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Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Grapefruit alert to slimmers
Green Eagles goalkeeper, Ogedegbe, dies at 55
Green Eagles goalkeeper, Ogedegbe, dies at 55
NIGERIAN sports fraternity was on Monday night thrown into mourning by the death of the country's former number one goalkeeper, Best Ogedegbe. He was 55.
Ogedegbe, who fell into a coma last week, passed on at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan where he was diagnosed of brain tumour.
Although the former national goalkeeper was brought to the UCH for corrective eye surgery, the doctors diagnosed him of brain tumour in the course of treatment.
Head of the UCH Public Relations team, Toye Akinrinlola, said the college did its best to save the former goalkeeper, but his time was up.
He said: "He came in here for surgery last week. People said they knew he had an eye problem and he had a successful eye surgery. Medical experts propounded that brain tumour can lead to blindness.
"It was not a medical problem that developed only when he got here. We did our best for him. We deployed the best life-saving machine on him and at a point the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Femi Ilesanmi, told the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Dr Adeniyi Adenipekun, who is his deputy to mobilize the best clinical services for him.
"We did our best for him but God has another plan and the plan of God overwhelmed that of we human beings."
Reacting to Ogedegbe's death, the Oyo State Commissioner for Sports, Joe Makanjuola, expressed shock saying his death was the last thing the nation's soccer family was expecting at the moment."
Makanjuola said Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala paid the deceased's hospital bills at the UCH when there was no hope on how to raise the fund.
Already, the commissioner said, he had notified the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of the goalkeeper's death.
General Manager of Shooting Stars football club (3SC), Mutiu Adepoju, described the demise of Ogedegbe as a sad one, saying although he was aware of his sickness, he never envisaged death for him.
"I was there by his sick bed shortly before his transition and never thought he would die. I left for home only to wake up to hear the news of his death. It is a great loss to Nigerian football and to the family," Adepoju said.
Dolphins of Port Harcourt coach, Stanley Eguma, who worked with Ogedegbe last season before the 3SC former star moved over to Sharks for the 2009/2010 season, described the demise of the former goalkeeper trainer as a blow to Nigerian football.
He described the late coach as a disciplined and diligent person, whose experience contributed to the promotion of Dolphins to the Premiership.
"We were shocked at Dolphins because we never expected such news at this point in time. He was part of the coaching crew, especially in the area of goalkeeping that ensured that the team returned to the Premiership. When he came to Dolphins, many people expressed doubt whether he would be able to adjust, but he blended easily and became an important part of the team.
"He took his job seriously and he was also friendly because he was the kind of person you can easily relate to if you are meeting him for the first time. The entire Dolphins family is sad about his death and we pray that God will give the family the fortitude to bear the loss," Eguma said.
On Ogedegbe's movement to Sharks, Eguma said: "He was transferred to Sharks on a temporary basis because the team was having problems in the area of goalkeeping and he was expected to go there and assist. We at Dolphins were expecting him back soon and we were shocked to hear that he is no more.
"Nigeria will miss his wealth of knowledge because he exhibited lots of experience in the area of goalkeeping, which I feel would still have been useful for the country."
Ogedegbe was one of the heroes of Nigeria's first victory at the Africa Cup of Nations, which the country hosted in 1980.
Then playing for IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan, Ogedegbe was preferred by Brazilian Coach, Otto Gloria, to the regular number one keeper, Emma Okala, for the Nations Cup.
Four years earlier, he was part of the Shooting Stars team that won Nigeria's first continental trophy, the African Cup Winners' Cup in 1976.
He left Shooting Stars for Abiola Babes of Abeokuta in 1982 and retired from the game four years later.
Among the teams he worked for are Wikki Tourists of Bauchi, Dolphins, and Sharks, as well as the national U-20 team, the Flying Eagles.
Monday, September 28, 2009
John Terry Blasts Chelsea Players After Wigan Athletic Defeat
The England captain was disappointed with the work-rate of his team-mates...
Sep 28, 2009 12:10:28 AM
With the loss surrendering top spot to arch-rivals Manchester United, Terry emphasised the importance of getting back on track, with vital matches against APOEL in the Champions League and against Liverpool coming up.
“When you go to places like Wigan, you’ve got to match them — match their work-rate, match their effort, win your headers, win your tackles — and we simply didn’t do that in the first half,” Terry said, according to The Times.
“You can go anywhere in the world and not play well, but the least we expect from every player is that we work hard and fight. We didn’t do that today — the whole team collectively. That’s the most disappointing thing of all.
“All the other big sides in and around us have had emphatic wins, so it’s disappointing that we’ve thrown away three points. The manager has stressed that and the players feel that.
"You can’t come to places like this, when they’ve got their crowd right behind them, and not match their work ethic. We didn’t win our headers or our tackles and that’s simply not good enough. That’s the minimum we ask for.
“It’s a massive game at home again for us next week [against Liverpool] and it’s important that we bounce back on Wednesday night [away to APOEL].
"That’s probably the only good thing coming away from this game, that we’ve got another game on Wednesday. So we regroup, we go again and, hopefully, get a good win on Wednesday to put ourselves in a good position in the Champions League group.”
Chelsea lost both league matches against Liverpool last season — 1-0 at Stamford Bridge and 2-0 at Anfield — and are likely to go into Sunday's match at Stamford Bridge without first-team trio Peter Cech, Ashley Cole and John Obi Mikel.
Both Cole and Mikel suffered injuries at the DW Stadium, while Cech is suspended after being sent off for a professional foul on Hugo Rodallega in the penalty area. Henrique Hilario, the 33-year-old Portuguese, will deputise in goal
Ancelotti wants big response from Chelsea
CHELSEA's manager, Carlo Ancelotti, is convinced his side will not suffer a hangover after their eight-game winning run came to an end in the unlikely setting of Wigan.
The home team turned the form book on its head by recording their first victory in 35 Barclays Premier League matches against top four opposition.
In the process Chelsea conceded first place to Manchester United, who defeated Stoke, in arguably the shock result of the season to date.
Next up for Ancelotti is a trip to Cyprus and a Champions League match with Apoel Nicosia on Wednesday.
He is looking for Chelsea to build on their victory against Porto and get back to winning ways.
Ancelotti said: "It is an important game, one we are looking forward to, and I am sure will do better than we did against Wigan.
"We need to react well to this defeat and sometimes when you lose there is new motivation."
Goalkeeper Petr Cech will be available after being sent off at the DW Stadium but will sit out the crucial clash against Liverpool on Sunday through suspension.
Ancelotti has some injury worries as they prepare to resume their European campaign. Michael Ballack has a calf strain while Ashley Cole (knee) and John Obi Mikel (ankle) both came off at Wigan.
The Italian boss said: "We will have to wait and see what happens. Ashley will be monitored over the next few days after getting a knock on his knee. I do not think it is a big problem for him."
Cole was in the dressing room, leaving Chelsea with nine men, as Paul Scharner scored Wigan's third in stoppage time.
That completed an emphatic victory for a side who had shipped nine goals to Manchester United and Arsenal this season.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
उन. सुम्मिट्स, वेयर इस यारादुआ?
PRESIDENT Umaru Yar'Adua's absence at the United Nations summits, including two scheduled encounters with the US President, Barack Obama, in New York last week is a cause of concern for the US government raising suspicions in international and diplomatic circles about the seriousness of President Yar'Adua's health conditions.
A Senior White House Adviser, Dr. Samantha Power, in an exclusive chat with The Guardian during the week, said that President Obama had been looking forward to meeting the US President in New York. Power had earlier briefed reporters on Wednesday afternoon in New York after Obama had met with presidents of UN Troop contributing nations, the second opportunity that YarAdua should have had to discuss mutual issues and concerns with the US President.
US government reportedly issued out invitations to the African leaders luncheon with Obama early the previous week to commencement of the UN summit, but the absence of President Yar'Adua is being attributed to what a top US source described as his health condition.
It is, indeed, the view in UN diplomatic circles that President YarAdua's trip to Saudi Arabia was more of a medical trip than a working visit as has been claimed by the Nigerian government. A US official wondered and asked The Guardian Correspondent in New York after the second luncheon where Yar'Adua was expected to make presentation: "Is the president that sick?
But the official excuse from the Nigerian government for the president's absence was not about his health.
Speaking with reporters after the Obama meeting with 25 African heads of states and governments, on Tuesday afternoon in New York, White House Senior Director and Special Assistant to the US President on Africa, Michelle Gavin, confirmed that President Yar'Adua was invited to the luncheon "but we were made to believe in the end that his scheduling did not permit him to attend."
According to Gavin, who is also the US Senior Director for African Affairs at the US National Security Council, the US government "would have been happy to hear the tremendously important voice of Nigeria, speaking on these issues," that is, issues raised at the Obama-African leaders luncheon on Tuesday in New York.
Besides, there was also the United Nations summit on Climate Change convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nation Ban Ki-moon, and the anticipated presidential address slotted for Nigeria last Thursday-for which Nigeria's president was both absent. Regarding the address, Nigeria has now lost the presidential slot and as at Friday afternoon, a new slot for Nigeria to speak has not yet been publicly announced since all the heads of states and government attending would have to speak first before ministers are permitted to speak at the UN General Assembly summit.
Yar'Adua is being represented at the UN by Nigeria's Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe, who himself had to travel out of New York later in the week expected to return later to give the Nigerian speech sometimes in the new week.
US President Obama met with 25 African heads of states and about 8 heads of states and government of top Troop Contributing countries of the United Nations.
At both meetings held as luncheons with Obama, on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon respectively in New York's prestigious Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Nigeria's president was not only invited but was expected considering Nigeria's leadership role in Africa and as a top Troop Contributor to the UN.
While Nigeria was completely absent at the Obama luncheon with African heads of state, the Foreign Minister, Ojo Maduekwe, was welcomed at the US President's luncheon for top UN Troop Contributing countries. But only in observer-mode. He was not permitted to speak.
Many at the UN lamented that Nigeria, which is the 4th UN member-state in troop contribution did not have a voice at the unprecedented meeting of the US President with top UN Troop contributors. The US picks up almost a quarter of the peacekeeping budget of the United Nations, the highest individual nation contribution to the budget.
However the view in UN diplomatic circles last week was that the responsibility for Nigeria not having a voice at such a meeting must be rested squarely on the absence of the Nigerian President, since the luncheon was clearly labeled for heads of states.
While speaking to reporters after the lunchen Obama's Special Assistant on Multilateral Affairs Dr. Samantha Power said Nigeria's name did not even come up in the discussion, while Obama poured encomium on Rwanda and other Troop Contributing nations of the UN.
Just recently the United Nations decided to replace Nigeria's occupation of the post of Force Commander of the UN peacekeepers in Darfur with a Rwandan General, sidelining a Nigerian military officer. That position was held until last month by former Nigerian Army Chief General Martin Agwai.
According to Power, when asked by The Guardian about what said about Nigeria at the Obama meeting with presidents of top UN Troop contributing countries, said "Nigeria in particular did not come up."
At the luncheon on Wednesday with leaders of top UN Troop Contributing Nations, while the Nigerian Foreign Minister sat silently in observer mode, the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame was said to have stolen the limelight updating Obama about the challenges facing UN troops especially those in Africa. In fact Obama was reported to have described Rwanda as the backbone of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur.
Nigeria however has more troops altogether in US peacekeeping missions than Rwanda. Only three countries at the UN, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan have more soldiers committed to international peacekeeping around the world than Nigeria.
Anxiety Abroad About Sanusi's Reform, Yar'Adua's Cabinet
From Martins Oloja
Who Was in Washington D.C,
Miami Florida
THE African wing of the international community wondered last week why the leader of one of the most influential African countries, Nigeria, was absent at the United Nations forum on Security Council reform and Climate Change, which ended in New York.
At the same period, one report that reached the diplomatic community from Nigeria indicated that President Yar'Adua had been bracing up to re-jig his government at the highest level generally believed to parade some corrosive elements.
The UN crucial agenda ended without the presence any of Nigeria's three principal actors, namely the president, the vice president and the environment minister.
Apart from the president's inexplicable absence without delegating the vice president, no officer from the federal ministry of environment was in New York to participate in the session on Climate Change where many crucial issues were thrashed out.
Only two officers from NEPAD office located in the SGF's office were at the UN conference where one of the most important challenges the world is facing now, "Climate Change" was exhaustively discussed leading to a framework to amend the Kyoto Protocol.
However, while Nigerians in the Diaspora and part of the diplomatic community in Washington DC believe that the ongoing reform in the banking sector in Nigeria, desirable as it is, might have been mismanaged by the loquacious nature of the CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
Some Nigerians in the Diaspora pinned down The Guardian on this issue in Miami, Florida, at the venue of an international event (AFRICANDO 2009 Workshop on Smart, and Appropriate and Resource Efficient Technologies for Rural Communities) and later in Washington DC.
They complained about the banking reform and what they called "the public relations tragedy of the CBN management."
One of the concerned Nigerians, who has background in International Business (who would not want to be named) said:
"Do the government and the people know really that the key message that the CBN governor has sent to the international community and indeed the investing world is that all the banks in Nigeria are unsafe?
"My God, are they aware that the way they have handled the reform by arresting, detaining and threatening bad and good borrowers have further darkened the prospects of getting foreign investors for Nigeria?"
A former Nigerian diplomat, who joined the debate in Washington DC, urged thus: "Mr. Guardian, please tell them that Central Bank governors anywhere in the world do not talk the way Nigeria's CBN governor has been talking.
"Let them know that Central Bank(ing) is a global phenomenon and it is a very conservative institution. The chiefs there always carry themselves very well and graciously..."
The retired diplomat continued: "They are usually taciturn. This is largely due to the fact that they wield very enormous powers. They are independent and very influential, yes, very influential because the whole economy is in their hand.
"That is why they cannot talk anyhow. Their words carry a lot of weight and have implications and immediate effect on the economy.
"Really, the noise in the sector is made in the Parliament or Congress where they discussed stimulus package very exhaustively the other day in the United States. What the hell is anyone saying that the National Assembly has no place in the debate to reform the sector?"
The diplomat said the way the CBN governor had been talking every day and demonising the bank chiefs had been very outrageous.
According to him: "They do this reform everywhere. They did in here in the United States. Even banks collapsed here. But recall that it was not the regulatory authorities that were talking.
"The Secretary of the Treasury and the administration officials and other experts within the sector set the tone for the debate. No, not the Federal Reserve Chairman; he can't talk loosely.
"They did it in the United Kingdom. But the Chancellor of the Exchequer there gives political covering to the sector because it is the government of the day that will get the political backlash after all."
ANOTHER angry Nigerian in Miami had engaged The Guardian in a ride around town on the way to the international airport. He had noted, as he drove: "Why do you demonise the best in Nigeria where they said as a paradox of development that they are re-branding. What a contrast!
"Why did the CBN governor refuse or fail to confront the bank chiefs with content of the audit report as we read in the papers? Did the CBN ever ask the bank boards to recapitalise and they couldn't? Why the haste and the noise o my God?"
He told the reporter that: "I invited the firm where I work in Miami to this 'Workshop and Expo on Smart, Appropriate and Resource Efficient Technologies for Rural Communities'.
"But they refused, citing instability in Nigeria where I had told them there are unlimited opportunities for rural development. The advisers to the firm cited the confusion in the banking sector.
"They said, 'there (Nigeria), we cannot borrow money to do business where in the middle of a signed agreement, they arrest you to pay up... That is a serious development in international business...'
"The signals they (CBN) have sent to the rest of the world was a message badly encoded and has been so badly decoded here in the United States.
"Why was the CBN governor, who assumed duty barely four months ago, speaking in tongues about selling the banks he said are still sound? Why is he in haste without following due process and engagement with the investors in the banks?
"In all these, where are Nigeria's ministers of finance and information, who are in a better position to do some damage control in terms of public and civic education?"
Yet, another Nigerian just descended on the media's role on the issue: "Why do you people in the media become what the late Fela described as Zombie? How were you just hailing the CBN governor?
"We discovered that one particular paper in Nigeria has been acting as a consultant to the CBN and only very few could barely analyse the situation well.
"Why have you people become lap-dogs instead of watch-dogs? Why do you people cover up the lack of due process and the distortion in the system when the CBN governor was becoming too loquacious instead of covering the development. Yes, you cover up instead of covering the news."
It would be recalled that at a quiet parley with top executives in Transcorp Hilton, Abuja on the CBN's hammer on five banks, the CBN governor was cautioned on the implications of talking too much and granting too many interviews on the operation.
Specifically, it was Mr. Paul Nwabiukwu, former member of the Editorial Board of The Guardian and Special Assistant to former Nigeria's Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who warned the CBN governor on the issue of talking verbosely on the operation he was carrying out.
Mallam Sanusi, who addressed the media and civil society top operatives including Comrade Isa Aremu at the closed briefing to deepen understanding of the operation, had said the briefing was not for publication and broadcasting.
He warmly received Nwabiukwu's observation on the power of taciturnity.
But a few days after the parley, the same CBN governor called finance and economy correspondents in Abuja to a meeting of the CBN Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) where he told them everything he said should not be published.
What the same CBN governor could not tell the FICAN members/correspondents in Abuja, he took to another noisy Road-show in London where he denied that he was planning to sell the banks to foreigners as he was earlier quoted as saying at a meeting in the DRC (Congo).
The Guardian had thereafter debunked the claim, as it revealed in an exclusive report that three foreign firms had been briefed in July to take over some of the five banks.
MEANWHILE, the diplomatic community in Washington DC is said to be aware that President Yar'Adua, who will be absent in New York this week, is planning a major overhaul of his government.
Sources disclosed at the weekend that Yar'Adua, who returned from Saudi Arabia on Friday, may have concluded plan to restructure his government including the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and his cabinet.
There have been unclear reports of rift between the Office of the SGF and the Office of the President resulting in reported bypassing the SGF's office in recent key decisions and appointments by the Presidency in recent times.
The SFG's office is the clearing House in the Presidency, while the SGF is the Secretary to the Federal Executive Council.
The SGF supervises the Cabinet Secretariat headed by a Permanent Secretary in his office that control about eight permanent secretaries.
The SGF is also the Secretary to the Security and Defence Council. The powerful office handles appointments and remuneration of all the President's men (Special Advisers, Assistants, etc) supervises the Permanent Secretary in charge of Security Matters called Special Services Office (SSO).
But there have been reported irreconcilable differences between the Office of the President and the SGF's, although there had been no clear details about what had gone wrong.
What has been clear at home and now abroad is that the President's men have hinted that Nigeria's taciturn leader is quite ready to tinker with the SGF's office and some ministers, who are not adding value to the administration.
Surprisingly, the diplomatic and intelligence sources revealed that there are two women that might be removed from the president's cabinet just as three other men that have attracted scandalous reports to government may be dropped any moment from now.
"The office of one of the targets is created by the Constitution but he has been linked to so much indiscretion and many scandals in recent times leading to calls for his removal..."
But as one of the diplomatic sources put it at the weekend, "the trouble with your President, who is said to be ready to remove even his Principal Secretary that is in the eye of a scandalous storm, is undue procrastination."
"You don't allow impurities to bring down your government like that. As you discover bad eggs in your government, you remove them quickly before people start suggesting.
"But your President is legendary in his procrastination spirit... Anyway, we have been told that he is ready to remove some top officials that can stand in his many ways in 2011.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
• Female university, polytechnic students run the most organised prostitution
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•Photo: Sun News Publishing |
Universities are called the ivory tower. This is where intellect is sharpened and minds are developed. However, the country’s universities appear to have figuratively added a new course: “Sexology.” Although this infamous course does not earn anybody a degree, it’s so popular that many female undergraduates go for it. And they are making fortunes.
Indeed, Nigeria’s institutions of higher learning have become citadels of sex, as female students run riot with their bodies for money. They have become more daring and devise new and diverse strategies to not only market themselves but also excel in an increasingly competitive trade. As a matter of fact, the sex trade among female undergraduates is booming on campuses and even extending to brothels and elsewhere.
Saturday Sun investigations revealed that the story is the same all over the country. From institutions in the fringe of the Sahara to the Atlantic coastline, female students are doing incredible ‘runs,’ a euphemism for sex-for-cash. As it were, they hawk their stuff with impunity, to the extent that those who are not involved are called “bush meat,” among other derogatory names.
It is not really difficult to identify the student sex hawkers on campus. They give themselves away with their provocative dressing. They could also be identified by their body language or general mannerisms.
The Lagos sex boom
In Lagos, the sex business among female university students is big. The most notorious in the state is University of Lagos (UNILAG), where ladies strut their stuff without a care in the world. In the university, female sex hawkers have elevated their trade to an art. They compete, like professional prostitutes, to attract the attention of men.
Saturday Sun gathered that with the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which has left schools almost empty, the ladies have since moved on with life, having unrestrained fun in private hostels scattered across Sabo down to Onike Iwaya axis and Bariga, all located around the university. When our correspondent visited UNILAG recently, hostels, like Moremi, Makama, New Hall, Madam Tinubu Hall (MTH) and Amina, Newest Hall were deserted. It was gathered that this is always the case in the day. In the evening, especially weekends, the female hostels begin to bubble, as exotic cars bearing randy men scouting for girls stream in. As the day gets darker, the vicinity of the hostel would start witnessing the presence of a handful of ladies looking for men to sleep with for a fee. Their patrons take some of the girls away, while some others end up with them in nearby joints.
The New Hall, in UNILAG, is arguably the hottest of the lot. The Makama and MTH are second and third in the rating of the sex spots. There are also pimps, who coordinate the sex trade, arranging girls for men at a fee. These pimps live in such places as Computer and Masaba, among others. Sources revealed that the pimps arrange for the girls to meet their patrons in hotels around the school, especially those who want short service.
Saturday Sun gathered that one of the criteria to get a girl is to own a car and enough cash to spend. In the word of one of the female students: “No car, no parole.”
Asked how a new comer can engage a girl for a ‘parole,’ she said: “ Once you have a car, it’s easy, especially if you park the car and come out where the girls will see you. As you walk towards the girls they know that you are there for business and they will give you signs.” She also said that another easy way to get girls is “to know somebody who knows somebody.”
In one of the popular joints, where the girls flock, one of the pimps told Saturday Sun that girls come in, at the pretext to groove, but end up going home with men.
He said: “As you can see, there is no activity here. Even the restaurant downstairs is empty. At the end of the groove, some of these girls go home with as much as N50, 000 and above. Some even come back with brand new cars. But it doesn’t happen all at once.”
Some of the girls have also taken their trade to a higher level. It was learnt that following constant harassment of their clients who visit at odd hours, girls prefer private hostels around the university to school hostels.
One of the big girls on campus told Saturday Sun: “Aristos (wealthy men) do not come to school again to pick girl; they now camp their babes in private hostels.”
Directly opposite UNILAG gate is a twin brown three-storey building, known as Emerald Hostel. It was built for off-campus accommodation for students. However, many of the female students who live in the hostel have devised a way of making money with their bodies. The place reeks of class, as automobiles of different makes are parked there even at noon. The girls keep to their rooms in the day, but from 7pm, the place would become a beehive of activities, as they come out for the day’s market.
American Mola Hostel, which accommodates university students, is another action spot. It is notorious as abode of wild girls, who ply their sex trade at higher levels. As someone noted, “it is mainly for hardcore classy prostitutes.” In Abule Ijesha, there is also Hall 9 on Moore road as well as Blue Haven and Hall 36, which has four female hostels. Skyfield, a unisex hostel at Sabo Yaba, is also a sex haven.
Just as in UNILAG, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin and Lagos State University (LASU) are also hot spots for sex trade. The female students in these institutions of higher learning serve mainly customs officers and other paramilitary officers in the Badagry axis. Also these girls service traders in Alaba International Market. The Lagos Polytechnic, Isolo and Epe campuses are also centres of sex.
Federal capital city of sex
The case of Abuja seems to be a bad one. Student sex hawkers are on the prowl, running riots in relaxation spots and highbrow hotels. For these girls, the face-off between ASUU and the FG can continue, so that they will go on with their business.
It was gathered that the female undergraduates hire rooms in major hotels, where they bring in men. Sources at these hotels say the female students contribute money to pay for the hotel rooms and, in most cases, keep the room for weeks. Operating from the hotel room, they will have access to male lodgers.
Linda, who claimed to be a final year student of the University of Abuja, told our reporter: “Some of us have nobody to take care of us and we even have our younger ones to cater for. We come to hustle in Abuja to be able to raise some funds for our families.”
She said that such places as Hilton Hotel, Sheraton, Chelsea Hotel, Agura, and many other big hotels are hang out spot for the girls. Also, they hang out in Lagos Street at Garki. In the same vein, they mill around in Gimbiya Street as well as eateries, like Mister Biggs, Chicken Republic and Southern Chicken Fries. According to her, business in these places start around 7pm, with the girls hanging around the vicinity or taking time off in the hotels’ clubs.
Apart from Abuja university students, those from Nasarawa State University, Keffi, just some 40 kilometers from the city centre, also storm hotels in Abuja.
Another tactics the female students employ, it was gathered, is to visit construction sites, banks and corporate organizations in the guise of looking for vacation jobs.
Halima, an indigene of Kaduna State and a 300-level Accounting student for Nasarawa State University, said she makes an average of N15, 000 to N20, 000 daily. According to her, level of patronage depends on weather condition. She said that more men come out to pick girls during good weather and stay indoors when it rains. She however, said that those who come out for girls when it is raining do not pay much for the services of the students because “we in this business just want to go home with anybody at whatever price when it is raining. We consider it luck to even get anybody at such weather condition”.
The Onitsha sex trade
Saturday Sun investigation revealed that higher institutions within the commercial city of Onitsha and environs, such as the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC), Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe (NOCEN), Anambra State University, Igbariam campus, Federal Polytechnics, Oko are under the vicious grip of what could be described as a form of sexual madness. Although, authorities of these institutions are said to be fighting to control the unwholesome sexual activities of some of the students on campus, it is obvious that the war has not been won.
When Saturday Sun visited the above-mentioned institutions recently, some of the female students were hanging around looking out for men. The more desperate hang around hotels and other fun spots in town hoping to be picked by wealthy businessmen and politicians. It was gathered that politicians and government officials are the biggest patrons of the student-prostitutes in the commercial city. A source said: “When prominent politicians and government officials visit Anambra State, their pimps invade higher institutions to pick girls for them.”
It was further learnt that to take any of the girls home, for a night, costs between N5, 000 and N20, 000, depending on the man’s bargaining power and the girls’ desperation for cash. Also, female students leave their pictures and telephone numbers with hotels attendants. This practice is rampant in Awka and Oko. All it takes a lodger, who needs a woman, is to tell hotel attendants, who will, in turn contact the girls. The hotel attendants, it was gathered, also keep the pictures of the female students in the sex cartel. Male patrons look at the pictures and make their choice.
It was gathered, however, that although the practice is considered illegal by hotel managers, it is rampant. Two pimps in Awka gave Saturday Sunnames and telephone numbers of female students involved in sex-for-money business. Out of the six girls contacted, two said they travelled out of Awka but introduced our correspondent to their colleagues in the business. They apologized for their non-availability and assured that those they had introduced were equally good. The other girls said they were in town and accepted to meet the reporter at an agreed location.
Investigations revealed that the girls are into networking. A student of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, who gave her name as Lizzy, said: “We stand in for each other. If you are not in town or you are doing some runs elsewhere and a new run comes up, you can call your friend to stand in for you. She can do the same for you. We call it networking.”
The Abia angle
It was gathered that sex trade is booming at the Abia State University, Uturu, University of Agriculture, Umudike and Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, among other schools in the state. According to a lecturer, it is worst with children of religious leaders, who run riot once they get out of the sight of their parents. He likened it to birds freed from the cage.
Felicia, a student at UNIAGRIC, Umudike said: “The students who do this business go out when they want and come back when they want. They form cliques and work together. They don’t attend lectures but make fantastic results at the end of the day. There are some nights when you will see girls freshening up and you will be wondering what is going on. Before you know what is happening, everyone would have left the hostel and only two or three people will be left behind. As early as 5.30 am the following day, they will all return to their rooms pretending as if nothing had happened.”
A male student of Abia Polytechnic, Aba, who spoke to Saturday Sun recounted what one of the girls told him on their escapades. He said: “She told me that some of them do it to catch fun while others do it to meet up with the financial demand of the lecturers, who would either want your money or your body. Some don’t just go into it but are lured into it by friends and get hooked to it.” He revealed that Aba-Owerri road; Ogbor Hill and Ama Hausa areas are among places these girls operate in Aba.
One of the sex queens, whose nickname is African China, said that she and her friends are having fun sleeping with men for money. According to her, the girls see men, who patronize them as mugu (fools), who have money to waste. Therefore, the girls go for the money.
The Enugu story
Enugu could pass for the town hosting the highest number of higher institutions in the country. Therefore, sex trade among female students is really big. From the Institute of Management Technology (IMT) to the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Enugu Campus (UNEC), Enugu State College of Education, Our Saviour Institute of Science and Technology (OSISATECH), Caritas University and Renaissance University, Nigeria Law School, among others, female students are running riot in prostitution. At the gates of these schools, the girls hang around in the evenings waiting for customers. Some of them are so daring or desperate that they practically woo men who get close to their school gates.
At IMT, for instance, the girls would almost pull any passing man by the hand, as they seek his attention. For them, every man is a potential customer. Sex-for-marks are also rampant in some of these schools, hence most of the female students who indulge in this have no business attending lectures.
“They have no business with lectures or assignments. All they need is to go out there, make their money, pay for a hotel room and invite the lecturer. It is in that hotel that she will earn whatever grade she wants in the examination,” a source said.
The girls also go to hotels to solicit customers. A waiter in one of the hotels in New Haven, who gave his name as Moses, claimed that some of the students drop their telephone numbers and, in some cases, photographs with hotel attendants to show intending customer. He however, revealed that display of pictures is a last option to convince a doubting Thomas that the shape, size and curves of the girls are not being exaggerated.
Our source disclosed that the point men at the hotels receive tips from the customer, while the girls also settle them at the end of the transaction.
The Edo sex business
In Edo State, there have been two particular spots noted for sex trade over the years. In these places, female students from higher institutions indulge themselves in sex-for-money. The spots are at Aviele, near Auchi on the Auchi-Benin highway and Oluku on the Benin-Lagos highway. At these spots, which serve as transit parks for haulage vehicles, female students of higher institutions are often seen at night in their numbers either waiting for drivers of the heavy duty vehicles, who are regular customers or other men looking for fun. Also, these female undergraduates operate in a network, within the campuses. There are always contact persons, who link up the girls, especially when politicians and government officials are having night social gatherings.
Owerri for show
In Owerri, the Imo State capital, the sex cartel is a booming business. Female students from Federal University of Technology, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Imo State University and the state university ply their trade around the Imo Concorde Hotel, where there are a legion of hotels. These girls hang around from 7pm, waiting for men to pick them up.
Bad business for pimps
Saturday Sun gathered that pimps are losing their relevance in the business. Unlike in the days past when they practically ran the show, many of the patrons now seek self-help. A retired pimp, who gave his name as Boy George, said: “The fun days for pimps are gone. Men now drive into schools and get what they want. There are no restrictions anymore. I got into this business by accident. An old student of this school asked me if I could get babes for him and his friends. As an adventurer, I asked my girlfriend if she knew how to get babes for Aristos? In fact, I used my girlfriend to get girls for them. I got up to 17 girls and we took them to a club in Ikoyi to meet with their prospective clients, who are old enough to be their fathers and grand fathers but they are rich. That day, I entered the VIP section, which ordinarily I wouldn’t have. They gave me an air-conditioned bus to ferry the girls to the club. We ate and drank and at the end, I went home alone. I lost my girlfriend to one of them. They have a clique.”
Analysing the characteristics of men who patronize the girls, he said: “Yahoo Yahoo boys do not spend on women. They don’t give a dime because they don’t work. Aristos are more like fools. Aristos can spoil you silly with money and gifts but if you asked a Yahoo boys to give you even N10, 000, they could beat you up.”
He revealed that the girls he arranged for the men went home with N25, 000 each, from which each of them paid him N5, 000.
“From then, I started making money from them during the weekends. I even printed call cards, where I spelt out that pimping was my line of business. I was getting calls from men and girls. As I got deeper into the business, my GP nose-dived because I was no longer concentrating in my studies. I had to change course.”
George said sex trade is not all about fun and money. According to him, it could be turbulent sometimes.
Hear him: “Some of the girls too go through pains. A particular girl came with bruises and complained that she got beaten up because her client could not get erection and wanted oral sex, which she declined. According to some of the girls, some of their clients don’t sleep with them but demand oral sex.”
Another source told Saturday Sun that even after passing out from school, some of the girls come around and engage in the business. According to him, “I still see some of the former students here. It is just like cultism. Most people who leave school will tell you that they have left it. It’s a lie. These girls have a clique. Even after school, some of them still come back here to buy bed space or stay with some of the girls they trained. Only very few leave it completely.”
Friday, September 25, 2009
Vaccine for prevention of HIV discovered
Vaccine for prevention of HIV discovered
FOR the first time, an experimental vaccine has prevented infection with the HIV virus, a watershed event in the deadly epidemic and a surprising result. Recent failures led many scientists to think such a vaccine might never be possible.
The vaccine cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31 per cent in the world’s largest AIDS vaccine trial of more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, researchers announced on Thursday in Bangkok.
Even though the benefit is modest, “it’s the first evidence that we could have a safe and effective preventive vaccine,” Col. Jerome Kim said in a telephone interview. He helped lead the study for the U.S. Army, which sponsored it with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The institute’s director, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warned that this is “not the end of the road,” but said he was surprised and very pleased by the outcome.
“It gives me cautious optimism about the possibility of improving this result and developing a more effective AIDS vaccine, Fauci said in a telephone interview.
Even a marginally helpful vaccine could have a big impact. Every day, 7,500 people worldwide are newly infected with HIV; two million died of AIDS in 2007, the U.N. agency, UNAIDS, had revealed.
“Today marks an historic milestone,” said Mitchell Warren, executive director of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, an international group that has worked toward developing a vaccine.
“It will take time and resources to fully analyse and understand the data, but there is little doubt that this finding will energise and redirect the AIDS vaccine field,” he said in a statement.
The Thailand Ministry of Public Health conducted the study, which used strains of HIV common in Thailand. Whether such a vaccine would work against other strains in the U.S., Africa or elsewhere in the world is unknown, scientists stressed.
“This is a scientific breakthrough,” Thai Health Minister, Witthaya Kaewparadai, told a news conference in Bangkok. “For the first time ever, there is evidence that HIV vaccine has preventative efficacy.”
The study actually tested a two-vaccine combo in a “prime-boost” approach, where the first one primes the immune system to attack HIV and the second one strengthens the response.
They are ALVAC, from Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine division of French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis; and AIDSVAX, originally developed by VaxGen Inc. and now held by Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases, a nonprofit founded by some former VaxGen employees.
Meanwhile, in his reaction, Mr. Tunji Agboola, Chairman, Civil Society HIV/AIDS Network in Nigeria (CiSHAN ), Oyo State, explained that the HIV vaccine was what many people had been looking forward to. Though he acknowledged that scientists were not yet on top of the problem, he said the report that the vaccine had 31 per cent cure rate was heart-warming, considering that for a long time, not much had been recorded on a possible solution to the problem.
Mr. Agboola, however, cautioned that people should not relax in the steps they had been taking to protect themselves from the virus, as the finding was not saying a cure had been found for HIV.
In his response, Professor Oladapo Ladipo, President, Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), Ibadan, a non-governmental organisation, said the new discovery was a big step forward in finding a lasting solution to HIV.
He said, the finding was especially important, because for a long time, it had been difficult finding any vaccine that was effective, because the virus had continued to change and there were different types of the virus in circulation.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Eating to beat heart attack
Cardiovascular diseases including heart attack and hypertension have been shown to be the leading causes of death worldwide. But recent researches suggest that eating meals rich in chilli pepper, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, ginger could reverse the trend. CHUKWUMA MUANYA reports.
CAN extracts of chilli pepper, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and ginger prevent heart attack? New research from the University of Cincinnati, United States, shows that a common, over-the-counter pain salve made with a component of chili pepper rubbed on the skin during a heart attack could serve as a cardiac-protectant, preventing or reducing damage to the heart while interventions are administered.
These findings are published in the September 14 edition of the journal Circulation. Chili peppers are also called African Pepper, Devil's Tongue, Red Bird Pepper and Hot Flame peppers. Chilli pepper is called isie, ekie, or asie in Edo, Efik/Ibibio - ntokon, aman-ntuen, ntueen, Igbo - ose, ose-oyibo, ose etore, ose nukwu, ose nwamkpi, or ose mkpe; Yoruba - ata-jije, ata-eiy, or ata sisebe.
Dr. Keith Jones, a researcher in the Department of Pharmacology and Cell Biophysics, and scientists in his lab have found that applying capsaicin to specific skin locations in mice caused sensory nerves in the skin to trigger signals in the nervous system. These signals activate cellular "pro-survival" pathways in the heart, which protect the muscle.
Capsaicin is the main component of chili peppers and produces a hot sensation. It is also the active ingredient in several topical medications used for temporary pain relief.
Capsaicin is approved for use by Germany as a topical treatment for muscle spasms, both United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and National Formuary (NF) have validated its use as a carminative, stimulant and rubefacient and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognised capsaicin (a compound found inherently in Cayenne) as an Over-The Counter (OTC) topical analgesic.
Researchers have also established the effect of specific dietary constituents on coronary heart disease risk factors.
K. Ahuja of the University of Tasmania, Australia, in his Ph.D thesis has shown that diet influences the coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors including lipids and lipoproteins, glucose, insulin, and endothelial function.
This research thesis examined the effects of the three different (tomato-olive oil combination and chilli) but widely consumed dietary components, on a range of metabolic and vascular parameters of CHD risk. They found that a meal of chilli pepper, tomatoes and olive oil decrease the risk of CHD, especially in people with increased Body Mass Index (BMI) for whom the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is higher than in lean individuals.
BMI is a measure of weight in kilogrammes/ height in metres squared. A BMI of between 20 to 24.9 is considered healthy/ideal; 25 to 29.9 is overweight, 30 to 40 is obese, while less than 20 is underweight.
The effect of four-week chilli supplementation on metabolic and arterial function in humans showed no obvious beneficial or harmful effects on metabolic parameters but may reduce resting heart rate and increase effective myocardial perfusion pressure time in men.
The study was published the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition by Ahuja K. D., Robertson I. K., Geraghty D. P., and Ball M. J. at the School of Human Life Sciences, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS, Australia.
Also, Nigerian researchers have successfully used fresh leaves of lemon grass and dried banana pulp to treat hypercholesterolaemia in animal models. Hypercholesterolaemia is a condition in which levels of cholesterol in the blood are higher than normal.
The researchers claim this hypocholesterolaemic effect (lowering of the blood cholesterol levels) can be replicated in human.
High cholesterol in the blood is associated with an increased risk of various disorders, such as coronary heart disease and stroke. These disorders are caused by blood vessels becoming narrowed with fatty deposits (which cholesterol is part of), leading to reduced blood flow (or total blockage of blood flow) to vital organs, like brain. Atherosclerosis is caused by hardening and narrowing of arteries.
Factors that facilitate development of the disorders of hypercholesterolaemia include smoking, lack of proper exercise, emotional stress, diets rich in saturated fatty acids, coffee drinking, diabetes and heredity.
Garlic (Allium sativum) has also been shown to help prevent heart disease (including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure) and cancer. Animal studies and some early investigational studies in humans, have suggested possible cardiovascular benefits of garlic.
A Czech study found that garlic supplementation reduced accumulation of cholesterol on the vascular walls of animals. Another study had similar results, with garlic supplementation significantly reducing aortic plaque deposits of cholesterol-fed rabbits.
Another study showed that supplementation with garlic extract inhibited vascular calcification in human patients with high blood cholesterol. The known vasodilative effect of garlic is possibly caused by catabolism of garlic-derived polysulfides to hydrogen sulfide in red blood cells, a reaction that is dependent on reduced thiols in or on the Red Blood Cell (RBC) membrane. Hydrogen sulfide is an endogenous cardioprotective vascular cell-signaling molecule.
Although these studies showed protective vascular changes in garlic-fed subjects, a randomised clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2007 found that the consumption of garlic in any form did not reduce blood cholesterol levels in patients with moderately high baseline cholesterol levels.
Scientists have shown that a natural supplement made from tomatoes, taken daily, can stave off heart disease and strokes. The tomato pill contains an active ingredient from the Mediterranean diet - lycopene - that blocks "bad" low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol that can clog the arteries.
Ateronon, made by a biotechnology spin-out company of Cambridge University, is being launched as a dietary supplement and will be sold on the high street. Experts said that more trials were needed to see how effective the treatment is.
Preliminary trials involving around 150 people with heart disease indicate that Ateronon can reduce the oxidation of harmful fats in the blood to almost zero within eight weeks.
Israeli researchers have found that ginger extract can have dramatic effects of cardiovascular health, including preventing atherosclerosis, lowering cholesterol levels, and preventing the oxidation of LDL.
Researchers studied the effects of a standardised ginger extract on the development of atherosclerosis in mice genetically predisposed to develop the condition prematurely. In addition plasma cholesterol levels and the resistance of their LDL to oxidation and aggregation were evaluated.
The researchers note that oxidative damage of LDL is thought to play a key role in the development of atherosclerosis and that consumption of nutrients rich in phenolic antioxidants has been shown to be associated with slowing down the development of atherosclerosis.
The authors conclude that "dietary consumption of ginger extract ... significantly attenuates the development of atherosclerotic lesions. This antiatherogenic effect is associated with a significant reduction in plasma and LDL cholesterol levels and a significant reduction in the LDL basal oxidative state, as well as their susceptibility to oxidation and aggregation."
Meanwhile, Jones is working with Neal Weintraub, a University of California Health cardiologist and director of UC's cardiovascular diseases division, and other clinicians to construct a translational plan to test capsaicin in a human population.
"Topical capsaicin has no known serious adverse effects and could be easily applied in an ambulance or emergency room setting well in advance of coronary tissue death," Jones says. "If proven effective in humans, this therapy has the potential to reduce injury and/or death in the event of a coronary blockage, thereby reducing the extent and consequences of heart attack."
Researchers observed an 85 per cent reduction in cardiac cell death when capsaicin was used. They also found that a small incision made on the abdomen triggered an 81 per cent reduction.
"Both this and the capsaicin effect are shown to work through similar neurological mechanisms," Jones says. "These are the most powerful cardioprotective effects recorded to date. This is a form of remote cardioprotection, using a skin stimulus that activates cardioprotection long before the blocked coronary artery is opened."
Weintraub adds that this finding offers an important distinction between existing therapies.
"All of the current interventions require the vessel to be opened before doctors can act and since it takes time to elicit protection, tissue dies," he says. "This treatment will protect the heart before the vessel is opened while producing a strong protective effect that is already active when we open the vessel."
Jones and Weintraub think that skin-the main sensor and largest human body organ-has evolved to protect animals, including humans, in a variety of ways.
"By activating these sensors in the nervous system, via skin, we think that a response to preserve and protect the heart is triggered," Weintraub says.
"We think that this technique is fooling the body into sending out protective signals," Jones adds.
"This may be similar to the way certain acupuncture treatments work; there may be a neurological basis. In a broad sense, this work may provide a 'Rosetta stone' for translating alternative medicine techniques-like acupuncture-to Western medicine. Perhaps we can understand the biological mechanisms of how alternative treatments may be successful for patients."
Now, researchers will further explore this concept by investigating which sensors are associated with certain aspects of organ protection-and how much of specific stimuli are needed to produce the desired responses.
"This could help create favourable outcomes for those who are experiencing stroke, shock or are in need of an organ transplant, and the best part is that it is done non-invasively and is relatively inexpensive," Jones says.
But he warns against rubbing capsaicin on your belly if you feel like you are having a heart attack.
"We don't know if it will work for all indications, for all patients, and we don't know if it will work over an extended amount of time," he says. "A major goal is testing this therapy in clinical trials, but we still need to study more about dosage and application-where we put it on the body for the best results. However, this has tremendous clinical potential and could eventually save lives."
This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and by the University of Cincinnati. Jones and Weintraub have filed a patent for this funding but have received no honoraria from the makers of capsaicin.
The aims of the Australian study were to investigate the effects of: o a lycopene (tomato)-rich high monounsaturated fat (light olive oil) diet and a lycopene-rich high carbohydrate diet (each diet of 10 days duration) on serum lycopene, lipid profile and serum oxidation in 21 men and women aged between 22 and 70 years with a BMI of 18 - 30kg/m2. A chilli blend (30g/day) supplemented diet and a bland (chilli free) diet (each diet of four week duration) on a range of metabolic and vascular parameters in 36 men and women aged between 22 and 70 years with a BMI of 18 - 35kg/m2.
The measured parameters included serum lipids and lipoproteins, lipid oxidation, glucose, insulin, basal metabolic rate (BMR), heart rate (HR), peripheral and aortic blood pressure, augmentation index (AIx; a measure of arterial stiffness) and subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR, an indicator of myocardial perfusion). o single meals containing chilli blend (30g) with or without the background of a chilli-containing diet on a range of postprandial metabolic and vascular parameters (n = 36). o a chilli blend supplemented diet (of three weeks duration) on endothelial-independent and-dependent vasodilation (assessed after administration of glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) and salbutamol, respectively) compared to the effects of a bland diet (n = 15). o the active ingredient of spices (in different concentrations) including chilli (capsaicin and its analogue dihydrocapsaicin), turmeric (curcumin), piprine (black pepper) and the colour pigment of tomatoes (lycopene) on the in vitro copper-induced oxidation of serum lipids.
The dietary intervention studies were conducted using a randomised crossover design on a weight maintenance regime. Two different groups of people volunteered to take part in the tomato-olive oil and the chilli studies. All participants from the four week chilli study also took part in the meal studies. Ten days of a high lycopene monounsaturated fat rich and high lycopene carbohydrate rich diets presented similar increase in serum lycopene concentration and a similar reduction in serum total and LDL cholesterol.
The AIx after three weeks of regular chilli consumption was lower on the chilli diet compared to the bland diet, but there was no significant difference in the overall effects of GTN and salbutamol on endothelium-independent and -dependent vasodilation between the two diets. Four weeks of iso-energetic weight maintenance chilli and bland diets produced no significant differences in serum lipids, glucose, insulin, peripheral and central blood pressure, AIx, SEVR or BMR. HR was lower after four weeks of chilli-supplemented diet in men, but not in women.
Serum collected after the chilli-supplemented diet exhibited a lower rate of copper-induced oxidation compared to the serum after the bland diet. Women, but not men, also showed a longer lag phase after the chilli-supplemented diet compared to the bland diet. This was probably due to the higher chilli/capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin intake (per kg body weight) in women.
In vitro studies with capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin (and curcumin) also exhibited a concentration effect for the resistance to copper-induced serum lipid oxidation.
The researchers wrote: "Results of the meal tests were surprising and exciting. The CAB meal (chilli-containing meal after the bland diet, eaten on day 29 of the bland diet) and the CAC meal (chilli-containing meal after the chilli diet, eaten on day 29 of the chilli diet) showed a lower maximum increase in postprandial serum insulin and overall postprandial serum insulin response compared to the BAB meal (bland meal after the bland diet, eaten on day 22 of the bland diet). The probable reason for this ameliorated insulin profile was a small reduction in insulin secretion and a large increase in the hepatic insulin clearance.
"The correlation between insulin and SEVR indicated an increase in the myocardial perfusion after the CAC meal compared to the BAB meal. All these results were more pronounced after the CAC meal and in people with BMI greater than 26kg/m2. Contrary to popular belief and some previously published data, we did not observe a significantly higher energy expenditure (EE) after the CAB meal or the CAC meal compared to the BAB meal.
"In fact, a lower EE was observed in people with increased BMI on the CAC meal compared to the BAB meal. This effect was possibly the consequence of improved postprandial insulin profile and reduced sympathetic nervous system activity after the CAC meal.
"The results from these investigations may have significance in improving serum lycopene concentrations, lipid profile (tomatoes and olive oil), postprandial insulin response (chilli) and increased resistance of serum to copper induced oxidation (chilli) and hence decreasing the risk of CHD, especially in people with increased BMI for whom the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is higher than in lean individuals.
"Together, the results from these studies not only advance our knowledge relating to the relationship between some foods and the CHD risk factors but provide an opportunity to combine olive oil, tomatoes and chillies with other foods and spices (as often used in curries) in an attempt to further investigate foods and cuisines that will minimise the various risk factors for CHDMiscarriage: Herbs to the rescue
Miscarriage: Herbs to the rescue
Corchorus olitorius
(Ewedu in Yoruba) helps
to prevent miscarriages, In African culture, infertility is a big issue
because of the value that is placed on children. For this reason, efforts are made to prevent miscarriage or babies dying in their mothers’ wombs.
A miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of an unborn baby before 20 weeks gestation, which is before it can survive outside the womb.
Despite the different approaches to miscarriage or threatened abortion through orthodox medicine, many still rely on herbs for the treatment of many illnesses, including the treatment of threatened abortion.
From one community to another, different medicinal plants had been used. A documentation of herbs in Orba and Nsukka towns of Enugu State that can arrest threatened miscarriage as well as tests to ascertain their effectiveness was done by a scientist from the Department of Botany, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
It was carried out by Dr. Florence Akaneme and published in the January 2008 issue of the African Journal of Biotechnology with the title, “Identification and preliminary phytochemical analysis of herbs that can arrest threatened miscarriage in Orba and Nsukka towns of Enugu State.”
Oral interview method was used to obtain information on the availability of herbs that can arrest threatened miscarriage. Two herbal medical practitioners were interviewed; one in Nsukka and another in Orba, both in Enugu State. Information on the parts of the plants used and the method of preparation of the herbal drugs as well as dosages were also obtained.
The survey identified plants used in arresting threatened miscarriage to include Corchorus olitorius (Ewedu in Yoruba, and Arir a/ulogburu in Ibo), Chrysophyllum albidum, Gambeya albida, pawpaw, Newbouldia laevis, Sida acuta, Ceiba pentandra, Ricinodendron heudelotti and Heliotropium indicum(Odundun or Agogo Igun in Yoruba).
Chrysophyllum albidum is commonly referred to in English as white star apple; Udala in Igbo and Osan in Yoruba. Sida acuta is commonly referred to in Igbo as Udo or broom weed or Isepotu in Yoruba. Ceiba Pentandra, which is commonly referred to as Silk cotton tree, is called Akpu-ogwu in Igbo; in Hausa called Rimi and in Yoruba called Araba. In Igbo, Ricinodendron heudelloti bears the name Okwe.
Over eight different recipes were identified as being used to prevent threatened abortion. In each case, all that was needed to be done was to take a tumbler of the prepared decoction three times daily.
The first recipe involved collecting equal quantities of the tender leaves of the Corchorus olitorius(Ewedu in Yoruba) and pawpaw. These are cooked to a boiling point and allowed to cool very well before the woman drinks it daily. The leaves of white star apple (Udara in Igbo; Osan in Yoruba) are cooked to a boiling point without opening the pot until the time of administration.
A tumbler of the decoction of the tender leaves of pawpaw or Newbouldia laevis( referred to as fertility plant; Ogilisi in Igbo; Aduruku in Hausa; and Akoko in Yoruba), is also used. Another recipe was to cook the stem bark of silk cotton.
The preparation of Boraginaceae Heliotropium (referred to as Cock’s Comb; Kalkaashin in Hausa: Agogo-igun in Yoruba) is slightly different. A reasonable quantity of the whole plant is ground and mixed with clay in an ointment form. This is applied around the waist of the patient.
Based on the chemical tests that were carried out on the powdered forms of these plants, the study submitted that “the presence of proteins and carbohydrates in most of the herbal plants may be a factor in arresting threatened miscarriage which is specifically due to malnutrition or infections.”
They wrote, “The use of the young leaves of pawpaw leaves has an added advantage due to the fact that the macerated leaves, in conjunction with Basil (Ocimum), is used in treating diabetes, which is also one of the causes of miscarriage.”
“The traces of oil observed in some of the plants may be involved in these processes and ultimately play a part in correcting hormonal imbalance which is one of the causes of threatened miscarriage.
Their analgesic properties may help to relieve pain in the lower back and abdomen; their antispasmodic properties may relieve cramps which may accompany bleeding from the womb, while their bactericidal effects may help to control infections.”
The study explained that tannins, a chemical substance present in these plants, also hastened the healing of wounds and inflamed mucous membranes, adding that these properties supported the use of lemon juice in herbal medicine for the treatment of bleeding among other disorders. Bleeding from the womb is characteristic of threatened miscarriage.
According to the publication, “The presence of flavonoids in the herbal plants, the study said, was particularly advantageous since it could help in the treatment of immune system disorders which are responsible for between five and 10 per cent of recurrent miscarriages. Since flavonoids prevent platelet stickiness (platelet aggregation), they are probably wonderful remedies for the treatment of all types of miscarriages. “
The researcher’s conclusion was that the study authenticated the usefulness of the identified plants as potential sources of useful drugs for threatened miscarriage
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
GLAUCOMA
Can you guess who is at risk of developing glaucoma?
Only doctors can diagnose glaucoma
at its early stage. Glaucoma is a relatively common eye disease that can progress to blindness if untreated. It is a silent thief of sight, which experts warn can affect the young and old, the healthy and the sick, even though many people are not paying attention to its detection and treatment, reports Sade Oguntola.
It was a simple question posed to a group of members of a church during a medical outreach in Ilorin. The crowd of people at the programme listening to the experts’ talk were over 500. It was, however, amazing that many of them were not aware of glaucoma as a disease, or the fact that some people go blind if this eye problem was not detected early.
Glaucoma – often called “the sneak thief of sight”, because it can strike without pain or other symptoms – is one of the leading causes of blindness in many countries of the world, including Nigeria. This is a group of eye disorders that occur when internal pressure in the eye increases enough to cause damage to the optic nerve (the nerve that’s responsible for vision) in the back of the eye. Its exact causes are unknown, but potential risk factors include smoking at age above 60, being black skinned, and having family members with glaucoma and high blood pressure.
However, more than four million Nigerians are not aware that glaucoma is an eye disease that is the second commonest cause of blindness in the country, after cataract, according to Dr. Adeyinka Ashaye, President, Nigerian Glaucoma Society and consultant ophthalmologist, University College Hospital, (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State.
Despite being the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and one that often produces no symptoms until the affected person starts noticing that he or she could not see clearly again, she said “it is pathetic that by estimate, half of the people in North America and 90 per cent of those in developing countries affected by glaucoma do not know they have it, and when it is left undetected or untreated, it can lead to irreversible blindness.”
Explaining why some people develop glaucoma, she said, “a healthy eye produces fluids, called aqueous humor, at the same rate at which it drains. However, when the drainage system is blocked and the fluid cannot drain at the normal rate, it increases the pressure within the eye.
According to her, such an increased pressure in the eye, referred to as intraocular pressure, is one reason for some cases of glaucoma in some individuals. It also explains why the optic nerve responsible for transmitting pictures from the eye to the brain becomes gradually damaged and eventually results in blindness.
Meanwhile, she stated that glaucoma can affect anyone at any age and so there is the need for people generally to have regular eye tests, especially when getting older, when one has a family history of glaucoma, formerly had an eye injury, wears eye glasses or have other medical conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
There are several variations of glaucoma, but primary open-angle is the most common. Generally affecting the elderly, it occurs when fluid in the eye doesn’t properly drain out. Left undetected, glaucoma can cause irreversible loss of vision and severe damage to the nerve fibers of the optic nerve.
Congenital glaucoma is very rare and affects babies, with 80 per cent of the cases diagnosed by the age of one. Children born with this disease have narrow angles or some other defects in the drainage system of the eye. Congenital glaucoma occurs more often in boys than girls.
Pigmentary glaucoma, another rare form of the disease, occurs when pigment from the iris clogs the draining angles and prevents fluid from leaving the eye. Over time, the inflammatory response to the blocked angle causes damage to the drainage system. Pigmentary glaucoma affects mostly white males in their mid-30s to mid-40s. In addition, secondary glaucoma develops after an injury to the eye. Injury, infection, inflammation, diabetes, tumors or an enlarged cataract can precipitate secondary glaucoma.
Nevertheless, Dr. Asaye said, there are means of detecting glaucoma during an eye test.”What the specialist does is to measure the intraocular pressure and evaluate the drainage angle of the eye as well as the condition of the optic nerve.”
She emphasised that these tests were also to be demanded for by people requesting for new eye glasses, so that if there is any problem, it can be detected early and appropriate treatment commenced to prevent damage to the eye’s nerve cells, thus preventing loss of vision.
According to Dr. Asaye, even though several factors had been found to increase an individual’s chance of getting glaucoma, elevated intraocular pressure is currently the only treatable risk factor for this eye disease.
Dr. Gboyega Ajayi, an ophthalmologist at Ojulowo Eye Clinic, Veterinary, Mokola, Ibadan, said it was fact that people may think that because they have a normal vision, all is well, whereas they are yet closer to being blind than they can imagine.
Explaining further, he said that there are three functions of the eye. The first is the ability to see objects and recognise them, which is what the visual acuity chart measures. The second is the ability to perceive colours, which is called colour vision. The third is visual field, which is a little more complex. Visual field is often described as “an island of vision in a sea of blindness”. People with poor visual field find it hard seeing objects to the side and out of the corner of the eye
He pointed out that some eyes might have good visual acuity and yet could almost be blind because something is wrong with their visual field, adding that the commonest thing that accounted for poor visual field was glaucoma.
But, there is hope. New medications, treatments, technology and research are now helping the millions of people afflicted with glaucoma. Getting the facts about glaucoma is the first and most important step. In a case where glaucoma is detected, Dr. Asaye said, “it is important to treat the eye disease aggressively with the most effective products, such as a prescription eye drop that can provide maximum reduction of the increased intraocular pressure in its long term. However, in some cases, surgery can also help.”
Such things as people complaining of reading glasses getting weak after it was changed about three months ago or complaints of seeing rainbows or haloes around lights should not be overlooked as normal, given that they may be suggestive of glaucoma.
According to Dr. Ajayi, promptly reporting for eye test is more important for people already using corrective lenses, who might assume they just need a different lense prescription, when they really have a more serious problem.
According to him, with eye diseases and disorders, as with most health issues, early detection and treatment are often the key to avoiding permanent problems.