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UNSAFE FOOD BY RESTAURANT AND FOOD VENDOR, KILLS NIGERIANS DAILY

The horrible experience of Clinton James Twitter/@ClintJeezz in a restaurant in Benin city is a far cry from what Nigerians are suffering daily from most restaurant and food vendors. Quite a large number of ready to eat food are everywhere in Nigeria and all of them operate unchecked by the appropriate authority, perhaps the authority staff also patronize the one that is closer to them.

 

I am much more concerned about the hygienic aspects of the food that vendors and restaurant sell to Nigerians. Let us deal with human factor first, how many of us ask the restaurants or food vendors if the person that prepare the food we eat outside our house is certified to prepare such food, is the person free from hepatitis, is the person free from covid-19 among other diseases and virus that can be transferred to the consumers.

The challenge of the average Nigerian is satisfying hunger coupled with the challenge of the food crisis that is getting worsened in our country today.

 Environmental factor challenge is also begging for an immediate solution from the government, which are unsafe environment, unsafe water, unsafe waste disposal and exposure of food to insects and dust where food vendor does not care about covering the food. These are more prevalent in most cities in Nigeria.

I recall my fight with a man who carries a slaughtered skinned goat meat on his motorcycle and tied it with rubber, transporting it to another location in a dusty road. While I was telling him, this is not healthy he was busy speaking in his dialect and people around the scene were looking at me as if I am asking for too much, more so this very city has Environmental officers, even though they are not up to 300 to take care of four million population. Our country employs more medical doctors compare to an environmental officer who will prevent a health-related outbreak, but employs doctor that will take care of the health issue when it happens.

World health organization position is that food safety must be recognized as a public health function and access to safe food as a basic human right.

 

Aliyu ilias

Consumer Advocate

WHO IS STEALING THE ELECTRICITY METRES

I entered into the compound of my friend Abdul without the usual obstruction mostly caused by falling cables at the entrance of the compound. The silence in the compound further testified to the existence of a new normal within the compound.
Abdul said to me, "I have to leave this house". His statement reminded me of his anecdote of how beautiful the area he resides has been classified as a small London. I kept on wondering what was responsible for his sudden desire to change the residential address. I reminded him to always think it through thoroughly when making crucial decisions as important as determining where to live. His countenance showed he was sincerely dissatisfied with an issue yet to be disclosed.
"It appears nothing will ever work correctly in this country", Abdul Interjected. "Abdul my good friend, you speak in parables a lot"." What is the challenge at hand that has angered you this much?" This was my question to my dear friend.
"My Landlord has just giving all the tenants within her facility up until the end of the month to produce alleged missing metres allotted to each flat. " Not only that, but we are also to vacate her house", Stated Abdul. "My good friend, the metre servicing my apartment was installed in my neighbours flat. To my greatest dismay, my neighbour informed me yesterday morning that the metre had gotten missing from the compound".
Abdul further stated, “We rushed out immediately to the police station to lay a logical complaint regarding the stolen metre. The police officers on duty instructed us to get a court affidavit before the complaint can be tendered appropriately".
In my response, I said to Abdul, " but we were told that no one can use another person’s metre. Perhaps if someone stole a metre it will be easier for the person to be caught especially when they are Purchasing a pre-paid token for the metre.
This incident reminds me of a serial thief who stole a phone and kept using the phone and the sim because the phone won't accept another sim. The good news was that the thief was later apprehended with the help of a police officer.
It is pretty obvious their metre has been stolen and this ugly menace has continued unabated in different households across the nation. Question is, how well do you keep your metre? Don’t trust the authority in charge to recover your stolen metres. Secure your metres, the price has risen beyond the previous market price.
My question to Discos is who is using these stolen metres now?
Guard your metre!

The Sorry State of Nigeria Health System


The Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the fore all that is wrong with the Nigerian health system and the society at large. It has exposed how ill-prepared we are for large-scale emergencies.
This plague has been ravaging China since December 2019.  Many countries that had access to the Covid 19 pandemic report scaled up their medical intervention strategies in order to mitigate against unprecedented outcomes. Nonetheless, countries like USA,UK,Spain and Italy never saw it coming, though they had an established prepared Health system.

As at the 21st century,  Nigeria is still grappling with  lassa fever that broke out in lassa town Borno state in 1969. The government hasn't decisively dealt with  management and eradication of Lassa fever since the outbreak in Maiduguri.
Of recent,  Lassa fever Killed 177 people in the last out break.  In fact a certain medical practitioner  by name Dr. Philip died of the infection while treating a patient.  How prepared are we in tackling the lethal Corona virus when as a country we haven't properly dealt with Lassa fever that has killed over 150 Nigerians in the past 6 months?  Currently,  Lassa fever and other minor ailments like Malaria and cholera are killing thousands of Nigerians every year.  At the moment,  government hasn't shown a concerted effort towards totally eradication.  

I think the government needs to also declare a state of emergency on it's health care management system as well as on lassa fever.  Could Governments ineptitude towards Lassa fever be as a result of it only ravaging those from very poor communities?
A serious country would have supported a research home and abroad rather than waiting for it to happen every year.

Nigeria currently has 40,000 medical doctors to cater to 200 million Nigeria, it is far below WHO 1 Doctor to 600 citizen.  Currently in Nigeria, it is 1 Doctor  to 6,000 Nigerians.

I personally give it to our Medical doctors, indeed they have upheld the  "Hippocratic Oath" principle. They evermore exhibited more patriotic zeal than our political leaders.

Ignore Covid-19 at Your Own Peril


Most people are still in the doubt regarding the reality of corona virus. What evidence do you want to see? The confirmed cases?  The recovery cases or the death cases? They are all in thousands. The Corona virus  is presently tormenting the most sophisticated countries and gradually creeping into the developing countries with little or no health facilities


Surprisingly, the virus started it's attack on the influential groups  of Nigeria  because of international engagements in countries with high cases of Covid-19.  Ironically,  the disease is not a respecter of your poor status nor rich status except you follow the basic rules to avoid contracting it.
The idiosyncracy of the African blood being stronger has been demystified.

Covid-19 disease is unprecedented and it has brought  several countries to an unimaginable status.

Lest it does not get to the poor in Nigeria who can not afford the test process, the ventilator among other needs.

The poor must respect and activate social distancing, hand washing, controlled sneezing and the most difficult of it, staying at home.  Though for someone who earns daily what he or she consumes,  this current debacle has become an aberration.

But we are all in this quagmire, lets defeat corona virus, by staying at home for some weeks.
Lets abide to avoid Covid-19 Fatality. The Nigeria economy is in shambles already.

COVID-19: WHO FEEDS THE PAUPER IN LAGOS

Lagos is the commercial and economic  center of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. With a rising middle class,  the need for proper health safety measures to purposefully keep the active population and residents of Lagos State economically engaged cannot be overemphasized at this time.

 The Lagos State Government had few days ago issued a stay-at-home directive to its residents, in order to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has unveiled a worthwhile economic stimulus package for the indigent and the most vulnerable in the society.

Truth remains that a healthy Lagos State is a prosperous State. In furtherance of its residents support services, the Lagos State government has outlined various intervention packages. The Lagos State government has shown with this latest intervention that it's people are it's greatest asset.

Impressively, the government of Lagos State has ensured proper awareness campaigns on preventive measures requisite for combating the dreaded Coronavirus.  The measures include:

  • The need for a lock down to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus.
  • The need for proper hygiene as well as proper hand washing
  • The need for social distancing
  • The need for isolation after coming in contact with an infected individual
  • The need to contact the NCDC for serious cases

In line with the lock down imposed by the Lagos State government, a well thought stimulus, which comes in food packs, to be distributed to every local government in the State is aimed at cushioning the effect of the fourteen days stay-at-home directive. This package is directed to the elderly, physically challenged and petty traders most especially those incapable of meeting daily needs.

The Lagos State government stated that each household will comprise a minimum of six inhabitants. Means the government is aiming at reaching the needs of over one million residents in Lagos State.

In order to ensure effective distribution of this package, it is advisable that the Lagos State government RE verifies previously assembled data. It is possible that some residents from the previously collected data may have economically advanced and may not need the handout,  may have passed on or may have changed addresses. 

Also proper measures should be put in place to ensure proper documentation of those who have received the intervention package. They should as a matter of necessity attach a photocopy of either a Drivers license,  International passport,  National identity card, or the PVC  to the residents service form.

This measure will aid in reducing incidents of package diversion. The returned residents service form,  should match the previously captured data.  Further more,  the ad-hoc staff to be engaged for this exercise should also be adequately empowered to educate residents about the best safety measures to adopt in beating the Coronavirus.

The ad-hoc staff should also reach out via SMS to the residents for any feedback regarding the effectiveness of the exercise. The feedback will aid in proper plan for future engagements.

BY: EMEKA AMOJI OKORO