100 women with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF), had successful operation as the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and the Borno State Government flagged off Free Fistula Repair Campaign Project (FFRCP) in Maiduguri Tuesday.
The wife of the Borno State Governor, Dr. Falmata Zulum, flagged off the ceremony at the Conference Hall, State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri.
Zulum, who was represented by Commissioner for Health, Mrs. Juliana Bitrus, thanked the NEDC and other development partners for complimenting the efforts of the Borno State Government towards the provision of health care services to its people.
Bitrus said the women had their Fistula repairs in successful corrective surgeries at the State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri.
“This intervention is timely, as most women who are vulnerable due to activities of insurgency and the persistent poverty, which has caused a lot of women to fall victims to VVF, would benefit from the corrective surgery project.” She stated
She appealed to the beneficiaries to stay away from sexual intercourse in the next one year to enable them to have total healing.
The NEDC Board Chairman, Major General Paul Tarfa (rtd.), who was represented by the Board member North-West zone, Hajiya Asmau Muhammadu said: “Statistics indicate that there are about 250,000 women awaiting repair in Nigeria, out of which only 3,000 are fortunate to be attended to annually.
“12,000 new cases develop every year with a large number coming from the North-East due to the insecurity and increased poverty, which further hindered access to health care.”
“It is, therefore, important that all efforts are made to bring succour to these vulnerable groups of women to enable them to pick the pieces of their lives, by offering them a new lease for meaningful existence within their respective communities,” he stated.
Tarfa went on to note that it was unfortunate that women who experienced obstetric fistula suffer dejection from members of society.
The chances of Nigeria winning medals at the Tokyo Olympics has been dealt a big blow with the declaration of 10 of the country’s athletes as ineligible to compete.
A statement on Wednesday from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), an independent body created by World Athletics that manages all integrity issues – both doping and non-doping – revealed that a total of 18 athletes have been declared ineligible.
Nigeria is the most affected country, not meeting the minimum testing requirements under Rule 15 for 10 athletes.
The AIU explained that under the framework of Rule 15 governing National Federation Anti-Doping Obligations, which came into force in January 2019, National Federations are accountable for ensuring appropriate anti-doping measures are in place in their respective jurisdictions.
Among other things, the rule sets out minimum requirements for testing for the national teams of ‘Category A’ federations deemed to have the highest doping risk and considered as a threat to the overall integrity of the sport.
The key requirement in Rule 15 is that an athlete from a ‘Category A’ country must undergo at least three no-notice out-of-competition tests (urine and blood) conducted no less than three weeks apart in the 10 months leading up to a major event.
Only then do they become eligible to represent their national team at the World Athletics Championships or the Olympic Games.
For the year 2021, the seven identified ‘Category A’ National Federations are Belarus, Bahrain, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and Ukraine.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria, which has been plunged into needless crises in the last 14 months is, thus, highly culpable in this development.
12 Top Nigerian Athletes Cleared and Eligible to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
•The Integrity unit of World Athletics has cleared 12 Nigerian athletes as eligible to participate fully at the Tokyo Olympics.These athletes are Blessing Okagbare, Ese Brume, Tobi Amusan, Divine Oduduru, Nwokocha Grace, Patience Okon George, Enoch Adegoke,Imaobong Nse Uko, Itsekiri Usheoritee, Enekwechi chuckwuebuka, Emmanuel Ojeli and Samson Nathaniel.
Reigning Nigeria sprint queen and 100/200m record holder, Blessing Okagbare tops the list of 12 athletes the Athletics Integrity Unit has cleared to compete in the athletics event of the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics which begins on Friday. Okagbare who is making her fourth appearance at the games will be competing in the women’s 100m heat on Friday. Also cleared to contest are sprint hurdler, Tobiloba Amusan who is ranked number four in the 100m hurdles; long jumper Ese Brume who tops the world list in her event coming to the games and Grace Nwokocha, the home-based sensation who clocked 11.09 seconds in March at the MOC Grand Prix in Lagos to seal her qualification for the Tokyo Games.
Others are the trio of Divine Oduduru, Enoch Adegoke and Ushoritse Itshekiri who will be competing in the men’s 100m while Oduduru will also race in the 200m, an event he holds the national record of 19.73 seconds which he set two years ago in Austin, Texas in the USA to win the NCAA gold.
Shot putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi who made it to the event’s final at the World Athletics Championship in Doha, Qatar in 2019 is also cleared to compete. The 4x400m mixed relay quartet of Imaobong Nse Uko, Patience Okon-George, Nataniel Samson and Ifeanyi Ojeli are also cleared to compete and will be in action on Friday in the first semifinal heat.
Prince Adeniyi Adisa Beyioku, Secretary General of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria says the athletes are in good spirits as they are determined to return Nigeria to the podium for the first time since 2008 when Okagbare and the women’s 4x100m won Nigeria’s last medals in track and field.
Beyioku is happy the 12 athletes have been cleared to compete and assured that the federation will continue to be the goose that lays Team Nigeria’s golden eggs at the Olympics.
Athletics accounts for 13 of the 25 medals won by the country at the games and two of the three gold medals.
t has only been seven days since the opening of the Tokyo Olympic Games but already athletes are starting their return trips as strict Covid-19 measures in Japan forbid any extended stays to soak up more of the Games atmosphere.
Teams normally stay on for a few days after their events have ended to take in the closing ceremony celebrations, watch other sports and party with other athletes.
This time, however, stringent health measures are forcing a quick return home well before the end of the July 23-Aug 8 sports extravaganza.
Athletes must arrive no earlier than five days before their competition starts and fly back within 48 hours of completing their sports to minimise the risk of infection and the spread of the virus among the local population.
Australia’s softball team departed for Sydney on Wednesday (July 28), as part of the first group of team Australia’s athletes to leave Tokyo, and will go into a 14-day quarantine back home.
“While the team is vaccinated and have been tested every day while at the Games, like every returning Australian, they will remain in quarantine for 14 days and will undergo regular testing,” said Australian Olympic Committee Chief Executive Matt Carroll.
“The team return and quarantine has been an integral part of our planning for these Games.”
By next weekend, some 250 Australian athletes and officials of a team of more than 850 will be back home.
For German kayak gold medallist Ricarda Funk, who is leaving on Thursday, the Games were a huge success but she barely had time to soak up the atmosphere at the athletes’ village, usually known for its active social life as more than 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries live there.
Funk said: “It’s definitely sad because these are my first Olympic Games and I really wanted to enjoy the Olympic Village and the Olympic feeling a bit more.
“Especially because in the first days I was focusing on the competition and I couldn’t really relax. So in my last day here I’m trying to really take it all in.”
Athletics, the biggest sport at the Games in terms of the number of athletes taking part, does not start until Friday.
Olympic host city Tokyo recorded 3,177 new coronavirus on Wednesday, authorities announced, hitting a daily record high for a second straight day as a spike in infections puts pressure on hospitals.
The Games were postponed last year due to the pandemic and opinion polls have consistently shown that the majority of Japanese are against holding the Games during the pandemic.
Two time African champions Enyimba International F.C of Aba has risen in stout defence of Captain Austin Oladapo who was recently suspended for twelve months by Confederation of African Football CAF over doping alleged doping offense.
In a statement signed by veteran administrator, NFF Board Member and club chairman Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu and made available to LN247.News,the people’s elephant said Captain Oladapo is a thoroughbred professional who strongly upholds and abides by the club’s high standard at all times.
According to the letter from CAF to Enyimba on the issue, Oladapo’s urine sample, taken after the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final first leg against Pyramids FC on May 16, 2021, tested positive for the banned substance Prednisolone.
Chief Anyansi in the statement,said Enyimba as a club, maintains strict code of conduct that shows zero tolerance to hard drugs or any banned substance hence there has never been any record of a positive doping test for any of our players, either in the domestic or international competitions.
He said the club will appeal the suspension order on Oladapo.
Here is a full text of the Chief Anyansi’s satatement
Club Statement on Austin Oladapo Doping Case
We received a letter from the Confederation of African Football informing us that our player, Austin Oladapo, has been suspended for twelve months for failing a doping test.
According to the letter, as well as previous correspondences on the issue, Oladapo’s urine sample, taken after the CAF Confederation Cup quarter-final first leg against Pyramids FC on May 16, 2021, tested positive for the banned substance Prednisolone.
While we have been given the option to appeal the decision, it is pertinent to first clarify that as a club, we have a strict code of conduct that shows zero tolerance to hard drugs or any banned substance. That is why there had never been any record of a positive doping test for any of our players, either in the domestic or international competitions.
It is also important to state that the player in question is a true professional who strongly upholds and has always abided by the high standards of our club; and it was for this reason, alongside his exceptional leadership on and off the pitch, that he was chosen as captain of our team.
We are therefore convinced that a player who over his four years with us has shown such an exemplary level of moral and professional discipline could not have knowingly taken the said substance.
Also worthy of note is the fact the player has had a clean doping record having been subjected to tests on previous occasions in CAF Competitions – CARA Brazzaville vs Enyimba (2018) and the 2018 CHAN in Morocco. On both occasions, the tests returned negative.
As we already pointed out in our communication to CAF, Oladapo, before the game against Pyramids, had been on preventive covid-specific treatment after being diagnosed with malaria with bronchitis. It was indicated in his medical report, which was also attached to our letter to CAF, that “some of the treatments given in this regard are steroidal and could reveal prednisolone in his tribe sample test.”
Although we have not been made aware of the percentage of the substance concentration in his urine, we believe that any trace of it would have resulted from the prescribed medication.
In following this matter, Enyimba FC will consider all available options, but will in the meantime continue to stand with and defend our star midfielder who, over the years, has shown exceptional discipline and character worthy of our revered captain’s armband.
Legendary Nigerian singer, Bright Chimezie, is ecstatic at the moment as one of his sons has graduated from law school.
Taking to social media, the veteran singer wrote, “Today I celebrate my son, confidant, friend and legal adviser, Barrister Chukwudi B. Chimezie Esq. LLB; as he is being sworn in as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the 29th of July, 2021. Son, you dreamt, prayed and worked for it and God finally crowned your efforts. Keep dreaming and the sky will definitely be your starting point. To God be the glory.”
The veteran singer was born on October 1, 1960, and hails from Abia State. His music style became known as Zigima Sound — a genre which became popular in the Eastern part of Nigeria in the early 1980s.
The genre is a mix of traditional Nigerian music and Igbo highlife infused with chanted vocals. Bright Chimezie used it to revolutionise the musical structure in Nigeria with lyrics that focused on the social issues of the country in a rather funny way.
He made songs like ‘Ube Nwanne’, ‘because of English’, ‘African style’, among others. His album, Respect Africa, brought him to the limelight as he used these songs to ridicule problems in society.
Chimezie is also known for his dance steps, popularly known as legwork. His stylish way of mixing excellent steps and a warning chant gave him the title ‘the duke of African music’.
The large slice of cake icing and marzipan base from one of the 23 official wedding cakes features a sugared onlay of the Royal coat-of-arms coloured in gold, red, blue, and silver.
It was given to Moyra Smith, a member of the Queen Mother’s household at Clarence House, who preserved the topping with cling film.
She kept it in an old floral cake tin and taped a handmade label to the lid, reading: “Handle with Care – Prince Charles & Princess Diane’s (sic) Wedding Cake” which she signed and dated 29/7/81.
Mrs Smith’s family sold the cake in 2008 to a collector, but it has come up for auction once again, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer’s wedding.
Chris Albury, auctioneer and senior valuer at Dominic Winter Auctioneers in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, said: “It appears to be in exactly the same good condition as when originally sold, but we advise against eating it.”
It is expected to fetch between £300 and £500 when it goes under the hammer along with an order of service, ceremonial details and a royal wedding breakfast programme.
The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer took place on Wednesday 29 July 1981[1] at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, United Kingdom.
Their marriage was widely billed as a “fairytale wedding” and the “wedding of the century”. It was watched by an estimated global TV audience of 750 million people.
Events were held around the Commonwealth to mark the wedding. Many street parties were held throughout the United Kingdom to celebrate the occasion. The couple separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996 after fifteen years of marriage.
President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to increase the budget for the education sector in Nigeria by as much as 50 percent over the next two years.
The president made the commitment in a document titled, ‘Heads of State Call to Action on Education Financing’ ahead of the global education summit, signed as a form of commitment at the on-going summit in London, United Kingdom.
The Nigerian president also joined the president of the republic of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta to reaffirm the commitment to improve learning outcomes in both countries.
President Buhari stated that this would be done by ensuring equitable access to quality and inclusive education for all our citizens, with particular emphasis on the girl child while calling for solidarity in building a more secure and prosperous future for children.
The summit which is being co-hosted by the prime minister of UK Boris Johnson and the president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta seeks to give opportunity for leaders to make 5-year pledges that will help transform education systems in up to 90 countries and territories across the world.
Kenyan wildlife authorities say they have captured a lion that had wandered into a residential area in a town south of the capital Nairobi.
The Kenya Wildlife Service said on its Twitter account that a sub-adult male lion was spotted stuck between a concrete wall and iron sheets in Ongata Rongai area.
The body said members of the public alerted them of the lion’s presence in the morning, prompting the authority to send rangers and veterinarians to the site.
It added that the lion was successfully darted, immobilised and safely transferred to the (KWS) veterinary facility for observation collaring before being released back to the park
Videos posted on the KWS Twitter account showed its personnel wrapping the tranquilised lion in a canvas sheet and loading it onto a vehicle to be moved away from the residential area.
Human settlements have long been encroaching on the Nairobi National Park, Africa’s only game reserve within a capital city.
The park has been fenced in on three sides as towns grow around it.
Outside its unfenced southern side, there is a favoured refuge for breeding lions. Animals often pass through to make their way to larger parks beyond.
There are about 2,000 lions left in the whole of Kenya.
Conservationists say a new road and railway passing through the park were affecting animal behaviour and leading more big cats to try to escape in search of quieter hunting grounds.
Senior U.S. and Russian officials on Wednesday restarted talks on easing tensions between the world’s largest nuclear weapons powers and agreed to reconvene in September after informal consultations, according to the State Department.
TASS news agency cited Ryabkov as saying he was satisfied with the consultations and that the United States showed readiness for a constructive dialogue at the talks.
Armed with mandates from their leaders, it was the first time in nearly a year that the sides had held so-called strategic stability talks amid frictions over a range of issues, including arms control.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose countries hold 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons, agreed in June to launch a bilateral dialogue on strategic stability to “lay the groundwork for future arms control and risk reduction measures.
After informal consultations to determine topics for expert working groups in the next round, the two sides agreed to reconvene in late September, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
Calling the discussions professional and substantive, he said the U.S. side discussed its policy priorities, the current international security environment, the prospects for new nuclear arms control and the format for further talks.
The decision to meet again showed the sides understand the need to resolve arms control disputes, a senior State Department official said, that have seen an end to several Cold War-era treaties, including one that limited intermediate-range missiles.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the use of 1,495 members of the military to help neighbour Mozambique fight an Islamic State-linked insurgency.
The use of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comes after southern African regional bloc SADC last month approved the deployment of troops to Mozambique to combat a conflict which began in 2017 and has killed thousands.
Ramaphosa said the SANDF personnel would be used between July 15 and Oct. 15 at an expected cost of 984 million rand ($66.3 million), according to a letter sent to the speaker of parliament.
In the letter, Ramaphosa referred specifically to authorising the employment of SANDF members and did not spell out how many of those would be soldiers deployed on Mozambican soil.
The conflict in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province has displaced hundreds of thousands and brought a natural gas project led by French energy company Total Energies to a grinding halt.
At the time SADC nations authorised the deployment of the bloc’s standby force, they did not say how many troops would be involved.
Ramaphosa’s letter said South Africa’s military would help Mozambique combat “acts of terrorism and violent extremists that affected the area of Cabo Delgado”.
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