The 2018 Carnival Calabar was held on Friday, December 28, 2018 across major Streets in Calabar, Cross River State.
Roads covered were Marian road, Mary Slessor Avenue, Calabar Road, Stadium Road, IBB and lots more..
Special dignitaries were the Cross River governor, Ben Ayade and his wife, former governor of the state, Donald Duke, Nollywood stars, among others.
Below are the photos...
A man has landed in the hospital after he was left seriously injured by fireworks popularly known as 'knockout', according to a report.
According to Uwechue Chineye Abigail who hails from Ogwashi Uku, Delta state, it was gathered that the married man with children, had the fingers on his left hand blown off while throwing 'knockout' during this festive period.
The injured man was rushed to the hospital where he hand was attended to and sewn by doctors.
Following the incident, Nigerians have been warned to be careful in dealing with fireworks during the Yuletide season.
See photos...
Scientists are proposing an inventive, yet so far unproven approach to tackle climate change. 'How?' we hear you ask? Well, by dimming the sun, of course. That's right, and while that may sound like the plot of a low-budget action film, there is some science behind the idea.
Harvard and Yale universities scientists claims that the global warming could be cut in half by spraying sun-dimming chemicals into the Earth’s atmosphere. They believe the technology could help solve the problem of global warming to some great extent.
The research was conducted at Harvard and Yale universities, who published a paper in the journal Environmental Research Letters, claim this idea could cut the problem of climate change in half.
The Technique To Be Adopted For Spraying Aerosols Into The Earth’s Atmosphere
They are calling the idea 'stratospheric aerosol injection tactics'. According to the paper, this would involve spraying sulphate particles into the Earth's lower stratosphere.
For spraying, a special kind of aircraft, or large naval-style guns will be used. Though, the technology is still hypothetical with no existing aircraft suitable for mission.
The scientists made it clear that it's a cost effective project to save humanity, “Developing a new, purpose-built tanker with substantial payload capabilities would neither be technologically difficult nor prohibitively expensive.
And The Estimated Cost?
The total cost of launching a hypothetical system in 15 years’ time at around $3.5 billion, with running costs of $2.25 billion a year over a 15-year period.”
Below is a diagram, as illustrated by Nature.com
Worryingly, if people who believed in chemtrails were to see this, they'd probably go into overdrive about the implications of 'spraying' into the atmosphere, and we'd risk more inane and absolutely ridiculous conspiracy theories.
There will be also the chances of potential risks including coordination between multiple countries in both hemispheres would be required, and Stratospheric Aerosol Injection techniques could jeopardize crop yields, lead to droughts or cause extreme weather, said David Archer from the department of geophysical science at the University of Chicago.
Report reaching our news desk has it that the mortuary section of Enugwu-Ukwu General Hospital has been gutted by fire and all the corpses burnt beyond recognition.
EHSadvisor gathered that the fire started at about three o’clock this afternoon and before they could get the fire service, the three -room-morgue had been raised down.
The mortician on duty couldn’t stop the fire as he was the only person on duty and they couldn’t ascertain the cause of the fire though according to the eye witneses, the fire may have come from bush burning as the surrounding is over grown with dry grasses.
Details later....
Shehu Idris College of Health Sciences And Technology, Makarfi has affiliated with Kwara State University for degrees programmes in Community Health and Environmental Health.
The Sole Administrator of the College, Malam Yusuf Yakubu Arrigasiyu, stated this during the matriculation ceremony of the 2018/2019 Academic session held at the college.
According to him, in line with the admission policy of the college, about 80 per cent of the admitted students are from the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State
He said the college runs 42 programmes at Higher National Diploma, National Diploma,Professional Diploma and certificates levels, accredited by NBTE
The Administrator stressed that the college is committed at producing the required health manpower needs of Kaduna State and Nigeria at large
“In it’s quest for nation building and educational growth, the college would introduce new programs geared towards addressing needs of the society”.
He lauded the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmed el-Rufa’i for the support accorded to the growth and development of the college.
The administrator urged the new students desist from examination malpractices and shun cultism and all kinds of social vices.
A total of 2,648 newly admitted students were matriculated for the 2018/2019 academic session.
Several people have been reportedly killed after a fuel tanker caught fire on Odo-Iyaalaro Bridge inward Maryland in Lagos.
According to The Guardian, the accident has caused major gridlock around the axis, while the cause of the conflagration and number of casualties couldn’t be ascertained.
It was also gathered that the situation has paralyzed movements around Tipper garage, Ojota-Interchange and Motorways plaza.
…FG provides 3 million doses of vaccine
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has charged residents of the state, aged between nine (9) months to 59 years, to ensure they take the yellow fever vaccine, to inoculate themselves against the disease.
The state government has also taken delivery of three million doses of vaccine from the Federal Ministry of Health in response to the yellow fever outbreak in the state.
The governor gave the charge when he led members of the State Executive Council (EXCO) on a vaccination campaign in Benin City, at the end of the weekly EXCO meeting at the Government House, in Benin City.
Addressing journalists after taking a shot of the vaccine, he said the yellow fever vaccination campaign was ongoing across the 18 local government areas of the state.
He urged residents in the state to ensure that they are vaccinated against the ailment.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Health for the prompt response to the disease outbreak in the state.
He said that the state government has provided logistics to get the vaccine to every part of the state, especially where outbreak of the disease was recorded.
“We had the unfortunate incident of yellow fever outbreak in some parts of the state a couple of weeks ago. It is a deadly aliment. Within a short period, we lost a number of persons. It is highly preventable; all you need is to be vaccinated against the virus,” he said.
“I just got vaccinated; it doesn't hurt. Once you take a dose, you are vaccinated for life,” he assured.
See photos ...
Almajiri
No fewer than thirty (30) children have been confirmed dead, while more than 2,000 are currently receiving attention for acute malnutrition in various medical centres across Nasarawa State.
The Nasarawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency’s Nutrition Officer, Hajiya Halima Yusuf, confirmed this at a two-day meeting of the state Committee on Food and Nutrition on Sunday in Lafia.
She explained that the children had in the last three months been admitted to 15 health care centres in 13 Local Government Areas and 18 development areas of the state following the increase in the cases of acute malnutrition and other diseases due to inadequate nutrition.
“About 30 children have lost their lives to acute malnutrition and over 2,000 children are currently receiving medical attention in various medical centres across the state,” Yusuf said.
She further explained that as a result of the rising cases of malnutrition, the state Primary Health Care Development Agency had embarked on an intensive community management of acute malnutrition programme across the state in order to address the crisis.
Earlier, the Nasarawa State Coordinator, Committee on Food and Nutrition, Mr Abdul Osama, emphasized the need for more campaigns on the importance of nutritious food.
On his part, the State Chairman, Committee on Food and Nutrition, Mr Emmanuel Alidzi, appealed for urgent action to address the cases of malnutrition in the state.
The Nutrition Focal Persons in the local government areas also called for budgetary provisions for nutrition at the local government level.
The Nasarawa State Committee on Food and Nutrition drew focal persons from all the 13 local government areas of the state including the media, civil society groups, ministries and agencies and NGOs, with the state Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning coordinating.
Many people have cylinders as old as 20 years in their homes. It never occurs to people that gas cylinders expire and when it does, it results in leakage that can lead to explosion. There have been many cases of gas cylinder explosions and when this happens, lives are lost and properties worth millions are also lost in the fire inferno that follows.
According to a State Coordinator, Standard Organisation of Nigeria [SON], Joseph Ugbaja, “If a cylinder of 12kg explodes, it is capable of bringing down a two storey building. Cooking gas cylinders must not exceed five years.” According to the SON Director, most people using gas cylinders hardly remember when it was bought. Once the cylinder is past the expiry date, one must stop using it. But most people have no idea how to check the expiry date of the cylinder. The steps to check the expiry date are very simple and basic.
How to check for the expiry date of your cylinder
Here is how to verify the expiry date of the LPG cylinder. The expiry of LPG Cylinder can be found on one of the metal strips that connect the body of the cylinder to top ring (handle). It is mentioned on the inner side of the strip. The strip has any of the alphabets from A to D painted on it along with a number. Decoding the expiry date is simple. The alphabet represents the month it expires while the number indicates the year. A year is divided into four quarters –
A – January to MarchB – April to JuneC – July to SeptemberD – October to December
The alphabet represents the month of expiry while the number indicates the year of expiry. A year is divided into four quarters – * A – January to March * B – April to June * C – July to September * D – October to December For example, this cylinder has ‘B 13′ painted on the metal strip. The alphabet B represents month June , and 13 indicates the year 2013. So a cylinder having B 13 mentioned on it means it will or already expire on June 2013.
However, there is a limited grace period of three to four months after the expiry as the cylinder cannot be pulled out immediately out of the circulation. There have been reports that distributors tamper with the expiry date as it is written with paint. So next time you receive a cylinder do check the expiry date and stay safe.
Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril
In order to address environmental health challenges and ensure better services for the populace, Environmental Health Officers Registration Council (EHORECON) have moved to upgrade its programmes in tertiary institutions in the country.
The council is partnering with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to realise this new move. It has also concluded arrangements with Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and Kwara State University, Mallette for abridged B.Tech and BSc for environmental health officers.
The Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril who stated this at a forum in Abuja, said government has provided support for development of benchmark for Bachelor of Environmental Health Science.
He explained that the curriculum development has a broad scope not only about the school, the learners and the teachers, but also the improvement of the society in general.
“Current effort is to align the fulcrum of professional practices with technologists to their proper role of providing support to the scientific trends. This would play a vital role in improving the economy.”
According to him, it would also provide answers and solutions to the world’s pressing conditions and problems such as environment, politics, socio-economic, and other issues of poverty, and climate change.
Also speaking, Registrar of EHORECON, Dr. Dominic Abonyi expressed optimism that the collaboration between EHORECON and NBTE would yield results, especially curricula for Environmental Health Technology.
He emphasised that the council would not relent to support genuine efforts aimed at improving the capacity of environmental health professionals to deliver on their expected mandates.
“We have developed benchmark for minimum academic standard for Bachelor of Environmental Health Science (BEHS) degree in collaboration with National Universities Commission (NUC)” he added.
Explaining further, he said the initiative has commenced at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Kwara State University, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, University of Ibadan and National Open University.
On his part, NBTE Executive Secretary, Dr. Adamu Kazaure called for regular review of the curricula every two year to update and capture modern trend, and for sustainable development.
Residents of Onitsha, Anambra state, woke up this morning to a shocking sight as an unidentified lady was found dead and her corpse dumped on the street. It was gathered that a pigeon and coins were allegedly found on the dead lady’s naked body at Dennis Memorial Grammar School (DMGS) round-about in Onitsha.
The incident caused tension and panic among residents who later notified the police before the corpse was removed. This is happening weeks after two young ladies were brutally killed by men suspected to be ritualists in Anambra. The ladies were found dead with their private parts and breasts cut off in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area of the State. Their naked corpses were left abandoned by the roadside to the shock of the villagers.
Nigerian doctors are currently revolting against the Nigeria Medical Association on Twitter after the later decided to impose a compulsory 20K building levy on all doctors in addition to the 10K annual practising license. The hash tag has gathered more than a thousand tweets in just less than an hour.
The hash tag is #StopNMA20kBuildingLevy
Or
#Stop20kMDCNBuildingLevy
World AIDS Day, is designated for the 1st of December every year since 1988, as an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. Government and health officials, non-governmental organizations, and individuals around the world observe the day, often with education on AIDS prevention and control.
Below are HIV and AIDS keypoints in Nigeria, the facts and statistics, the states with the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS in Nigeria and more.
WORLD AIDS DAY: HIV AND AIDS STATISTICS IN NIGERIA
1. Nigeria has the second largest HIV epidemic in the world and one of the highest rates of new infection in sub-Saharan Africa.
Although HIV prevalence among adults is much less (2.8%) than other sub-Saharan African countries such as South Africa (18.8%) and Zambia (11.5%), the size of Nigeria's population means 3.1 million people were living with HIV in 2017
2. It is estimated that around two-thirds of new HIV infections in West and Central Africa in 2017 occurred in Nigeria. Together with South Africa and Uganda , the country accounts for around half of all new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa every year. This is despite achieving a 5% reduction in new infections between 2010 and 2017.
3. Unprotected heterosexual sex accounts for 80% of new HIV infections in Nigeria, with the majority of remaining HIV infections occurring in key affected populations such as sex workers.
4. Six states in Nigeria account for 41% of people living with HIV, including Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Lagos, Oyo, and Kano. HIV prevalence is highest in Nigeria’s southern states (known as the South South Zone), and stands at 5.5%. It is lowest in the southeast (the South East Zone) where there is a prevalence of 1.8%. There are higher rates of HIV in rural areas (4%) than in urban ones (3%)
5. Many people living with HIV in Nigeria are unaware of their status. Nigeria continues to fall short of providing the recommended number of HIV testing and counselling sites.
6. Low levels of access to antiretroviral treatment remains an issue for people living with HIV, meaning that there are still many AIDS-related deaths in Nigeria.
7. Nigeria accounted for 37,000 of the world’s 160,000 new cases of babies born with HIV in 2016. Even South Africa which happens to be the hardest-hit country in the world, with 7.1 million people living with the virus had only 12,000 newly infected children in 2016. The high infection rate in Nigeria, along with the lack of access to Hiv drugs
helps explain why 24,000 children here died of AIDS in 2016, nearly three times as many as in South Africa.
8. Approximately 150,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses in Nigeria in 2017. Since 2005, the reduction in the number of annual AIDS-related deaths has been minimal, indicative of the fact that only 33% of those with a positive diagnosis in Nigeria are accessing antiretroviral treatment (ART).
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Saturday announced the outbreak of yellow fever in Edo.
Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Chief Executive Officer, NCDC, in Abuja in a statement, said that following the report of an outbreak of fever of unknown origin in four Local Government Areas, public health team commenced investigation on Nov. 21 and nine cases tested positive for yellow fever.
He added that the Edo epidemiology team would be working with the NCDC and other relevant agencies to carry out detailed investigation and response to the already confirmed cases.
According to him, the NCDC has deployed a rapid response team to support the state with contact tracing, risk communications and management of cases.
”There are ongoing plans to begin vaccination campaign in the state in response to the cluster of cases.
”Yellow fever virus is spread through bites by an infected mosquito. It is a completely vaccine preventable disease and a single shot provides immunity for a lifetime.
”The yellow fever vaccine is freely available in all primary health care centres in Nigeria,” he said.
Ihekweazu therefore advised the public to keep their environments clean and free of stagnant water to discourage the breeding of mosquitoes and use insecticide treated mosquito nets, screens on windows and doors to prevent mosquito bites.
”Since September 2017, Nigeria has recorded suspected cases of yellow fever in all states in the country.
”As at Nov. 11, 140 cases have been laboratory confirmed in Nigeria. A multi-agency yellow fever Emergency Operations Centre has been established at NCDC to coordinate the response.
”The symptoms of yellow fever include yellowness of the eyes, sudden fever, headache and body pain. If you have these symptoms or notice someone in your community displaying them, please contact your nearest health centre.
”This week, our sister agency NPHCDA flagged off a large yellow fever vaccination campaign, targeting 26 million children and adults (aged nine months to 44 years) in Niger, Plateau, Borno, Sokoto, Kebbi and the FCT.
Ihekweazu added that one dose of the yellow fever vaccine provides for life-long protection against the disease.
“We urge all Nigerians to get vaccinated and encourage their families, and neighbours to do the same,” he said.
He also reassured all Nigerians that NCDC would continue to work with States and partners nationwide to ensure that the outbreak is curtailed.
CONTROLLING ANGER BEFORE IT CONTROLS YOU
INTRODUCTION
We all know what ANGER is, and we've all felt it: whether as a fleeting annoyance or as full-fledged rage.
Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. But when it gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems—problems at work, in your personal relationships, and in the overall quality of your life. And it can make you feel as though you're at the mercy of an unpredictable and powerful emotion. This brochure is meant to help you understand and control anger.
What Is Anger?
Anger is "an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage," according to Charles Spielberger, PhD, a psychologist who specializes in the study of anger. Like other emotions, it is accompanied by physiological and biological changes; when you get angry, your heart rate and blood pressure go up, as do the levels of your energy hormones, adrenaline, and noradrenaline.
Anger can be caused by both external and internal events. You could be angry at a specific person (such as a coworker or supervisor) or event (a traffic jam, a canceled flight), or your anger could be caused by worrying or brooding about your personal problems. Memories of traumatic or enraging events can also trigger angry feelings.
EXPRESSING ANGER
The instinctive, natural way to express anger is to respond aggressively. Anger is a natural, adaptive response to threats; it inspires powerful, often aggressive, feelings and behaviors, which allow us to fight and to defend ourselves when we are attacked. A certain amount of anger, therefore, is necessary to our survival.
On the other hand, we can't physically lash out at every person or object that irritates or annoys us; laws, social norms, and common sense place limits on how far our anger can take us.
People use a variety of both conscious and unconscious processes to deal with their angry feelings.
The three main approaches are
1. EXPRESSING,
2. SUPPRESSING,
3. CALMING.
1. Expressing your angry feelings in an assertive—not aggressive—manner is the healthiest way to express anger. To do this, you have to learn how to make clear what your needs are, and how to get them met, without hurting others. Being assertive doesn't mean being pushy or demanding; it means being respectful of yourself and others.
2. Anger can be suppressed, and then converted or redirected. This happens when you hold in your anger, stop thinking about it, and focus on something positive. The aim is to inhibit or suppress your anger and convert it into more constructive behavior. The danger in this type of response is that if it isn't allowed outward expression, your anger can turn inward—on yourself. Anger turned inward may cause hypertension, high blood pressure, or depression.
Unexpressed anger can create other problems. It can lead to pathological expressions of anger, such as passive-aggressive behavior (getting back at people indirectly, without telling them why, rather than confronting them head-on) or a personality that seems perpetually cynical and hostile. People who are constantly putting others down, criticizing everything, and making cynical comments haven't learned how to constructively express their anger. Not surprisingly, they aren't likely to have many successful relationships.
3. Finally, you can calm down inside. This means not just controlling your outward behavior, but also controlling your internal responses, taking steps to lower your heart rate, calm yourself down, and let the feelings subside.
As Dr. Spielberger notes, "when none of these three techniques work, that's when someone—or something—is going to get hurt."
ANGER MANAGEMENT
The goal of anger management is to reduce both your emotional feelings and the physiological arousal that anger causes. You can't get rid of, or avoid, the things or the people that enrage you, nor can you change them, but you can learn to control your reactions.
ARE YOU TOO ANGRY?
There are psychological tests that measure the intensity of angry feelings, how prone to anger you are, and how well you handle it. But chances are good that if you do have a problem with anger, you already know it. If you find yourself acting in ways that seem out of control and frightening, you might need help finding better ways to deal with this emotion.
WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE MORE ANGRY THAN OTHERS?
According to Jerry Deffenbacher, PhD, a psychologist who specializes in anger management, some people really are more "hotheaded" than others are; they get angry more easily and more intensely than the average person does. There are also those who don't show their anger in loud spectacular ways but are chronically irritable and grumpy. Easily angered people don't always curse and throw things; sometimes they withdraw socially, sulk, or get physically ill.
People who are easily angered generally have what some psychologists call a low tolerance for frustration, meaning simply that they feel that they should not have to be subjected to frustration, inconvenience, or annoyance. They can't take things in stride, and they're particularly infuriated if the situation seems somehow unjust: for example, being corrected for a minor mistake.
What makes these people this way? A number of things. One cause may be genetic or physiological: There is evidence that some children are born irritable, touchy, and easily angered, and that these signs are present from a very early age.
Another may be sociocultural.
Anger is often regarded as negative; we're taught that it's all right to express anxiety, depression, or other emotions but not to express anger. As a result, we don't learn how to handle it or channel it constructively.
Research has also found that family background plays a role. Typically, people who are easily angered come from families that are disruptive, chaotic, and not skilled at emotional communications.
IS IT GOOD TO "LET IT ALL HANG OUT?"
Psychologists now say that this is a dangerous myth. Some people use this theory as a license to hurt others. Research has found that "letting it rip" with anger actually escalates anger and aggression and does nothing to help you (or the person you're angry with) resolve the situation.
It's best to find out what it is that triggers your anger, and then to develop strategies to keep those triggers from tipping you over the edge.
Information reaching us at Wazobia Infos has it that a 7 Storey building under construction opposite the D PLANET night club GRA port harcourt has collapsed.
At the time of filing this report, over 30 workers has been confirmed dead while the Rescue officials are still trying to save others.
Details later.....
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, retired Col. Hameed Ali, on Thursday said the Apapa command of the service intercepted 40 × 40ft containers of pharmaceutical products with Duty Paid Value of N7.31 billion.
Ali disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Lagos on intercepted pharmaceutical products, including tramadol.
According to him, the service is able to achieve the feat through vigilance and intelligence gathering within the system as well as information from the National Agency for Foods, Drug Administration and Control, a strong ally of the NCS.
He said: “I commend the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye and her management team, for their collaboration in the attainment of the interception.
“It is indeed worrisome to note that there are Nigerians who are ready to make money at the expense of human lives by bringing in such quantity of drugs that have grave consequences on health and national security.
“In the criminal desperation, importers of these items offered bribes to the tune of N150 million to my officers to effect the release of just one 40ft container with promises of even bigger sums to follow in the event that their attempt succeeds.
“The officers played along and eventually arrested three suspects with the money.”
He reiterated that the ongoing interception of Tramadol and other pharmaceutical products with the bribe and the three suspects would be thoroughly investigated, to bring all those remotely connected to justice.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency recently uncovered 340 million Tramadol tablets in 12 containers at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
The tablets, which were in various dosages, ranged from 120 milligrammes to 250 milligrammes, were recovered from 12 containers at the Port.
The Comptroller-General said officers of the Apapa command and the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, turned down $412,000 worth of bribe money offered them.
Ali said that Apapa command, within the same period, had also seized two aircraft, a helicopter with Registration number SN-BLI which was intended for export, in container number PONU7789246.
He said that it was falsely declared as 388 barges of cashew nuts, adding that the action violated section 36 of the Customs and Excise Management Act, Cap C45, LFN 2004 and investigation was ongoing to fish out the owner.
He explained that the second aircraft, a Cesena 182A imported from the US was declared through SGD NO. C130308.
He said it was seized because of the failure of the owners to present End User Certificate from the office of the National Security Officer and approval from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.
According to him, this is a contravention of Section 46 of CEMA, Cap C45, LPN 2004.
Ali expressed concern about the importation of tramadol and other illicit items which posed great risk to the security and health of Nigerians.
He said: “We are all aware of the dangers that the deliberate non-compliance with import and export procedures pose to our nation as importers bring in all manner of items which put the security and health of the nation at great risk.
“Terrorists, kidnappers and other criminal elements get hold of these uncustoms goods such as controlled drugs to perpetrate their heinous activities.
“It is worrisome to note that there are Nigerians who are ready to make money at the expense of human lives by bringing in such quantity of drugs that have grave consequences on health and national security.
“The Service is making concerted efforts to ensure that maximum revenue is collected and also to safeguard the security and well-being of the citizenry.
“While the seizures of dangerous drugs and aircraft demonstrate NCS crucial contributions to national economy, security and well-being of Nigerians, the rejection of N150 million bribe presents a picture of a reformed NCS whose operatives are increasingly putting national interest above selves.”
He gave an assurance that investigation was ongoing to bring all those remotely connected to justice.
Ali also commended the Commander, NNS Beecroft Naval Base Apapa, Commodore Eyo as well as Commissioner of Police, Western Marine Command and his men for providing enabling environment.
He, however, commended the Customs Area Controllers of Apapa and the Federal Operation Units Zone ‘A’ as well as officers and men of the commands for their exemplary commitment to duty.
Ali urged the importers to embrace honest declaration to reduce time of cargo clearance and facilitate trade.
NDLEA Intercepts 11 Containers With 241 Million Tramadol Tablets
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency says it has seized 241 million Tramadol tablets in 11 containers, weighing 118 metric tonnes.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency says it has seized 241 million Tramadol tablets in 11 containers, weighing 118 metric tonnes.
Head of Public Affairs of the agency, Jonah Achema, said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja that the seizure was made at the Apapa Port in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the agency had earlier uncovered 340 million Tramadol tablets in 12 containers on November 15 at the port.
The containers had been on the watch-list of the NDLEA since November 2017.
They were taken to the Nigeria Customs Service for search, based on the agency’s reasonable suspicion that they contained the drug.
Achema said that there were 39 more containers that were lined up for search as the agency strongly suspected that they contained illicit drugs.
He said: “This brings to 581 million Tramadol tablets uncovered within two days of the search. The search is still ongoing. We shall continue tomorrow as well.”
Achema added that the agency would not relent until the country was freed from drug abuse and consumption.
NAFDAF Blocks Entry Of Tramadol Worth N6.4b
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has said that 28 40feet containers suspected to contain tramadol from India has been blocked from entry into the country.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has said that 28 40feet containers suspected to contain tramadol from India has been blocked from entry into the country.
A statement by the NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, stated that this followed a joint examinations of containers at the Apapa Port, Lagos.
She said the inspection was coordinated by the Nigeria Customs Service on November 14 and November 15.
Adeyeye said that the 28 containers were part of the 86 under the agency’s watch list since November 2017.
She noted that the blockage was an outcome of previous communications with the Comptroller General of NCS in September.
She said: “The 23 of the 40ft containers examined so far were loaded with Tramadol of various strengths from 120mg to 250mg.
“Tramadol and other unregistered pharmaceutical products are known to be injurious to the health of the public, most importantly our youth.”
She added that 321,146 cartons of other unregistered pharmaceutical products were equally discovered.
Adeyeye noted that the examined containers consist of 128,922 cartons of high strength of Tramadol (120mg, 200mg, 225mg & 250mg), estimated at N6.4 billion.
She said: “We are pleased that the good working relationship with the NCS, the support received from all it’s commands and other government establishments along the West Coast of Africa has contributed to the success recorded so far.”
According to her, the worth of the tramadol alone on the street is estimated to be at about N1.9 billion on an average cost of N1.5 million per carton.
She said: “Prevention of these dangerous drugs from entering into the Nigerian markets would protect millions of youths from hazards of drug addiction which can pose threat to families, Nigerian workforce and the security of the nation at large.
“Of course this would have increased the number of casualties from insurgency, armed robbery and other social vices which are known to be the aftermath effect of use of illicit drugs.”
Adeyeye said that NAFDAF would work with all other relevant agencies to ensure that Nigeria is not a market for unwholesome pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs.
She expressed NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring that the health of the public was properly safeguarded at all times and to remain a customer-focused agency.
Sleep deprivation is a general term to describe a state caused by inadequate quantity or quality of sleep, including voluntary or involuntary sleeplessness and circadian rhythm sleep disorders.
Sleep is as important to the human body as food and water, but many of us don’t get enough sleep. Insufficient sleep, inadequate quality of sleep or disruptions to the sleep-wake cycle (such as those that occur with shift work or travelling to a different time zone) have consequences for how we function in the daytime, causing sleepiness and fatigue.
A sleepy fatigued person is accident prone, judgement impaired and more likely to make mistakes and bad decisions. Staying awake for 24 hours leads to a reduced hand-to-eye coordination that is similar to having a blood alcohol content of 0.1. This is why sleep deprivation contributes to road accidents and work injuries.
Lack of sleep can also affect a child’s school performance and could be linked to increased risk of emotional problems such as depression.
Symptoms of sleep deprivation in adults
Symptoms of sleep deprivation in adults include:
• Constant yawning
• The tendency to doze off when not active for a while; for example, when watching television
• Grogginess when waking in the morning
• Sleepy grogginess experienced all day long (sleep inertia)
• Poor concentration and mood changes (more irritable).
Symptoms of sleep deprivation in children
Sleep deprivation affects children in different ways to adults. Sleepy children tend to ‘speed up’ rather than slow down. Symptoms include:
• Moodiness and irritability
• Temper tantrums
• The tendency to emotionally ‘explode’ at the slightest provocation
• Over-activity and hyperactive behaviour
• Daytime naps
• Grogginess when they wake up in the morning
•Reluctance to get out of bed in the morning.
Causes of sleep deprivation
Common causes of sleep deprivation include:
Personal choice – some people don’t realise that the body needs adequate sleep. Instead of regularly going to bed at a reasonable hour, they prefer to stay up late to socialise, watch television or read a good book.
Illness – illnesses such as colds and tonsillitis can cause snoring, gagging and frequent waking, and have a direct effect on sleep by fragmenting it.
Work – people who do shift work disrupt their sleep-wake cycles on a regular basis. Frequent travellers (for example, airline crew) also tend to have erratic sleeping patterns.
Sleep disorder – problems such as sleep apnoea, snoring and periodic limb movement disorder can disturb the person’s sleep many times during the night.
Medications – some drugs used to treat disorders such as epilepsy or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can cause insomnia.
The sleeping environment– sleep may be disrupted for a range of environmental reasons; for example, because the bedroom is too hot or cold or because of noisy neighbours or a snoring bed partner.
Poor sleep hygiene – some people’s habits are disruptive; for example, drinking coffee or smoking cigarettes close to bedtime stimulates the nervous system and makes sleep less likely. Another common problem is lying in bed and worrying, rather than relaxing.
Babies, older babies and toddlers – parents almost always experience sleep deprivation because their young children wake frequently in the night for feeding or comfort.
Lack of sleep impairs performance
Let’s say that a person who needs eight hours of sleep per night only gets six. This two-hour sleep loss can have a major impact including:
• Reduced alertness
• Shortened attention span
• Slower than normal reaction time
• Poorer judgement
• Reduced awareness of the environment and situation
• Reduced decision-making skillsPoorer memory
• Reduced concentration
• Increased likelihood of mentally ‘stalling’ or fixating on one thought
• Increased likelihood of moodiness and bad temper
• Reduced work efficiency
• Loss of motivation
• Errors of omission – making a mistake by forgetting to do something
• Errors of commission – making a mistake by doing something, but choosing the wrong option
• Microsleep – brief periods of involuntary sleeping that range from a few seconds to a few minutes in duration.
Effects of sleep loss on children
Selected statistics from research studies into sleep loss and its effects on children and teenagers include:
Sleep loss causes a range of schooling problems, including naughtiness and poor concentration.
Chronically sleep-deprived teenagers are more likely to have problems with impulse control, which leads to risk-taking behaviours.
Sleep problems in teenagers are associated with increased risk of disorders such as depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
High school students who regularly score C, D or F in school tests and assignments get, on average, half an hour less sleep per night than high school students who regularly get A and B grades.
Later start times at school result in reduced daytime sleepiness, higher grades and reduced negative feelings.
How much sleep is enough?
Sleep requirements differ from one person to the next depending on age, physical activity levels, general health and other individual factors.
In general:
Primary school children – need about nine to 10 hours. Studies show that increasing your child’s sleep by as little as half an hour can dramatically improve school performance.
Teenagers – need about nine to 10 hours too. Teenagers have an increased sleep requirement at the time when social engagements and peer pressure cause a reduction in sleep time. Lifestyle factors such as early school start times deprive them of the required sleep-in. There is evidence that around the time of becoming a teenager, there is a shift in the sleep-wake cycle to being sleepy later in the evening with a preference for waking later.
Adults – need about eight hours, depending on individual factors. We tend to need less sleep as we age, but be guided by your own state of alertness – if you feel tired during the day, aim to get more sleep.
Sleep suggestions
Suggestions on how to get more sleep include:
• Purposefully go to bed earlier each night.
• Don’t smoke or drink alcoholic or caffeinated beverages in the hours before bedtime.
• Improve your sleeping environment in any way you can – for example, keep it dark and sound-proof, turn off lights and wear earplugs if you have noisy neighbours.
• Don’t have any distractions in the bedroom such as TV or a computer.
• Use relaxation techniques to help you fall asleep quickly.
• Seek professional assistance for sleep disorders such as snoring.
• Browse through the Better Health Channel fact sheets on sleep to find ways to improve sleeping habits for you and your baby or child.
Where to get help
Your physician
Sleep disorder clinic
Things to remember
Not enough sleep or disruptions to the sleep-wake cycle (such as those that may occur with shift work or travelling to a different time zone) cause the physiological state known as fatigue.
Staying awake for 24 hours leads to a reduced hand-to-eye coordination that is similar to having a blood alcohol content of 0.1.
Sleep deprivation affects children in different ways to adults – sleepy children tend to ‘rev up’ rather than slow down.
There is increasing evidence that when we eat, what we eat and how much we eat are important. In this report experts urge individuals to consider adjusting their dinner time because eating too late may lead to high blood pressure and prediabetes.
People that skip meals, eat dinner later than 6pm, haphazardly, or one meal a day are less healthy than people who have regular sit-down meals with others.
Analysis into the nutritional effects of eating habits has established the effects of irregular meal times on the likelihood of poor health from some diseases.
In a new population-based study, researchers found that everyday eating habits like late night meals is associated with reduced blood sugar control and higher chances of developing prediabetes and hypertension.
People who consumed at least 30 per cent of their food after 6 pm had 23 per cent higher risk of hypertension and 19 per cent higher risk of prediabetes compared with those who ate less in the evening. These associations were especially common in women.
They also had a higher level of fasting blood glucose, insulin resistance as well as blood pressure. A high level of fasting blood glucose is indicative of diabetes. The study was presented during the 2018 American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions.
Insulin allows body cells to store glucose as fuel. Obesity can build up resistance to insulin, which the body then tries to counter by producing more insulin, which leads to high levels of blood sugar and Type 2 diabetes.
A high fasting blood sugar level can be considered a sign of prediabetes. Prediabetes means that a person’s blood sugar levels are abnormally high, but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Seventy per cent of people with prediabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes, which is a risk factor for heart disease.
The researchers evaluated 12,708 participants Hispanics and Latinos with an age range of 18 to 76 years. None of the participants had cancer or diabetes. They recorded their blood glucose levels, blood pressure, meal timing and daily caloric intake, specifically observing the amount of calories they consumed after 6 p.m.
Of these participants, the average daily energy was 35.7 per cent after 6 pm, and more than half reported eating at least 30 per cent of energy after 6 pm.
Increasingly, people in Nigeria, like other parts of the world, now go to sleep later at night and get fewer hours of sleep. And with that delayed lifestyle, are higher rates of late-night eating.
Amazingly, such unhealthy eating pattern such as eating late meals is overlooked even though it can predispose to diabetes, heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases
Paradoxically, “every unhealthy lifestyle such as eating very late, eating one meal a day, eating haphazardly and skipping breakfast, can all increase chances of an individual developing diabetes” said Professor Olufemi Fasanmade, a consultant endocrinologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos.
Basically, meal times are supposed to be regular. Breakfast, the first meal in the day, is supposed to be before 10am, second meal between 12noon and 2pm and the third meal between 5pm and 7pm.
“When you eat say breakfast at 11am, it means that you eat when you are extremely hungry, which is not healthy. If you are eating breakfast after 11am, when do you want to eat lunch?
“If lunch is taken by 2pm, or maybe 4pm, you now want to have dinner before you sleep, may be 8.30pm. That is eating three meals together within an eight-hour period. You are eating too close to each other. That is not healthy.
“That is why people that are too busy, who do not take time out to eat at the right time often have diabetes. They are busy pursuing so many things, and eating junks and late meals. Food eaten late does not digest, but only settles in the tummy. That is why we talk about stress as a risk for diabetes. So, we must learn to live a stress-free lifestyle.”
Dr Yemi Raji, a consultant Nephrologist, University College Hospital, Ibadan, corroborated that eating late eating increases the risk for hypertension, obesity and Type 2 diabetes because the possibility of burning it off before going to bed is reduced.
He added, “It is the storing of the calories and fat that contributes to increased cardio-metabolic rate, so night time eating is a major cardiovascular factor that people need to be aware of.”
Dr Raji, who said dinner, should always be light meals, stated that ideally, dinner should not be later than 7pm, so that there could be at least three hours between the meal and bed time.
He added, “it is better to go hungry to bed than feed your body with something that the body will not digest before bedtime, except if before going to bed you can embark on say about 30 minutes exercise to help lower the calories in your blood stream.”
Moreover, Dr Funmi Akinyele, Executive Director, Food Basket Foundation International, Ibadan, said there is some truth in the saying ‘eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper’ to avoid poor health.
Dr Akinyele, who remarked that bad eating practices are rife in Nigeria, stated “the challenge is that a lot of people tend to eat late and they tend to eat wrong meals.”
According to her, “Because probably they did not eat lunch, they may go for heavy meals like eba and iyan at dinner time. Timing is important because you need to give your food sometime to digest. But portion sizes and the type of food are equally important.”
For dinner, Dr Akinyele said starchy foods should be avoided and preference given to fruits, vegetables and nuts.
Medical experts have long known that “what you eat and how much you eat is critically important — not only in the treatment and management of diabetes but, quite frankly, in the treatment and management of other cardiovascular risk factors.
Previously, a study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that eating later in the evening was associated with a higher percentage of body fat.
Researchers collected data from 110 college students over 30 days to observe their sleep times and eating habits. They also looked at when subjects released melatonin — the sleep hormone — to determine where their circadian rhythm (body clocks) was at.
Results showed that those with a high body-fat percentage consumed most of their calories shortly before going to bed, when melatonin levels were high.
Eating late at night is also linked with the lethal form of high blood pressure which can trigger heart attacks. The study found that those who eat dinner late are much more likely to suffer from this “non-dipper hypertension”—the lethal form of high blood pressure where pressure fails to drop properly overnight.
In total, 24 per cent of those who ate dinner within two hours of going to bed suffered from blood pressure which did not drop sufficiently overnight, compared with 14 per cent of those who ate their evening meal earlier.
Experts say that eating late leaves the body on “high alert”, encouraging the production of stress hormones, such as adrenaline, while it might also disrupt the circadian rhythms and causing blood pressure not to decrease during sleep, which should normally happen.
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