criminal gangs in London, but through aggressive, intelligence-driven schemes, street-level crime was brought down by 20 per cent in 2013.

The police should shelve their image of helplessness. Through intelligence gathering, modern methods, and profiling, they should identify the troublemakers and go after them. Early this year, Chicago, an American city in the state of Illinois notorious for gun crime and gangland wars, moved into action to check the menace. The police launched a new offensive by changing their tactics. The ploy worked as there is now a significant reduction in killings and other violent crimes that gave the state a bad name.

Violent crime inhibits freedom, creates fear, constrains business activities and innocent citizens suffer human and material losses. In coordination with the state government, the police should fish out the terror gangs, starting with the latest mayhem. This will put down the marker that the police are capable of enforcing the law.

As Lagos expands, the government must constantly think proactively of ways to combat criminal gangs. As we have stated before, there is an urgent need to carve out an anti-gang crime unit in the police that will be assigned the task of preventing, investigating and rapidly responding to gangland wars. It is an anomaly for street gangs to operate for hours and days on end without an appropriate police response to take them out. The criminal gangs should be identified and outlawed.

The governor has to find the will and courage to deal with these deviant souls by putting them where they belong – in jail.

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How bad debts squeeze banks’ profits

As banks set to release their nine-month financials, findings have shown that although they recorded an increase in earnings for the first half of this year, their profits were affected by a variety of fac­tors.
The various results released by the banks showed that 15 of them recorded gross earn­ings of N1.53 trillion during the first six months of the year.
The banks include First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Fi­delity Bank, Access Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Eco­bank Transnational Incorpo­rated, Diamond Bank Plc and Skye Bank Plc.
Others are First City Monu­ment Bank, United Bank for Africa Plc, Union Bank Plc, Wema Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank and Unity Bank.
The figure is N111 billion or 8.3 per cent higher than the ap­proximately N1.42 trillion the 15 banks made during the first six months of 2013.
According to their 2014 half-year results, ETI made the highest gross earnings, with N226.2 billion, followed by Zenith Bank, First Bank, UBA and GTB, which recorded N184 billion, N173.3 billion, N138.3 billion and N132.9 billion, respectively.
Others are Access Bank, N118 billion; Diamond Bank, N98 billion; Skye Bank, N63.8 billion; Fidelity Bank, N63.2 billion; Stanbic IBTC Bank, N61.5 billion; Union Bank, N49.6 billion and Ster­ling Bank, N48.6 billion.
The dip in profit resulted from Non-Performing Loans (NPL) and the fact that larger chunk of the gross earnings made this year went into in­vestments and interest, loan loss, personal and other oper­ating expenses.
Analysis of the results show that Access Bank’s total loans and advances grew by 17.1 per cent from N810.8 billion re­corded in June 2013 to N949.2 billion in June 2014.
The bank provided for N3.5 billion impairment charge for the quarter. An impaired asset is a condition in which an as­set’s market value falls below its carrying amount and is not expected to recover.
Skye Bank, on its part, ex­panded its loan portfolio by 5 per cent and received a hard knock on its performance by a 100 per cent loan loss provi­sion against bad debts. Loan loss is an expense set aside as an allowance for bad loans arising from customer de­faults.
Available records from First Bank of Nigeria Holdings show that due to its policy of early recognition of impair­ment charges, net impairment rose 60.5 per cent from N9.8 billion in 2012 to N15.7 billion in 2013. The group recorded non-performing loan ratio of 3.6 per cent compared with 3.8 per cent as at June 30, 2013.
One of the key drags on Guaranty Trust Bank’s half-year 2014 result was affected by a N5.1 billion higher-than-expected impairment charges for the quarter. This amount, which represented a 50 per cent provision for NPL, was largely driven by one asset – Lister Flour Mills – implying that it will not be recovered in full.
Recall that in an effort to clean up banks’ balance sheets smeared by NPL that were discovered in 2009, the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) purchased a total of N4.2 trillion Eligible Bank Assets (EBA) at a cost of N1.7 trillion.
The Chairman, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Lagos branch, Mr. Abolade Agboola, recently argued that banks needed to make more profits because they had been making huge investments.
Shedding more light on this, he said, “the returns on investment (RoI) of banks is what we are looking at, not whether it’s in two, three or four billions. I think that is the challenge we don’t face. Yes, when you see banks declaring billions in profits, you need to look at the assets employed and the people engaged, among other things, to gener­ate this income.
“I don’t think the banks are doing fantastically too good. In fact, they need to do better because a lot of people invest­ed in the banks and they are expecting returns.”
In his opinion, the Chief Executive Officer of Finan­cial Derivatives Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, noted that banks’ profits had gone down between last year and the first half of 2014.
While linking the develop­ment to a number of regulato­ry headwinds and the state of the economy, Rewane predict­ed that the lower profit margin trend might also continue for the banks in the third quarter of this year and probably beyond.
Rewane said, “industry­wide, the banks suffered from shrinking profit margins in the 2013 financial year and early 2014. This was because in the second quarter of 2013, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directed the banks to lower their fees and commis­sions to mitigate the bank-cus­tomer conflict (charges to the customers for current-account transactions) and consequently reduce customers’ burden.
“The direction was the first step in the gradual phase-out of the banks’ Commission-on- Turnover (CoT). This gradual phase-out will conclude in 2016 when customers’ ac­counts will no longer be deb­ited for transactions on current accounts. In the first quarter of 2014, the CBN increased the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) on public sector funds from 50 per cent to 75 per cent.”
The economist listed two major regulatory headwinds that might further affect the banks’ results in the coming years if the lenders failed to pass the cost to customers.
These are increase in banks’ capital base from 15 to 16 per cent for those with internation­al operations and increase in their liquid assets holding from 30 to 35 per cent.
Rewane, however, posited that the future is very bright for the banks because of a number of prospects
He said, “the banking sec­tor has the potential to ben­efit from Nigeria’s strong eco­nomic growth (forecast GDP growth for 2014 is 7.27 per cent). The non-oil sectors are now among the main drivers of the country’s GDP growth. Nigeria, with a population of 170 million, has already come under the focus of global in­vestors owing to its growing sectors, including power, in­frastructure, agriculture, solid mineral, retailing and services.
“The investments will add to the economic growth and lead to a significant demand for banking services. Invest­ments flowing into sectors such as road, rail and aviation infrastructure have already triggered a huge demand in the banking sector.

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BREAKING NEWS! Oscar Pistorius jailed for five years

Judge Thokozile Masipa, issuing the ruling in court in Pretoria, also gave Pistorius a three-year suspended sentence for a firearms charge. Pistorius has been taken to the cells.
The prosecution had called for a minimum 10-year sentence; the defence for community service and house arrest.
Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide but cleared of murder.
Judge Masipa began reading the sentence by saying that, although she had been aided by assessors, the decision was hers and hers alone.
She said: “Sentencing is about achieving the right balance. Sentencing is not a perfect exercise.”
She said there must be a balance between retribution, deterrence and rehabilitation.
The judge then summarised the evidence brought before the trial.

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Woman of the Sun: Women in Politics: Nigerians need to be politically conscious –Evangelist Adeoye

What is National Women in Support of Good Governance all about?
It is an NGO that comprises women from various backgrounds, with a view to taking Nigerians to higher political awareness, by going to market places and the grassroots to educate people on the need to exercise their civic responsibilities, including how to vote and be voted for.
From our research, we found out that majority of Nigerians who have voters cards do not go to vote on election days. Others are also confused over whom to follow and they ended up following anybody without personal conviction on the reasons for following such people.  The reason some of them don’t go out to vote is the mindset that the winners of the election had been pre-determined given the Nigerian factor and so, their votes, according to them, may not count or make any meaningful difference.
We educate them on such issues, letting them know that such mindset is wrong. More so, by staying at home and not going to cast their votes also compound their position, as they end up complaining about poor governance at every level. We also try to enlighten them on the dangers of just following anybody, and that the people they want to follow must be judged by their antecedents. They must have impeccable backgrounds and have missions that are verifiable. They should not judge the people they want to follow based on the wealth they flaunt. We are gradually changing the culture..
Is this group open to every woman or just the elite?
No, it is not exclusive. It is open to every woman. Like I said, we go to market places and we have people that represent us there. We are in every village and town with followership. Membership is open to every woman, inasmuch as you are ready to sacrifice your resources, which include time and have your eyes set on our objectives, which is to create political awareness and consciousness at the grassroots level.
Our members in the markets, villages and towns help to lessen the job for us. For instance, in most markets, they usually have regular meetings and any market that the leadership wants to visits, the members there must have announced our arrival. We do not only meet with the women. Men are also carried along. Our members in towns and village are doing great mobilization jobs.
We have to find out what they think about government and governance and their reaction, is where our work of enlightenment begins.
Can you tell us what your experiences have been?
About four years ago, I was personally involved in campaigning for a politician. In this vein, we went to various markets including Alaba International market, I found out that majority of people you would have taken for granted for knowing what to do and whom to follow, didn’t know much. Most of them believed that because this man is supporting candidate A, he too, should follow the same candidate, or Mr. B is coming out because he has money then you follow not because of what he has to offer. In the fullness of time, you found out that these people whom they are following have nothing to offer. We also found out that a good number of people follow certain candidates because they want to get monetary rewards.
This group is easily bought over. However, we made them to know that the bag of rice, the money they would get cannot add value to their lives, that anybody giving them money with one hand is hiding gun or knife with the other hand. After voting for him, he would start cutting your hands to get back the money or rice he had given you.
What do you see as challenges in the course of doing this job?
Mobility is a great challenge. From our interaction with the members, we discover their various needs and start attending to them as your personal resources can carry. Just like it is done in the Christendom, as an evangelist, I go out and meet people and I cannot leave seeing their pressing needs, so also is this our organization. It is not a must, but when you are faced with this kind of situation, you don’t do otherwise.
Financing the organization is not easy.  Our membership is very huge, and on daily basis people are joining and the numerical strength keeps growing.
Apart from creating political awareness, we are involved in offering medical aids, as we get doctors to carry out various treatments. By the time, you do this in one market, it is very expensive. You budget to give free treatment to about 400 people and you end up having over 3,000. It is not only for the women; the men and children are included.
What is the source of your funding?
Presently, it is personally funded. Maybe, at times, some members may provide vehicles when we go for mobilization.
The rate at which the organization is growing, will it not be much a burden to you?
Yes, it is a burden. It is something I enjoyed. However, it came to a point where some people thought that we were getting funds from some place, but when they realized there was nothing like that, some of them left, while, others remained because they believed in what we are doing. Many people are tired of hearing stories. You have to be involved by knowing what is happening in your country. We met some women who felt that they have what it takes to stand for elections but didn’t have the courage, and we encouraged them.  In some cases, we contributed money to them and they are doing very well. Moral support is even, good enough for them to come out and make a change
Are you satisfied with the level of women’s involvement in Nigerian politics?
The level of women involvement in corrupt practices is minimal. We should be encouraged by giving the women more chances in politics. If we have more women, we would have a noticeable development in the country.
You were at the Igbo Day held recently in Lagos, what is your view given your mobilization for the event?
I am proud to identify with my people. It was said that the Igbos cannot speak with one voice, but it has changed as they now speak with one voice. Politically, there has been great awareness and they now know what they want. It still doesn’t mean that they are no more detractors, but from all the meetings I have attended with Ohanaeze and other groups, the Igbo race is doing fine.  The Igbo Day held recently witnessed a great crowd. I appreciate the leadership of Barr Fabian Onwughalu. He has changed the whole system and I am proud of my Igbo ancestry
What is your expectation in the 2015 elections?
There has been some noise in many quarters that President Jonathan should not come out. Why not? He has done well. Although, he may not be there yet, but he is trying and would get there so, we should give him the chance. He is a Nigerian and it is wrong for anybody to try and stop him if he so desires to come out. The insecurity in the country is meant to distract him. Everybody has his method of doing things. He is an academician and so, calculates his steps and at the end of the day, he gets it right.
What is your message for Nigerians?
I believe everything is achievable but would take collective efforts. We should stop blaming President Jonathan for everything. Security issues in Nigeria, today, for example, should be everybody’s concern.

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How SUNDAY PUNCH rescued girl, 6, from kidney crisis

Miss Williams (not real name) looked like your typical six-year-old girl as she teased her four-year-old younger brother. The dark-skinned, petite Williams was a bundle of energy as she skipped gleefully.

But Williams has not always been this lively. About six weeks ago, she was bedridden and was being prepared for a surgery to save her from a life threatening ailment. Little Williams had a faulty kidney. However, before August 2014, the Williams were not aware that one of their daughter’s kidney wasn’t functioning. Several visits to public and private hospitals shed little light on William’s ailment.

According to her parents, the little girl had been contending with ill health which had defied medical explanation since a few days to her fourth birthday.

Her father, said: “Very early one morning, some few days to my daughter’sfourth birthday, my wife woke me up to talk about a dream. In it she saw that something happened to our daughter’s face. We were still in bed, when our girl walked in. Surprisingly, she started talking funny. My wife and I felt she was up to some pranks. But when she asked to be given water and she was drinking, the water was falling off from the left side of her face. The same with food. By this time, we had noticed that one side of her face was lopsided. The left side looked funny and distorted. That kicked off our travails which spanned more than two years.”

The mother, a graduate of English Language and a teacher in a government secondary school, said, “We quickly took her to a hospital where they conducted some tests. At the end of the day, we were given a damning result. Our daughter had facial palsy which means facial paralysis, the cause of which they could neither trace nor say.”

All the doctors could do then was recommend therapy. The parents took her to a private hospital, at Iyana Ipaja, another suburb of Lagos. The facility was owned and run by a consultant at a general hospital. Each therapy cost N2,000 and they had three in a week.

When her condition did not improve as the parents wished, she was moved to a military hospital also in Lagos courtesy of her grandfather who is a retired military man.

There the treatment continued and she improved. The family had some respite. But alas, it was to be for only a while.

“Few days to her fifth birthday, she suffered another facial paralysis. But now it was on the right,” said her father.

“With this development, family members started insinuating it could be a spiritual attack. Then began a spiritual battle which we combined with medical treatment. We again took her to the military hospital. In fact, we had to change our church to another which is renowned for its deliverance ministry. Again, therapy started. She was taken for therapy thrice a week. After months of therapy, her face returned to normal. But after some time, she had a relapse. Again, we took her to the hospital. It was this time that the head of department of the therapy unit refused to go ahead with another round of therapy. Her take was that something must have triggered the second facial paralysis and that it would not be kind on the girl if only the symptoms were being treated without establishing the cause. She said something must have caused the relapse and that it should be investigated. She directed us to a teaching hospital in Lagos.”

If the parents had thought they would find succour at the teaching hospital, they soon discovered their error of judgement.

The mother disclosed to our correspondent that at their first call at the hospital, her daughter, without being examined, was asked to come back in three months’ time. Reason: Hers was not an emergency.

Mrs. Williams said, “When we got to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, they did not treat her. What they did was to give us an appointment for three months. She had the second facial paralysis on August 17, 2013 and her birthday was supposed to be September 19, 2013. After all the formalities, the hospital refused to attend to us insisting that her case was not an emergency and as such, she had to come back. But they referred us to a urologist. I begged, cried and begged but they did not yield. Hence, I had to take her home. But I returned the second day and took her to another doctor who referred her to the Ear Nose and Throat department. Then, my daughter was always complaining of noise in her ears. Thus I took her to the ENT who then referred her to a physiotherapist. Again the physiotherapist refused to treat her insisting that she must be seen first by a urologist who would determine whether it was an infection or not. I had to return to the military hospital where I wept and begged the HOD to please give her therapy. I couldn’t bear seeing her face distorted. It was so contorted. Her mouth had slid to a side and she talked very awkwardly. When she ate or drank, the food or drink would be dropping from the affected side of the mouth. She could not close her mouth. She could not also close the eye on the affected side. She looked so pathetic. Out of compassion, the doctor agreed to treat her. And within three months, her face returned to normal and it was as if nothing happened to her.”

The mother took her for the appointment at LASUTH when the time came. Again, she was given another three months. After the lapse of this, the mother took her again to the hospital. Again, she was asked to bring her in another three months. This appeared to be the last straw; the mother would not take it, she gave vent to a loud protest which attracted some senior doctors.

She was promised that her daughter would be attended to but with a caveat: only if her name was on the list of those given appointment to see the consultant that day.

Mrs. Williams added, “As we were scanning the list together I saw her name and called the doctor’s attention to it. Thus, very reluctantly, they agreed to see her.”

The little hope she felt was dimmed when she discovered that the daughter would be attended to by a trainee doctor.

Mrs. Williams said, “A student doctor was first asked to attend to my daughter. He asked her and me all the routine questions about our family, her feelings, sensations and all that. He then took her pulse. After this he took us to the consultant urologist.

“The consultant asked the mercuric metre to be brought to check her pulse himself. Later, he called on a female doctor to do it. She did and looked shocked. They again called on another doctor. All of them looked shocked. The reading was 140/90. They looked alarmed. They said they had to place her on admission because her blood pressure was very high and if they should release her, she might have a stroke or bleed into her brain. She was placed on admission and we were asked to do several tests which we did. Still they could not find anything. After that, they asked us to do Magnetic Resonance Imaging.”

This the family refused on the grounds of the danger such a sensitive test might have on their daughter.

All this while, the little girl was placed on anti-hypertensive drugs and multi vitamins.

Her mother told SUNDAY PUNCH, “It was a tablet which they asked me to split into four and we were giving her once daily. But anytime, she took the drug, she would sit down looking dull, complaining of severe headache. We were in the hospital for three days.”

Mr. Williams called for the discharge of his girl. “I couldn’t allow my daughter to remain there. She was in the midst of very sick people. The person beside her had HIV and another one another disease. I was asked to sign that I was taking her away against medical advice. So we took her home,” he said.

After asking the little girl to be discharged against medical advice, the parents took her home and intensified their praying and fasting.

On July 2014, as Mrs. Williams sat in her sitting-room thinking about the worsening state of her daughter’s health, she came across a health column in SUNDAY PUNCH.

Mrs. Williams said: “One Sunday afternoon, I saw our landlord reading a copy of the Sunday Punch. I asked him to allow me read which he obliged. Going through it, I saw an article, “Hypertension in children”. I quickly took the section out and returned the paper to him. I took my time to read the article. When my husband returned from work , I showed him and we decided to get in touch with the doctor who wrote the column, Sunday Doctor in the paper.

“On the day I took my daughter to the hospital, I was holding the newspaper article. After explaining to Dr. Sylvester Ikhiesemojie who writes Sunday Doctor in SUNDAY PUNCH again, he took my daughter away to examine her. Her reading that day was 130/80.

“Immediately, he asked us to go for a scan which we went for at a nearby laboratory. It was during the scan that I first learnt that she had a problematic kidney, that was the first time I knew my daughter’s kidney was faulty. All the previous doctors were treating hypertension.”

Eventually, after series of tests and examinations, Miss Williams was operated on by Dr. Ikhisemojie and Dr. Oluwatoyin Grillo leading the team at the JK Randle Memorial Hospital, Lagos. The surgery was conducted on September 9, during the last nationwide industrial action by medical doctors.

The diseased kidney was removed and seven days after, little Williams was discharged. Now, according to her mother, the six-year-old is no longer on anti-hypertension drugs, a situation which has totally removed the excruciating headaches which had been her lot while taking the drugs. Her BP has returned to normal while her face is no longer distorted.

Also, her face is no longer distorted and there are no tell-tale signs that it had once been. Furthermore, anyone who did not know little Williams would never know she used to have a protruding stomach., a result of her earlier ailment. Her stomach is now flat save for a long scar on a side .

As she moved around the modest living room of her parents that Sunday afternoon asking the reporter several questions, one could not but wonder how different things would have been if her mother hadn’t read a copy of the Sunday Punch the fateful day.

‘My daughter might have died’

How did you feel when you discovered that your daughter was not properly diagnosed in all the clinics you had taken her to?

I was unhappy. I felt as if what was wrong with her was not ordinary. If not, they should have seen it and given us a right diagnosis. I was not myself. I was sad.

Mrs. Williams

How has it been taking care of a sick child for almost three years?

It has been very stressful. Though most of the time she behaved normally, yet anytime I took her for reading of her BP, and it remained so high, I was always distraught. I always felt so distressed. Again, if I had to take her to the hospital, which was often, we had to leave the house early and moving in commercial vehicles was always hectic. It also entailed taking a lot of permission from my place of work. I never felt comfortable with this and the notoriety of absenteeism it might give me. Really, it has not been easy.

Why did you believe that the doctor’s column you read in SUNDAY PUNCH would help your daughter?

I believed because that was the first time I would come across an article on hypertension in children which my daughter had been diagnosed of. All other literature I had read, both hard copy and online, did not tell me this. Hence, immediately I saw it, I just felt relieved that at least her case was not non-existent.

How did you feel when Dr. Ikhsiemojie said a surgery would be carried out?

Actually, when Dr. Ikhsiemojie asked me to go for the scan, I was told at the lab that she would need a surgery. This left me shocked and sad. Immediately I got home, I sent the report to Dr Ikhsiemojie via text, he replied mildly. He is not an alarmist. He replied with the text, ‘Her case is treatable but the damage to the kidney is irreversible’. I asked him a lot of questions which he answered. I wanted to know what effects this would have on her in the future, whether or not it would affect her childbearing and other things. He explained a lot of things to me. But I was still sad. I commenced serious praying and fasting and also informed my pastor and parents to join me.

How did you feel on the day of the surgery?

Despite having read a lot about it and assurances from the doctor, I was very afraid. The operation took so long as if it won’t end. It was later that I realised that it was just over an hour. But it seemed like forever. A few days after, my daughter was really in pains. I really felt for her. But miraculously she recovered so fast even to the surprise of the doctor.

How much did you pay?

I paid N30,000 for surgery, bed space and feeding. I also bought everything that was used for the surgery.

What is the difference in your daughter after surgery?

Thank God for SUNDAY PUNCH, Dr. Sylvester Ikhsiemojie and his team. My daughter is okay now. If not for the article in the newspaper, who knows by now, my daughter may have died. Now her bulging tummy has become flat. She used to have a bulging tummy before the surgery. If she ate any little thing, it would just shoot out as if she had eaten all the food in the world. Also, her BP has gone down to normal and she does not complain of headache again. I am a happy mother now.

‘She was a rare case’

Dr. Sylvester Ikhisemojie, the consultant paediatric surgeon who writes a health column for SUNDAY PUNCH, Sunday Doctor, sheds light on the surgery

What was your reaction when you received Mrs. Williams message?

She sent a short message to the cell phone number provided on the column. It was a very passionate message and I was only half-way through it before realising it was different in terms of seriousness from many of the other hundreds of emails, sms, even phone calls I receive on that line every week. I was very concerned that such a young girl had suffered a stroke which was not being treated with the seriousness it deserved. I feared something much worse happening to her. As a result of all those considerations, I asked her to call me on my private line so we could discuss what we should do for her.

Ikhisemojie

Have you come across a child with such condition before?

Yes, I have. That was a-three-week old baby whose affected right kidney was so large that it was obstructing the flow of intestinal contents through the small intestine. He had an emergency operation to relieve the obstruction but we were quite surprised to find out what the real cause was. It was a hugely enlarged kidney full of cysts.

How many have you come across and how frequent?

These are the two cases I readily recall now. This is a rare condition and although we have no figures for this in this part of the world. It is estimated to affect about 12.5 million people around the world from the new-born to people about 60 years old.

At what point did you decide to operate on her?

After reviewing the results of the intravenous urogram, the special X-rays she had, it was clear the affected kidney was not functioning at all and the decision to remove it was taken. It was unable to produce any urine and so could also not excrete any waste. Besides, such a kidney if it can be called such, was of immense danger to her. The hypertension it had caused could not be effectively controlled with medications.

Would there have been an alternative to surgery in her case?

The answer to that is no. This matter has been settled by exhaustive research.

What are the chances of success of surgeries like that?

The chances are quite good once competent staff is on the ground to perform their various tasks. It is not a one-man show.

How long did the surgery take?

A little over one hour.

What are the implications of a six-year-old living on one kidney?

Contrary to what many will believe, the chances are very good indeed. There are perhaps hundreds of thousands of people who live normal lives from a very early age with one kidney. Some people are born with one kidney and they live well with that. Others may have one large kidney that is actually a fusion of the two kidneys and it will end up functioning as one unit. That’s why we needed to confirm that the other kidney is present and that it is functioning well before taking the grave decision to remove one.

It was a delicate surgery — Anaesthetist

What is your name please?

I am Dr. Oluwatoyin Omopero Grillo.

Grillo

When and how did you know of Miss Williams case?

I got to know of the case through Dr. Ikhisemojie who is the consultant paediatric surgeon in the hospital I work. It was during the last industrial action embarked upon by medical doctors. He told me of a parent who got to know about her child’s condition through SUNDAY PUNCH and that after examining her he discovered that she had a tumour which had to be removed and that he needed an anaesthetist. I said no problem as long as I examined her, because she had to be fit for surgery first. It was an interesting case because she was a six-year-old who had already had a stroke in the layman’s term. Hearing that, being a mother and then the confines of the profession, I was moved. I was like wow! It is an uncommon case here: a six-year-old having a stroke and already on anti-hypertension drugs.

Which type of anaesthesia did you use on her?

It was a challenging one. It was a very specialised and technical type of anaesthesia that we used on her because of the peculiarity of her case. There are some conditions which do not favour some kinds of anaesthesia because some people suffer stroke on the table. That is why having the patient’s medical history before bringing them to the operation table is important. Hers was a very challenging case. She had to be examined thoroughly and all her results checked. We did not want a situation that she would be worse off after the surgery. We needed to select drugs that are cardio stable i.e. heart friendly, since she has a condition because whatever is giving her problems has affected her heart. She had hypertension. It was not an everyday or routine operation. She had to be well managed. We had to use cardio depressant agents too.

What were chances of survival when you wanted to do the surgery?

In our assessment or diagnosis, her case was an ASA4 which means she is a high risk kind of patient. This means her case was a 50/50 one. ASA is an acronym for American Society of Anesthetists which grading is used globally.

How many of such cases in patients of such age have you operated on?

None. But even with that we know how to handle them. She is quite young and she has suffered a stroke also the pathology, that is, the defective organ had not been removed. There was an urgent need for the surgery. It couldn’t have been delayed. I also need to commend the efforts of my team: the doctors and nurses that worked with me because I didn’t do it alone. They were all wonderful.

How many hours did she spend on the table?

The surgery was over an hour. Again, we have to commend the expertise of the paediatric surgeon because when a surgeon is skilful, he works faster. Elsewhere, the surgery might have lasted around four to five hours. The speed of the surgeon is also important because the longer a patient stays on the operation table, the more dangerous it is because complications may arise. But everything went well.

How much did it cost?

The least such a surgery would have is about N500,000. But because Randle is a government-owned hospital, treatment of children is heavily subsidised hence it cost about N30,000.

I don’t feel headache anymore — Miss Williams

How old are you?

I am six years old.

What happened to you?

I was very sick. I was feeling pains and I was always having headache. I used to have tummy pains. I was having chest pains too.

How do you feel now?

I am feeling better. I don’t have headache again. My chest is no longer paining me too.

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