Living in fear
By
Abdullahi Dahiru
Nigerian society is recently experiencing deterioration in security situation in the country leading to proliferation of some criminal activities that were not common in the society.
Some of these criminal activities include high profile murders of prominent personalities and common people, kidnappings in demand of ransom, armed robbery, ritual killings and ethno-religious conflicts.
Recently, I read a story in one of the national dailies of a man butchering his father with an axe to death, and another frightening and absurd one in which a man killed his own wife and son. Several politicians, journalists and high ranking government officials have been murdered without the perpetrators been identified and punished.
Ritual killings have also become rampant in many parts of Nigeria. Young children and sometimes even adults are killed and parts of their body like the eyes, tongue and genitalia used for ritual purposes.
I recently managed a case of a 10 year girl who was abducted by unknown stranger in front of their house and was found by a Good Samaritan raped and abandoned by the abductor. Sometimes even toddlers are raped by adults; and some of them become infected with diseases like HIV and hepatitis or even lose their lives in the process. The father of the girl later told me that he now live in perpetual fear because he is afraid that the girl or his 2 other young daughters may be abducted and raped again.
We all now live in fear like the father of this poor girl because we are afraid of what may happen to us. We live in fear of armed robbers attacking us in our own houses in the night. Politicians, wealthy businessmen and high ranking public officials, and their relations are afraid of being kidnapped in demand of ransom. Travellers on dilapidated Nigerian roads are also afraid of falling victims of armed robbery attack or loosing their lives to road traffic accidents, because the roads have become death traps where thousands lose their lives annually.
We also live in fear of ethno-religious and civil disturbances. Several Nigerians have lost their lives and their properties looted or destroyed due to ethno-religious conflicts that have become common because of increasing intolerance and deep-seated hatred among Nigerians .A minor misunderstanding or altercation between 2 people of different ethnic or religious belief can lead to loss of several lives and properties.
I believe these criminal activities continue to happen because of deteriorating security situation in the country; and also because the perpetrators of these heinous crimes are not usually identified and punished. When ethno-religious crisis occur for example, probe panels are constituted by governments; the recommendations of the panels are not utilized and the perpetrators go scot-free.
Government should ensure that the security agencies are empowered to pre-empt and prevent the occurrence of some of these atrocities like the ethno-religious conflicts because mostly there are security reports indicating possibility of occurrence of these conflicts which are not utilized to prevent their occurrence. Perpetrators of all these criminal activities should be identified and punished to serve as a deterrent to other people. Dilapidated roads should also be repaired to reduce the carnage on our roads. Nigerians should also have the courage to free their minds from deep-seated hatred, animosity, excessive greed and avarice; menaces that have shackled the country for several years.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Mid-term assessment of Yar'adua administration
Mid-term assessment of Yar 'adua administration
By
Abdullahi Dahiru
Being a opinion submitted for publishing in African Renaissance journal.
President Umaru Musa Yar’adua was sworn in as Nigeria’s president on 29th May, 2007 to succeed Olusegun Obasanjo after an election widely regarded as flawed. The administration since its inception is therefore faced with strong challenge of credibility from the Nigerian citizens and the international community.
This challenge led the president to constitute a committee under Justice Muhammed Lawal Uwais to suggest ways of reforming the electoral process. However, one of the key recommendations of the committee that seek to transfer the power of appointing electoral commission chairman to judicial service commission was jettisoned by the government; and the government insist on appointing the electoral commission chairman. There is also not much enthusiasm towards implementation of other recommendations of the committee. Re-run elections in several states like Ekiti were still marred by widespread rigging. Where results of election are cancelled by election tribunals and fresh elections conducted, the ruling party wins in majority of the states.
One of the cardinal programmes of the administration is the vision 20:2020 which aims to make Nigeria to be among the 20th most industrialized nations by the year 2020. However, apart from repeating the same mantra time and again by government officials, there is nothing on the ground to suggest implementation of programmes aimed at achieving that objective. The promise of generating 6000MW of electricity before the end of 2009 remains illusive. The administration has also not taken concrete step to repair the dilapidated transport system. Nigerians are daily losing their lives in road traffic accidents.
The administration has also promised to respect rule of law and fight corruption. But less than one year from its inception, the erstwhile chairman of Economic and Financial crimes Commission [EFCC], Mr Nuhu Ribadu was posted in a controversial circumstance for a course at National institute of policy and strategic Studies [NIPSS] and replaced by Mrs Farida Waziri. Mr Ribadu was later dismissed from the Nigeria Police on charges of insubordination. The removal of Mr Ribadu and subsequent dismissal from the Nigeria Police has made many people sceptical about the administration’s commitment to fighting corruption.
Industrial actions by several workers unions in demand for salary increment have become incessant since inception of the administration. Academic staffs of Nigerian universities have been on strike for 4 months now leading to suspension of academic activities in most universities. However, the President visited Saudi Arabia to grace the occasion of opening a university when the nation’s universities remain closed due to strike action by university lecturers.
Foreign relations has not been given much importance by the Yar’adua administration as the President was absent at this year’s United Nations summit, a summit he should have attended but decided to visit Saudi Arabia instead.
The nation is also facing serious security challenges like kidnappings in demand of ransom, armed robbery and religious crisis like the recent Boko haram crisis in Northern Nigeria.
With all the problems bedevilling the administration, I believe President Yar’adua has taken some steps to address the lingering militant actions in the Niger delta by declaring an amnesty to the militants. Thousands have accepted the amnesty and surrendered their arms.
The recent sanitization of the banking sector by the central bank governor is also a positive step in improving the nation’s economy. The EFCC was able to recover over N 100billion from the non performing loans granted by several banks.
I believe the administration has performed below expectation of most Nigerians because it has failed to address much of the problems bedevilling the nation; but we expect the administration to make an improvement before the next general election in 2011.
The administration should implement all the recommendations of the Uwais panel because that is the first step that will reform the electoral process and ensure that the nation conducts a free and fair election in 2011 and subsequent elections. Steps should also be taken to improve power generation and repair critical infrastructure like roads and railways. Government should also try and resolve the lingering industrial action by university lecturers and all other unions and prevent future occurrence of similar strike actions. The government should also improve security situation in the whole country. It should also give more emphasis to foreign relations and better collaboration with International community.
It is our expectation that the election of 2011 will give Nigerians the opportunity to elect the people that will lead them, not an election that will be marred by rigging and violence.
By
Abdullahi Dahiru
Being a opinion submitted for publishing in African Renaissance journal.
President Umaru Musa Yar’adua was sworn in as Nigeria’s president on 29th May, 2007 to succeed Olusegun Obasanjo after an election widely regarded as flawed. The administration since its inception is therefore faced with strong challenge of credibility from the Nigerian citizens and the international community.
This challenge led the president to constitute a committee under Justice Muhammed Lawal Uwais to suggest ways of reforming the electoral process. However, one of the key recommendations of the committee that seek to transfer the power of appointing electoral commission chairman to judicial service commission was jettisoned by the government; and the government insist on appointing the electoral commission chairman. There is also not much enthusiasm towards implementation of other recommendations of the committee. Re-run elections in several states like Ekiti were still marred by widespread rigging. Where results of election are cancelled by election tribunals and fresh elections conducted, the ruling party wins in majority of the states.
One of the cardinal programmes of the administration is the vision 20:2020 which aims to make Nigeria to be among the 20th most industrialized nations by the year 2020. However, apart from repeating the same mantra time and again by government officials, there is nothing on the ground to suggest implementation of programmes aimed at achieving that objective. The promise of generating 6000MW of electricity before the end of 2009 remains illusive. The administration has also not taken concrete step to repair the dilapidated transport system. Nigerians are daily losing their lives in road traffic accidents.
The administration has also promised to respect rule of law and fight corruption. But less than one year from its inception, the erstwhile chairman of Economic and Financial crimes Commission [EFCC], Mr Nuhu Ribadu was posted in a controversial circumstance for a course at National institute of policy and strategic Studies [NIPSS] and replaced by Mrs Farida Waziri. Mr Ribadu was later dismissed from the Nigeria Police on charges of insubordination. The removal of Mr Ribadu and subsequent dismissal from the Nigeria Police has made many people sceptical about the administration’s commitment to fighting corruption.
Industrial actions by several workers unions in demand for salary increment have become incessant since inception of the administration. Academic staffs of Nigerian universities have been on strike for 4 months now leading to suspension of academic activities in most universities. However, the President visited Saudi Arabia to grace the occasion of opening a university when the nation’s universities remain closed due to strike action by university lecturers.
Foreign relations has not been given much importance by the Yar’adua administration as the President was absent at this year’s United Nations summit, a summit he should have attended but decided to visit Saudi Arabia instead.
The nation is also facing serious security challenges like kidnappings in demand of ransom, armed robbery and religious crisis like the recent Boko haram crisis in Northern Nigeria.
With all the problems bedevilling the administration, I believe President Yar’adua has taken some steps to address the lingering militant actions in the Niger delta by declaring an amnesty to the militants. Thousands have accepted the amnesty and surrendered their arms.
The recent sanitization of the banking sector by the central bank governor is also a positive step in improving the nation’s economy. The EFCC was able to recover over N 100billion from the non performing loans granted by several banks.
I believe the administration has performed below expectation of most Nigerians because it has failed to address much of the problems bedevilling the nation; but we expect the administration to make an improvement before the next general election in 2011.
The administration should implement all the recommendations of the Uwais panel because that is the first step that will reform the electoral process and ensure that the nation conducts a free and fair election in 2011 and subsequent elections. Steps should also be taken to improve power generation and repair critical infrastructure like roads and railways. Government should also try and resolve the lingering industrial action by university lecturers and all other unions and prevent future occurrence of similar strike actions. The government should also improve security situation in the whole country. It should also give more emphasis to foreign relations and better collaboration with International community.
It is our expectation that the election of 2011 will give Nigerians the opportunity to elect the people that will lead them, not an election that will be marred by rigging and violence.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
A new representation of the origins of inhabitants of Hausa cities of Kano and Zaria
A new representation of the origins of inhabitants of Hausa cities of Kano and Zaria
By
Abdullahi Dahiru
A fictional response to Ibraheem Waziri’s essay “The break through”
Royal Journal of Humanities,London
01/08/2052
A team of professional forensic scientists, archaeologists, medical scientists, excavators and anthropologists led by Professor Abdullahi el Kanawiy, a Nobel prize winner, and professor of African history and Egyptology from Madabo Metropolitan University, Kano, working with other scientists from the International Institute of African history, London has presented a paper in Arewa House Kaduna titled “A new representation of the origins of the Inhabitants of the Hausa cities of Kano and Zaria” in which he reviewed past works especially that of Professor Umar El Zakzaky el Bahausiy. He analysed the same fossils excavated by Professor Elzakzaky and his team and also excavated new fossils from some sites in Kano and Zaria and concluded that the inhabitants of Hausa city of Kano descended from known saints, sharifai and reknown scholars. This finding has refuted the earlier claim of Professor El Zakzaky that the pharaoh of Egypt during the time of Prophet Moses originated from the ancient city of Kano and the traits of the Pharaoh is what is reminiscent in the genes of Kano people.
Professor of el Kanawiy and his team have used an ultramodern ultrasound to scan some of the fossils discovered close to renowned cemeteries in Kano; Turunku and Zaria city and subjected them also to DNA analysis. The result proved that the traits of most of the people of Kano are those of sharifai “descendants of the holy prophet”, those of known Wangarawa preachers and those of descendants of known Kano saints. The genes of Zaria people however resemble those of the Gwari and Igala tribes.
The above findings did not come as a surprise to most scientists since it is known that renowned descendant of the Prophet; Sheikh Al-Magili came to Kano during the reign of Sarkin Kano Rumfa. According to historians, Sheikh Al-Magili had a dream while in Medina in which he was instructed by the holy prophet to come westwards and spread Islam. Al-Magili took the sample of the soil in Medina and tied it in a handkerchief. He use to match it with the soil of any town he visited till he reached Kano and cross matched the Kano soil with that of Medina and found out that they are similar. He settled in Kano and had many descendents. The finding of traits of the Wangarawa was also not surprising since their delegation led by Sheikh Abdulrahman Zaite in company of scholars like Modibbo Sheshe, Mandawari, Limamin Madatai and Limamin Jujin ‘yan labo came to Kano during the reign of Sarki Yaji. These Wangarawa scholars settled in Kano and have several descendents now. The researchers were also not surprised to find some of the traits to be compatible to those of known Saints because Kano had many saints; in fact most of them were buried in Wali Maigiginya and Goron Dutse cemeteries.
Professor el kanawiy added “It is not surprising that Kano people are very intelligent since we know that they have inherited the genes of these great sharifai , saints and renowned Islamic scholars”
He also said “It is wrong to link the origin of the pharaoh to Kano since the mummified body of Merneptah,son of Ramesses ll, the pharaoh of the exodus was discovered by Loret in 1898 at Thebes in the King’s valley and was later transported to Cairo, and the genes from the mummy resemble those of Egyptians not Kano people”.
“Genetic link of Zaria with Gwari did not come to us as a surprise since it is known that their Hausa is not fluent and resemble that of Gwari” remarked Professor El kanawiy and went further to say “that their link with Igala is not a surprise since we know that Queen Amina went for expedition in Igalaland and was killed there and many of her soldiers may have marry from Igala tribe or have captured some concubines from Igalaland.
This research has affirm earlier works by Alhaji Abubakar Dokaji renowned author of “kano ta Dabo cigari” and other workers in Bayero university kano. The findings also did not come as a surprise to Kano people since they believe that the prayers from these known saints and scholars has contributed in making their city prosper in education, business and other endeavours.
Zaria Emirate is disturbed that the result will vindicate earlier claims by several academics that the research by Professor el Zakzaky el Bahaushiy is a fabrication and that the professor wrote in deference to the wishes of his Zaria kinsmen who want a valid reason to continue to be accepted for marriage by beautiful Kano girls. The Professor is presently facing an audit panel to ascertain how he plagiarized other people’s academic publications to be appointed a professor. Renowned Zaria people including their kinsmen in Abuja [renamed Suleja] have been summoned to assist Professor El Zakzaky to avoid being humiliated by the university community and the International academia. Daily Mail newspaper reliably confirmed that Professor El Zakazaky is under pressure from prominent Zaria indigenes to resign his position to avoid further embarrassment to Zaria people.
Prominent Kano indigenes have called on their people to continue their generosity of marrying off their daughters to any suitable Bazazzagi, not minding the outcome of the research; so that they can continue to get blessings from the traits of great Kano people.
Historical links of Kano to Medina has been acknowledged by Shata thus:
Tunjimin gari mai dala da gwauron dutse
Kanon Dabo birni,
Kano madinar shata
Facts:
1] Mummified body of Merneptah,son of Ramesses ll the pharaoh of exodus was discovered by Loret in 1898 at Thebes in King’s valley.
2]Sheikh Abdulrahman Zaite and other Wangara scholars came to kano during the reign of king Yaji.
3]Sheikh Abdulkarim Al Maghili came to Kano during the reign of King Rumfa.
4]Wali Maigiginya and Goron Dutse cemeteries contain the tombs of Known saints
By
Abdullahi Dahiru
A fictional response to Ibraheem Waziri’s essay “The break through”
Royal Journal of Humanities,London
01/08/2052
A team of professional forensic scientists, archaeologists, medical scientists, excavators and anthropologists led by Professor Abdullahi el Kanawiy, a Nobel prize winner, and professor of African history and Egyptology from Madabo Metropolitan University, Kano, working with other scientists from the International Institute of African history, London has presented a paper in Arewa House Kaduna titled “A new representation of the origins of the Inhabitants of the Hausa cities of Kano and Zaria” in which he reviewed past works especially that of Professor Umar El Zakzaky el Bahausiy. He analysed the same fossils excavated by Professor Elzakzaky and his team and also excavated new fossils from some sites in Kano and Zaria and concluded that the inhabitants of Hausa city of Kano descended from known saints, sharifai and reknown scholars. This finding has refuted the earlier claim of Professor El Zakzaky that the pharaoh of Egypt during the time of Prophet Moses originated from the ancient city of Kano and the traits of the Pharaoh is what is reminiscent in the genes of Kano people.
Professor of el Kanawiy and his team have used an ultramodern ultrasound to scan some of the fossils discovered close to renowned cemeteries in Kano; Turunku and Zaria city and subjected them also to DNA analysis. The result proved that the traits of most of the people of Kano are those of sharifai “descendants of the holy prophet”, those of known Wangarawa preachers and those of descendants of known Kano saints. The genes of Zaria people however resemble those of the Gwari and Igala tribes.
The above findings did not come as a surprise to most scientists since it is known that renowned descendant of the Prophet; Sheikh Al-Magili came to Kano during the reign of Sarkin Kano Rumfa. According to historians, Sheikh Al-Magili had a dream while in Medina in which he was instructed by the holy prophet to come westwards and spread Islam. Al-Magili took the sample of the soil in Medina and tied it in a handkerchief. He use to match it with the soil of any town he visited till he reached Kano and cross matched the Kano soil with that of Medina and found out that they are similar. He settled in Kano and had many descendents. The finding of traits of the Wangarawa was also not surprising since their delegation led by Sheikh Abdulrahman Zaite in company of scholars like Modibbo Sheshe, Mandawari, Limamin Madatai and Limamin Jujin ‘yan labo came to Kano during the reign of Sarki Yaji. These Wangarawa scholars settled in Kano and have several descendents now. The researchers were also not surprised to find some of the traits to be compatible to those of known Saints because Kano had many saints; in fact most of them were buried in Wali Maigiginya and Goron Dutse cemeteries.
Professor el kanawiy added “It is not surprising that Kano people are very intelligent since we know that they have inherited the genes of these great sharifai , saints and renowned Islamic scholars”
He also said “It is wrong to link the origin of the pharaoh to Kano since the mummified body of Merneptah,son of Ramesses ll, the pharaoh of the exodus was discovered by Loret in 1898 at Thebes in the King’s valley and was later transported to Cairo, and the genes from the mummy resemble those of Egyptians not Kano people”.
“Genetic link of Zaria with Gwari did not come to us as a surprise since it is known that their Hausa is not fluent and resemble that of Gwari” remarked Professor El kanawiy and went further to say “that their link with Igala is not a surprise since we know that Queen Amina went for expedition in Igalaland and was killed there and many of her soldiers may have marry from Igala tribe or have captured some concubines from Igalaland.
This research has affirm earlier works by Alhaji Abubakar Dokaji renowned author of “kano ta Dabo cigari” and other workers in Bayero university kano. The findings also did not come as a surprise to Kano people since they believe that the prayers from these known saints and scholars has contributed in making their city prosper in education, business and other endeavours.
Zaria Emirate is disturbed that the result will vindicate earlier claims by several academics that the research by Professor el Zakzaky el Bahaushiy is a fabrication and that the professor wrote in deference to the wishes of his Zaria kinsmen who want a valid reason to continue to be accepted for marriage by beautiful Kano girls. The Professor is presently facing an audit panel to ascertain how he plagiarized other people’s academic publications to be appointed a professor. Renowned Zaria people including their kinsmen in Abuja [renamed Suleja] have been summoned to assist Professor El Zakzaky to avoid being humiliated by the university community and the International academia. Daily Mail newspaper reliably confirmed that Professor El Zakazaky is under pressure from prominent Zaria indigenes to resign his position to avoid further embarrassment to Zaria people.
Prominent Kano indigenes have called on their people to continue their generosity of marrying off their daughters to any suitable Bazazzagi, not minding the outcome of the research; so that they can continue to get blessings from the traits of great Kano people.
Historical links of Kano to Medina has been acknowledged by Shata thus:
Tunjimin gari mai dala da gwauron dutse
Kanon Dabo birni,
Kano madinar shata
Facts:
1] Mummified body of Merneptah,son of Ramesses ll the pharaoh of exodus was discovered by Loret in 1898 at Thebes in King’s valley.
2]Sheikh Abdulrahman Zaite and other Wangara scholars came to kano during the reign of king Yaji.
3]Sheikh Abdulkarim Al Maghili came to Kano during the reign of King Rumfa.
4]Wali Maigiginya and Goron Dutse cemeteries contain the tombs of Known saints
Sunday, August 23, 2009
We are all guilty
We are all guilty
By
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Nigeria is a nation bedevilled by numerous problems. It is very common for Nigerian masses to blame their leaders as the cause of the nation’s woes, little did they ponder to reflect on their contribution to the genesis of these problems.
I believe Nigeria is not a poor nation; but is a nation poorly managed by its leaders and the ordinary citizens.
The greatest problem facing Nigeria today is corruption that has became a deep-seated menace in the minds of Nigerians; it has even become a way of life to most Nigerians from top government officials, politicians down to the lowest ranking civil servant. Most of the corruption by top government official is perpetrated with the collaboration of a junior cashier who raises a bogus cheque and receives a paltry amount from the loot; oblivious of the fact that by that collaboration, he has denied his child access to quality education or good health care for his family members and his community at large.
The masses are also the greatest collaborators of politicians in election rigging, snatching of ballot boxes and thuggery during political campaigns and elections. A party delegate may be bribed to impose an incompetent candidate on the electorate or rigged an indolent legislator into office wittingly or unwittingly doing a great disservice to his community and his nation at large. Where elections are rigged the masses destroy and burn government buildings and properties in protest.
The masses are the ones that kill and destroy each others’ property during civil disturbances on trivial reasons. It doesn’t matter to them that they have lived in the same neighbourhood for a long time; as far as there is a religious or ethnic difference between them, because they don’t seem to believe that they share the same humanity with one another.
Nigerians generally do not like obeying rules and regulations; they perceive most laws as punitive. That is why most motorists will not wear seat belts while driving. They don’t view those laws as safety measures to safeguard their lives; but just something to make them uncomfortable.
The negative behaviours of our leaders are reflections of the general behaviour of our society; because the leaders have emerged from the larger Nigerian society. Our society teaches our children to respect only wealth and affluence; hence we don’t value honesty and transparency in our daily activities. Teachers and parents now even collaborate with students to cheat during examinations. Having emerged from this type of background, do we then expect our leaders to behave differently from the larger Nigerian society?
Nigerian leaders have mismanaged the resources of the nation to the extent that the country cannot provide essential services like pipe borne water, electricity, education and effective health care delivery to its citizens. The leaders continuously siphon money from the treasury because they know that their wealth and affluence determines the respect they earn from the society; it may even earn them chieftaincy titles from their communities or even an honorary degree from a university. They can sponsor their children’s education in expensive foreign schools, maintain their generators at home and afford to pay for their health care in foreign hospitals.
If truth must be told, Nigerians are all guilty; both the leaders and the ordinary citizens, because they have all contributed to the genesis of these problems. It is high time we realise that we have been doing great disservice to our nation. We should collectively change our attitudes and choose the path of progress instead of retardation.
I believe we can change the way our country is governed by collectively embracing honesty, hard work, patriotism, transparency and respect for rule of law as our values rather than respect for wealth and affluence.
DR Abdullahi Dahiru writes from Kano.
By
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Nigeria is a nation bedevilled by numerous problems. It is very common for Nigerian masses to blame their leaders as the cause of the nation’s woes, little did they ponder to reflect on their contribution to the genesis of these problems.
I believe Nigeria is not a poor nation; but is a nation poorly managed by its leaders and the ordinary citizens.
The greatest problem facing Nigeria today is corruption that has became a deep-seated menace in the minds of Nigerians; it has even become a way of life to most Nigerians from top government officials, politicians down to the lowest ranking civil servant. Most of the corruption by top government official is perpetrated with the collaboration of a junior cashier who raises a bogus cheque and receives a paltry amount from the loot; oblivious of the fact that by that collaboration, he has denied his child access to quality education or good health care for his family members and his community at large.
The masses are also the greatest collaborators of politicians in election rigging, snatching of ballot boxes and thuggery during political campaigns and elections. A party delegate may be bribed to impose an incompetent candidate on the electorate or rigged an indolent legislator into office wittingly or unwittingly doing a great disservice to his community and his nation at large. Where elections are rigged the masses destroy and burn government buildings and properties in protest.
The masses are the ones that kill and destroy each others’ property during civil disturbances on trivial reasons. It doesn’t matter to them that they have lived in the same neighbourhood for a long time; as far as there is a religious or ethnic difference between them, because they don’t seem to believe that they share the same humanity with one another.
Nigerians generally do not like obeying rules and regulations; they perceive most laws as punitive. That is why most motorists will not wear seat belts while driving. They don’t view those laws as safety measures to safeguard their lives; but just something to make them uncomfortable.
The negative behaviours of our leaders are reflections of the general behaviour of our society; because the leaders have emerged from the larger Nigerian society. Our society teaches our children to respect only wealth and affluence; hence we don’t value honesty and transparency in our daily activities. Teachers and parents now even collaborate with students to cheat during examinations. Having emerged from this type of background, do we then expect our leaders to behave differently from the larger Nigerian society?
Nigerian leaders have mismanaged the resources of the nation to the extent that the country cannot provide essential services like pipe borne water, electricity, education and effective health care delivery to its citizens. The leaders continuously siphon money from the treasury because they know that their wealth and affluence determines the respect they earn from the society; it may even earn them chieftaincy titles from their communities or even an honorary degree from a university. They can sponsor their children’s education in expensive foreign schools, maintain their generators at home and afford to pay for their health care in foreign hospitals.
If truth must be told, Nigerians are all guilty; both the leaders and the ordinary citizens, because they have all contributed to the genesis of these problems. It is high time we realise that we have been doing great disservice to our nation. We should collectively change our attitudes and choose the path of progress instead of retardation.
I believe we can change the way our country is governed by collectively embracing honesty, hard work, patriotism, transparency and respect for rule of law as our values rather than respect for wealth and affluence.
DR Abdullahi Dahiru writes from Kano.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Towards improving Nigeria's health sector
Towards improving Nigeria’s health sector
By
DR. Abdullahi Dahiru
Kano
1st May,2009
Nigeria’s health sector is today bedeviled by many problems that have lead to reduction in quality of service delivery in most health institutions.
One of the major problem is the inadequacy of health care facilities in most part of the country especially in the rural areas. We can classify the health facilities into basically 3 types i.e. public [government], private and mission health facilities. The public health facilities can be further categorized into tertiary health institutions [teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centres and specialized centres like National Orthopaedic, Eye and Psychiatric hospitals],the secondary health centres [comprises the specialist and the General hospitals],and the primary health centres [PHC]. The primary health centres manage minor ailments and refer complicated cases to secondary and tertiary health centres. The tertiary health centres are referral centres receiving referrals from secondary and primary health facilities. The PHCs and the General Hospitals mostly have dilapidated structures. Most of these centres, apart from the tertiary health centres, do not have the necessary equipment and manpower to make effective diagnosis and treatment of most ailments possible. Often a patient with minor ailment like malaria, has to seek for treatment in the tertiary health centre; a case that should have been treated at the PHC and the General Hospitals. This has lead to congestion and overcrowding in many Specialist Hospitals and tertiary health centers. Sometimes, a patient from a government health centre has to be referred to a private clinic for investigations like ultrasound scan, laboratory tests before diagnosis is made; just because the government health facility does not have that diagnostic equipment.
Most medical personnel have poor remuneration compared to their colleagues working for non governmental and private organizations. This has lead to incessant strike actions in the health sector in demand of salary increase.
The attitude of the patients or his relations towards the medical personnel has vitiated service delivery in most hospitals. The relationship between the medical personnel and patient or his relations is supposed to be of harmony and not confrontation. I have seen several instances where a minor misunderstanding between the medical personnel, and the patient relations have lead patient relations to call the medical personnel “heartless doctor” or “useless nurse”
The situation has deteriorated to a level where patient relations have caused serious havocs and wanton destruction to hospital properties like doors and windows. The patient relations sometime become furious if they are not allowed into the wards to visit their relation during working hours.
The medical personnel sometimes waste much time asking the patient questions that may not be relevant at the time of presentation to the hospital for example, why has the patient not presented early to hospital or why his wife is not attending antenatal care? This attitude has lead to several confrontations and arguments between the health personnel and the patient or his relations.
A pregnant woman may not be attending antenatal care. She went into labour without prior knowledge of what to expect during labour. A nearby local birth attendant or an elderly woman in the family is called to deliver the woman. Several manouvres may be tried at home. If she is lucky she delivers without problem. Otherwise, she presents to hospital with serious complications like obstructed labour, eclampsia or severe bleeding and management becomes complicated and difficult.
Most of the decisions taken by the medical personnel are perceived as being based on avarice and pecuniary reasons, not on professional knowledge. When a decision is taken for a patient to undergo surgery, the doctor sometimes has to make several lengthy discussions with the patient relations before consent is given .Patients usually presents to the hospital very late and consent is given at a delayed time, when not much can be done to save the patient’s life.
A bleeding patient may be accompanied to the hospital by many relations. When the relations are asked by the medical personnel to donate a single pint of blood to transfuse to the patient, many of them will disperse from the hospital. The few ones that remain will give flimsy reasons as to why they cannot donate the blood and the patient may die in the process; because most of our hospitals do not have functioning blood banks.
The prevailing economic hardship in the country has made many patients not able to pay the hospital fees. Consider a situation where the parents of a child with severe malnutrition are asked to deposit N5000 before being admitted to a paediatric emergency unit. We all know that the parents may not be able to pay this sum of money, because ab initio poverty may have contributed to the development of the ailment.
The cumulative effect of all the factors I have mentioned above has lead to resignation of many medical personnel from their appointment with public health institutions in Nigeria in search for better opportunities either in western countries and the Middle East, or joining international Non Governmental Organisations [NGOs].
This has set in a dangerous vicious cycle of resignation of medical personnel from government hospitals, leading to more congestion and work overload, and further resignation of more medical personnel. Most public hospitals are now becoming more understaffed everyday thereby reducing the quality of service delivery in most government health centres.
We should not forget the huge contribution of the traditional healers to mortality and morbidity in our hospitals. They use many medical jargons to cajole gullible client’s to buy their medications. They make advertisements on radio, television, newspapers, and in many streets of most towns in Nigeria. They can make whimsical claims of curing many ailments like diabetes, hypertension, impotence, pile etc. We know that many of these on concoctions are toxic to vital organs like the liver and kidneys. Equally harmful, is the practice of hawking orthodox drugs by illiterates in baskets under the blazing sun. It is customary for many patients to consult these people before presenting to hospital. Often the patient presents with complications and diagnosis is difficult, because the clinical features of the disease are masked by the effect of these drugs or concoctions. When the patient dies in hospital as a result of complications of ingestion of these medications, it is the medical personnel that is blamed not the herbalist or the drug hawker.
Perhaps, the best solution out of our present predicament in the Nigeria’s health sector is to try and address some of the problems mentioned above.
Construction of more comprehensive health institutions by the government especially in the rural areas and providing them with adequate equipment and trained personnel will reduce the congestion in General hospitals and tertiary health centres. The primary health centres should be able to treat minor ailments and refer complicated cases to higher centres for further management. Philanthropists, wealthy individuals, faith-based and corporate organizations should help government in this regard.
Government should improve the remuneration of medical personnel in public hospitals, and provide them with other welfare packages like good accommodation. Scholarships should be given to deserving personnel for further training to improve both their knowledge and skills. Funding should be increased for research and continuous education. This will help in reducing the brain drain from the health sector.
The coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme should be extended up to the local government level to make more people benefit from the programme; so that patients do not have to deposit money before being admitted to hospital. Even a small firm employing ten people can have a retainership account with a reputable hospital, so that their employees can always have consultation and even admissions without necessarily being asked for deposit any amount of money. Treatment for accident cases should be made free by the government.
We need to view decisions taken by the medical personnel on the patient’s problem as been based on scientifically proven evidence, and in the best interest of the patient, not on avarice or pecuniary reasons. Patients should not hesitate to seek for further clarification from the medical personnel when they are not clear with any decision.
Paucity of health education has led our people to seek for remedy from traditional healers and drug hawkers. We need to enlighten our people more on the dangers of these drugs and concoctions, and people should also develop better health seeking behaviours like presenting early to hospital when they are sick, having regular medical check-ups, regular antenatal visits by pregnant women and prompt immunization of children. All drug hawking should be banned.
The relationship between the patient and his relation on one hand, and the medical personnel on the other hand, should change from that of confrontation to that of harmony. Both of them must see themselves as partners trying to solve the patient’s problem.
Finally, we must all know that effective health care delivery is not the responsibility of the medical personnel alone, but rather, it is the responsibility of all members of the community to make sure it is realised.
By
DR. Abdullahi Dahiru
Kano
1st May,2009
Nigeria’s health sector is today bedeviled by many problems that have lead to reduction in quality of service delivery in most health institutions.
One of the major problem is the inadequacy of health care facilities in most part of the country especially in the rural areas. We can classify the health facilities into basically 3 types i.e. public [government], private and mission health facilities. The public health facilities can be further categorized into tertiary health institutions [teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centres and specialized centres like National Orthopaedic, Eye and Psychiatric hospitals],the secondary health centres [comprises the specialist and the General hospitals],and the primary health centres [PHC]. The primary health centres manage minor ailments and refer complicated cases to secondary and tertiary health centres. The tertiary health centres are referral centres receiving referrals from secondary and primary health facilities. The PHCs and the General Hospitals mostly have dilapidated structures. Most of these centres, apart from the tertiary health centres, do not have the necessary equipment and manpower to make effective diagnosis and treatment of most ailments possible. Often a patient with minor ailment like malaria, has to seek for treatment in the tertiary health centre; a case that should have been treated at the PHC and the General Hospitals. This has lead to congestion and overcrowding in many Specialist Hospitals and tertiary health centers. Sometimes, a patient from a government health centre has to be referred to a private clinic for investigations like ultrasound scan, laboratory tests before diagnosis is made; just because the government health facility does not have that diagnostic equipment.
Most medical personnel have poor remuneration compared to their colleagues working for non governmental and private organizations. This has lead to incessant strike actions in the health sector in demand of salary increase.
The attitude of the patients or his relations towards the medical personnel has vitiated service delivery in most hospitals. The relationship between the medical personnel and patient or his relations is supposed to be of harmony and not confrontation. I have seen several instances where a minor misunderstanding between the medical personnel, and the patient relations have lead patient relations to call the medical personnel “heartless doctor” or “useless nurse”
The situation has deteriorated to a level where patient relations have caused serious havocs and wanton destruction to hospital properties like doors and windows. The patient relations sometime become furious if they are not allowed into the wards to visit their relation during working hours.
The medical personnel sometimes waste much time asking the patient questions that may not be relevant at the time of presentation to the hospital for example, why has the patient not presented early to hospital or why his wife is not attending antenatal care? This attitude has lead to several confrontations and arguments between the health personnel and the patient or his relations.
A pregnant woman may not be attending antenatal care. She went into labour without prior knowledge of what to expect during labour. A nearby local birth attendant or an elderly woman in the family is called to deliver the woman. Several manouvres may be tried at home. If she is lucky she delivers without problem. Otherwise, she presents to hospital with serious complications like obstructed labour, eclampsia or severe bleeding and management becomes complicated and difficult.
Most of the decisions taken by the medical personnel are perceived as being based on avarice and pecuniary reasons, not on professional knowledge. When a decision is taken for a patient to undergo surgery, the doctor sometimes has to make several lengthy discussions with the patient relations before consent is given .Patients usually presents to the hospital very late and consent is given at a delayed time, when not much can be done to save the patient’s life.
A bleeding patient may be accompanied to the hospital by many relations. When the relations are asked by the medical personnel to donate a single pint of blood to transfuse to the patient, many of them will disperse from the hospital. The few ones that remain will give flimsy reasons as to why they cannot donate the blood and the patient may die in the process; because most of our hospitals do not have functioning blood banks.
The prevailing economic hardship in the country has made many patients not able to pay the hospital fees. Consider a situation where the parents of a child with severe malnutrition are asked to deposit N5000 before being admitted to a paediatric emergency unit. We all know that the parents may not be able to pay this sum of money, because ab initio poverty may have contributed to the development of the ailment.
The cumulative effect of all the factors I have mentioned above has lead to resignation of many medical personnel from their appointment with public health institutions in Nigeria in search for better opportunities either in western countries and the Middle East, or joining international Non Governmental Organisations [NGOs].
This has set in a dangerous vicious cycle of resignation of medical personnel from government hospitals, leading to more congestion and work overload, and further resignation of more medical personnel. Most public hospitals are now becoming more understaffed everyday thereby reducing the quality of service delivery in most government health centres.
We should not forget the huge contribution of the traditional healers to mortality and morbidity in our hospitals. They use many medical jargons to cajole gullible client’s to buy their medications. They make advertisements on radio, television, newspapers, and in many streets of most towns in Nigeria. They can make whimsical claims of curing many ailments like diabetes, hypertension, impotence, pile etc. We know that many of these on concoctions are toxic to vital organs like the liver and kidneys. Equally harmful, is the practice of hawking orthodox drugs by illiterates in baskets under the blazing sun. It is customary for many patients to consult these people before presenting to hospital. Often the patient presents with complications and diagnosis is difficult, because the clinical features of the disease are masked by the effect of these drugs or concoctions. When the patient dies in hospital as a result of complications of ingestion of these medications, it is the medical personnel that is blamed not the herbalist or the drug hawker.
Perhaps, the best solution out of our present predicament in the Nigeria’s health sector is to try and address some of the problems mentioned above.
Construction of more comprehensive health institutions by the government especially in the rural areas and providing them with adequate equipment and trained personnel will reduce the congestion in General hospitals and tertiary health centres. The primary health centres should be able to treat minor ailments and refer complicated cases to higher centres for further management. Philanthropists, wealthy individuals, faith-based and corporate organizations should help government in this regard.
Government should improve the remuneration of medical personnel in public hospitals, and provide them with other welfare packages like good accommodation. Scholarships should be given to deserving personnel for further training to improve both their knowledge and skills. Funding should be increased for research and continuous education. This will help in reducing the brain drain from the health sector.
The coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme should be extended up to the local government level to make more people benefit from the programme; so that patients do not have to deposit money before being admitted to hospital. Even a small firm employing ten people can have a retainership account with a reputable hospital, so that their employees can always have consultation and even admissions without necessarily being asked for deposit any amount of money. Treatment for accident cases should be made free by the government.
We need to view decisions taken by the medical personnel on the patient’s problem as been based on scientifically proven evidence, and in the best interest of the patient, not on avarice or pecuniary reasons. Patients should not hesitate to seek for further clarification from the medical personnel when they are not clear with any decision.
Paucity of health education has led our people to seek for remedy from traditional healers and drug hawkers. We need to enlighten our people more on the dangers of these drugs and concoctions, and people should also develop better health seeking behaviours like presenting early to hospital when they are sick, having regular medical check-ups, regular antenatal visits by pregnant women and prompt immunization of children. All drug hawking should be banned.
The relationship between the patient and his relation on one hand, and the medical personnel on the other hand, should change from that of confrontation to that of harmony. Both of them must see themselves as partners trying to solve the patient’s problem.
Finally, we must all know that effective health care delivery is not the responsibility of the medical personnel alone, but rather, it is the responsibility of all members of the community to make sure it is realised.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The boko haram crisis in northern Nigeria
The “Boko haram” crisis in Northern Nigeria
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
28th July, 2009
The recent simultaneous attacks by renegade Islamic group called “boko haram” in many states in Northern Nigeria is unfortunate and is another pointer to the deteriorating security situation in the country.
The militants attacked mainly government establishments especially police stations in Bauchi, Yobe, Borno and Kano states.This is not the first time that this type of heretic Islamic groups have caused violence and destruction of properties in Northern Nigeria. It started with Maitatsine riots in Kano in 1980, then Jimeta in 1984 and has occurred in many similar incidences afterwards. Recently in April, 2007 a group of alien militants attacked a police station in Sharada killing police men, then attacked road safely corps office and then besieged Panshekara, a Kano suburb killing many policemen.It has to take the combined effort of mobile policemen and soldiers to dislodge them from their stronghold after fighting for about 2 days and the militants just disappeared into the air. They were claiming to avenge the murder of Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam who was killed few days earlier.
The militants are said to have wage a war on the government and the west; and have declared that attending modern western schools is an act prohibited by Islam.
This type of heretic belief can be linked to profound ignorance of Islam and its teachings on the parts of the militants. Islam enjoined its followers to seek for knowledge as evidenced by the first revelation to the prophet Muhammad who was commanded by Archangel Gabriel to read. The prophet is also known to have commanded Muslims to seek for knowledge even if it is in China.
Poverty is also another cause of this type of heretic behaviour; because most of the militants are known to be unemployed youth or engaging in petty jobs like itinerant manicuring and cobbling. Most of them believe that the government is not just and have declared a jihad against it in order to establish a just government.
We also know that security situation in the country has deteriorated, and even after similar occurrences the government just form committees to investigate; the result is not made public or recommendations by the committees implemented.
Muslims should condemn this act and also dissociate themselves from this type of activity because the militants are using Islam as a red herring to perpetrate their evil acts; their belief is not known to be in conformity with any form of orthodox Islamic teaching. Muslim scholars should also educate people on the evil activities of these miscreants; so that Muslims will not be deceived into joining these types of deviant activities. We should also condemn the gruesome murder of the leader of the sect and innocent civilians that lost their lives in the crisis.
Government should improve the security situation in the country, because there appears to be a monumental intelligence failure; the security agencies should have pre-empted this type of simultaneous attacks by the militants and prevented it.
The government should also improve the welfare of the citizens in terms of job creation and poverty alleviation, so that the less privileged will not fall victims of joining this type of militant groups.
Recommendations by committees investigating this type of clashes should be implemented to avoid future occurrences and the murder of the leader of the sect, Mohammed Yusuf and his followers should be investigated and perpetrators of the gruesome murder be punished.
Certainly, this type of clashes need intense evaluation to determine the security lapses and some of our socio-cultural values that made our society vulnerable to proliferation of these heretic sects and their activities, so that we can avert similar occurrences in the future.The crisis should also serve as a wake-up call on the northern leaders to wake up from their slumber and address the region's problems like poverty and ignorance that predispose to proliferation of these type of crisis in Northern Nigeria
DR Abdullahi Dahiru writes from Kano
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
28th July, 2009
The recent simultaneous attacks by renegade Islamic group called “boko haram” in many states in Northern Nigeria is unfortunate and is another pointer to the deteriorating security situation in the country.
The militants attacked mainly government establishments especially police stations in Bauchi, Yobe, Borno and Kano states.This is not the first time that this type of heretic Islamic groups have caused violence and destruction of properties in Northern Nigeria. It started with Maitatsine riots in Kano in 1980, then Jimeta in 1984 and has occurred in many similar incidences afterwards. Recently in April, 2007 a group of alien militants attacked a police station in Sharada killing police men, then attacked road safely corps office and then besieged Panshekara, a Kano suburb killing many policemen.It has to take the combined effort of mobile policemen and soldiers to dislodge them from their stronghold after fighting for about 2 days and the militants just disappeared into the air. They were claiming to avenge the murder of Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmud Adam who was killed few days earlier.
The militants are said to have wage a war on the government and the west; and have declared that attending modern western schools is an act prohibited by Islam.
This type of heretic belief can be linked to profound ignorance of Islam and its teachings on the parts of the militants. Islam enjoined its followers to seek for knowledge as evidenced by the first revelation to the prophet Muhammad who was commanded by Archangel Gabriel to read. The prophet is also known to have commanded Muslims to seek for knowledge even if it is in China.
Poverty is also another cause of this type of heretic behaviour; because most of the militants are known to be unemployed youth or engaging in petty jobs like itinerant manicuring and cobbling. Most of them believe that the government is not just and have declared a jihad against it in order to establish a just government.
We also know that security situation in the country has deteriorated, and even after similar occurrences the government just form committees to investigate; the result is not made public or recommendations by the committees implemented.
Muslims should condemn this act and also dissociate themselves from this type of activity because the militants are using Islam as a red herring to perpetrate their evil acts; their belief is not known to be in conformity with any form of orthodox Islamic teaching. Muslim scholars should also educate people on the evil activities of these miscreants; so that Muslims will not be deceived into joining these types of deviant activities. We should also condemn the gruesome murder of the leader of the sect and innocent civilians that lost their lives in the crisis.
Government should improve the security situation in the country, because there appears to be a monumental intelligence failure; the security agencies should have pre-empted this type of simultaneous attacks by the militants and prevented it.
The government should also improve the welfare of the citizens in terms of job creation and poverty alleviation, so that the less privileged will not fall victims of joining this type of militant groups.
Recommendations by committees investigating this type of clashes should be implemented to avoid future occurrences and the murder of the leader of the sect, Mohammed Yusuf and his followers should be investigated and perpetrators of the gruesome murder be punished.
Certainly, this type of clashes need intense evaluation to determine the security lapses and some of our socio-cultural values that made our society vulnerable to proliferation of these heretic sects and their activities, so that we can avert similar occurrences in the future.The crisis should also serve as a wake-up call on the northern leaders to wake up from their slumber and address the region's problems like poverty and ignorance that predispose to proliferation of these type of crisis in Northern Nigeria
DR Abdullahi Dahiru writes from Kano
Annotating:When Nigeria finally disintegrates
Annotating: when Nigeria finally disintegrates
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Kano
22nd July 2009
In my several discussions with our compatriots from southern Nigeria, I have come to realise their perception of the north; that the north and northerners especially those from the Hausa/Fulani origin are the cause of the nations problem and Nigeria will only progress by disintegrating so that the other regions will prosper and the north losses.
I am a medical doctor. In the cause of my interaction with patients I came to realise that treating patients goes beyond giving medicines and injections; perhaps we have to change their behaviour and also help in changing the way the country is governed, because most of the diseases that are affecting our people have poverty and ignorance as a precipitating or aggravating factors. Poverty and ignorance are attributable to bad governance and misappropriation of public funds.
One of the behaviours that need change is ethnic hatred and bigotry which has become deep-seated in the mind of Nigerians. That is why a small altercation or misunderstanding between people of different tribes or religion can lead a serious pogrom and spree of looting and destruction of properties.
I believe Nigeria will not disintegrate because of the reasons I earlier mentioned. Even if Nigeria disintegrates, we have not solved the problem. The nations that will emerge will still be ruled by the same oligarchy. I think the best way is to change the system, to change how the country is governed and our perception towards each other.
My earlier article was a rejoinder to a dentist who predicted the doom of Nigeria and northerners loosing, because I knew he was misguided by prejudice and ethnic bigotry to write that piece. We should not allow ourselves to join that bandwagon of ethnic bigots and chauvinists. The learned should strive to show the difference between an ethnic bigot and his opposite.
I a not a Muslim cleric but drew my inspiration from this verse of the noble Qur’an and even non-Muslims can have the same inspiration from the verse:
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and females and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed the most noble of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you. Indeed Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. Qur’an 49:13
I think it is ethically wrong to hate somebody or criticize him purely based on his tribe, religion or state of origin. But it is only right to criticize him on what he does.
We should have the courage to free ourselves from the bondage of ethnic bigotry and chauvinism; a menace that has shackled the country for several years. I believe “yes we can”.
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Kano
22nd July 2009
In my several discussions with our compatriots from southern Nigeria, I have come to realise their perception of the north; that the north and northerners especially those from the Hausa/Fulani origin are the cause of the nations problem and Nigeria will only progress by disintegrating so that the other regions will prosper and the north losses.
I am a medical doctor. In the cause of my interaction with patients I came to realise that treating patients goes beyond giving medicines and injections; perhaps we have to change their behaviour and also help in changing the way the country is governed, because most of the diseases that are affecting our people have poverty and ignorance as a precipitating or aggravating factors. Poverty and ignorance are attributable to bad governance and misappropriation of public funds.
One of the behaviours that need change is ethnic hatred and bigotry which has become deep-seated in the mind of Nigerians. That is why a small altercation or misunderstanding between people of different tribes or religion can lead a serious pogrom and spree of looting and destruction of properties.
I believe Nigeria will not disintegrate because of the reasons I earlier mentioned. Even if Nigeria disintegrates, we have not solved the problem. The nations that will emerge will still be ruled by the same oligarchy. I think the best way is to change the system, to change how the country is governed and our perception towards each other.
My earlier article was a rejoinder to a dentist who predicted the doom of Nigeria and northerners loosing, because I knew he was misguided by prejudice and ethnic bigotry to write that piece. We should not allow ourselves to join that bandwagon of ethnic bigots and chauvinists. The learned should strive to show the difference between an ethnic bigot and his opposite.
I a not a Muslim cleric but drew my inspiration from this verse of the noble Qur’an and even non-Muslims can have the same inspiration from the verse:
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and females and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed the most noble of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you. Indeed Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. Qur’an 49:13
I think it is ethically wrong to hate somebody or criticize him purely based on his tribe, religion or state of origin. But it is only right to criticize him on what he does.
We should have the courage to free ourselves from the bondage of ethnic bigotry and chauvinism; a menace that has shackled the country for several years. I believe “yes we can”.
When Nigeria finally disintegrates
When Nigeria Finally Disintegrates
By
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Nigerian- based internet websites have became forums for casting aspersions by different members of Nigerian tribes on each other and blaming one another for the cause of the nation’s problems.
I recently read an article in nigeriavillagesquare.com with the title “Nigeria’s ranking in failed state index: The north is finished”. In the said article a doctor used a report by the Fund for peace and the magazine Foreign policy report to blame the north for Nigeria’s woes and even postulated that Nigeria will fail and we will all go back to our different regions. He predicted that the “Igbos have vibrant and enterprising youth”, “the Yorubas will relish the challenge to determine their own destiny” and the biggest loser will be the north.
It is disheartening when this thinking is coming from the learned; people whose knowledge and experience should be an inspiration for others, surprisingly many have demean themselves and have become ethnic and regional bigots. They have allowed ethnic sentiments and chauvinism to befuddle their thinking.
If one blames the north, then who in the north? The northern oligarchy or the peasant farmer in the village?
If the report is anything to go by, then is a collective indictment of all Nigerians, not of a particular tribe or region. If the truth must be told there is no tribe or ethnic group that can exonerates its members from that blame.
There are many problems with his postulations:
First, the writer assumes that all Nigerian must have origin from a particular tribe, not minding that many Nigerians have pedigrees from two or more tribes. So if the nation disintegrates where will those whose parents are not of the same region go to?
He assumes that the nation will disintegrate into 3 regions only, why not 8 or even disintegrates into smithereens? How do you expect people to just be uprooted one day from their home back to their states of origin?
Secondly, by blaming one tribe for Nigerian’s problem, he is saying virtue and identity are the same. The fact that one is Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa or any other Nigerian tribe does not mean he is good or bad. Someone’s virtue is different from his identity. To think someone is “good” or “bad” just because of his ethnic origin is ethically wrong. When Nigeria’s problem is being discussed, mostly people just focus on Federal government leaving the states and local government areas. If it is true that one tribe is “good”, let us see good governance and judicious use of resources from local government chairmen, state governors and ministers from that particular tribe as well.
If Nigerians allow the nation to disintegrates, each region will start the process of building a new nation, relocating people and retrieving their investments back to their new nations. The cost and repercussion will be enormous that it will not be in the best interest of any region.
What Nigeria needs now is, for the common man to stop casting aspersions and pointing accusing fingers on each other and know who the real enemy is; the real enemy is not the peasant Hausa farmer or nomadic Fulani herdsman or Igbo trader; the enemy is not the close-door neighbour that is not of the same ethnic or religious belief with them, the real enemy is the Nigerian oligarchy made up of plutocrats from many Nigerian tribes. They can be retired military, police, custom officers, civil servants, politicians or wealthy businessmen. They have connived to loot the nation’s treasury. The common man is busy pointing accusing fingers on each other, while they dine and smile during weddings of their children, naming ceremony and celebrating marriage anniversaries. To them regional, religious or ethnic difference is not a barrier to their association. What matters is how much has accrued in their bank account from their shady deals.
Nigerian academics and professionals should not be gullible to join the bandwagon of ethnic bigots and chauvinists. By joining that bandwagon, they will only set a bad example for others to follow. It is high time Nigerians tell the oligarchy that enough is enough we need change now.
Dr Abdullahi Dahiru writes from Kano
By
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Nigerian- based internet websites have became forums for casting aspersions by different members of Nigerian tribes on each other and blaming one another for the cause of the nation’s problems.
I recently read an article in nigeriavillagesquare.com with the title “Nigeria’s ranking in failed state index: The north is finished”. In the said article a doctor used a report by the Fund for peace and the magazine Foreign policy report to blame the north for Nigeria’s woes and even postulated that Nigeria will fail and we will all go back to our different regions. He predicted that the “Igbos have vibrant and enterprising youth”, “the Yorubas will relish the challenge to determine their own destiny” and the biggest loser will be the north.
It is disheartening when this thinking is coming from the learned; people whose knowledge and experience should be an inspiration for others, surprisingly many have demean themselves and have become ethnic and regional bigots. They have allowed ethnic sentiments and chauvinism to befuddle their thinking.
If one blames the north, then who in the north? The northern oligarchy or the peasant farmer in the village?
If the report is anything to go by, then is a collective indictment of all Nigerians, not of a particular tribe or region. If the truth must be told there is no tribe or ethnic group that can exonerates its members from that blame.
There are many problems with his postulations:
First, the writer assumes that all Nigerian must have origin from a particular tribe, not minding that many Nigerians have pedigrees from two or more tribes. So if the nation disintegrates where will those whose parents are not of the same region go to?
He assumes that the nation will disintegrate into 3 regions only, why not 8 or even disintegrates into smithereens? How do you expect people to just be uprooted one day from their home back to their states of origin?
Secondly, by blaming one tribe for Nigerian’s problem, he is saying virtue and identity are the same. The fact that one is Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa or any other Nigerian tribe does not mean he is good or bad. Someone’s virtue is different from his identity. To think someone is “good” or “bad” just because of his ethnic origin is ethically wrong. When Nigeria’s problem is being discussed, mostly people just focus on Federal government leaving the states and local government areas. If it is true that one tribe is “good”, let us see good governance and judicious use of resources from local government chairmen, state governors and ministers from that particular tribe as well.
If Nigerians allow the nation to disintegrates, each region will start the process of building a new nation, relocating people and retrieving their investments back to their new nations. The cost and repercussion will be enormous that it will not be in the best interest of any region.
What Nigeria needs now is, for the common man to stop casting aspersions and pointing accusing fingers on each other and know who the real enemy is; the real enemy is not the peasant Hausa farmer or nomadic Fulani herdsman or Igbo trader; the enemy is not the close-door neighbour that is not of the same ethnic or religious belief with them, the real enemy is the Nigerian oligarchy made up of plutocrats from many Nigerian tribes. They can be retired military, police, custom officers, civil servants, politicians or wealthy businessmen. They have connived to loot the nation’s treasury. The common man is busy pointing accusing fingers on each other, while they dine and smile during weddings of their children, naming ceremony and celebrating marriage anniversaries. To them regional, religious or ethnic difference is not a barrier to their association. What matters is how much has accrued in their bank account from their shady deals.
Nigerian academics and professionals should not be gullible to join the bandwagon of ethnic bigots and chauvinists. By joining that bandwagon, they will only set a bad example for others to follow. It is high time Nigerians tell the oligarchy that enough is enough we need change now.
Dr Abdullahi Dahiru writes from Kano
Menace of traditional healers and drug hawkers
Menace of traditional healers and drug hawkers
By
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Kano
An elderly patient went to a General hospital with complaint of poor vision and was diagnosed as having glaucoma. The doctor prescribed diamox, a drug used to treat glaucoma for her. She went to the hospital pharmacy where she was told that the drug is out-of-stock. She later in the evening sent her 15 year old grandchild to a nearby drug store to buy the drug for her. The grand child was met on the road by a drug hawker selling his drugs. The child decided to buy from the drug hawker instead of the chemist shop. The drug hawker told him that he doesn’t have diamox but has its “substitute” and ignorantly gave him diabenese, a drug used to treat diabetes and told him to tell his grandmother to take the drug four times daily. She was rushed back to the general hospital comatose and died the next day.
One of my childhood friends went to a market one afternoon to buy some items. As he was going out of the market, he was met by a herbalist selling medicines. He collected a concoction to take as a remedy for ‘pile’. My friend started having profuse diarrhoea after taking the medication and has to be admitted at the general hospital for treatment
I cited this example above because they are reflections of what is happening everyday in many towns in Nigeria.
The menace has many dimensions ranging from illiterate people hawking expired and fake drugs in streets and market places under the blazing sun, to semi-literate people opening patent medicine stores and committing all sort of unorthodox practices like unsafe injections, criminal abortions and unnecessary infusions of intravenous fluids. They ask gullible patients to conduct several tests and prescribe drugs for them. Even more disturbing, one finds herbalists [popularly referred nowadays as traditional medical practitioners] in streets and market places selling all sort of concoctions to people and making whimsical claims to cure ‘Staphylococcus’, hypertension, diabetes, impotence etc. They now even make advertisements on radio, television, and newspapers and magazines. It is sad to note that our own traditional practitioners still base their practice on superstitions and deceit. They use all sort all vulgar and obscene language to sell their medications all in the name of making cheap and quick money. It has now become a very lucrative business where “drug fairs” are organized routinely in major towns with each healer trying to prove his ‘expertise’ in treatment of most diseases. The efficacy of these concoctions is doubtful if not laughable considering the different number of ailments a single concoction is said to cure; surprisingly the gullible people believe in their claims and even buy these concoctions.
It is customary now for patients to seek attention only in hospital after consulting traditional practitioners or chemist’s shop without relief. We know that many of these medications are harmful to vital organs like the liver and kidneys. It is not surprising therefore to find many of these drugs and concoctions contributing to mortality and morbidity in most hospitals.
It is obvious that ignorance of some of our people has contributed to the perpetration of these acts.
Lack of adequate medical facilities in most areas has led people to look for alternatives and unfortunately the easiest place is the chemist’s shop, drug hawker or a traditional healer.
The society is now overwhelmed by greediness and avarice. Nobody cares about the consequence of his unwholesome practice provided he will get quick and cheap money out of his business.
We should enlighten our people about the dangers of taking traditional medications and purchasing drugs from drug hawkers.
The government should provide more health centres especially in the rural areas and adequately manned by trained personnel so that people will have easy access to consultation and treatment .Health centres should have essential drugs so that patient patients can purchase their drugs from hospital pharmacy instead of chemist’s shops. In cases where a drug is out-of –stock in the hospital pharmacy, patients should purchase drugs only from reputable pharmacy shops. A law should be made to regulate the activities of traditional healers if outright prohibition of their activities is not possible. All drug hawking should be banned.
Regulatory bodies like NAFDAC should redouble their efforts in supervision and ensure strict penalties for non-compliers. The pharmacist council of Nigeria and the states ministries of health should make sure that only qualified personnel are licensed to operate pharmacy shops.
It is the duty of government, professional bodies and all members of the society to ensure that people are saved from untimely deaths and trauma inflicted on them by the menace of traditional healers and drug hawkers.
By
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Kano
An elderly patient went to a General hospital with complaint of poor vision and was diagnosed as having glaucoma. The doctor prescribed diamox, a drug used to treat glaucoma for her. She went to the hospital pharmacy where she was told that the drug is out-of-stock. She later in the evening sent her 15 year old grandchild to a nearby drug store to buy the drug for her. The grand child was met on the road by a drug hawker selling his drugs. The child decided to buy from the drug hawker instead of the chemist shop. The drug hawker told him that he doesn’t have diamox but has its “substitute” and ignorantly gave him diabenese, a drug used to treat diabetes and told him to tell his grandmother to take the drug four times daily. She was rushed back to the general hospital comatose and died the next day.
One of my childhood friends went to a market one afternoon to buy some items. As he was going out of the market, he was met by a herbalist selling medicines. He collected a concoction to take as a remedy for ‘pile’. My friend started having profuse diarrhoea after taking the medication and has to be admitted at the general hospital for treatment
I cited this example above because they are reflections of what is happening everyday in many towns in Nigeria.
The menace has many dimensions ranging from illiterate people hawking expired and fake drugs in streets and market places under the blazing sun, to semi-literate people opening patent medicine stores and committing all sort of unorthodox practices like unsafe injections, criminal abortions and unnecessary infusions of intravenous fluids. They ask gullible patients to conduct several tests and prescribe drugs for them. Even more disturbing, one finds herbalists [popularly referred nowadays as traditional medical practitioners] in streets and market places selling all sort of concoctions to people and making whimsical claims to cure ‘Staphylococcus’, hypertension, diabetes, impotence etc. They now even make advertisements on radio, television, and newspapers and magazines. It is sad to note that our own traditional practitioners still base their practice on superstitions and deceit. They use all sort all vulgar and obscene language to sell their medications all in the name of making cheap and quick money. It has now become a very lucrative business where “drug fairs” are organized routinely in major towns with each healer trying to prove his ‘expertise’ in treatment of most diseases. The efficacy of these concoctions is doubtful if not laughable considering the different number of ailments a single concoction is said to cure; surprisingly the gullible people believe in their claims and even buy these concoctions.
It is customary now for patients to seek attention only in hospital after consulting traditional practitioners or chemist’s shop without relief. We know that many of these medications are harmful to vital organs like the liver and kidneys. It is not surprising therefore to find many of these drugs and concoctions contributing to mortality and morbidity in most hospitals.
It is obvious that ignorance of some of our people has contributed to the perpetration of these acts.
Lack of adequate medical facilities in most areas has led people to look for alternatives and unfortunately the easiest place is the chemist’s shop, drug hawker or a traditional healer.
The society is now overwhelmed by greediness and avarice. Nobody cares about the consequence of his unwholesome practice provided he will get quick and cheap money out of his business.
We should enlighten our people about the dangers of taking traditional medications and purchasing drugs from drug hawkers.
The government should provide more health centres especially in the rural areas and adequately manned by trained personnel so that people will have easy access to consultation and treatment .Health centres should have essential drugs so that patient patients can purchase their drugs from hospital pharmacy instead of chemist’s shops. In cases where a drug is out-of –stock in the hospital pharmacy, patients should purchase drugs only from reputable pharmacy shops. A law should be made to regulate the activities of traditional healers if outright prohibition of their activities is not possible. All drug hawking should be banned.
Regulatory bodies like NAFDAC should redouble their efforts in supervision and ensure strict penalties for non-compliers. The pharmacist council of Nigeria and the states ministries of health should make sure that only qualified personnel are licensed to operate pharmacy shops.
It is the duty of government, professional bodies and all members of the society to ensure that people are saved from untimely deaths and trauma inflicted on them by the menace of traditional healers and drug hawkers.
Some harmful traditional birth practices in Northern Nigeria
Some Harmful Traditional Birth Practices
In Northern Nigeria
By
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Kano
Every society device ways of coping with its environment, these methods which are products of group experience becomes the tradition of the society and are passed on from generation to generation. Though these practices are detrimental to the health of the people that practice them, they are still retained with great vigour. This brings the question of dropping some of these practices after appreciating their hazardous consequences.
Although the incidence of these practices has been remarkably reduced during the last 50 years due to western education and civilization, those people that have low level of educational attainment are still practicing them. There is a positive correlation between formal education of females and non practice of these practices and vice versa.
One of the harmful practices a pregnant woman in labour may be subjected to is “Gishiri cut” or “Yankan Gishiri”. This is a traditional surgical cut performed on any aspect of the vaginal wall using razor blade or knife. The commonest site is the anterior vaginal wall or less commonly posterior and lateral walls. It is commonly practiced in many parts of Northern Nigeria especially during the first delivery as a ‘remedy’ to obstructed labour. It is usually performed by traditional birth attendants, local herbalist or barber. Complications include severe bleeding leading to shock, excruciating pain, vesicovaginal fistula, and spread of infections like HIV and hepatitis and painful intercourse later.
Perhaps, after delivery the predominant harmful practice is “wankan Jego”. These practices vary among different towns in Hausaland but include taking hot bath, lying on hot bed and taking large amount of ‘kunun kanwa’ [a lake salt rich in sodium]. This practice is still pursued with great vigour, although the occurrence of the practice is diminishing because of greater awareness of the hazardous effects of the practice, and also its economic consequences since a lot of money is spent on buying firewood that is used in boiling the water. This is the reason why the practice is more predominant in rural areas where literacy level is low and firewood is relatively cheap and available. Immediately after delivery and continuing for 40 to120 days, the new mother takes two scalding hot baths each day to keep out ‘the cold’ using a bundle of leaves to splash very hot water on her body. After taking the bath, the mother remains in a well-heated room with a fire or fire glowing underneath a specially constructed dried mud bed, which can retain heat for several hours. A special gruel or pap is prepared from guinea corn or millet with potash [kanwa] and peeper is taken regularly as medicine to increase the quantity and quality of breast milk. The potash has high sodium content but very little potassium and can cause hypertension and heart failure.
Complications of wankan jego include burns injury, severe hypertension, eclampsia and heart failure, and subsequent death.
Since there is positive correlation between formal education of females and non practice of these practices, increased enrollment of females into schools will help reduce the prevalence of these practices among our community. There should be more collaboration between heath workers, religious and traditional leaders to enlighten the masses on health implications of these practices. Government should intensify campaign in media and through the use posters, dramas e.t.c to sensitize people on dangers of these practices.
Finally, these practices do not have any benefit on the women who practice them and in contrast have hazardous effects, and hence our society should abandon them for the better.
In Northern Nigeria
By
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Kano
Every society device ways of coping with its environment, these methods which are products of group experience becomes the tradition of the society and are passed on from generation to generation. Though these practices are detrimental to the health of the people that practice them, they are still retained with great vigour. This brings the question of dropping some of these practices after appreciating their hazardous consequences.
Although the incidence of these practices has been remarkably reduced during the last 50 years due to western education and civilization, those people that have low level of educational attainment are still practicing them. There is a positive correlation between formal education of females and non practice of these practices and vice versa.
One of the harmful practices a pregnant woman in labour may be subjected to is “Gishiri cut” or “Yankan Gishiri”. This is a traditional surgical cut performed on any aspect of the vaginal wall using razor blade or knife. The commonest site is the anterior vaginal wall or less commonly posterior and lateral walls. It is commonly practiced in many parts of Northern Nigeria especially during the first delivery as a ‘remedy’ to obstructed labour. It is usually performed by traditional birth attendants, local herbalist or barber. Complications include severe bleeding leading to shock, excruciating pain, vesicovaginal fistula, and spread of infections like HIV and hepatitis and painful intercourse later.
Perhaps, after delivery the predominant harmful practice is “wankan Jego”. These practices vary among different towns in Hausaland but include taking hot bath, lying on hot bed and taking large amount of ‘kunun kanwa’ [a lake salt rich in sodium]. This practice is still pursued with great vigour, although the occurrence of the practice is diminishing because of greater awareness of the hazardous effects of the practice, and also its economic consequences since a lot of money is spent on buying firewood that is used in boiling the water. This is the reason why the practice is more predominant in rural areas where literacy level is low and firewood is relatively cheap and available. Immediately after delivery and continuing for 40 to120 days, the new mother takes two scalding hot baths each day to keep out ‘the cold’ using a bundle of leaves to splash very hot water on her body. After taking the bath, the mother remains in a well-heated room with a fire or fire glowing underneath a specially constructed dried mud bed, which can retain heat for several hours. A special gruel or pap is prepared from guinea corn or millet with potash [kanwa] and peeper is taken regularly as medicine to increase the quantity and quality of breast milk. The potash has high sodium content but very little potassium and can cause hypertension and heart failure.
Complications of wankan jego include burns injury, severe hypertension, eclampsia and heart failure, and subsequent death.
Since there is positive correlation between formal education of females and non practice of these practices, increased enrollment of females into schools will help reduce the prevalence of these practices among our community. There should be more collaboration between heath workers, religious and traditional leaders to enlighten the masses on health implications of these practices. Government should intensify campaign in media and through the use posters, dramas e.t.c to sensitize people on dangers of these practices.
Finally, these practices do not have any benefit on the women who practice them and in contrast have hazardous effects, and hence our society should abandon them for the better.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Restoring the good virtues of Hausa people
Restoring the good virtues of the Hausa people.
By
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Kano
The Hausa people of Northern Nigeria were known for some of their virtues that made them exemplary among the tribes of Nigeria. Values such as honesty, entrepreneurship, scholarship, piety, dignity and respect for elders are desirable virtues among the Hausa. Today some of these virtues are fast disappearing; scholarship giving way to ignorance; honesty to dishonesty; entrepreneurship to begging and destitution; piety to transgression and respect for elders to that of wealth and affluence. This is the hallmark of our society today.
I remember as a child growing up in Kano, I don’t see beggars the way as see them now. They now seem to be every where, from mosques to streets and markets. We have allowed children that are potential engineers, doctors and lawyers to roam the streets seeking for food and alms, without any body seeming to care for them in name of almajiranci. Some of these children in the end do not learn anything but thuggery and hooliganism; as if we want to relegate scholarship and revere ignorance.
From Lagos, Abuja to Kano, the Hausa man is the predominant destitute among the many tribes of Nigeria. These people have abandoned the virtue of entrepreneurship and self reliance and have chosen for themselves a life of laziness and destitution. They have abandoned our age-old crafts like farming, dyeing, blacksmithing and trading and have flooded into the cities to earn a living as beggars.
We remain the most backward in terms of enrollment in schools and even where the children are enrolled in schools we don’t have quality education either because the money that is supposed to be appropriated to the school has been siphoned by a greedy politician or the teacher that is supposed to be in the classroom refuse to teach and instead choose to remain chatting in staff room or has deliberately absent herself or himself from work on flimsy excuse.
Some of the young girls that are supposed to be in school parade the streets hawking kola nut and kunu, only to be cajoled by a cunning adult into having sexual relations leading to unwanted pregnancy. The parent may resort to seek for termination of the pregnancy through a quack doctor leading to loss of live of the girl or leading to serious morbidity.
Another feature of the degradation of the Hausa society today, is the problem of drug abuse and thuggery. Abuse of drugs like marijuana and stimulants like amphetamine is becoming rampant in our society. These drug- addicted youth are increasingly been recruited by politicians to cause trouble during political campaigns and rallies.
It appears to me that some parents nowadays behave as if they are not the ones entrusted with the responsibility of training and proper upbringing of their children.
My mother used to tell me a story of how formerly a marriage is contracted between a young man and a woman without any of them meeting each other till when the bride is taken to the groom’s house, they will accept to stay as husband and wife just because of the respect they have for their parents and the woman will remain in the man’s house till death will separate them. What do we have today? Rate of divorce is raising everyday. There is increasing glamour during wedding, only for the woman to be divorced after one month, because, the elders can no longer arbitrate between disputing couple. Their wise words are no longer relevant anymore; the society glorifies only wealth and affluence.
Every body in our society seems to pretend as if nothing is wrong with our society today, certainly we our gradually losing our age-old good values and our society is decaying fast. If we want our society to progress as an entity in corporate Nigeria, we must restore our good values like honesty, entrepreneurship, piety, dignity and respect for elders that have once made us proud. The time for action is now, not later.
By
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Kano
The Hausa people of Northern Nigeria were known for some of their virtues that made them exemplary among the tribes of Nigeria. Values such as honesty, entrepreneurship, scholarship, piety, dignity and respect for elders are desirable virtues among the Hausa. Today some of these virtues are fast disappearing; scholarship giving way to ignorance; honesty to dishonesty; entrepreneurship to begging and destitution; piety to transgression and respect for elders to that of wealth and affluence. This is the hallmark of our society today.
I remember as a child growing up in Kano, I don’t see beggars the way as see them now. They now seem to be every where, from mosques to streets and markets. We have allowed children that are potential engineers, doctors and lawyers to roam the streets seeking for food and alms, without any body seeming to care for them in name of almajiranci. Some of these children in the end do not learn anything but thuggery and hooliganism; as if we want to relegate scholarship and revere ignorance.
From Lagos, Abuja to Kano, the Hausa man is the predominant destitute among the many tribes of Nigeria. These people have abandoned the virtue of entrepreneurship and self reliance and have chosen for themselves a life of laziness and destitution. They have abandoned our age-old crafts like farming, dyeing, blacksmithing and trading and have flooded into the cities to earn a living as beggars.
We remain the most backward in terms of enrollment in schools and even where the children are enrolled in schools we don’t have quality education either because the money that is supposed to be appropriated to the school has been siphoned by a greedy politician or the teacher that is supposed to be in the classroom refuse to teach and instead choose to remain chatting in staff room or has deliberately absent herself or himself from work on flimsy excuse.
Some of the young girls that are supposed to be in school parade the streets hawking kola nut and kunu, only to be cajoled by a cunning adult into having sexual relations leading to unwanted pregnancy. The parent may resort to seek for termination of the pregnancy through a quack doctor leading to loss of live of the girl or leading to serious morbidity.
Another feature of the degradation of the Hausa society today, is the problem of drug abuse and thuggery. Abuse of drugs like marijuana and stimulants like amphetamine is becoming rampant in our society. These drug- addicted youth are increasingly been recruited by politicians to cause trouble during political campaigns and rallies.
It appears to me that some parents nowadays behave as if they are not the ones entrusted with the responsibility of training and proper upbringing of their children.
My mother used to tell me a story of how formerly a marriage is contracted between a young man and a woman without any of them meeting each other till when the bride is taken to the groom’s house, they will accept to stay as husband and wife just because of the respect they have for their parents and the woman will remain in the man’s house till death will separate them. What do we have today? Rate of divorce is raising everyday. There is increasing glamour during wedding, only for the woman to be divorced after one month, because, the elders can no longer arbitrate between disputing couple. Their wise words are no longer relevant anymore; the society glorifies only wealth and affluence.
Every body in our society seems to pretend as if nothing is wrong with our society today, certainly we our gradually losing our age-old good values and our society is decaying fast. If we want our society to progress as an entity in corporate Nigeria, we must restore our good values like honesty, entrepreneurship, piety, dignity and respect for elders that have once made us proud. The time for action is now, not later.
Making Child birth safer
Making Child Birth Safer in Nigeria
By
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Kano
maikanodahiru@yahoo.com
The desire to procreate and reproduce offspring is common to all human societies. In an attempt to fulfill this noble desire, many women lose their lives during childbirth especially in developing countries where medical care is still inadequate.
Maternal mortality ratio is highest in the African region, estimated at an average of 1,000 deaths per 100,000 live births. In Nigeria it is estimated at 1000 per 100,000 live births with wide regional disparities. With our current maternal mortality ratio, these women are subjected to a life time risk of dying from pregnancy related complications of 1in 8 compared to 1in 10,000 in developed countries.
For every woman who dies, other women suffer injury, infection or disease. Pregnancy related complications are among the leading causes of death and disability among women in Nigeria.
When a mother dies, children lose their primary care giver, communities are denied her paid and unpaid labour, and countries forego her contributions to economic and social development. A woman’s death is more than a personal tragedy-it represents an enormous cost to her nation, her community and her family. Any social and economic investment that has been made in her life is lost. Her family loses her love, her nurturing and her productivity inside and outside the home.
One of the common causes is Obstetric haemorrhage [or bleeding]. Bleeding can occur before the birth of the baby due to placental abruption or abnormally situated placenta on the lower uterine segment. Massive bleeding can also occur from the genital tract after the birth of the child from uterine atony or abnormally adherent placenta.
Hypertensive disease of pregnancy and eclampsia is another leading cause of maternal death. Pregnancy induced hypertension is more common during first pregnancy. It is also associated with multiple pregnancy and molar gestation. If pregnancy induced hypertension is not detected early and managed appropriately the woman can develop eclampsia. Eclampsia is one of the most serious complications of pregnancy and can occur before, during or shortly after delivery. It is characterized by the occurrence of major epileptiform convulsions. The mortality varies with the number of fits, the quality of treatment and the speed with which treatment is made available.
Another leading cause of maternal mortality is obstructed labour. It is a dangerous condition if left untreated and can be fatal to both mother and fetus. It can be caused by several factors which include contraction or deformity of the maternal pelvis, large baby, abnormal positions or presentation of the baby during labour like breech presentation, locked twins; congenital abnormalities of the fetus like conjoined twins and hydrocephalus.
Unsafe abortion is another cause of maternal mortality. An abortion is said to be unsafe when it arises from the deliberate termination of the pregnancy resulting in complications like sepsis and severe bleeding. Unskilled persons, in circumstances where the pregnancy is not wanted, often carry out the procedure usually in an unhygienic environment.
Malaria in pregnancy is associated with 10% of all maternal deaths and is a leading cause of morbidity in pregnant women. After delivery, genital tract infection can occur especially if the delivery is not conducted in hygienic environment as in the case of home delivery. Genital tract infection can cause sepsis and even death if left untreated.
Other causes of maternal death include ruptured ectopic gestation, pulmonary and amniotic fluid embolism
Research has shown that small and affordable measures can significantly reduce the health risks that women face when they become pregnant. Most maternal death can be prevented if women have access to appropriate health care during pregnancy, childbirth and immediately afterwards.
We should all realise that every pregnancy faces risk and the family of the pregnant woman and the health care providers must prepare against this risk. The family must save some money during pregnancy so that when complications arise, appropriate interventions like caesarean section can be done immediately without being delayed due to lack of funds.
The community should be educated about obstetric complications and when and where to seek for medical attention.
There should de stronger political commitment from governments at all levels towards reduction of maternal mortality. More health care facilities should be provided especially in the rural areas. The health care facilities should be able to have facilities of conducting deliveries and refer complicated cases to superior health facilities for prompt management. Blood banks should be provided in all maternity units so that blood will always be available for transfusion if the need arises. Relations of pregnant women must be willing to donate blood in case the need arises.
All health care facilities should ensure skilled attendant i.e. doctors and midwives at every birth. Doctors attending to pregnant women should be trained to be proficient in life saving procedures like caesarean section and manual vacuum aspiration. Continuous health education workshops should be organized routinely for doctors and midwives, so as to update both their knowledge and skills in management of pregnancy and labour related cases.
We should promote antenatal care attendance which aims to maintain woman in health of body and mind, to anticipate difficulties and complications of labour, to ensure the birth of a healthy child and to help the mother rear the child. Increasing access to family planning services and post abortal care should be provided in all maternity units.
Government, health care workers, non governmental and corporate organizations, community leaders and well meaning Nigerians must show more commitment towards reducing this high maternal mortality and hence we can make the process of child birth safer in Nigeria.
By
DR Abdullahi Dahiru
Kano
maikanodahiru@yahoo.com
The desire to procreate and reproduce offspring is common to all human societies. In an attempt to fulfill this noble desire, many women lose their lives during childbirth especially in developing countries where medical care is still inadequate.
Maternal mortality ratio is highest in the African region, estimated at an average of 1,000 deaths per 100,000 live births. In Nigeria it is estimated at 1000 per 100,000 live births with wide regional disparities. With our current maternal mortality ratio, these women are subjected to a life time risk of dying from pregnancy related complications of 1in 8 compared to 1in 10,000 in developed countries.
For every woman who dies, other women suffer injury, infection or disease. Pregnancy related complications are among the leading causes of death and disability among women in Nigeria.
When a mother dies, children lose their primary care giver, communities are denied her paid and unpaid labour, and countries forego her contributions to economic and social development. A woman’s death is more than a personal tragedy-it represents an enormous cost to her nation, her community and her family. Any social and economic investment that has been made in her life is lost. Her family loses her love, her nurturing and her productivity inside and outside the home.
One of the common causes is Obstetric haemorrhage [or bleeding]. Bleeding can occur before the birth of the baby due to placental abruption or abnormally situated placenta on the lower uterine segment. Massive bleeding can also occur from the genital tract after the birth of the child from uterine atony or abnormally adherent placenta.
Hypertensive disease of pregnancy and eclampsia is another leading cause of maternal death. Pregnancy induced hypertension is more common during first pregnancy. It is also associated with multiple pregnancy and molar gestation. If pregnancy induced hypertension is not detected early and managed appropriately the woman can develop eclampsia. Eclampsia is one of the most serious complications of pregnancy and can occur before, during or shortly after delivery. It is characterized by the occurrence of major epileptiform convulsions. The mortality varies with the number of fits, the quality of treatment and the speed with which treatment is made available.
Another leading cause of maternal mortality is obstructed labour. It is a dangerous condition if left untreated and can be fatal to both mother and fetus. It can be caused by several factors which include contraction or deformity of the maternal pelvis, large baby, abnormal positions or presentation of the baby during labour like breech presentation, locked twins; congenital abnormalities of the fetus like conjoined twins and hydrocephalus.
Unsafe abortion is another cause of maternal mortality. An abortion is said to be unsafe when it arises from the deliberate termination of the pregnancy resulting in complications like sepsis and severe bleeding. Unskilled persons, in circumstances where the pregnancy is not wanted, often carry out the procedure usually in an unhygienic environment.
Malaria in pregnancy is associated with 10% of all maternal deaths and is a leading cause of morbidity in pregnant women. After delivery, genital tract infection can occur especially if the delivery is not conducted in hygienic environment as in the case of home delivery. Genital tract infection can cause sepsis and even death if left untreated.
Other causes of maternal death include ruptured ectopic gestation, pulmonary and amniotic fluid embolism
Research has shown that small and affordable measures can significantly reduce the health risks that women face when they become pregnant. Most maternal death can be prevented if women have access to appropriate health care during pregnancy, childbirth and immediately afterwards.
We should all realise that every pregnancy faces risk and the family of the pregnant woman and the health care providers must prepare against this risk. The family must save some money during pregnancy so that when complications arise, appropriate interventions like caesarean section can be done immediately without being delayed due to lack of funds.
The community should be educated about obstetric complications and when and where to seek for medical attention.
There should de stronger political commitment from governments at all levels towards reduction of maternal mortality. More health care facilities should be provided especially in the rural areas. The health care facilities should be able to have facilities of conducting deliveries and refer complicated cases to superior health facilities for prompt management. Blood banks should be provided in all maternity units so that blood will always be available for transfusion if the need arises. Relations of pregnant women must be willing to donate blood in case the need arises.
All health care facilities should ensure skilled attendant i.e. doctors and midwives at every birth. Doctors attending to pregnant women should be trained to be proficient in life saving procedures like caesarean section and manual vacuum aspiration. Continuous health education workshops should be organized routinely for doctors and midwives, so as to update both their knowledge and skills in management of pregnancy and labour related cases.
We should promote antenatal care attendance which aims to maintain woman in health of body and mind, to anticipate difficulties and complications of labour, to ensure the birth of a healthy child and to help the mother rear the child. Increasing access to family planning services and post abortal care should be provided in all maternity units.
Government, health care workers, non governmental and corporate organizations, community leaders and well meaning Nigerians must show more commitment towards reducing this high maternal mortality and hence we can make the process of child birth safer in Nigeria.
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