FRIDAY FREE FOOD FOR FRIENDS’ FREAKING FREETHINKING Vol 6
THE “FRIENDLY” CANCER by Lawal Qudus Olajide
I get depressed, each time I see women stink, bleed and die of a disease which is highly preventable and curable. Rarely will a disease give man both the opportunity of preventing and curing it. HIV has preventive measures but once infected there is no cure, Polio just like measles, is vaccine preventable but once infected it leaves an indelible mark. A little more eulogy for this cancer, it is a preventable cancer, the sexually transmittable cancer, a “curable” cancer and if not attended to a deadly cancer.
It is the most forgiving cancer. It gives man the grace of time to detect it before it start rendering its havoc. This opportunity many developed and few developing countries that value their women have grabbed. It is disheartening that despite having the knowledge around us for more than 4 decades, this cancer remains the commonest cancer in our women.
Many nations have brought this rabid cancer down the list of causes of women mortality, just by use of simple methods of early detection and vaccination. Incidence reduction by 80%(in fact 99% in a study ) have been reported.
So how friendly is this deadly cancer? With a little comparism to the most discussed disease worldwide- HIV, I will be highlighting why we need to act now.
Cervical cancer is a cancer of the female reproductive tract. It is of 2 main types: the sqaumous (70) and adenocarcinoma (25). The squamous type is usually secondary to a viral infection (HPV). This discuss is focussing on the squamous subtype.
Just like HIV, HPV is a sexually transmitted infection, however unlike HIV, HPV is vaccine preventable. Effective HPV vaccination can result in eradication of this deadly cancer!
There is a long transition period between HPV infection and development of cancer. An infected woman may carry the infection for more than a decade without developing the invasive cancer, giving a period of grace for detection and cure. Is this not friendliness! Early detection of HIV gives opportunity to manage not cure.
Detection of HPV infection like HIV, is done by screening. HPV screening is done by taking Pap smear, a procedure in which exfoliated cells are taken for examination; it is a painless but sometimes discomforting procedure. It is non-invasive and takes average of 5minutes to carry out.
It is recommended that screening be started 3years after attaining coitarche (1st sexual intercourse) /21years. The screening can be done annually or minimal of every 3-5years; however the frequency is increased to every 6-12months if abnormality is found.
If a premalignant lesion is found, the treatment is as simple as using “ice cube” to burn off the lesion-cryotherapy, or excision of the lesion,also available is laser.
However if the lesion is allowed to run its course, it becomes “lethally deadly”, requiring radiotherapy for palliation. A treatment so scarce and complication laden, people stay on the waiting list for average of 6months to get radiotherapy in Nigeria. Depending on the stage of the cancer, it can kill within 6months to 2years.
So why not spend 5minutes out of every 1576800 minutes (3years) to get screened for a disease that can be cured with ice cube rather than wait in pains and misery for palliative care that you may never live to get!
It is unfortunate that as a nation we have no guideline on screening for cervical cancer, the most common genital cancer in our women.
Pap smear is a procedure that should be available in all hospital just like it is for HIV screening.
Ca cervix used is the 2nd most common cause of cancer death in women worldwide, but the situation is different in countries that have embarked on vaccination and cancer screening. Death from cervical cancer have been brought close to impossible.
In a country where we spent billions to celebrate 50th birthday,it is unpardonable not to have free Pap smear available for all.
Should our women keep dying of a preventable cancer just because their origin of birth?
Future generation will no doubt ask us why we continued to allow our women die every year from a disease that can be easily prevented and cured. They will rightly question our commitment, our priorities, our sense of justice, and our understanding of human right.
Be an advocate for cervical cancer screening
FRIDAY FREE FOOD FOR FRIENDS’ FREAKING FREETHINKING vol 7
Analyzing some individual performances of Eagles’ Players during CHAN 2014
This article is quite different from the one I recently posted,analysing all the players and scoring them individually.This post actually analyses some key performers.
I’ve been a keen follower of Nigeria’s local football since my youth days for over 28yrs now,year in,year out.I know some of these players’ performances with their individual clubs.Coach.Stephen Keshi did a great job in helping groom these boys.They deserved d trophy,but got a golden bronze.Echoing Keshi’s words that he expects about 4 players of these squad to make Nigeria’s World Cup team.I too expect 4 players approx to make d team,based on my assessment.
I expect the tourney’s best player,Rangers Christantus Ejike Uzoenyi to make d WC,apart from getting a good foreign club.His performance was stellar.I imagined that this was same player that had a 6mth stint after AFCON with Rennes FC where he was bounced thereafter to Rangers,after a poor performance. Sunshine’s Kunle Odunlami also had a great performance.He was rock in d heart of d defence.I expect him to get a good foreign team &make d WC team.Kano Pillars Rabiu Ali aka Ali Pele,was d best player in d nigerian league last season.I never expected him to do worse.He did very excellently.I expect him to make d WC team&get a good club.
Azubuike Egwuekwe of Warri Wolves had a forgettable performance last tourney.He was slow and made some errors.He was lucky he had an Odunlami to cover him up.As an experienced Eagle and one of “keshi boys”,I expect him to improve&make d WC team.He’s a good player that had a bad tourney.Apart from these 4,I must make mention of Shehu Abdullahi.He too was great and may make d WC team,though I don’t know who he’s capable of displacing in d foreign based midfielders.
Apart from these 5,players like Shooting Stars Gbolahan Salami,Ifeanyi Ede,Dumte Pyagbara, Barnabas Imenger also did greatly.I don’t expect them to make d WC party,but I expect them to get better clubs abroad.
The performances of Ifeanyi Ede&Solomon Kwambe were just average.Kwambe’s recovery rate was poor&in our 1st match with Mali,I wondered if we had a right full back.If they don’t improve,I wonder what they’re doing in the team.I hope selfish&greedy sentiments aren’t used to select players.
The most laughable is the captain and goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim. He looked more of a clown&less of a goalkeeper in goal.He isn’t the type that should think of making the WC.He’s even been dropped by Rangers,his contract terminated&is presently clubless.He may be lucky to get some clubs in Vietnam or Thailand that may need his services,or some 3rd division turkish club or a League Two or League Three side
FRIDAY FREE FOOD FOR FRIENDS FREAKING FREETHINKING Vol 8
A Tribute to One of Nigeria’s best &greatest leaders – late General. Murtala Ramat Mohammed who was tragically murdered exactly 38 years ago on Friday the 13th 1976 by a group of disgruntled soldiers led by Lt.Col Buka Suka Dimka
Security and routine do not go together. Having dispensed with sizeable personal security and a motorcade, on Friday 13th February 1976, Murtala departed for work along his usual route. As his car crawled in the infamous Lagos traffic outside the Federal Secretariat in Ikoyi, a group of soldiers rushed over to the car and fired a volley of gunshots which killed Murtala, his ADC Lt Akintunde Akinsehinwa, his driver Sergeant Adamu Minchika, and his orderly Staff Sergeant Michael Otuwe.
Unbeknown to Murtala, as he made his way to work that day, a group of assassins including Lt-Colonel Dimka, Major Rabo, Captain Malaki and Lt William Seri were lying in wait for him. Each man had a different task. Captain Malaki was the “spotter” and his job was to signal Rabo and Seri when Murtala’s car approached. After only six months in office, Murtala Muhammed was assassinated in an abortive military coup led by Lt-Col Busa Sukar Dimka – the head of the army’s physical training corps. Dimka was the officer who a decade earlier had been accused of murdering his commanding officer, Lt-Colonel Okoro in Kaduna and of participating in death squads that summarily executed Igbo soldiers during the northern soldiers’ mutiny of July 1966. Yet somehow he had been allow remain in, and rise up the army.
Dimka had graduated from the Australian army officer cadet school in Portsea on December 13th 1963 along with Boniface Ikejiofor, an officer who took part in the Majors’ coup of January 1966. The two men were the first Nigerian army officers to train in Australia and successfully complete the course. Cadets from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, the Philippines and the Pacific Islands also trained with them. Both young men ruined promising lives and careers by choosing to join different coup plots. Ironically Arthur Unegbe (then a Major) who was murdered during the January 1966 coup in which Ikejiofor took part, had attended Dimka and Ikejiofor’s passing out parade in 1963. Shortly after Murtala was murdered, Dimka rushed up the road to the nearby Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation from where he made the following nationwide broadcast that was interspersed with martial music:
DIMKA COUP SPEECH AFTER KILLING MURTALA
“Good morning fellow Nigerians, this is Lt. Colonel B.S. Dimka of the Nigerian army calling. I bring you good tidings. Murtala Muhammed’s hypocrisy has been detected. His government is now overthrown by the young revolutionaries. All the Military Governors have no powers over the states they now govern. The state affairs will be run by the military brigade commanders until further notice. All commissioners are sacked, except for the armed forces and police commissioners who will be redeployed. All senior military officers should remain calm in their respective spots. No divisional commanders will issue orders to his formations until further notice. Any attempt to foil this plan from any quarter will be met with death. You are warned, it is all over the 19 states. All acts of resistance will be met with death. Everyone should be calm. Please stay by your radio for further announcements. All borders, airports and sea ports are closed until further notice. Curfew is imposed from 6am to 6pm. Thank you. We are all together.”
The clumsy syntax and inadvertent imposition of a “6am to 6pm” curfew in the above speech tells readers all they need to know about the intellect of the soldiers behind this coup (Dimka obviously meant 6pm to 6am, but got the hours the wrong way round). Then came several gestures which although small in isolation – demonstrated Murtala’s popularity across Nigeria. The commander of the elite 1st mechanised infantry division in Kaduna: Major-General Alani Akinrinade, immediately made a radio announcement proclaiming his loyalty to Murtala and condemning the attempted coup. Then when news of the coup spread, students at the University of Benin marched into the streets and staged an angry demonstration against the soldiers that had killed their hero. Given the manner in which Nigerian soldiers had slaughtered civilians between 1966 and 1970, this was a brave gesture by the students.
The Chief of Army Staff Lt-General Danjuma dispatched Colonel Ibrahim Babangida to dislodge Dimka from the radio station. Babangida knew Dimka personally and came face to face with him inside the radio station. Babangida spoke to Dimka in Hausa and tried to talk Dimka down, playing on Dimka’s knowledge of Babangida’s family and that he was a married man. In circumstances that have never been fully explained, Dimka somehow managed to walk out of the radio station unscathed and fled. The coup was eventually put down and many of the culprits arrested. Seven days of national mourning were declared in Murtala’s honour. At the end of these seven days, grief stricken Nigerians were given a public holiday.
FRIDAY FREE FOOD FOR FRIENDS’ FREAKING FREETHINKING Vol.9
TRIBUTE TO THE WORLD’S OLDEST LEADER AND AFRICA’S WORST DICTATOR : ROBERT MUGABE AS HE TURNS 90 YEARS TODAY
It is a surprise to many that i will write to pay tribute to Zimbabwe’s 90 year old president -Robert Gabriel Mugabe as he celebrates his 90th birthday today. Robert Mugabe is undoubtedly a controversial figure. Both his childhood and adult life are filled with surprises, many of which influenced decisions during his numerous terms as Zimbabwe’s president . I write this article as a tribute and memorial to him as he celebrates his 90th birthday today. Let’s get this right. I am no fan of Mugabe. Dont get me wrong and dont get it twisted here. I am just bringing out a few facts about him and what people to know him more. He is a hero to many Zimbabweans. Do you know he was also a Nobel Peace Prize nominee? Fasten your seat belts, as we embark on a brief tour history of Mugabe.
Mugabe,born 21 February 1924 is a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who is the President of Zimbabwe. He will be 90 years old in a few days,as I am writing this article. As one of the leaders of the rebel groups against white minority rule, he was elected as Prime Minister, head of government, in 1980, and served in that office until 1987, when he became the country’s first executive head of state. Having been repeatedly re-elected, he retains this post to this day. He has led the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) since 1975. Robert Mugabe rose to prominence in the 1960s as the Secretary General of ZANU during the conflict against the conservative white minority government of Ian Smith. Mugabe was a political prisoner in Rhodesia for more than 10 years between 1964 and 1974.
Upon release Mugabe, along with Edgar Tekere, left Rhodesia in 1975 to re-join the fight during the Rhodesian Bush War from bases in Mozambique. At the end of the war in 1979, Mugabe emerged as a hero in the minds of many Africans. He won the general elections of 1980 after calling for reconciliation between the former belligerents, including white Zimbabweans and rival political parties, and thereby became Prime Minister on Zimbabwe’s independence in April 1980.The following years saw a split between ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) and ZAPU (Zimbabwe Africa People’s Union), the two key parties which had fought against the Rhodesian government during the 1970s, nominally alongside each other from 1976. ZAPU leader Joshua Nkomo signed an agreement whereby ZAPU was merged into ZANU–PF.
Since 2000, the Mugabe-led government embarked on a fast-track land reform program to forcefully correct the inequitable land distribution created by colonial rule.The period has been marked by economic sanctions, which after their introduction in 2002 led to the deterioration of the Zimbabwean dollar. Mugabe’s policies have been condemned domestically and internationally, as well as praised by other African countries where land was hoarded by the European minority, such as South Africa, Namibia and Kenya. As a result, criticism from the British and U.S. governments has been especially harsh. Eventually a wide range of sanctions, including a credit freeze through Section 4 C of the Zimbabwe Democracy And Economic Recovery Act of 2001 (ZDERA) was imposed by the United States and the European Union against the person of Mugabe, individuals, private companies, parastatals and the government of Zimbabwe.
In August 2008, Robert Mugabe suffered a narrow defeat in the first round of a presidential election but he subsequently won the run-off election in a landslide after opposition rival Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the race, and extended a hand to the opposition with the signing of a power-sharing deal with opposition leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara of the MDC-T and MDC-M opposition party. On 3 August 2013, the Zimbabwe Election Commission said Mugabe won his seventh term as President, defeating Tsvangirai with 61 percent of the vote.
Now,10 things you probably never knew about Robert Mugabe
1. He has seven university degrees
2. He was a Nobel Peace Prize nominee
3. Mugabe has a strong background in education
4. Mugabe is the product of a religious upbringing
5. Two of his brothers died when he was young
6. After his release from prison, he escaped Zimbabwe with the help of a white nun
7. He had an extramarital affair while his wife was dying from cancer
8. Mugabe traveled to Italy despite a E.U. travel ban
9. Many honors he received from various institutions have been revoked
10. He plans to run for president again in 2018
Mugabe won the most recent election in Zimbabwe in 2013 with 61 percent of the vote, but it is widely believed that massive voter fraud and election rigging occurred. Despite this, and despite his advanced age, and his rumoured prostrate cancer problems, Mugabe has announced his intention to run again for election in 2018 for the office that he has held since 1987.
FRIDAY FREE FOOD FOR FRIENDS’ FREAKING FREETHINKING Vol.10
MISSING $20bn funds, Sanusi Lamido’s sudden suspension and Kerosene Subsidy scam
A friend of mine once said “Why is it that no one is asking why subsidy payments have increased despite the fact that we now pay more for fuel and the process had supposedly been sanitized? Why is it that no one is asking questions on why monies stolen from subsidy payments have not been recovered and no one from NNPC, PPRA or the Ministry of Petroleum Resources has been forced to resign, been prosecuted or jailed for this? Why is no one asking for the case against Honourable Farouk Lawan to be brought to a swift conclusion and the guilty party (or Parties) jailed? And we are posturing for elections in 2015?”
Now let us add the recent Kerosene subsidy revelation, then we begin to realise how much these folks are stealing from the nation daily….we know there is no kerosene subsidy anywhere. We have been buying kerosene for btw #130 to #170 consistently for over 3 yrs now. Where is d effect of d so-called billions of dollars spent to provide kerosene subsidy so that we can be buying kerosene@#50/litre?
Are u saying this is another ruse? It’s akin to hearing commentaries on radio of a live match in a stadium which u’re present in,and nothing is happening. It’s either a case of auditory or optical illusions,or multiple delusions of thot or perception or both,or maybe some people are just too fraudulent &pathological liars here. The subsidy is for Beninoise&Togolese citizens,surely not Nigerians. Nigeria’s treasury has been taken to the cleaners by NNPC/Petroleum Ministry/Presidency. Are we serious at all in this country?
Two weeks ago CBN governor Sanusi Lamido Sanusi claimed that 20 billion US dollars had gone missing from the coffers of the NNPC. Today he has been suspended and relieved of his duties for exposing the rot and speaking the truth. Another has been quickly nominated to take his place with no room for recall for him to complete the few weeks left in his tenure. This is the height of desperaration. I have little doubt that the next thing that will happen is that he will be subjected to a formal probe and the EFCC will be called in to investigate his tenure of office. They will throw everything that they have got at him simply because he refused to play ball with them and cover up their penchant for monuemental corruption and graft.
If you speak truth to power and you take on the system be rest assured that the system will fight back and they will attempt to destroy you and all that is yours. Yet none of that matters because the only thing that is relevant is the fact that history and posterity will be kind to Sanusi on this matter based on the choices that he has made.
He spoke out when others chose to remain silent and to compromise. Unlike others, he refused to sell his soul to the devil and to sell his heritage and birthright for a mess of pottage. Despite the significant differences that I have with this man in terms of our different outlooks to how and what Nigeria ought to be as a nation I salute him and commend him for his efforts.
Like my good friend also sums it up and I quote him verbatim ” If financial recklessness is a reason for removal from office why is Yakubu (NNPC GMD) still in office? Why is Dieziani (Petroleum minister) still in office? Why is Goodluck Jonathan still in office? Whether with good intentions or bad intentions one thing is clear, this government is the most reckless and most profligate this nation has ever seen. And I understand that the road to hell is paved with good intentions so that is never an excuse. Seeking a moral high ground for sacking SLS after his inaction on Oduahgate is not only crass, it is absurd
drbiggie 