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PEOPLES DAILY, monday, april 17, 2017
News
Military hospital hosts meningitis awareness campaign By Mashe Gwamnna
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Umaru
he 82 Division Hospital has held a one day sensitization and awareness lecture on Meningitis, Sickle Cell Anemia and Gastroenteritis. The health awareness discussion took place on Thursday at the Mammy Market Area in Abakpa Military Cantonment. The lecture was designed for the families and personnel of the Division as well as members of our host community, – the receptive/ hospitable Nike community of Enugu Township. Speaking at the event, the Commander of the Hospital, Lieutenant Colonel Ijoma Ijomanta, remarked that the Nigerian Army (NA) through its medical facility in Abakpa Military Cantonment Enugu will continue to provide the best medical care for its personnel and their families. Similarly, in the spirit of the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai’s disposition, the medical care shall be made available to interested civilians from the host community of the Division. This is with the view to cementing the existing good Civil Military relationship between the Division and its various publics. Among the specialists that lectured at the occasion is Mr. Iyamba Ekpo, a staff of Zolon Pharmaceutical Company. Mr Iyamba spoke on Meningitis, – the deadly epidemic, and an inflammatory disease which affects the layer in the human skull called the ‘Meningis’. According to him, “when the ‘Meningis’ is diseased, it starts to inflame, resulting to what is medically known as Meningitis”. The health practitioner disclosed the symptoms of the deadly plague to include; vomiting, queasiness, stiffness of the neck and extremely high body temperature. He added that if a victim of the prevalent type ‘C’ Meningitis is not detected early and professionally managed, it could spread to the brain and kill the host within 24 hours. Statistically however, about 4,000 cases of the disease have been reported in Jigawa, Zamfara, Sokoto Kano and Katsina States with about 156 deaths recorded so far. The disease has also been detected in Calabar, the Cross River State capital and Ebonyi States.
Ag News Editor Ese Awhotu
Easter: Christians, Muslims celebrate together in Kaduna
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uslims and Christians on Saturday met in Kaduna to mark the Easter, as part of efforts to promote unity, tolerance and understanding among members of different faiths in the state. The event, organised by a pastor, Yohanna Buru, attracted a huge crowd including clerics, traditional and community leaders. Buru, the General Overseer of Christ Evangelical Intercessory Fellowship, Sabon Tasha, said Nigerians must team up irrespective of differences to overcome social and economic challenges retarding growth and development.
“We must unite in order to find means of ending all forms of ethnoreligious and political crisis that is setting us backward. “We don’t want relative peace but lasting peace that will come to stay in Northern Nigeria, Nigeria and in Africa. “We are not asking anyone to compromise his or her faith, but if we can understand one another, we will live in peace and harmony with every citizen, so as to make Nigeria great again.” Mr. Buru stressed that the basis for any progress is peace, as such Nigerians must strive to pursue
the path of peace, dialogue and understanding at all times. The District Head of Ungwan Muazu, Ahmed Aliyu, commended Mr. Buru for his unrelenting pursuit of peace in the state. Mr. Aliyu urged Muslims and Christians to key into the initiative to end hatred, and collectively tackle any form of insecurity in various communities. The district head urged people of the state to support ongoing efforts of the state and federal government to ensure peace in all communities. Similarly, Gambo Abdullahi, an Islamic scholar, appealed to
government to address the problems of cattle rustling, armed robbery, banditry, kidnapping and rape. He also urged government to address problems of cultism and ritual activities in tertiary institutions. Mr. Abdullahi called on all Nigerians to support government in the fight against corruption and in punishing looters of national treasury. “We expect you to extend this gospel of peace to people in your communities when you get back home and we must teach our children peace from the grassroots,” he said.(NAN)
Participants at the Jos Carnival Mountaineering Competition, yesterday in Jos. Photo: NAN
Professor, 5 others die in Ebonyi road crash
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he dean, School of Basic Medical Sciences at the Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ebonyi, Robert Nneli is dead. He died in one of the two accidents recorded Thursday night at the notorious 131 junction of the Abakaliki-Enugu federal highway. Mr. Nneli, 69 , joined the University in 2012 after spending close to 20 years at Abia State University. He was educated at St. Patrick’s Secondary School Emene in Enugu and the University of Calabar. Stella Uchendu, Sector Commander of the FRSC in Ebonyi, confirmed the two accidents in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). She said both accidents occurred between 9 and 11pm.
According to her, it was raining heavily when the accidents occurred. She attributed to possible reckless driving, over-speeding and poor visibility. “In the first accident, the articulated vehicle’s driver blinded with his headlight the driver of the white-coloured Toyota Camry vehicle which made him lose control as he was on top speed. “The vehicle then veered off its lane and collided with the on-coming articulated vehicle. The car was crushed by the truck. “The professor died in the accident as his son and another occupant sustained serious injuries and are receiving treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.” According to Mrs. Uchendu, the second accident involved an SUV with
five occupants which also crashed into stationary articulated vehicle due to over speeding and poor visibility. “When we concluded our evacuation, the police men on duty told us that they would tow the articulated vehicle off the road but they never did. “The SUV apparently crashed into the articulated vehicle as all its five occupants died and their corpses evacuated to the Federal Teaching hospital Abakaliki,” she said. She commended her officers for their prompt response to the crashes and urged motorists to always obey traffic regulations. “Motorists should ensure that when they are confronted with headlights from oncoming vehicles, they should reduce their speed and and keep to their right side.
“Motorists should also avoid night travels, driving under the rain and ensure they obey road regulations to save lives,” A witness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the drivers of the Camry and the SUV were to blame for driving recklessly under the rain. “The FRSC should increase its enlightenment of motorists especially on night journeys and driving under the rain, in order to check the incessant loss of lives on the road. Jude Madu, the Ebonyi Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRP) absolved his men of any complicity by failing to tow the articulated vehicle. He blamed the FRSC for failing in its duty.