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Once Upon A Time – Jan. 10 – 1946 – UN General Assembly Meets For 1st Time In London

Special Features

Angel Gimalo

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January 10, 2022

Once Upon A Time – Jan. 10 – 1946 – UN General Assembly Meets For 1st Time In London

49 BC Julius Caesar defies the Roman Senate and crosses the Rubicon, uttering “alea iacta est” (the die is cast), signaling the start of civil war which would lead to his appointment as Roman dictator for life.

1430 Catholic Order of the Golden Fleece founded in Bruges in celebration of the prosperous and wealthy domains of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy.

1475 Stephen III of Moldavia defeats the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vaslui.

1776 “Common Sense” Pamphlet by Thomas Paine published, advocating American independence.

1839 First tea from leaves of indigenous plants of Assam, India arrives in the United Kingdom [date approximate].

1858 Frances Havergal, visiting Germany, writes her first popular hymn, “I Gave my Life for Thee” after seeing a painting of the suffering Christ titled Ecce Homo (“Behold the Man”). Thinking the verses of little worth she throws the paper onto a fire but it falls off. When her father sees the words he composes a tune for them.

1946 UN General Assembly meets for 1st time in London.

1960 A car filled with seven Christian workers plunges into deep water in the Black Umbluzi River but Pastor Phineas Dlamini and the other six escape, some with injuries. Dlamini was a leading pastor in the Church of the Nazarene in Swaziland.

Historical Events Today

Today In Film & TV

1999 “The Sopranos”, starring James Gandolfini as mobster Tony Soprano, debuts on HBO.

Today In Music

1958 Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” reaches #1 on the UK pop charts.

Today In Sport

1982 NFC Championship, Candlestick Park, SF: San Francisco 49ers beat Dallas Cowboys, 28-27; “The Catch” – iconic moment in NFL history – Dwight Clark makes fingertip catch for a TD from Joe Montana with 58″ remaining; SF goes on to win Super Bowl.

Do You Know This Fact About Today? Did You Know?

1917 Suffragettes the “Silent Sentinels” first protest outside The White House, in Washington led by Alice Paul and the National Woman’s Party.

Would You Believe This Fact About Today? Would You Believe?

1967 Edward W. Brooke (Sen-R-Mass), takes his seat as the 1st popularly elected African American to the US Senate.

Lagos nurses embark on strike over poor working conditions

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January 10, 2022

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Lagos nurses embark on strike over poor working conditions

The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, Lagos state chapter, has declared a three-day warning strike from Monday, January 10 to Wednesday, 12, 2022, to demand better working conditions from the Lagos State government.

The Chairman of the State chapter, Comrade Julius Awojide, made the statement at an emergency congress in Lagos on Saturday, January 8, 2022, he lamented the reported government insensitivity to the plight of nurses in the state.

He said, “The Council decided to embark on the warning strike after careful consideration to call the attention of the government to the severity of the situation and to get them to address the issues promptly. We engaged the government on several occasions on the issues without the desired pace of outcome.

“In our estimation, the Lagos government is yet to fully come to terms with how incredibly challenging the situation in the health sector has been for our members especially in the last two years.”

Awojide reiterated that the warning strike was necessary to inform the government that nurses would no longer be overworked, undervalued and underpaid without any consequences.

He said that the association took stock of the challenges faced by the nursing profession, as well as other pending issues before the State Government at its State Executive Council meeting, held on 29th December 2021. He asserted that the issues discussed continued to cause great suffering to their members, and by extension to the public.

He decried the poor working conditions of nurses in the state, adding that this had resulted in the mass exodus of professional nurses to better climes.

Awojide said, “More than 496 out of 2,350 nurses in the employ of Lagos State Health Service Commission left between 2019 and 2021 and with less than 15 per cent due to statutory retirement.

“Over 200 nurses left the services of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital within the same period. Over 80 nurses left Primary Healthcare Board within the last two years which has only about 700 nurses and midwives

He stated that replacement-on-exit policy had been rendered ineffective by the inability to easily find replacements, adding that nurses were critical assets.

Awojide explained that the policy was meant to provide immediate placement for the much-needed medical professionals once a medical professional resigns or leaves.

The Chairman said that the massive brain drain and the absence of commensurate replacements have led to an increased workload on nurses in the state.

“Out of the 500 vacancies approved for recruitment by the governor for the health service commission recently, less than 300 applied, especially in a country with a 33.2 per cent unemployment rate.

“A reduced capacity in the health workforce means a reduced capacity to contain and fight new waves of pandemics and outbreaks. A poor retention rate only guarantees paralytic responses to new waves of pandemics within the foreseeable future,’’ Awojide added.

NANS Rejects N10 Per Litre Tax on Carbonated Drinks

Education

Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 10, 2022

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NANS Rejects N10 Per Litre Tax on Carbonated Drinks

The National Association of Nigerian Students in the South-West zone has condemned the Federal Government’s plan to introduce N10 per litre tax on carbonated drinks.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, recently announced the plan while saying it was a move to discourage excessive consumption of sugar in beverages which she said contributed to a number of health conditions including diabetes and obesity.

But the Coordinator of NANS in South-West, Olatunji Adegboye, said in a statement on Monday that imposing tax on soft drinks was not a way diabetes and other health-related ailment associated with consumption of sweetened beverages could be stopped.

Adegboye argued that the introduction of additional duty on the already taxed products showed the government was insensitive and was bereft of ideas to drive its internally generated revenue.

The students’ body described the planned duty as a deliberate attempt by the Federal Government to pile more miseries on the hapless citizens.

The NANS said instead of adding to the economic hardship Nigerians were being made to suffer through the planned duty, President Muhammadu Buhari, should look at how to reduce the cost of governance to free more funds for development.

The statement partly read, “Imposition of additional duty on carbonated drinks is anti-people, anti-democratic, and retrogressive. It contradicts the law of humanity and the law of God. It is not in any way constant with the spirit of fairness and starkly contravenes what President Muhammadu Buhari promised Nigerians while campaigning for our votes.

Consuming yoghurts exposed to sun ‘dangerous’, experts warn Nigerians

Cleopatra Okohai

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January 10, 2022

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Consuming yoghurts exposed to sun ‘dangerous’, experts warn Nigerians

Nutrition experts have warned Nigerians against consuming poorly preserved yoghurts, especially those stored under the sun, noting that they could cause serious health complications including food poisoning.

According to the experts, while yoghurt consumption is often encouraged because of its nutritional benefits, consuming those stored in the sun, as commonly found in local shopping marts and on the streets across the country could be very dangerous.

The experts stressed that consuming improperly stored yoghurts could be detrimental to the health, noting that those drinking them are at serious risk of food poisoning.

Food poisoning is a food-borne disease. As explained by medicalnet.com, food poisoning is the ingestion of food that contains a toxin, chemical or infectious agent (like a bacterium, virus, parasite, or prion) that may cause adverse symptoms in the body.

Symptoms of food poisoning, it stated further may be related only to the gastrointestinal tract causing vomiting or diarrhea or they may involve other organs such as the kidney, brain, or muscle.

According to the experts, the right way of storing yoghurts both commercially and at home is by storing them at a cold temperature, noting that leaving them out in the sun gives room for toxic microorganisms to grow and multiply in them.

Speaking in an interview, a professor of food and nutritional biochemistry, Achinewhu Simon explained that because yoghurts are made from cow milk, they are supposed to be kept frozen, adding that commercially produced yoghurts that are left for days in the sun are not healthy.

Explaining, Achinewhu, a former director of the Rivers Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, said, there are microorganisms present in yoghurts, noting that if left in hot temperature they (the microorganisms) become infected.

“Yoghurt is produced from milk. Those things must be kept frozen but if you expose them to hot temperatures, you are exposing them to be infected by microorganisms and these microorganisms could breed toxins that are detrimental to human health.

“So, such things are supposed to be kept frozen in a temperature that would discourage microorganisms from attacking it and producing toxins.”

The professor discouraged people from consuming yoghurts not bought directly from the fridge as it could constitute a deadly health hazard for them.

Achinewhu stated that the microorganisms found in the yoghurts stored in unfavourable conditions could cause harm to the body through food poisoning.

Also speaking with Newsmen, the Assistant Chief Dietitian, Ajeromi General Hospital, Ajegunle, Olusola Malomo stated that the benefits of yoghurts such as protein, calcium, vitamins, and live culture, or probiotics, which can enhance the gut microbiota could be lost once it is not properly stored.

He stated that if stored properly, the shelf life of yoghurt is between 10 to 21 days, warning that people refrain from buying yoghurts that are not stored in refrigerators.

Such yoghurts, he said, are breeding grounds for toxic microorganisms that cause food poisoning.

No Plan To Seal Schools Over Resumption Date- LASG

Education

Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 10, 2022

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No Plan To Seal Schools Over Resumption Date- LASG

The Director-General, Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, has said that the state government has no plan to seal any schools as it would be counter-productive to learning.

In a statement on Monday, she said that 640 out of the 720 schools visited by the OEQA complied with January 4, 2022 resumption date set by the state government, signifying a compliance rate of about 89%.

Seriki-Ayeni, while commending the schools that adhered to the State’s resumption date, lamented that about 80 schools did not comply.

She, however, clarified that the government had no plan to seal any schools as this would be counter-productive to learning.

The DG explained that rather, the OEQA only issued letters and placed stickers of non-compliance on the gates of schools that disobeyed the directive.

The OEQA boss clarified that the directive for public and private schools to maintain a uniform calendar was not new as it had been in place for several years. She, however, said the renewed enforcement was imperative because of the interruptions to school days occasioned by the lockdowns.

Seriki-Ayeni recalled that in June 2021 there were meetings between representatives of the State government, private school proprietors, private school associations, and other relevant education stakeholders where it was agreed to ensure that the calendar and the January 4th date would be adhered to.

She appealed to public and private school administrators in Lagos State to work with families to ensure that children are in school as expected and start the new term on a sound note.

“Just like we have always done in the past, the State government expects compliance and will continue to dialogue with all schools on matters relating to the progress of education in the State,” She added.

People who eat heavy meals prone to food coma –Nutritionist

Cleopatra Okohai

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January 10, 2022

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People who eat heavy meals prone to food coma –Nutritionist

A nutritionist, Dr. James Oloyede has cautioned against the consumption of large portions of foods, noting that people who take heavy meals may be prone to postprandial somnolence also called food coma.

According to the nutritionist people who consume heavy meals are most likely to fall asleep after their meal due to the subsequent feeling of fatigue, and sleepiness induced by the large quantities of blood diverted from the brain to the gastrointestinal tract to facilitate digestion.

He explained that the diversion of blood to the gastrointestinal tract usually causes a decrease in energy levels which may cause food coma.

Food coma or postprandial somnolence, as it is known medically, is a medical condition that describes a sense of fatigue, sleepiness, or decreased energy levels that can occur shortly after eating a meal.

This medical condition is not connected only to the type and size of meal consumed but also the time of the day the meal is taken and also the circulation of the blood.

Speaking with Newsmen, Oloyede, who is a former director of Nutrition Services posited that the amount of meal one may have for lunch can cause one to feel sleepy and tired.

“It is not unusual to feel sleepy or tired after a heavy meal. This is not unconnected with a decrease in energy levels after eating, often referred to as a food coma accompanied by a sense of fatigue, sleepiness.

“Those who eat larger lunches may experience more of an afternoon slump than those who eat less at midday,” he said.

Continuing, he explained that eating causes the blood sugar to rise, and a dip in energy may follow. “This is induced by large quantities of blood diverted from the brain to the gastrointestinal tract to facilitate digestion and the shuttling of absorbed nutrients to target cells and tissues after a heavy meal.

“In addition, the digestion process puts the body into a state of rest and digest parasympathetic state as opposed to the ‘fight or flight sympathetic nervous system state’.”

Oloyede explained that when an individual consumes a high-fat meal it stimulates the release of a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) which is secreted by cells of the first portion of the small intestine that promote sleepiness.

The feeling of sleepiness it causes in an individual consuming this diet may differ depending on the extent to which the hormone is released after eating a high-fat meal.

Additionally, scientists have discovered that certain meals, especially those high in carbohydrates and fat can lead to induced oxidative stress, a state of an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidant levels in the body. This stress has been found to contribute to postprandial fatigue and sleepiness after meals.

To combat food coma, he suggested that people could engage in post-meal walks, high-intensity exercises, working while standing at the table, or intermittent movement breaks throughout the workday.

But if one feels tired and sleepy after a light meal, it may signify a problem, Oloyede warned.

“If the meal is not larger than usual, it becomes a cause for concern when an individual feels sick, confused, or feeling like sleeping after eating.

“Some near medical conditions that could result to this include reactive hypoglycemia, Insulin resistance, Metabolic endotoxemia and chronic inflammation like diabetic and cardiovascular diseases,” he said.

FG issues Lassa fever alert as death toll hits 102, cases now 4,632

Health

Cleopatra Okohai

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January 10, 2022

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FG issues Lassa fever alert as death toll hits 102, cases now 4,632

With recent cases at 4,632, the Nigeria Centre for Disease on Sunday gave a fresh warning over Lassa fever cases, having recorded 102 deaths.

The Centre, in its latest advisory made available to one of Newsmen in Abuja, warned Nigerians of the possibilities of Lassa fever presenting malaria-like symptoms such as fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough among others.

On its part, the NCDC disclosed that it had sent letters to states on the dangers of Lassa fever and the symptoms to look out for.

Since, the last outbreak of the disease in 2016, the NCDC noted that there had been an increase in the number of recurring cases. In 2019, the Centre noted that a total of 796 cases were reported, while in 2020, a total of 1,165 cases were confirmed during the height of the pandemic.

But in its latest advisory and situation report, the NCDC said, “Lassa fever initially presents like any other febrile disease such as malaria. its symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pains, chest pain and in severe cases, unexplainable bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, mouth and other body openings.

“Healthcare workers should maintain a high index suspicion for Lassa fever. Any illness that has not responded to 48 hours use of anti-malaria or antibiotics should raise an index suspicion for Lassa fever

“The time between an infection and appearance of symptoms of the disease is 6 to 21 days. Early diagnosis and treatment increase the chances of survival”.

Concerning the deaths, the NCDC stated that Ondo had the highest number of deaths reporting no fewer than 47 deaths, Edo reported 15 deaths, Bauchi 12; Taraba 12; Ebonyi 9; Kaduna 4; Enugu 1 and Nasarawa with two deaths respectively.”

The NCDC gave the number of cases and the respective states as follows, “Edo 2,725; Ondo 1,006; Bauchi 164; Ebonyi 143; Nassarawa 79; Taraba 72; FCT 59; Kaduna 53; Delta 50; Plateau 42; Benue 34; Kano 24 Gombe 22; Kogi 17; Lagos 16; Borno 15; Enugu 14.

Others include Jigawa 12; Abia 11; Anambra 10; Rivers 10; Imo 9; Adamawa 8; Kwara 4; Yobe four; Oyo four; Cross River four; Bayelsa three; Sokoto three; Ekiti three; Ogun three; Osun three; Katsina two; Kebbi two; Niger one and Zamfara one.

The NCDC stated that “Confirmed cases are treated at identified treatment Centres across the country, Lassa fever alert letter sent to states, response team have been deployed to three states.

The NCDC also added that” The five Lassa fever molecular laboratories in the NCDC network are working full capacity to ensure that all samples are tested and results provided within the shortest turnaround time.”

Uganda Schools Finally Reopens Almost 2 Years After Closure

Education

Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 10, 2022

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Uganda Schools Finally Reopens Almost 2 Years After Closure

Schools in Uganda have fully reopened this morning, ending the world’s longest school closure after a gap of nearly two years.

Some 15 million pupils have not attended school in Uganda since March 2020 when classrooms were shuttered as a result of the pandemic.

Uganda’s Education Minister, John Muyingo said all students would automatically resume classes a year above where they left off.

“All schools have implemented guidelines and standard operating procedures to ensure the safe return of children to schools, and measures have been put in place to ensure those who don’t comply do so”.

Muyingo said any private schools demanding fees above pre-pandemic rates would be sanctioned.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni lifted the bulk of COVID-19-related restrictions in the country in September last year, but he left schools shuttered.

He announced in October last year that schools would reopen early next year regardless of the vaccination uptake.

The rush to return children to school clogged traffic in the capital Kampala on Monday.

Child rights groups had criticised Uganda’s decision to keep schools fully or partially shuttered for 83 weeks, longer than anywhere else in the world.

Australian Open: Djokovic Wins Court Case, Australian Judge Orders Release From Detention

Sports

Emenike Agu

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January 10, 2022

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Australian Open: Djokovic Wins Court Case, Australian Judge Orders Release From Detention

An Australian judge ruled on Monday (Jan 10) that Novak Djokovic be released from immigration detention, finding the government’s decision to revoke the tennis star’s visa to enter the country was “unreasonable”.

Judge Anthony Kelly ordered Djokovic be released within 30 minutes and his passport and other travel documents returned to him, rekindling the world No. 1’s chance to win a record 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, which starts next Monday.

However, lawyers for the federal government told the court the country’s immigration minister was reserving the right to exercise his personal power to again revoke Djokovich’s visa.

Djokovic, 34, has been held in a an immigration detention hotel alongside long yrtm asylum seeker detainees since Thursday . He was permitted to attend his lawyers’ chambers for the virtual hearings but has not been seen in public since he arrived in Australia.

His lawyers argued that a recent Covid – 19 infection qualified Djokovich for the medical exemption from a requirement for non-Australian citizens entering the country to be double vaccinated.

The Australian government, however, said non-citizens had no right of guaranteed entry to Australia, questioned his claimed exemption and stressed that even if Djokovic wins the court action, it reserved the right to detain him again and remove him from the country.

A government lawyer warned Australia may yet use ministerial powers to order Djokovic’s removal from the country, which would result in him being banned for three years.

With the Australian government facing a humiliating and high profile defeat, lawyer Christopher Tran informed the judge that immigration minister Alex Hawke may step in with executive powers.

“I’m instructed (the minister) will consider whether to exercise a personal power of cancellation,” he said.

After confirming that such a step, if taken, would bar Djokovic from the country for three years, Kelly warned the government lawyers that “the stakes have now risen, rather than receded.”

Hawke’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Kelly said he had quashed the government decision to cancel Djokovic’s visa because the player was not given enough time to speak to tennis organisers and lawyers to respond fully after he was notified of the intent to cancel his visa.

Kelly noted that officials at Melbourne’s airport made the player switch off his phone from midnight to around 7.42am local time, when the decision to cancel his visa was made.

Officials also reneged on an agreement to give Djokovic until 8.30am to speak to tournament organiser Tennis Australia and lawyers, the judge said.

Djokovic was instead woken up by officials at around 6am after a brief rest and said he felt pressured to respond.

The player, a long-term vocal opponent of mandatory vaccination, told border officials he was unvaccinated and had had Covid-19 twice, according to a transcript of the interview.

Kelly earlier told the court it appeared Djokovic had sought and received the required medical exemption from Covid-19 vaccination on the basis that he had contracted the virus last month. He had presented evidence of this before he travelled to Melbourne and when he landed last Wednesday evening (Jan 5).

“What more could this man have done?” Kelly said.

Kelly’s ruling did not directly address the issue of whether the exemption on the grounds of an infection in the past six months was valid, which the government had disputed.

Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said earlier that his organisation had spoken with federal and state officials for months to ensure the safe passage of players.

Tennis Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It was not immediately clear if the ruling would affect Czech player Renata Voracova, who was detained in the same hotel as Djokovic after having her visa revoked after issues with her vaccine exemption.

Voracova left the country on Friday without challenging her status, the Czech Foreign Ministry said.

Djokovic’s case had caused anger in Australia, where more than 90 per cent of the adult population is double vaccinated and public opinion has been largely against the player.

Emotions run particularly high in Melbourne, which experienced the world’s longest cumulative lockdown.

The country’s Covid-19 cases surpassed one million on Monday (Jan 10), with more than half of them recorded in the past week, driving up hospitalisation numbers, straining supply chains and overloading testing facilities.

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd accused current leader Scott Morrison’s centre-right coalition government of bungling the situation.

“Total incompetence! If they seriously didn’t want him, why on earth did they give him a visa to fly here?” Rudd said. “This was conceived as one giant distraction strategy when out in the real world people can’t get tested.”

The saga kicked off when Djokovic posted a photo of himself leaning on his luggage on Instagram last Tuesday (Jan 4), telling the world he was headed to Australia to compete in the Open with a vaccination exemption.

Photographs published on social media showed him appearing at public functions in Serbia in the days after he tested positive on Dec 16. It was not clear if Djokovic knew of his positive test at the time.

FG Unveil Details of N75000 Stipend for Education Students

Education

Rhoda Onuzulike

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January 10, 2022

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FG Unveil Details of N75000 Stipend for Education Students

The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has said the details of the N75,000 semester allowance promised by President Muhammadu Buhari to students of education in federal universities and federal colleges of education will be out this month.

The council stated that letters had already been written and the Ministry of Education was working with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in that regard.

The registrar of TRCN, Professor Josiah Ajiboye, disclosed this on Wednesday, December 29.

Ajiboye said the ministers involved have prepared the letters and they are working alongside with TETFund.

“All the necessary things have been done; the details will be unveiled in January.”

President Buhari had during the 2021 World Teachers’ Day announced his administration’s plan to make the teaching profession lucrative and ensure that teachers were adequately trained.