The Jigawa Primary Healthcare Development Agency (JSPHCDA) says it is targeting 1.6 million children for immunisation against polio in the state.

Dr Kabiru Ibrahim, the Executive Secretary of the agency, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Sunday at the sideline of the ongoing exercise in the state.

Ibrahim said enough personnel had been engaged to conduct the exercise simultaneously across the 27 local government areas in order to ensure that all children under five years are immunised against the diseases.

He said the agency had received enough Oral Polio Vaccines (OPVs) from the Federal Government for the smooth conduct of the exercise.

The executive secretary said all necessary arrangements had been concluded for smooth conduct of the exercise.

Ibrahim sought the support and cooperation of traditional and religious leaders as well as other stakeholders towards the successful conduct of the exercise.

He urged parents to present their children for the immunisation at designated centres in their respective communities for the exercise.

He commended the traditional rulers, religious leaders and other stakeholders for their cooperation in ensuring the smooth conduct of the immunisation.

The executive secretary, who expressed satisfaction at the level of compliance by parents, also appealed to them to cooperate with immunisation officials for a hitch-free exercise.

I personally inspected the exercise in many centres and I was impressed with the level of turnout of children.

So far, the exercise is going on smoothly across the state.

We thanked all stakeholders for the successes recorded in the exercise so far, Ibrahim said. (NAN)

Source: NAN

The lingering nationwide strike embarked upon by health workers may suffered a set-back following resolve by doctors to render services and kick against the demands of the health workers.

The National Chairman of JOHESU, Mr Biobebelemoye Josiah, has therefore alerted of efforts by the doctors to frustrate ongoing talks to end the four-week-old strike.

Josiah raised the alarm when he fielded questions from newsmen in Abuja, and also accused the Ministry of Health of collaborating with the doctors in suppressing JOHESUs legitimate demands from the government.

JOHESU had on April 17 embarked on industrial action to press home its demands bordering on improved healthcare facilities and welfare.

The strike by the union has so far crippled healthcare delivery in public health institutions across the country but the doctors render service.

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, had confirmed that negotiations were on with JOHESU to end the strike.

Negotiations are still on with JOHESU and the Minister of Labour is leading the negotiation, and we expect that we will conclude on all issues very soon.

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) had in a statement threatened to withdraw their services across health institutions in the country if the federal government acceded to the demands of JOHESU and other health workers.

The NMA wishes to draw the attention of the Federal Government to our correspondence of April 21, 2014, on the above, in which we reminded Government of the collective bargaining agreement we had with the Federal Government of Nigeria in January 2014.

The doctors drew the attention of government to the concluding part of their letter no. NMA/PRE/SG/03/0751 of 21st March 2014.

It states: In view of the above, the NMA painfully wishes to inform the Federal Government of Nigeria that any award to the non-medically qualified health professionals that violates the January and July agreements of 2014 shall result in the resumption of the suspended withdrawal of service of 2014. Please take this as a notice.

The above reminder is predicated on the extension of the ongoing strike action embarked upon by the amorphous body called `JOHESU.

The basis of the strike is callous and ill motivated for pay parity between her members and doctors with the resultant erosion of relativity and further hierarchical distortion in the health sector vis--vis her clandestine romance with some top government officials.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Nigerian Medical Association wishes to restate her positions on the various demands of JOHESU:

We oppose vehemently, any adjustment in CONHESS SALARY SCALE with resultant pay parity between doctors and healthcare professionals allied to medicine, and hereby reaffirm that relativity is sacrosanct, the statement read in part.

The president of JOHESU, however, alleged that the two ministers of health were not serious in ending the strike in view of their position in support of the demands of the doctors at the detriment of JOHESU.

He said: This very agreement was entered into and then a memo was made to Mr President as they claimed even though they gave us a copy later.

When they made this memo it was in December and the ministry of health defended her budget in February, but did not deem it to include that the amount it worked for the payment or settlement of this very issue.

This goes a long way to show that there was dishonesty, insincerity from the beginning on the part of the ministry (Federal Ministry of Health) because most probably the minister is a doctor; minister of state (Health) is a doctor and minister of labour who is supposed to be the chief negotiator, is also a medical doctor. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Yogurt might help lessen chronic inflammation linked to bowel disease, arthritis and asthma, a study by researchers has revealed.

According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, inflammation is the bodys first line of defense against illness and injury.

However, it could also wreak biological havoc on organs and systems and is associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic diseases.

The new study led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison showed that yogurt can reduce inflammation by improving the integrity of the intestinal lining, thus preventing endotoxins, the pro-inflammatory molecules produced by gut microbes, from crossing into the blood stream.

The researchers enrolled 120 premenopausal women, half obese and half non-obese.

Half of the participants were assigned to eat 12 ounces of low-fat yogurt every day for nine weeks while a control group ate non-dairy pudding for nine weeks.

Brad Bolling, assistant professor of food science at Wisconsin-Madison, and his team took fasting blood samples from participants at various points during the study and evaluated an assortment of biomarkers that scientists have used to measure endotoxin exposure and inflammation.

The results showed that while some of the biomarkers remained steady over time, the yogurt-eaters experienced significant improvements in certain key markers, such as tumor necrosis factor or TNF, an important inflammation-activating protein.

The results indicate that ongoing consumption of yogurt may be having a general anti-inflammatory effect, said Bolling.

In the study, participants were also involved in a high-calorie meal challenge at the beginning and end of their nine-week dietary intervention.

The challenge, meant to stress an individuals metabolism, started with either a serving of yogurt or non-dairy pudding followed by a large high-fat, high-carb breakfast meal.

The blood work showed that the yogurt appetizer helped reduce endotoxins and inflammation as participants digested the meal over the ensuing hours.

It also helped improve glucose metabolism in obese participants, by speeding the reduction of post-meal blood glucose levels.

Bollings study doesnt identify which compounds in yogurt are responsible for the shift in biomarkers associated with the health-promoting effect or how they act in the body.

Bolling said solving that piece of the puzzle will require more research.(Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN

By Mustapha Yauri

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has cautioned that striking Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) have no constitutional right to harass other health workers not on strike or lock government facilities.

The minister gave the caution in a statement issued by Mr Oshundun Olajide, Deputy Director, Media and Public Relations of the ministry, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Olajide said the minister said this while reacting to a news briefing by the President, National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Dr Ugochukwu Chinaka.

He noted that the resident doctors accused JOHESU members of harassing and molesting members of NARD and other medical officers at their respective duty posts.

The minister was also informed that JOHESU members were accused of locking-up government health facilities to prevent access to those who are not on strike.

Olajide also quoted the minister as saying that the federal government would not accept nor condone any act of irresponsibility and disobedience to constituted authorities.

The minister also directed that all locked health facilities should be re-opened immediately to enable them provide required services while negotiation continues.

It added that Adewole re-iterated that all heads of medical institutions should urgently provide adequate security for the working members of staff.

It warned that any person found disturbing the peace in any health facility should be made to face the law.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the First Vice President of NARD, Dr Ganiyu Ahmed, had earlier accused JOHESU members of becoming increasingly aggressive towards other health professional particularly doctors, who are not on strike.

Ahmed told newsmen on April 28 that JOHESU members at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Awka, manhandled a resident doctor on duty.

Source: NAN

Dozens of Women demonstrated in Kenyas Capital on Tuesday protested against what they say is discrimination against mothers who breastfeed in public.

The demonstration was prompted by a Facebook post on May 4, that saw user Betty Kim accused an up market Nairobi restaurant of discrimination after she was asked by a waiter to cover up as she was breastfeeding her baby.

Womens groups and mothers with babies participated in the march on Tuesday, with some carrying placards reading Respect nursing mothers and Breastfeeding mothers have a right.

Activist Mildred Awiso said restaurant case was not an isolated incident, and called for punitive measures to ensure that there is action taken against those infringing the breastfeeding right.

In 2017, the Kenyan parliament passed a health bill containing a clause stipulating that employers establish a lactation room for breastfeeding mothers and stating that women be allowed breastfeeding breaks every four hours.

In rural parts of Africa it is not uncommon to see women openly breastfeeding, but in westernised urban areas it has become somewhat taboo.

With infant mortality still a problem across the continent, the WHO proposes breastfeeding for the first six months in order to achieve optimal growth and development. (dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN

Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!

Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!

Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights!

Get up, stand up, dont give up the fight!

Preacher man, dont tell me

Heaven is under the earth

I know you dont know

What life is really worth

Its not all that glitters is gold

Alf the story has never been told

So now you see the light, eh!

Stand up for your rights. Come on!

The above excerpt from Bob Marleys song, `Stand up, Get up could not have been more propitious any other time than nowin a world replete with human rights abuses, racism, poverty among others.

No doubt, many reggae artists today draw their inspirations from the icon whose style of music continues to rub off on various genres of reggaeroots, rub-a-dub, ragamuffin, dancehall, lovers rock among others.

Bob Marley was the first third-world global superstar and the artist responsible for bringing reggae to mainstream audiences.

Marleys unforgettable music alone would have earned him a place in music history, but his status as a moral and religious compass to countless admirers and followers set him above many other such celebrities.

Robert Nesta Marley was born on Feb. 6, 1945 in Nine Mile, Saint Ann, Jamaica. His mother, Cedelia Booker, was an 18-year-old Jamaican girl and his father, the non-present Norval Sinclair Marley, was a much older white English sea captain.

Bob and his mother moved to the tough Trenchtown area of Kingstown when he was ten years old.

Music was already the focal point of Bobs life by the early 1960s. He was recording and playing gigs with friends Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh, and they were enjoying moderate success in Jamaica. Marley was also writing original songs. Johnny Nash had a minor hit with Bobs Stir it Up while Eric Clapton later had a much bigger one with I Shot the Sheriff.

Success outside of Jamaica for Bob Marley and the Wailers, as they were now styling themselves, finally came in the mid-1970s, with hits including No Woman No Cry, Exodus, Waiting in Vain, Jamming, and Is This Love.

But Marley was much more than a Rastafarian Dylan writing catchy songs about the pressing issues of his times. During the late 70s, Jamaica was an island undergoing immense social and political upheaval.

Bob used his considerable influence in an effort to promote peace and find a middle ground between rival political factions in his country. He was the victim of an assassination attempt for his troubles.

He traveled the world, not only as a touring musician, but also as a goodwill ambassador for Jamaica and the Rastafarian religion. In 1978, he made his first trip to Ethiopia, the spiritual home of Rastafari, and stayed on a settlement donated by Emperor Haile Selassie I.

Two years later, Bob Marley and the Wailers were invited to perform at the Zimbabwe Independence concert by the brand new nations brand new president. Bobs song Zimbabwe had been an anthem for the soon-to-be-ex-colony of Rhodesia.

Marley was a hero to countless Africans and was seen as an inspirational and unifying figure.

In 1977, Marley learned that he had a type of melanoma in one of his toes. His doctors recommended amputation, but Bob refused for religious reasons and instead simply had the toe nail and nail bed removed in hopes that would remove all the cancer. It didnt. The disease metastasized throughout his body.

In 1980, he agreed to seek a somewhat controversial treatment at the clinic of Dr. Josef Issels in Germany. Issels Combination Therapy, which has been labeled ineffective by the American Cancer Society, was indeed ineffective in Marleys case.

Bob wanted to die at home in Jamaica, but the trip back was too much for him. He passed away in a Miami hospital on May 11, 1981.

Bob Marleys death stopped Jamaica in its tracks. He was awarded the countrys Order of Merit, Jamaicas third highest honor, for outstanding contribution to his countrys culture.

The government provided him a state funeral ten days after his death as the Honorable Robert Nesta Marley O.M., with Prime Minister Edward Seaga and the Opposition Party Leader Michael Manley in attendance.

The streets were lined with countless thousands of mourners who watched Bobs funeral procession wind from Kingston to Marleys mausoleum in his birthplace of Nine Mile.

Bob Marley was laid to rest with a soccer ball, his Les Paul guitar, and a bud of marijuana.

Source: NAN

By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma,
`Dont scatter your sand until you mold your blocks, is an adage employed recently by a foremost entrepreneur, Mrs Ibukun Awosika, to strongly tell female creative professionals to save money and create wealth for the rainy day.

The occasion was Women in Entertainment Wealth Management Series organised by FirstBank to educate and encourage women in the entertainment industry on the need to build wealth.

It was a gathering of celebrities such as Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha and Ufoma McDermott at the Victoria Crown Plaza on Victoria Island, Lagos.

FirstBank organised the event to serve as a tool to help the professionals to manage their incomes more effectively in peak and off peak seasons.

According to the bank, the event was borne out of the need for wealth creation and management, especially by the creative female professionals.

FirstBank says it seeks to provide the women with the principles of wealth management, investment and savings through its female proposition product, FirstGem.

FirstGem, an account designed specifically to meet financial needs of women was officially launched in December 2016.

It was designed to suit women from age 18 to achieve their financial goals and aspirations and encourage more women to save to be able to invest and build personal wealth.

Since the launch, the initiative has encouraged over 10,000 women to actively build a healthy savings culture, according to the organisation.

Awosika, the Chairman of First Bank Plc, sensitised participants at the Entertainment Wealth Management Series to the need to be disciplined to make a difference in their profession.

Awosika, also the Convener of the wealth management series, says wealth creation is about setting goals, priorities and right principles.

According to the entrepreneur, who spoke on The Anatomy and Mindset of Wealth, there is time and season for everything including time for savings and wealth creation.

Dont scatter your sand until you have molded your blocks, Awosika advises women.

She notes that FirstBank created FirstGem in recognition of the importance of women in driving socio-economic growth and change.

According to her, the initiative has encouraged more than 10,000 women to actively build a healthy saving culture.

The chairman is convinced that savings culture will lead to investment culture.

Awosika is of the opinion that investment culture will avert spending without planning.

She promises that FirstGem will also give access to soft loans (business and personal), annual medical and health programmes, and leadership trainings on women empowerment to be sponsored by First bank.

The entrepreneur emphasizes the need for women to separate needs from wants for enhanced wealth creation.

She urges that women should not engage in frivolities and should know that they cannot afford everything they want.

Even if you have all the money in the world and have not developed the habit of living within certain rules, you will still go broke.

This is why a footballer, basket baller and athlete can earn and accumulate millions of dollars but can still go broke, few years after retirement.

Plan for what you can see, dont plan on what you are expecting, Awosika urges.

Dr Remi Banjoko, Chief Executive Officer, dkbMarkets Ltd., who spoke on Roadmap to Wealth Creation,believes that wealth could be guaranteed by inheritance, ideas and right investment.

Banjoko is convinced that artistes can go bankrupt due to overspending, lack of finance knowledge, poor investment decision and hanging out unnecessarily.

According to him, 60 per cent of adults globally are financial illiterates.

Financial literacy is key for generational wealth, he says.

Banjoko lists seven steps to generational wealth to include knowing how to value money, control money, save money and invest money.

He says the others are knowing how to make money, shield money and share money through charity, mentoring and encouraging people.

He is of the opinion that prosperous people earn compound interest, while poor people pay compound interest.

On long-term investment, controlling and saving money, Banjoko advises investment in fixed income securities,stock market, currency market or foreign exchange market as well as commodity.

According to him, understanding ones investment risk is essential before embarking on any investment.

Banjoko advises investors to widen their investment across a variety of different asset classes and geographical regions by diversifying across shares, bonds andproperty, among others.

This, he believes, will reduce the impact of price change in any of the asset classes on the overall value of their investment portfolio.

He wants artistes to harness their expertise through other streams of income such as screen writing, creative content, establishing internet TV channels such as Iroko TV, establishing film production companies and branding.

One of the participants and a renowned actress, Mrs Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, says many entertainers are investors.

Most of us are investors and creative minds; we live the life.

Cutting down on certain expenses is like cutting out our skins, but personally, I dont go out much; the realistic reason is I cant afford it.

I cant afford the time. I cant afford the expenses. I cant buy a dress for an event knowing I can only wear it once.

Savings and investments have been a struggle and we need something especially for the creative industry because it is a complex business and practicalising savings is complex in our industry.

When others are struggling with just paying bills. We are struggling with paying bills and showing up.

Analysts call on women and all Nigerians to imbibe savings culture and take advantage of relevant products and programmes to create wealth to prepare for the rainy day. (NANFeatures)

Source: NAN

The second day of the grand opening of The Dome Abuja, was a night of fun and razzmatazz for Abuja revelers as Popular Nigerian afro high life musician, Flavour Nabania graced the stage with his scintillating performance.

The activities lined up for the second day Saturday, included a Celebrity Bowling Challenge predominantly made up of the ex-Big Brother housemates, with Rico Swarvey winning the bowling challenge with a return ticket from Turkish Airline for a trip to any part of the world.

Some of the BBNaija housemates at the event included Miracle, BBNaija Winner, Tobi, Alex, Ahneeka, Vandora, Princess and Nina.

Rico Swarvey revealed to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Bowling is one of his favorite recreational activities and urged more cities to create more entertainment and recreational centers like the Dome.

We need to take leisure and relaxation to another level. This Dome project is a good step, the bowling alley is great, and more cities need to develop amusement arcades.

The event was part of a 3-day opening ceremony that kicked off on Friday with The Vice President Yemi Osibanjo cutting the ribbon to mark the opening of The Dome.

Other artistes including Falz and Dj Spinall were some of the biggest name from the entertainment industry to lead the Saturday lineups.

They thrilled the Dome crowd who were eager to see the reopening of the renowned entertainment center for some time now.

Flavour and his band rocked the stage with Nwa Baby, Adamma and Oyi from his Uplifted album, also thrilling the crowd with Ijele from his 2017 album titled Ijele The Traveller among other famous afro beat sounds.

Tomi Babajide a reveler, expressed her delight at the reopening of the entertainment center in Abuja.

For me, having flavor on the weekend line up was really befitting, Dome entertainment center is a special place for relaxation in Abuja, I am glad it has been reopened.

Chisom Ajua told NAN that the entertainment center is the best the city has at the moment.

The bowling alley is standard, having different forms of activities in one location is good for weekend relaxation.

The talented DJ Spinall showcased his talents with his DJ set while Big Brother Naija Double Wahala winner Miracle enjoyed a night of Afro beat songs with fellow housemates Tobi, Alex Rico and Vandora on stage.

The event continues on Sunday with famous actress Funke Akindele performing along side DJ Jimmy Jatt.

Source: NAN

Nigerian popular actress, Funke Akindele-Bello, aka Jenifa, has openly professed her love for children.

Jenifa who thrilled fans on Sunday evening at the Family Fun Day celebration at the Dome Entertainment Centre in Abuja, said: I love children.

Jenifa is Glo Ambassador and wife to My Life Hit crooner, JJC.

She came to the venue and went up the stage dancing to the Nigerian songs from the gigantic speakers of the disc jockey.

The comic actress also had a photo session with over 50 adults and children.

Similarly, some of the 2018 Big Brother Naija Double Wahala housemates, Alex, Tobi, Rico, Vandora Princess and Cee-C, also thrilled the audience at the show.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Willy-Willy of Wazobia FM Abuja, Alex and Rico jointly coordinated the children dancing session.

Over 120 children were at the centre to catch fun. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Oladapo Udom

Mr Frank Ikegwuonu,the Founder, Queen of Nollywood Reality TV Contest, South West Edition, says the competition is to showcase Nigerias vast cultural heritage to the outside world.

Ikegwuonu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos that the TV contest would be organised and sponsored by The Queen of Nollywood Film Academy of Germany and the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN).

According to him, 36 girls representing each state of the federation would feature in the competition scheduled for August.
The show is an acting competition where every contestant must have a basic knowledge of the Nigerian culture and language.

Each contestant representing each state will have to study the norms and values peculiar to the state which she is representing.

A good representation of the state will be an added advantage for the contestant to move on to the final stage of the competition, he said.

Ikegwuonu said that the top six finalists representing the six geo-political zones in Nigeria would be awarded certificates, cash prizes and crowned Queens of Nollywood 2018.

AGN will appoint at least one representative from each geo-political zone to supervise the screening and selection of the semi-finalists and the finalists for the contest, he said.

Ikegwuonu said that the first top three winners would be sponsored to any European country of their choice with a cash prize of N500, 000 each and N500, 000 as the acting contract sum.

Also, the Vice President, AGN, Southwest, Mr Tope Babayemi, said that the competition was a commendable idea because it would provide a platform for ladies to build a career in Nollywood.

The competition is relevant because it will add value to the entertainment industry and thrill our audience to a relaxing atmosphere after a hard days job, he said.

Babayemi said that AGN would be partnering no fewer than 20 major film producers both in Nigeria and abroad to ensure that the winners featured in films immediately after the contest.

Source: NAN