Overpopulation still a major challenge to Nigeria, Africa.

Overpopulation remains a major challenge to Africa and it’s peoples due to poor policies and implementation of family planning programmes.

Dr. Leticia Adelaide Appiah, the Executive Director, National Population Council, Ghana stated this in a recent interview, with ADEZE OJUKWU, on the far-reaching consequences of escalating population in many African countries including  Nigeria and Ghana. Excerpts:

Dr please what is your academic and professional background.

I completed medical training in June 1993 from Donetsk Medical School in Ukraine and came home immediately fired up to contribute my quota to national development. During my training in Donetsk, the maternity ward was the happiest of all the wards because; there was joy, flowers and smiles when babies were born. I therefore decided that I needed to specialise as an obstetrician gynaecologist because I wanted to be there to always welcome new precious citizens into our world.  However, when I started practising medicine in Ghana, I realised to my dismay and sadness that not all babies in Ghana are received in the world with joy, laughter and smiles. Some parents are ill prepared to receive them whiles some are just not wanted and end up abandoned, malnourished or simply maltreated. I therefore decided to pursue a Master’s in Public Health to enable me get closer to the community since health or diseases are manufactured in homes which is the best place for health interventions for maximum effect.  In 2003 I completed my Master’s in Public Health and completing my PhD in public health this year.

I was appointed as the Director of Health Services in 2008 at the Ledzokuku-Krowor Health Directorate in the greater Accra Region when the Municipality was newly established, a position I held until November 2016 when I was appointed the Executive Director of the National Population Council, the highest advisory body to the government of Ghana on population and related issues.

What is over population?

Over population is an undesirable condition where numbers of existing human population exceed the carrying capacity of the earth. This is because of reduced mortality rate, better medical facilities, industrialization and improved public health and high fertility levels. Currently, Africa’s problem is the extremely rapid population growth rate that makes it extremely difficult for governments to supply the needed social and economic programs to improve quality of life.  For example, the total population in Nigeria was estimated at 191 million people in 2017 and a net increase of about 14, 000 people (21,000 births and 7,000 deaths) daily or about 5 million annually.  In 1960, Nigeria had 45.1 million people.  The United Kingdom on the other hand had a population of 52.2 million people in 1960 and was estimated at 66.2 million people in 2017, according to the latest census figures. Though UK had more people than Nigeria in 1960, Nigeria has about three times more people compared to UK in 2017.

Such high population growth rates lead to widespread food shortages, malnutrition, crowded and sub-standard schools, crowded hospitals, teeming slums, inadequate water supply, inadequate electricity supply, failing banks and security threats among others. Afterall, nation building is by the people and for the people. There is therefore the need to balance the reproduction and production capacities of the citizenry through effective policies and programs with the welfare of the people as the paramount goal. Healthy people are more productive while unhealthy, malnourished, stunted, poorly skilled people consume more than they produce.

What are the major causes and consequences of this challenge?

The population growth rate which is a function of birth rate, death rate and migration, acts as the supply of labor force for a country and the economic situation -the demand factor. 

An imbalance between the supply of labour and demand gives rise to unemployment, underemployment and poverty. A vicious cycle generated by a high dependency burden associated with a young age structure leads to low savings and investment per capita by families and nations which in turn leads to low economic growth and a low standard of living.

The produce of high fertility rates in turn heightens the dependency burden perpetuating the cycle putting pressure on governments to spend more just to maintain quality of life. Some economists have stated that at 1 percent  population growth rate, nations need between 6.5 percent and 7 percent of GDP to maintain the same quality of life. This is termed running to stand still. With Nigeria growing at over 2 percent growth rate, how much of GDP is needed just to maintain quality of life?

Dr What should be done to curb these negative trends?

This vicious cycle can be broken at only two points. First, at the high fertility stage primarily by introducing an effective family planning program and at the stage of low economic growth by adopting policies to accelerate economic growth. To be successful, both actions must be pursued simultaneously. Balancing reproduction and productivity is key to national development. Unfortunately, some of our leaders focus only on the productive part of education and job creation with little attention to the reproductive needs of their citizens thereby keeping a lot of women and girls under the bondage of involuntary reproduction and nations bearing the consequences thereof.

Please would you like to mention a few countries that have achieved success in population control especially Ghana?

Thailand within 15 years from 1971 halved it’s growth rate from 3.2 percent to 1.6 percent and increased use of contraceptives among married couples from 15 percent to 70 percent within the same period and number of births per woman reduced from 6 to 2 The population of Thailand in 1970 was about 37 million and increased gradually to about 68 million in 2016 with GDP per capita increasing from $570 in 1960 to $ 5901 in 2016.  In effect, Thailand produced fewer, healthier, happier and more educated people for national development.

Rwanda is another country which places emphasis on the harmonization of population growth in its Economic Development and Poverty Reduction vision 2020. The reduction of the main causes of mortality, reducing total fertility rate, decreasing infant and maternal mortality and ultimately reducing population growth as the thrust of the vision.  The vision identified high population growth rate as a major challenge and singled out Family Planning (FP) as a key intervention crucial for reducing birth rates and improving quality of life.

The program has so far been successful that the contraceptive prevalence rate among married women increased from 4 percent in 2000 to 10 percent in 2005 to 45 percent in 2010 ( RDHS, 2005 & 2010) and the total fertility rate decreased from 6.1 per woman in her lifetime in 2005 to 4.6. In 2010, maternal mortality ratio reduced from 750 per 100,000 live births in 2005 to 487 per 100,000 live births in 2010 underscoring the important role of FP in addressing population growth and improving quality of life. How many unintended births, miscarriages, abortions and other morbidities with detrimental health and economic consequences to women, children, families and communities were averted in Rwanda by repositioning family planning as key intervention? By how much has it reduced the cost of their social interventions  in health, education, water, electricity, road infrastructure, LEAP, prison services, and police services) or improved services?

Dr What is the situation in Ghana and Nigeria in terms of public acceptability and use of contraceptive.

Contraceptive use and unmet need for family planning are key to effective fertility management, improving reproductive health and ultimately health of all citizens worldwide. Contraceptive use helps couples and individuals realize their basic right to decide freely and responsibly if, when and how many children to have and remain a sustainable family. The use of contraceptive methods not only results in improvements in health-related outcomes such as reduced maternal mortality and infant mortality but also educational, employment outcomes and in reaping demographic dividend.

According to the world trends in contraceptive 2015 report, globally, the contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods is 57 percent. Within Africa, countries with contraceptive prevalence of 50 percent or more are mainly islands (Cabo Verde, Mauritius and Réunion), or located in the north of the continent along the Mediterranean coast including Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia as well as  in Southern Africa such as Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.

Five countries in Eastern Africa including Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe also had contraceptive prevalence levels of 50 per cent or more in 2015. In contrast, 17 African countries including Nigeria had contraceptive prevalence levels below 20 per cent with high unmet need for family planning and corresponding high dependency ratio and pregnancy related morbidities and mortalities.  Ghana is doing relatively better than Nigeria because the population is far less and the fertility rate is also lower. Nonetheless, the government of Ghana also needs to reposition family planning to reduce fertility and dependency ratio for accelerated socio-economic development.

Advocating for the acceptability of contraceptives in Sub-Saharan Africa should be a socio-economic empowerment agenda spearheaded by our political leadership enlisting the support of all stakeholders including the religious leaders, traditional leaders, health workers, teachers, civil society, private sector, the media, school children and the international community. Reducing fertility through increased contraceptive uptake reduces expenditure in all sectors and set the stage for accelerated economic development of families and ultimately nations. Focusing on family planning education and access in an enabling environment should therefore be an agenda for African leaders. Afterall, good politics improves human lives, reproductive health rights and responsibilities also improves human lives, therefore improving reproductive health and rights in a responsible way is good politics.

India and China recorded huge successes in shrinking their demographics through giving incentives to families with one or two only children. Do you think that this approach can be adopted in this region?

Yes, China and India implemented population policies that worked for them though some aspects were unethical by forcing people or through coercion. Currently, China has a fertility level that is below replacement of 2.1 per woman and therefore has relaxed its policy to allow women to have at least 2 children. Population policies differ from country to country and at times within countries, like weight management. Just as people who are over weight should reduce their weight to within a normal BMI range, so should countries with high fertility rates have policies that gives incentives and encourages fertility reduction as most countries in SSA. Countries with fertility rates below replacement level fertility of 2.1 should have policies serving as incentives and encouraging women to increase their fertility to the replacement level and countries with fertility levels at the replacement level should maintain whatever they are doing.

Governments drive everything through the policies they implement. An example is Iran. In December 1989, the government of Iran introduced a family planning program with 3 major goals. First to encourage women to space their pregnancies between 3-4 years, discourage pregnancy among women younger than 18 years and older than 35 years and limiting pregnancies to three per woman. Iran therefore fashioned its policy around reducing high risk pregnancies through advocacy and free supply of contraceptives. In as much as citizens had the right to have as many children as they wish, the government made them responsible by making citizens bear the full cost of additional births after the third child. The total fertility rate declined from 5.2 births per woman in 1989 to 2.8 in 1996. There was reduction in maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, improvement in health care and educational outcomes among other advantages.

What roles should ECOWAS and AU play in strengthening member countries on adoption of more stringent policies and legislation in this campaign?

ECOWAS and AU member countries should support each other in breaking the poverty cycle by simultaneously implementing an effective family planning program in addition to all the economic activities.  Afterall, the World Bank talks about GDP per capita. This means, nations should help their citizens reproduce themselves healthily and work effectively and efficiently to improve the GDP per capita. ECOWAS and AU must focus on reproductive health rights and responsibility as equally as they focus on economic interventions because one cannot afford to forget the per capita part of GDP per capita and meet the SDG goals or the Africa Agenda 2063. Nigeria being the most populous African country with a high population growth rate with massive population momentum, should be targeted for support by ECOWAS to reposition family planning as a critical socio economic intervention to improve human lives in this generation and set the stage for improved life for the next.

What is your advice to  executives of population control agencies in Nigeria and other countries?

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country. It has over 40 percent of its population below 15 years and has a net annual increase of about 5 million people. That is about the population of Norway being added to Nigeria’s population annually. This is certainly not sustainable for sustainable socio-economic development.

Population growth dramatically increases the need for all services including job creation. Linden, writing in the New York Times in 2017, illustrates the burden of exploding population. He said per the population structure of the United States, on average 129,000 new jobs monthly were created in 2016 but an America-size Nigeria would have to produce 319,000 jobs monthly, without cease. How can we sustain this? Let us know that the might of a nation is not necessarily in its size but in the might of its people that is the human capital.

Dr What are your final thoughts on these issues?

I believe that every pregnancy should be wanted, and every child cherished and nurtured to be a productive and proud citizen of nations. That is the only way any nation can develop since quality human capital accumulation is key for manufacturing durable assets for common good. Adequate investment in children from infancy through adolescence till they become productive is expensive and time consuming but that is the only way to transform our human resource to human capital for development.  Investing in reproductive health and rights have huge returns not just in terms of preventing high risk and unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and complication, but also improves nutrition for women and children, reduces risk of anaemia for women and children, increases survival and better health for mothers and children and fewer orphaned children. Investing in reproductive health in addition to reducing heath bill, frees up money for quality education of the citizens, thereby improving the status of all including women to contribute to economic growth. Investing in reproductive health saves money and helps nations produce healthy productive citizens for sustainable socio-economic development. The Africa we want, where no one is left behind.

As the former President Olusegun Obasanjo said on TV once, “if you don’t see what you should see, and you don’t do what you should do, you will become a victim of what you don’t like”.

I totally agree with him and urge all of us to see the importance of reproductive health rights and responsibilities as a developmental agenda and focus on it to enable us get the results we so desire. Let us see what we should see and do what we should do to get the results we desire.

The albatross of Nigeria’s escalating poverty

The swift dismissal of the Brookings report, that Nigeria has the highest number of poor persons globally, by Federal Government was not unexpected.

This verdict was not only damnatory, but a blow to the administration’s seeming achievements.

Nigeria has already overtaken India, as the country with the largest number of extreme poor in early 2018. Our trajectories suggest that Nigeria had about 87 million people in extreme poverty in May, compared with India’s 73 million.
Extreme poverty in Nigeria is growing by six people every minute,’ the report stated. By this status, Nigeria has surpassed India and other African countries in pauperism.

Minister of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, queried the findings saying, ‘the indices used for the report might have been compiled, when Nigeria was in recession.’

Government reserves the right to dismiss any appraisal, however it is  pertinent to pay close attention to the disturbing projections by the agency.

The institution has nothing to gain by posting a fallacious dossier on Nigeria, given its antecedents, in providing credible data on global issues.

It is doubtful if Nigeria can match the expertise of this institution,  because since its inception, in 1916, Brookings has been involved, in credible research on development trends, with its coterie of over 300 leading world experts in government and academia.

The minister knows well that this country has been beleaguered by years of excruciating deprivation of basic amenities, but has reached a tipping point, according to Brookings, under this regime.

Indeed the nation’s current dismal demographic index is unprecedented in its annals, hence the hurried efforts to paper the unsavoury news that out of 190 million, over 85 million citizens are poor.

Obviously no responsible government  exposes its country to ridicule, but strives to strengthen its ebbs, through effective policies.

Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible to mask Nigeria’s bourgeoning economic and social imbroglio, due to ineffective and reckless governance.

Economic experts and world leaders have expressed concern over the country’s degeneracy, amidst the opulent lifestyles of government officials.

Daily struggles for survival by the populace, despite fleeting resources, energy crises, bogus budgets and widespread violence are too glaring to hide or ignore.

Nigeria’s demographic score card, as the world’s topmost poor nation is devastating, despite reported gains in economic recovery, rice production and  importation reduction.

The minister reeled out a string of statistics to justify success of government’s economic recovery plan, however, his  explanations were dismissed, by critics as incongruous with society’s brazen realities.

His arguments were at odds with the precarious lives of ordinary citizens, as many  go to bed hungry, with majority slaving on less than a dollar.

Clearly, the masses are tired of  phony policies and programmes, with little or no bearing on their welfare. The international community is also not impressed by all the endless grandstanding, being paraded as achievements.

Drug abuse and suicide rates are increasing, due to lack of  socio-economic safety nets. 

Additionally the rising overpopulation burden, unemployment, educational deficiencies and low life expectancy are all reflections of extreme penury and leadership failure.

Yet experts predict worsening food crises, following the killing of farmers and destruction of farm lands by suspected pastoralists, particularly in the Middle Belt, as many agrarian communities  flee their farms over the unrelenting carnage.

Federal Government recently admitted that life is cheap, following the Plateau state massacre and similar killings across the country.

Indeed, life in Nigeria is now, unquestionably cheap, essentially, due to irresponsible governance,  security failure, income disparities, terrorism, infrastructural decay and graft by the ruling class.

Lack of fiscal federation and dependence on oil sales are also, major factors for ineffective governance, budgetary discrepancies and social malaise afflicting  the country.

As a result, the nation is bereft of  investments in vital sectors, crucial for job creation and infrastructural development.

These infractions have increased the  calls for devolution of power and fiscal federalism, as the panacea for this political and economic sham.

The well-being of  citizens, is often the barometer for judging government’s performance, hence the clamour for this regime to stop paying lip-service to poverty eradication, by embracing international best practices and standards in economic growth and human development to save the country from doldrums.

Until this is done the country and its administrators may continue to bear the brunt of global disdain for incompetence.

Computer magnate and philanthropist, Bill Gates spoke passionately about this disconnection recently in Abuja.

Gates advised his privileged audience to visit primary schools and hospitals in rural areas in order to see the enormity of the nation’s decrepit infrastructure.

‘I visited a health clinic in Bodinga LGA in Sokoto. It reminded me why I do this work. I’d like to ask all of you to spend one hour at a health centre. You’ll see how the system can be improved.’

The Nigerian primary health  system is not adequately funded. But it also doesn’t get the most out of its current funding, due to lack of  transparency and  accountability. Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan identifies “investing in our people” as one of three “strategic objectives.” But the “execution priorities” don’t fully reflect people’s needs, prioritizing physical capital over human capital,’ he added.

To anchor the economy over the long term, investments in infrastructure  must go hand in hand with investments in people. People without roads, ports, and factories can’t flourish. Roads, ports, and factories without skilled workers to build and manage them can’t sustain an economy.

Citing a  ‘World Bank World Development Report,’ which identified education as vital to employment, productivity, and wages, Gates noted that ‘more than half of  Nigerian rural children can’t read and write. The conclusion is inescapable: Nigeria’s economy tomorrow depends on improving its schools and primary care system.’

He concluded his discourse with the words of world-acclaimed novelist and activist, Chimamanda Adichie: 

‘Nigerians are known around the world for their big dreams and big ambitions.” 

Government bears much of the responsibility for these dreams to become reality.

OAU sex scandal: Historic victory for Osagie

The recent dismissal of Professor Richard Akindele over sexual impropriety by the authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has again resonated the urgency for effective legislations against gender-based crimes in the country. Justice has been served for the bold and courageous Monica Osagie, who nailed the fate of the randy lecturer with overwhelming evidence. The women rights community is quite enthused over the historic victory, as a boost for its campaign, because Osagie, unlike many others, remained stoic, despite tremendous threats, stigma and pressure against her.

The initial apathetic response from the university sparked off widespread media and public rage, with some legislators and Edo state government calling for expeditious investigation and justice in the case. Osagie, in several media interviews including CNN, said she remained dogged in the battle for justice, due to the rise in sexual objectification and exploitation of women across society.

“I am happy I came out. I am helping many ladies that have gone through the same thing I have gone through. Most of them can’t talk about it. They are scared of coming out in public. But I know it happens everywhere, not just in Nigeria. Speaking up will bring more women to speak out,’ against the evil trend,’ she said. Indeed the evidence against Akindele, a professor of Accounting and Management was staggering, hence he was summarily dismissed by the institution.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede said ‘Akindele operated in a position of power and authority over Miss Osagie by sexually harassing her. He was liable for all the allegations of misconduct levelled against him and was dismissed,’ the VC said.

‘To disabuse the minds of the general public on the issue of an alleged cover-up, he said the duo were duly invited and investigated after which the lecturer was dismissed, ‘ he added.

‘Prof Akindele had an inappropriate relationship with his student. This was established through their conversation in the audio recording; his reply to the query; the oral evidence; and the printed ‘WhatsApp conversations’ tendered before the Committee. He offered to change Miss Osagie’s purported 33 percent result to a pass mark in consideration for sexual favours, though she had passed the course. His request for sexual favours from Osagie to change her examination scores was scandalous behaviour that portrays the university, as an institution where its teachers and examiners trade marks for sexual favours,’ he explained.

The judgement is a relief because it will not only serve as a deterrent to other sex perverts, who victimise people over sex and money for grades, but will encourage others to report such maleficence.

Many victims are often denied justice, due to lack of evidence and legal services, as well as, family pressure, social stigma, threats and psychological trauma. Nigeria is currently witnessing increasing cases of sexual crimes in several institutions, prisons, police cells, Internally Displaced (IDP) camps and homes.

The gory details of sex-related crimes perpetrated across the country are quite alarming and horrific, hence the heightened demand for stiffer penalties for assailants. Amnesty International recently accused members of Joint Task Force(JTF) of rape and sexual exploitation of women in Internally Displaced (IDP) Camps in the North-East, saying it had ‘evidence that thousands of people have starved to death in the camps in Borno state, since 2015.’ Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, said ‘it is absolutely shocking that people who had already suffered so much under Boko Haram have been condemned to further horrendous abuse by the Nigerian military.’ ‘Thousands of women and girls are abused by the Nigerian security forces, who claim to be rescuing them,’ it alleged. Despite the international rage against rape and sexual offences, they have continued to escalate in India, Nigeria and other countries. Global statistics indicate increasing incidences of sex-related violations against women.

In Nigeria, such crimes are largely under-reported because of societal inhibitions, lack of professionalism, corruption along with other weaknesses bedevilling the security and judicial system. Other factors include discriminatory social norms, primitive cultures, political crises and ineffective legislations. Generally, women in patriarchal and traditional societies, as well as those in the entertainment industry and institutionalized settings are more predisposed to sexual assault. Spain is presently besieged by protests across several cities, following the controversial judgement over the alleged sexual abuse of a young girl, due to bail options for the assailants. Meanwhile, United States (US) famous actor, 80 year-old Billy Cosby faces a mandatory state jail term of up to 30 years, after his conviction, as a sex offender.

The world is awash with stories of despicable sexual atrocities, involving top politicians, business moguls, entertainment icons, particularly, in Europe and America.

Sadly India, seems to lead the global chart on sexual offences and rape, due to its ancient caste system, primordial cultures and religious mythologies, which mortify females and poor people. In India a women is reportedly raped every 15 minutes. Generally it is believed that a girl is sexually abused, virtually every day, in several countries. It is said that most females suffer a form of sexual abuse at least once in their life time.

Sexual rights of women are violated from the home to the work place, as well as in IDP camps, schools, stadia, prisons and other heinous circumstances across this country. Successive governments have failed to implement several global benchmarks on basic human rights, including the conventions on women, children and physically challenged persons. Nigeria is signatory to several United Nations (UN) conventions and protocols on women rights, but has not domesticated many of the treaties.

For instance government has not implemented the 2016 World Health Assembly on strengthening health systems in addressing violence, against women, girls and children. United Nations(UN) Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), has intensified calls to implement the principles of CEDAW, as global standards in tackling sexual crimes and gender-based violence, which constitute human rights violations. It also called for concerted efforts to end all discriminatory policies and violations that undermine the safety and lives of women and girls, through economic empowerment, microfinance, training, education, legislation and media advocacy.

Meanwhile government, weekend, said it ‘will deal decisively with any university council that fails to deal with reported cases of sexual harassment in their institutions.’ Nigerians hope this is not another irredeemable pledge.

Billy Graham: The exit of an icon

When he mounted a wooden podium in a small American church, to preach his first sermon, 81 years ago, young Billy Graham got little or no attention.

No one knew that he would rise from an obscure farm house in North Carolina, United States(US) to become one of the most influential personalities in this generation, ministering to billions of people across the globe.

It is believed that no other person has preached to more people around the world, than Evangelist Graham, celebrated as one of  the greatest ambassadors of Christ.

He is said to have ‘preached  to  over 200 million people in more than 185 countries,  leading  numerous people  to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and saviour.’ Debbie McDaniel, attributed his phenomenal success to God’s grace and his impeccable character.

‘As a man of profound  integrity and wisdom he offered spiritual guidance to many American presidents from Eisenhower to Bush. He was also a friend of celebrities

and leaders, such as Martin Luther King, Jr.’

He epitomized audacious integrity and astounding morals, lacking in most leaders, in Nigeria and other ‘fantastically corrupt nations.’

The humongous sleaze, brazen hypocrisy and moral depravity associated with the nation’s political and spiritual leaders, are confounding.

Nigeria will fare better, if its current and future handlers can take a cue from the life of this great man of God. 

His scandal-free ministry, devoid of financial recklessness and sexual perversion validated his creed and opened the floodgate of gargantuan evangelical crusades across the globe. 

Nevertheless he remained humble and stoically committed to the simple gospel and personal dictum: ‘Only Jesus Christ can save man from sin and eternal hell fire. All other ground is sinking sand.’

His love-laced sermons kept the mammoth crowd coming and endeared him to both the rich and poor.

He had a vast media empire including his popular Radio programme Hour of Decision, Decision magazine and broadcast networks.

The exit of this fiery evangelist was quite nostalgic.

I was a kid, when my late dad, Sir Samuel Igboeli introduced his Decision magazine to the family.

Dad, a conservationist often cooled off with a copy of the magazine, after his forest tours.

Naturally l and my siblings ravished the copy once dad finished reading.

Even at that early age, reading the magazine was  delightful and inspirational, as the pages flamed up the authenticity of the gospel. The pedagogic words of the editorials contributed immeasurably to the spiritual ethos of this writer and her siblings.

From the deluge of tributes, following his recent demise at 99 years, the legacies of Rev Graham, will continue to shape the lives and spirituality of billions of Christians and non-Christians.

He attributed his monumental success and phenomenal responses to ‘God’s benevolence and love.’

‘So many people think that l carry a revival around in a suitcase and they just announce me and something happens. That’s not true. This is the work of God. The bible warns that God will not share his glory with another. All the publicity we receive sometimes frightens me,  because if God should take his hand off me, I would have no more spiritual power. The secret of the success is spiritual. It is God answering prayers. I cannot take credit for it.’ 

What a fantastic confession.

In life he was honoured and even much more in death, being  the fourth private citizen to ‘lie in honour’ at the US Capitol. President Donald Trump acknowledged this feat in a glowing eulogy.

‘Today we honour him, as only three private citizens before him, have been so honoured. We pray that Lord will raise up men and women like Billy Graham to spread a message of love and hope.’

Graham warned against the crazy pursuit for prosperity and materialism.

“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost but when character is lost, all is lost.  You could gain everything in the whole world, and lose your soul. There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men. If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life. 

We are the bibles the world is reading. We are the sermons the world is heeding. The message I preach hasn't changed. Problems have changed, but deep inside, man has not changed and the gospel hasn't changed. Jesus is the only hope for enduring peace,’ in this troubled world.

Pastor David Ogbueli and Rev Canon Oliver Ofoegbu, made similar remarks in a biography, ‘Heaven is my home.’

‘Graham raised the bar for all ministers. God forgive us. We have exchanged integrity, humility and purity for hype, inflated attendance reports and boastful swagger. To last in ministry build your life on integrity, humility and generosity.’

In Gallup’s poll,

Graham was named, by Americans, 59 times as, ‘one of the 10 most admired men in the world.’

As his voice thundered across the world’s pulpits, Graham delivered messages that transcended racial and denominational boundaries.

The nonagenarian was also loved for his uncanny humour, even about death.

‘The moment we take our last breath on earth, we take our first in heaven. Someone asked me, recently if I didn’t think God was unfair, allowing me to have Parkinson’s and other medical problems when I have tried to serve him faithfully. I replied that I did not see it that way at all. Suffering is part of the human condition and it comes to us all. 

Keep your eyes on eternity. I’ve read the last page of the Bible, it's all going to turn out all right.’

His last message in a 2013 video ‘My Hope America,’  harped on the nation’s spiritual and moral decline .

‘Our country's in great need of a spiritual awakening.  I've wept because from city to city, people have wandered from God.

I want to tell people about the meaning of the cross, not the cross that hangs on the wall or around someone’s neck, but the real cross of Christ. God proved his love on the cross. When Christ died, God was saying to the world, I love you.’

His comforting words,  gave hope and succour to a traumatised nation after the 2001 New York bomb blast.

‘l’ve become an old man now. I’ve preached all over the world. The older I get, the more I cling to that hope that I started with many years ago. Yes, there is hope.’

This explains why he often spoke excitedly about heaven. ‘My home is in heaven. I'm just traveling through this world. Knowing we will be with Christ forever far outweighs our burdens today.’

Not even his book,  Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham, can amply encapsulate Rev. Graham’s  awesome legacies and his eternal convictions.

His life truly depicted the words of  Psalm 112:6 ‘The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.’

FG should tackle kidney disease

The gravity of kidney disease and its colossal financial demands, can be described as a revolving  nightmare, particularly in Nigeria with scant attention to public health.
Amidst the horrendous battle for survival and desperate cries for help, most sufferers reel with anxiety and anguish, as the debilitating disease gulps their health, strength and wealth.
About 20 percent of Nigerians are reportedly affected by  kidney-related ailments, hence requiring urgent government response with special funding for renal treatment and research.

As Nigeria marks this year’s World Kidney Day (WKD) today, Federal Government should review its policies to ameliorate the plight of patients, especially children, women, the aged and those in dire need of dialysis and  transplants.
The global and national burden of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is huge and a major health concern, due to high mortality rates. ‘CKD affects approximately 195 million women worldwide and it is currently the eight leading cause of death in women, with close to 600,000 deaths each year.’ Apex global coalition on kidney health, the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF) said it is higher in low income countries as Nigeria.
With special focus on women, this year’s programme is unique as it is jointly marked with International Women’s Day(IWD) 2018.

The collaboration provides a special opportunity to reflect on the importance of women’s health and specifically their kidney health. The group,  which leads the campaign for prevention and treatment of kidney disease with 60 organisational members across over 40 countries, said this year’s edition is  promoting access to affordable and equitable  healthcare and prevention of kidney diseases for all women and girls in the world.’ With the theme “Women and Kidney Disease, the body along with  International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and other health agencies are galvanizing global resources to decimate the disease.

Dr  Abdulwasiu Busari,  Consultant Nephrologist,  Gbagada General Hospital lamented the high rate of the disease saying this year’s focus on women was apt, due to gender related complexities. ‘Pregnancy makes women vulnerable to kidney disease, because of complications such as Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH) and eclampsia. Prevalence of autoimmune disease including lupus nephropathy and chronic kidney infections are also major causes of End Stage Renal Disease(ESRD).’
‘Nephrology Units of Gbagada General Hospital and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital  (LASUTH) have organized activities such as awareness campaign walk,  health talk and medical screening for risk factors of kidney disease among women,’ Dr Busari added.

A consultant nephrologist at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital(LASUTH), Dr Theophilus Umeizudike confirmed  IFKF position that ‘the risk of developing CKD is as high in women as in men.’ According to him, some studies show that CKD is more likely to develop in women compared with men, with an average 14 percent prevalence in women and 12 percent in men.

Sadly  the number of women on dialysis is lower than the number of men, even in Nigeria. ‘CKD progression is slower in women compared to men, psycho-socio-economic barriers such as lower disease awareness lead to late  dialysis among women  and uneven access to care is a major issue in many countries. Kidney transplantation is also unequally spread, mostly due to social, cultural and psychological factors.  Women tend more often to donate kidneys and are less likely to receive them.’ Policy makers, according to experts, must address these inequities and discriminatory practices against women folk. In Nigeria, a CKD patient requires about N150,000 weekly for  three sessions of dialysis.

Those who are fortunate enough to get a willing donor will require about N10 million to get kidney transplants in India, at least. The post transplant drugs and routine tests revolve around N3 million yearly. How many ordinary citizens can afford these humongous expenses?

Sadly, government seems nonchalant about the plight of the citizens. Successive governments have failed in their responsibilities to mitigate the suffering of patients of kidney diseases, as well as cancer, diabetes, hypertension among others.

The parlous state of the nation’s tertiary health facilities including Aso Rock Clinic, is a reflection of government’s lack-lustre commitment to the health of the citizenry. It requires no rocket science to aver that the nation’s  decrepit health sector  impacts adversely on the economy and productivity.

How can a country thrive with an unhealthy and impoverished population? What a shame that the current administration promised to stop medical tourism, yet its executives and their cronies  patronize top flight hospitals abroad, at the expense of tax payers.

Majority of citizens, according to development indices, are impoverished. Federal Government must find the goodwill to support treatment of ESKF, as the kidney function falls to critical levels  with life-threatening complications  and  prohibitive cost of surgery, regular dialysis or home- based peritoneal dialysis.
Sadly peritoneal option for adults is not readily  accessible in the country according to Dr Umeizudike.

It is not routinely done in adults in Nigeria, due to high infection rates and cost of importing the materials, however some teaching hospitals offer peritoneal dialysis to children,’ he explained

Belgian nephrologists, Dr David W. Johnson and Dr Isaac Teitelbaum  urged developing countries  to embrace this alternative because of its positive outcomes on patients, costs and burden on care givers. ‘Vast majority of countries trying to address the burgeoning problem of ESKF have done so by establishing haemodialysis units, which use artificial kidneys to filter patients’ blood, typically based in hospitals and healthcare facilities, and are both labour- and cost-intensive. However, in resource-poor countries with limited human, financial resources and  geographic barriers, it is generally more appropriate to opt for peritoneal dialysis, where dialysis fluid is instilled by a catheter into the abdomen and changed regularly. This home-based form of dialysis treatment costs less, gives greater patient independence, greater treatment simplicity, excellent patient outcomes, decreased need for electricity and technical support, reduced need for trained medical staff, greater feasibility for remotely living patients, and easier management in the setting of natural disasters.

As a result, several key countries, including China, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines and the USA, have enacted public healthcare policies that promote and financially aid the use of peritoneal dialysis over haemodialysis,’ they noted.

It would be good if the Federal Government would consider this  option as well as the comprehensive document  submitted to the presidency two years ago by Nigerian nephrologists, as part of a national response strategy  on renal disease.
In Israel, America, Britain, India, Tanzania, Ivory Coast and other African countries renal care is free or subsidized substantially.

Nigeria should do same and save its citizens from unwarranted sufferings.
It is delightful that Israel, America and few others are leading global research and investments in stem cell technologies, which essentially hold the ace for regeneration of distressed kidneys and other organs.

Nigeria and its culture of oddities

ADEZE OJUKWU

Without the benevolence of a Danish Charity worker, Anja Ringgren Loven, little Hope Uwem would have died two years ago in Akwa Ibom State.

The survival and transformation of Hope, who was abandoned by his parents, over alleged witchcraft, resonate the demand to eradicate obnoxious cultural and religious practices that destroy and undermine human lives.

In the name of culture, many people especially children, women and aged are killed, sexually violated, ostracized and  dispossessed of their properties, due to useless ancient and quaint ideologies.

Hope was in a critical condition, wrecked by severe malnutrition, weight loss and kwashiorkor, before he was graciously rescued by Loven, along with her Nigerian husband David Emmanuel Uwem and the team.

Today Hope is a living miracle because a good Samaritan defied the heinous culture of killing suspected child witches and wizards.

Loven recently shared online pictures of Hope and his miraculous progress in a heart-rending Face book post: ‘On the 30th of January 2016, David Emmanuel Uwem and I together with Nsidibe Orok and our team went on a rescue mission that would change our lives forever. On the 31st of January 2016, we showed pictures of the little boy we rescued the day before. We named him Hope. He survived. I want to celebrate Hope. I celebrate the persons responsible for his survival and his outstanding recovery. The pictures show the incredible transformation of Hope from the day of the rescue to today. Words are not enough. The pictures,  one by one, tell his story,’ she added.

Her benevolence is reminiscent of that of Mary Slessor, a Scottish missionary, who was frontal in stopping the practice of killing of twins in the defunct Eastern region.

This gruesome practice seems to have been replaced by other atrocities, such as the despicable merchandising of children, popularly called ‘baby factory.’

This diabolical business is perpetrated by greedy operators of fake orphanages and unscrupulous agents involved in purchasing  infants from vulnerable teenage girls and selling them exorbitantly to desperate couples. This is sad considering the region’s notoriety for horrendous discriminations against widows and orphans.

Some of the cultural patterns in the South West seem quite macabre, with fetish traditions and ritual killings from Badoo gang in Ikorodu to evil forests of Ibadan, ritual  dens in Osun and cult clashes in Ogun States.

For several months Badoo cult members terrorized Ikorodu town killing and maiming many residents.

Is it not preposterous to believe that  human organs and cadaver can produce money?

Sad to note that these horrendous acts in the view of many, mirror the philosophical milieu of the region.

Few weeks after smashing a notorious fetish den in Ilesha Osun State, the police uncovered another criminal dungeon with multiple shrines and shallow graves in Ilobu area of the state.

Before then, Mr. Sunday Ibo, a commercial motorcycle rider, was gruesomely allegedly murdered for  ritual purposes in Odogbolu Local Government Area(LGA) in Ogun State. The killers also removed some of his vital organs, allegedly for money.

The North has continued to attract international attention and financial support to tackle its numerous socio-cultural challenges, including the subjugation of women and children, which are not only reprehensible but defy human logic.

Terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen and other armed bandits have turned the region into a theatre of war.

Obviously efforts by the global community and  government to tackle these groups have been ineffective, due to ideological tenets of the people.

These  complexities are exacerbated by a culture of systemic inequities, illiteracy, poverty, child abuse, gender discriminations, street begging, overpopulation, drug abuse among others.

Successive governments have spent  billions of naira  on fighting terrorism, to no avail because the insurgents are driven by religious extremism radically opposed to westernization.

Emir of Kano Lamido Sanusi has severally campaigned against this disingenuous dogmatism.

His words: “I condemned refusal to expand their knowledge outside their own religion and failure to realise that knowledge is power. Denying the right to pursue scientific and technological knowledge and restricting people to Islamic knowledge is the best means of ensuring that Muslims in Northern Nigeria will be remain economically backward.

“I’m upset at the legion of beggars on the streets and is trying to bridge the gap between the backward North and the Southern parts of the nation. I still believe that conservative Muslims are still stuck in the 13th Century and their claim that children need no other knowledge than Islamic studies flies in the face of reality.

‘All the poverty, under-development and immense suffering in the North are a result of uneducated masses refusing to learn work or a trade. The majority of technicians in Kano are from the South while untrained indigenes beg. How does that make sense?

‘Why is it that conservative Muslims who claim to be against scientific progress enter aeroplanes and fly to perform the Hajj in Mecca rather than using camels to cross the desert! Why do they watch sermons beamed by TV live from Mecca and read the Holy Quran on their laptops yet profess to abhor modern technology? There is no harm in copying from the West if it brings succour to the masses of poverty stricken Muslims in Northern Nigeria,’ he added.

 Former president Olusegun Obasanjo underscored this point at a public event recently.

He said: 'You cannot use the security methods that were used in the colonial times and assume that it would be effective in the 21st century. Adopt modern security techniques and don’t say that it is not your culture. Culture is dynamic. It changes. When we ordered motorcycle riders to ensure they wear crash helmets for safety, the late Abubakar Rimi objected and said it was not their culture in the North to wear helmets. I responded by telling him that riding a motorcycle is not their culture, either. It is a western culture. I also told him that if he wants to retain the cultural means of transportation in the North, then, everybody should be riding a donkey or a camel because motorcycles were invented by the West.'

Nigeria is at crossroads on several fronts, largely due to some untenable traditional and religious patterns.

Indeed many citizens may remain disenfranchised politically, economically and educationally, unless this culture of impunity, nepotism, corruption and repugnant traditions are jettisoned.

The nation’s bourgeoning population, for instance, largely viewed, as a ticking bomb, has become  a political tool  by desperate politicians.

The recent use of under- aged voters in elections is not only an embarrassment to government and Independent National Election Commission (INEC), but perhaps a foretaste of what’s ahead.

The choice before Nigerians is grave.

Now is the time to rise against all forms of retrogressive cultures as well as political absurdities that breed election malpractice, violence, massive rigging, vote buying and use of child voters.

Citizens will do well to take a cue from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Ethiopia, by rejecting politicians bereft of plans to restructure the country, as the panacea for peace and socio-economic growth.

The cow grazing debacle

In 2015, the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) listed Fulani herdsmen as the fourth deadliest terrorist organisation in the world, even as its latest report named Nigeria as the third most terrorised country globally. This damning verdict is a profound assessment of the  brutal and atrocious destruction of lives and property, allegedly perpetrated by the group across the West African sub-region, with Nigeria as the epicentre.

Since the January killings of Benue State indigenes, many others  have been murdered or injured, while farms worth billions of naira, were destroyed allegedly by Fulani herdsmen  in Taraba, Kaduna, Zamfara, Plateau, Ogun, Delta, Abia, Ekiti and Delta States. The case of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae, is pathetic as Fulani herdsmen kidnapped him two years ago, and razed down his farm for the second time a few days back. As a result of this relentless onslaught on innocent citizens, Nigerians have criticised and challenged President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to classify

Fulani herdsmen as terrorists, in tandem with their global status.

However, Federal Government is yet to assent to this demand. Indeed, gory reports of violent attacks and several crimes against humanity attributed to this group have escalated public outcry in national media discourse, particularly the social media.  Of particular interest to this writer and most Nigerians is the apparent proclivity and frenzy for senseless and endless wastage of human lives by these cow rearers, with daily reports of  gruesome slaughter of  children, pregnant women and their foetuses, as well as the aged and security operatives.

What a shame! Where else can one see such bizarre  butchery of humans by fellow citizens? Yet, the perpetrators of this crime against humanity and their backers are up in arms, mounting all kinds of illogical defenses for the carnage, from economic and environmental reasons to nomadic and socio-cultural idiosyncrasies. Nigerians, and the rest of the world, are watching with bated breath for the end of this national tragedy, that has turned the country into a killing field.

With this notoriety for bloodletting and standing justice on its head, the country is derided as ‘one of the shit-hole countries.’ The bloodbath and wanton destruction of lives and property, associated with nomadic shepherds have escalated to exponential proportions, with their uncensored access to firearms, including AK47 guns and other dangerous weapons to the shock of many. Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, could not have put it more succinctly when he stated: ‘They have declared war against the nation and their weapon is undiluted terror. Why have they been permitted to become a menace to the rest of us? That is the issue!’ In a recent statement tagged: ‘Impunity Rides Again,’ Soyinka blasted the Federal Government and security forces for their ineptitude on the unmitigated killings of citizens by herdsmen.  This savagery  has again dragged Nigeria to the international security radar, as many foreign bodies have been chiding the Buhari administration and its security apparatus for failure to protect citizens, the primary duty of any responsible and credible government.

The European Parliament, in its recent resolution on the spate of violence in the country, asked Buhari to uphold the sanctity of human lives.

It deplored ‘the ongoing violence and attacks in northern Nigeria, whose targets have been Christian communities,’ and urged ‘government to focus on upholding human rights and dignity in all policies to ensure peaceful co-existence among citizens irrespective of their religion, beliefs and political affiliations.’

What an indictment from the EU. Obviously, as lamented by Benue State Governor Sam Ortom, ‘the killing spree has  continued, despite the presence of security forces in the region, hence the vituperations from several quarters.

This orgy of violence and barbarity points to failure of leadership and security at the highest levels.  Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, said  ‘indeed, at no time in the recent past has the nation’s peace and unity been so vigorously and persistently challenged. However  peace is the sine qua non for justice, hence the perpetrators must be fished out and punished, as a deterrent to others. This is the position of many socio-cultural and religious organisations notably Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Catholic Bishops, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Afenifere, Middle Belt and South South leaders.

These and other issues have dominated national discourse, but efforts are being made by the National Assembly and other interest groups to douse the tension and calamitous conflagration, due to the underlying religious and ethnic dimensions of the crises.

Meanwhile, prominent Nigerians, religious leaders, as well as several interest parties have continued to react to Federal Government’s apparent inability to halt the carnage and enunciate effective legal and security measures on modern animal husbandry. Secretary of CAN, Rev. Dr Musa Asakea, called on Nigerians to stoutly reject the cattle colony proposal, saying: ‘The Miyetti Allah organisation should be tagged a terrorist organisation. Its leaders should be arrested and prosecuted for the genocide against the Christian minorities in the Middlebelt.’

Obviously Buhari cannot legislate or pontificate about peace and unity, while equity and justice are undermined in all spheres of governance. No person or group has the right to overrun any community, under any guile or  guise. It would simply be a declaration of war. It is unjust, illegal and inimical to internationally acceptable principles of human rights. These rights are inalienable and must be protected by Nigeria, as a signatory to this treaty. Clearly, the Benue massacre is a gross violation of the rights of Nigerian citizens to life and security.

The recalcitrant demand to halt the anarchy is urgent. But the burning question is: Does Buhari have the moral courage and political will to rein in these Fulani herdsmen, given their kinship.

The buck stops at his table, as the president, It is in his interest and that of the nation to urgently stop this madness.