Ebola cases in Nigeria now 15, authorities warn against euphoria

A doctor has died in Port Harcourt, after being infected with the deadly Ebola Virus Disease from treating a diplomat who was in contact with Patrick Sawyer — Nigeria’s first case — , the health ministry has said.
His wife is being tested after showing symptoms and the results could come in as soon as late Thursday, nearly a week after her husband died last Friday. If positive, she could bring to 15, up from 13, the number of confirmed cases of the virus.

She has been quarantined after showing symptoms, and another 70 people believed to have had contact with the late doctor or his wife have been put under surveillance for Ebola. The diplomat with ECOWAS evaded surveillance in Lagos in the late week of July and travelled to Port Harcourt.“We now understand he consulted with a doctor and
was apparently treated for some symptoms,” said Chukwu. “After four days, following a manhunt for him, he returned to Lagos by which time he was found to be without symptoms.” “Even though he does not have Ebola but further laboratory tests indicate he had suffered Ebola,”
added Chukwu. Officials began tracing contacts on Saturday and a treatment team and mobile lab have moved into Port Harcourt yesterday, he added. “We will surely handle Port Harcourt, as we handled Enugu and Lagos,” Chukwu said Thursday morning. He said the diplomat’s case “would have been of no further interest since he had completed the 21 days of surveillance without any other issue, but for the fact that the doctor who treated him died last Friday.”

The doctor is believed to have died from the disease in the shortest period, sparking interest in further dynamics of the virus and its interactions with human immune system. “A lot has to be studied. There are things we know we might still learn about this disease.” All the cases so far confirmed have been limited to people who had direct or indirect contact with Sawyer, prompting the health ministry’s declaration on Tuesday that Nigeria had managed to contain the outbreak. But the health and information ministries have warned against media headlines that have given the impression that Nigeria is free of the virus, even though some patients are still on treatment or under surveillance.

While media must not create panic, there’s also “no need for euphoria” or complacency, said Chukwu. “We’ve contained this disease, but [it] is still with us, and until we discharge the last patient, we cannot say we are free of it.” Information minister Labaran Maku said he was “disappointed” at the “outlandish headlines.” He cited colleagues angling for a handshake convinced by media headlines that Ebola was over. He called the headlines “dangerous” in his appeal to news editors and journalists. “It has taken us back in terms of public awareness and education we need to enforce,” cautioned Maku. “This is not the kind of story we can write with levity, because people coulf be in danger,” he said.“Don’t give people panic or any impression of euphoria that the disease is over.”

Parade In Your Name

I want there to be a parade in your name.
I find myself looking past my balcony.
The hard rain. Coffee in hand.
It's peaceful outside.
Yet I find myself in pain, rage and anger.
Questioning,
Questioning the character of humankind.
I want there to be a parade in your name.
I have not felt this rage, these demons or this pow
in some time.
And yet this morning I'm questioning,
I'm looking at life. Maybe mine too?
Then. Just then a disabled women goes walking by
I've seen her many a time.
Around 4:20p.m. walking from work back to her
home.
Her disability makes it very hard for her to walk.
Yet everyday she does . She doesn't take a car or
bus.
Today was the first time I've seen her go to work
During these conditions.
Today was the first time I've seen her go to work
Enduring extra hardship.
Even on a day like this with the cold hard rain.
There she is, slowly walking to work.
She has character. She is accountable. And I wept!
I want there to be a parade in her name.
Able or disabled?
In the dictionary it states;
Disabled "to make unable, unfit or disqualified."
And at that point,
I thought she was the only person that was able, fit
and qualified.
For she gave me strength.
She gave me strength through her example.
My body was now less in trouble
I could face the day.
I could face this day.
I can face any day.
I want there to be a parade in your name.
Like a real one, all people should gather for you.

Patrick Yohnke

He’s Had Enough! Ik Ogbonna Bemoans Been Referred To As Gay!

Sexy Nollywood actor, Ik Ogbonna is tired of people referring to him as being gay as he is not interested in men but in women, women with big booties in fact……
In a recent interview again, he spoke about his relationship and his persona…..
“I am tired of the gay rumours trailing me. You can never pick out any man with whom I have had an affair in the past, but you can link me to some of the ladies I have dated. It is funny because I am sometimes called a ladies’ man and at times rumoured to be agigolo – gay. These three things do not relate to one another. “That I have chosen to adopt
the UK style of dressing, which typically comprises tight pants, should
not make me gay. The fact that I have friends in the industry that I choose to hang out with should not make me a gay. I really don’t care about what people think of my personal life. I can’t spot anyone as being gay in the industry and I don’t see anything wrong with two guys or ladies being close friends. Until I am approached by a guy or I see guys getting down together then I can conclude that he is gay.”

On why he flaunts his relationship on social media
“A lot of celebrities do not want anyone to know they are in a relationship for several reasons or out of fear. I don’t put out pictures for anyone to draw conclusions or create any form of illusion. As far as you are human, you must feel love at some point in time. I might be seeing someone and she is Columbian. “A lot of people say that I will lose fans because I posted a picture of another lady on my Instagram account. I don’t have any reason to hide my affair. It is a good thing and even God in heaven smiles at it. I will try to flaunt it as much as I can. But right now, I am not
ready for marriage.”

Culled from Punch

BREAKING: Tension mounts as fighting breaks out in Nasarawa

Serious fighting has broken out between the Fulani and Eggon in the Tudun Adabu area of Obi local government of Nasarawa State. According to the police, most houses in the area have been set ablaze while the town has been deserted. The Managing Director of the Police Micro Finance Bank, Alhassan Gidado, and two others were murdered in the same area in September, 2013 when Ombatse militia attacked neighbouring villages and passers-by.

The two others killed were the Abuja branch manager of the bank, Tunde Banwo, and their driver, Aliyu Adamu in Tudun Adabu. The recent fight is a spill-over of the killings that occurredbetween Monday and Tuesday around Assakio in Lafia local government and Bakyano in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area. About 20 houses were burnt in Assakio on Tuesday while the resident of the paramount ruler, Osula Inarigu, was vandalised. Tension has already enveloped the entire state for fear of
reprisal attacks across communities where Fulanis and Eggons reside.

The state police spokesperson, Ismaila Numan, who confirmed the incident, said information available to the police was still sketchy especially as it concerns casualty figures. Mr. Numan also said that the town of Assakio, a few kilometres outside Lafia, has been deserted. “Houses around the chief’s house have been set ablaze while the chief’s house was vandalised. We didn’t recover any corpse yet but the town has been deserted. The town is just like a ghost town,” he said.

In a press briefing Wednesday, the senior special assistant on public affairs to the Nasarawa State governor, Abdulhamid Kwarra, disclosed that communities in Akwanga, Nasarawa Eggon , Lafia, Obi and Wamba local government areas were enmeshed in crisis. “The state has again been engulfed in security challenges in the past seventy two hours, which has led to some fatalities, and at the same time, displaced some persons,” he said. Mr. Kwarra said that the number of casualties would be ascertained after the state Security Council meeting which was still holding at the time of the briefing. He said that government has taken proactive measures to contain the situation. Trouble reportedly started last weekend following a misunderstanding between the Fulani and Eggon, which resulted in a reprisal attack by Ombatse militia in support of the Eggon at Alingani community in Lafia local government area.

Investigation by PREMIUM TIMES showed that hundreds of internally displaced persons, IDPs, were trooping to Lafia, the state capital, and Nasarawa Eggon, the headquarters of the  Eggon tribe. The police spokesperson, Mr. Numan, confirmed that there were two casualties from Sunday’s attack.

Frank Lampard announces England retirement

Frank Lampard, 36, has announced his retirement from international football. The 36-year-old midfielder has called time on his Englandcareer which has spanned 15 years and earned him 106 caps.
Lampard said in a statement released by his management company:
“I have taken the decision to retire from international football. It has been a very tough decision for me to make which is why I have given it so much thought since the World Cup.”

Strike: Healthcare services yet to resume in earnest

Normal healthcare services in Federal and State hospitals got off to a slow start yesterday as doctors under the aegis of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, returned to work following the suspension of their 56 days old protracted indefinite strike over the weekend. Several hours after most health institutions across the Federation opened for the day’s activities, medical doctors were not seen at their duty posts while a few that were present were said to be in a meeting.

A visit to some of the hospitals in Lagos showed almost total absence of patients at the various hospital departments and few doctors who claimed to have resumed duty were also offering skeletal services in the outpatient clinics and wards. However, it was reliably gathered that the 16,000 resident doctors sacked a week ago across the country are yet to
resume in their various hospitals. Vanguard investigation revealed that in all the hospitals visited, the situation has not changed from what it was since the doctors embarked on the protracted strike.

From the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH; Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, NOHL, among others, the situation was the same. At LASUTH, for instance, normal activities were yet to return when our reported visited around 12.00 yesterday. At the Medical Emergency Department of the hospital, it was gathered that new patients were not being admitted. A few patients were seen lying helplessly at the entrance with no immediate assistance in sight.

A staff of the hospital who spoke to Vanguard under anonymity confirmed that only skeletal services are being rendered for the time being as no tangible arrangements for full resumption of services were on ground. “Most of these people you see here are waiting for doctors, if
they are lucky they may be attended to, but what I know is that the doctors are currently at an emergency meeting,” the staff explained.
Similarly, at the surgical outpatient department of the hospital, a large number of patients were seen on a long queue, waiting to be attended to.
Some of the patients said they had been around since 6:00am but were yet to be attended to by any doctor because of the long queue.

A few health workers seen attending to some of the patientswere ,however, not wearing protective materials in line with safety measures recommended by the state government to contain outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease. Also at LUTH, there were no patients in sight. From the Female Medical, Male Surgical to Paediatric departments, no tangible services were being rendered. The same scenario played out at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Yaba.

Reacting to the strike, Chairman, LUTH Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, Dr. Olubunmi Omojowolo, said the strike had been suspended but there were a lot of intricacies concerning the strike. “Generally, after calling off a strike it takes some time before things will start falling into place and this particular strike, is complicated by the fact that resident doctors are still sacked. The Federal Government is yet to reverse their decision and the resident doctors constitute the bulk of doctors in Teaching Hospitals. “Even now, the resident doctors are on ground but we cannot work until the Federal government withdraws the circular,” he
noted saying that other cadre of doctors notably the consultants cannot do much without the resident doctors.

Also reacting, the Secretary, NMA Lagos, Dr. Saheed Babajide, confirmed that the strike has been called off, but said the doctors had resumed duty.
“Let me also tell you that the resident doctors are not working because the Federal government has not reversed its circular on the sack of the 16,000 resident doctors. Again, we have also gone to the industrial court to stop the Chief Medical Directors of the various Teaching Hospitals from giving the resident doctors letters of termination.”

In Kano, the doctors have also not resumed duties 24 hours after the strike was called off. Vanguard checks in the commercial city revealed that a huge crowd of Out Patients that were seen in all the three tertiary
health institutions Monday left home disappointed as there were no doctors on duty to attend to them. At the Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, beds were still empty as no patient has been admitted, while it was the same scenario in other Government Hospitals including Murtala Mohammed Hospital and Abdullahi Wase Hospital.

Brand Storytelling – The 4 P’s

Having the ability to tell your brand’s story is anecessary part of building a brand. Crafting the right story can help convey the essence of your brand so that it touches and captivates your audience.
Here are 4 key elements that your brand’s story should have.

Brand Storytelling – Make It Personal
Your brand’s story should be relatable. It should easily connect with some facet of someone’s life. Why? Your aim is to be relevant to your intended audience or at least communicate this relevance so that consumers want to see or themselves how your brand is a match for their particular need.

Brand Storytelling – Make It Portable
Your story should be easy to tell. It should be quick to grasp, easy to remember and easy to relay to someone else. Simply put, your brand’s story should be digestible and clear enough for your audience to understand and communicate to someone else. In this way, word of mouth can be used and your brand’s story can be retold to the
masses.

Brand Storytelling – Make It Pointed
Be precise about what the brand should mean to your audience. There should be no guesswork in how your brand adds value. This ‘P’ is essential, since it helps your audience to easily digest and relay your brand’s message.

Brand Storytelling – Make Sure There Is a Plot
Every story has a situation, conflict and a resolution. When crafting your brand’s story make sure that you are taking your audience on a journey that first describes the situation and conflict that make the brand necessary. Then, explain why the solution can be found in your brand’s existence. Through this journey your audience can envision their own personal, similar journey and find resolution in your brand.