Celebrating the 2015 World Day of Social Justice

THE NEED TO STRENGTHEN AWARENESS ON FREE, FAIR AND CREDIBLE ELECTION AS THE WORLD DAY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE IS COMMEMORATED TODAY FRIDAY FEBRUARY 20

        

An election is a process in which people or the public choose a person or group of persons to hold an official position through voting. In the same vein; a free, fair and credible election, in a concise term, could be described as an election in which no one is disenfranchised and no iota of injustice is being employed.

On the other hand; a social justice is a situation in which individuals or citizens of a certain society are allowed to fulfill their societal/civil roles or obligations as well as receive what is due for them. Social justice, which is a justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society, assigns rights and duties in the institutions of a given society which enables people to receive the basic benefits and burdens of cooperation.

Considering the significance of social justice, no doubt, it is only by the acknowledgement of its existence, that, a free, fair and credible election would be guaranteed in any country or organization. This is why thorough practice of social justice is required by any nation that claims to possess a good number of true democrats.

It was Abraham Lincoln who said in 19^th May 1856, that, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” Furthermore, in his first inaugural address as the President of the United States of America (U.S.A) in March 4, 1861, he said, “This country with its institutions belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember it or overthrow it.”

To this end, it is high time the aspirants in the forthcoming elections in Nigeria started playing politics of vision to be accompanied with mission with the view that the people or the electorates are the major determinant in any election; rather than the usual or the ongoing alleged believe that the polls do not require the participation of the electorates for an election to take place.

On their part, the electorates ought to understand that the future of this country lies in their bare hands by ensuring that they concentrate on the real visions of the respective aspirants instead of laying emphasis on his/her ethnic, political, or religious affiliation.

It was John Quincy Adams who said, “Always vote for principle; though you may vote alone, but you shall live to cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” Also in his speech, Woody Allen stated, “We stand today at a crossroad: one path leads to despair and utter hopelessness while the other leads to total extinction. Let us hope we have the wisdom to make the right choice.”

In this regard, most importantly, the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC), which stands as the sole umpire for the said elections, should in their corporate capacity not attempt to compromise the confidence majority of Nigerians have in them. Similarly, by comprehending the fact that many Nigerians have become sceptical over the effectiveness of elections in Nigeria due to the porosity of the ones conducted in the past, it is therefore the responsibility of the INEC to prove to the doubtful electorates beyond any reasonable doubt that, the fast approaching elections would be the first as well as the best of its kind in the history of the country, in order to eliminate the enormous apathy witnessed among them.

Today Friday February 20, the world over is commemorating the World Day of Social Justice. The World Summit for Social Development was held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1995 and resulted in the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action regarding Social Justice. Nearly ten years later, precisely in February 2005, the United Nations’ Member States reviewed the Declaration when they gathered at a session of the Commission for Social Development in New York, U.S.A.

Subsequently, on 26^th November 2007, the UN General Assembly named February 20 as the annual World Day of Social Justice; the Day was scheduled to be first observed in the year 2009. On that day, the General Assembly urged the leaders of the various Member States to allow their citizens to exercise their civic responsibilities as well as grant them their respective entitlements irrespective of background, status, or age.

As the world marks the World Day of Social Justice, there is need for all concerned and patriotic organizations as well as stakeholders such as the civil society, religious bodies, and the media at all levels, to strengthen the ongoing awareness on the need to exercise a free, fair and credible election in the country come March 28 and April 11, 2015 respectively. As regards this, we are expected to continually preach the gospel of “One man, one vote”, and the need for every Nigerian to participate actively at the polls.

We shouldn’t forget that, for us to actualize the future we dream of, all hands must surely be on deck; else, we would end up actualizing a goal we never wished to behold. Think about it!

 

 

FDN NWAOZOR

(The Media Ambassador)
_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056

 

 

Celebrating The 2015 World Radio Day (Aired News Commentary)

THE NEED TO DIGITALIZE THE NIGERIAN RADIO BROADCASTING INDUSTRY AS THE WORLD RADIO DAY IS COMMEMORATED TODAY FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13
        

According to the BBC English Dictionary, Radio is defined as ‘the broadcasting of programmes for the public to listen to, by sending out signals from a transmitter.’ Also, the Wikipedia online Encyclopaedia defines it as ‘the radiation or wireless transmission of electromagnetic signals through the atmosphere or free space.’ In the same vein, a piece of equipment used to listen to radio programmes or receive radio signals is also referred to as a Radio.

Information such as sound is carried by systematically changing or modulating some property of the radiated waves including amplitude, frequency, phase, or pulse width. When radio waves strike an electrical conductor, the oscillating fields induce an alternating current in the conductor. The information in the waves can be extracted and transformed back into its original form.

A radio communication system sends signals through the radio. The radio equipment involved in communication systems include a transmitter and a receiver, each having an antenna and appropriate terminal equipment such as a microphone at the transmitter and a loudspeaker at the receiver in the case of a voice-communication system.

The etymology of radio or radiotelegraphy reveals that it was initially called ‘wireless telegraphy’, which was later shortened to ‘wireless’ in Britain. The prefix ‘radio-‘ in the sense of wireless transmission, was first recorded in the phrase ‘radio conductor’ – a description provided by the French physicist, Edouard Branly in 1897.

In recent years, the more general term ‘wireless’ has gained renewed popularity through the rapid growth of short-range computer networking like Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, as well as mobile telephony such as GSM and UMTS. Today, the term ‘radio’ specifies the actual type of transceiver device or chip, whereas ‘wireless’ refers to the lack of physical connections; suffice to say that, the former talks about radio transceivers only while the latter talks about wireless devices and wireless sensor networks generally.

Presently, the radio set seems to be the easiest and most affordable means of telecommunication. Until the invention of the social media, it was widely regarded as the only handy medium for information dissemination. It is the easiest, in the sense that most current electronic devices such as GSM among others have access to radio signals; most affordable, in the sense that anyone regardless of his/her status can boast of an access to radio communication.

For instance, a portable radio set can be obtained at the rate of three hundred naira (#300) in any local market in Nigeria, and the Direct Current (DC) battery, which could be used to power the said device, can be purchased at most sixty naira (#60). But a GSM, which could guarantee an access to a certain social media such as Facebook, can never be obtained at less than five thousand naira (#5000); in most cases, it takes only Symbian phones such as Android, Phantom, iPod, and Blackberry for one to gain access to most recent social media like BBM, Whatsapp, Badoo, Twitter, Instagram, and what have you, and such phones cannot be obtained at less than twenty thousand naira or thereabouts.

The television communication system is not left out in this analysis or comparison. In an average electronics market in Nigeria, a 14-inches television set is sold at about sixteen thousand naira or above. And after purchasing the TV Set, the consumer still needs to obtain an outdoor antenna to enable him boast of absolute clarity while using the device. Even, sometimes he may still need to buy a Power Generating Set to aid power supply since there is no assurance for steady power supply in Nigeria.

Therefore, another remarkable phenomenon to be considered while comparing a radio communication system with other means of telecommunication is that due to instability of power supply in most developing nations like Nigeria, acquiring information through the communication system in question has remained the only reliable means of telecommunication in existence.   

On the other hand; considering other means of communications such as the print media, how many Nigerians can afford a one hundred and fifty naira (#150) or one hundred naira (#100) newspaper as the case may be, on a daily basis, or even a four hundred naira (#400) newsmagazine weekly? Needless to say; the print media is not just expensive to an average Nigerian but no doubt an exorbitant means of communication, compare to radio broadcasting service.

Today Friday February 13, the world over is commemorating the 2015 World Radio Day. The Day was proclaimed on 3^rd November 2011 during the 36^th General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It was originally proposed by the Spanish Kingdom; the first procedure was in January 2008 by the President of the Spanish Radio Academy, Mr Jorge Alvarez. The Day 13^th February was chosen in line with or in recognition of the day the United Nations Radio was established in the year 1946.

Afterwards, in December 2012 precisely, the General Assembly of the United Nations endorsed the Proclamation of World Radio Day thereby enabling it to become a Day to be celebrated by all the UN Member States, agencies, as well as their partners. Various radio industry bodies around the world have been supporting the initiative by encouraging radio stations in developed countries to assist those in the developing world.

As the global society celebrates the annual World Radio Day, there is need for the totality of the Nigerian Radio Broadcasting industry to be overhauled. In this regard, the concerned bodies should as a matter of urgency, be mandated to switch over from the ongoing analogue broadcasting to digital broadcasting.

Thus, in view of the above remark, the recent mandate of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) in collaboration with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in line with the directive of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) regarding migration from analogue to digital broadcasting by all the broadcasting firms in the country not later than June 17, 2015, ought to be very taken seriously by the concerned authorities.

On their part, the members of the National Assembly are expected to enact a formidable law that would mandate the closure of any media firm that fails to meet the stipulated deadline as well as sanction anyone that attempts to return to analogue broadcasting in future. The proposed law should also mandate NBC and other relevant authorities to ensure that provision of digital broadcasting equipment by any upcoming or intending media firm is a prerequisite to issuance of license to the company in question.

In addition, the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON) ought to in its capacity assist the government in conscientizing their members on the significance of digital broadcasting. Therefore they should at all times maintain a cordial relationship with the NBC with the aim of actualizing a totally digitalized broadcasting industry in Nigeria. The generality of the civil society is as well expected to follow suit in this sensitization crusade.

Yes, radio broadcasting service remains the most reliable and affordable means of communication in the world, but it is worthy to note that its reliability or affordability is liable to become a thing of the past if abused or if adequate attention is not given to the sector. Think about it!

 

COMR FDN NWAOZOR

(The Media Ambassador)
_________________________
  frednwaozor@gmail.com
  +2348028608056

 

2015 World Cancer Day (Aired News-Commentary)

THE NEED TO INTENSIFY AWARENESS ON CANCER AS THE WORLD CANCER DAY IS COMMEMORATED TODAY, WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2015

Cancer, also known as malignant tumor or malignant neoplasm, is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the tendency of invading or spreading to other parts of the body.

Possible signs and symptoms of cancer include a new lump, prolonged cough, abnormal bleeding, unexplained weight loss, a change in bowel movements, among others. While these symptoms may indicate the occurrence of cancer, it is also worthy to note that, they may occur due to other medical issues.

Cancer, which can occur in over one hundred different ways in the human body, is mainly caused by either uncalled practices or dietary risks such as tobacco smoking, incessant intake of alcoholic drinks, obesity, low fruit and vegetable consumptions, lack of physical activities, as well as certain infections like hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and human papillomavirus. Some cases of cancer could also be as a result of genetic defects one inherited from his/her parents.

Cancer can be detected by certain signs and symptoms or by screening tests. It is typically further investigated by medical imaging and confirmed by biopsy. Early detection through screening is useful for cervical and colorectal cancer.

Cancer, though a preventable disease, is indeed a human frightening and deadly medical condition that can occur in any essential organ in the body including stomach, lung, breast, kidney, liver, heart, eye, nose, skin, cervical, bone, brain, just to mention but a few. Many cancerous growths can be prevented by not indulging in smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, not drinking too much alcohol, eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, being vaccinated against certain infectious diseases, not eating too much red meat, coupled with avoidance of regular exposure to sunlight and urban air pollution.

Cancer is usually treated with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, or targeted therapy; or sometimes, a combination of all. In a typical cancer treatment, pain and symptom management are an important and basic part of care. Palliative care is particularly recommended for patients suffering from advanced cancer condition.

The chance of survival solely depends on the type of cancer and the extent of the disease as at the time the treatment commenced. In children under the age of fifteen (15); at diagnosis, the ‘five-year survival rate’ in the developed world is on average eighty percent (80%).

In 2012, about 14.1 million new cases of cancer occurred globally, not including skin cancer. Statistics show that, the outbreak caused about 8.2 million deaths or 14.6% of all human deaths in the aforementioned year. This implies that, in near future if adequate care is not taken, cancer cases might be responsible to over twenty percent (20%) of death rate in the world.

The most common kinds of cancer in males include lung cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, and stomach cancer; whilst in females, breast, colorectal, lung, and cervical cancers are mostly common. Diagnosing a new cancer in pregnant women is difficult, because any symptom is commonly assumed to be a normal discomfort associated with pregnancy. In children, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and brain tumors are mainly common except in Africa where non-Hodgkin lymphoma occurs more often.

The risk of cancer increases significantly in regard to the age of the potential sufferer, and several cancers occur more often in developed countries. Unequivocally, cancer rate increases on a daily basis as more people live to an old age and as lifestyle changes are regularly witnessed in the developing world.

Today Wednesday February 4, the world over is commemorating the 2015 World Cancer Day. Each year, on 4^th February precisely, the World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) supports Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer.

The annual World Cancer Day was formally adopted in Geneva, Switzerland by the United Nations General Assembly in the year 1933 through the remarkable efforts of the UICC and other world’s prominent cancer societies, in order to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration. The primary aim of the Day is to significantly reduce illnesses and death caused by cancer via raising of awareness on cancer and encouraging its prevention, detection, and treatment.

As the World Cancer Day is being observed today, there is an urgent need for every one of us to detest any form of uncalled or unhealthy lifestyle such as tobacco smoking, intake of hard drugs like cocaine, regular consumption of alcoholic drinks and what have you, that could jeopardize our precious lives. In the same vein, there is also need for us to be extremely mindful of whatever we eat or drink at all times. We should also not forget that adequate and instant treatment of any illness or infection we noticed in our body remains one of the major avenues of embracing a cancer-free society.

Those suffering from the disease ought to continually and strictly adhere to their treatment procedures and should endeavour to consult their physicians when necessary. They should also ensure that they are placed on proper dietary like regular consumption of vegetables and fruits. In addition, we are expected to comprehend the fact that early detection of cancer enables adequate eradication of the disease from the body of the sufferer; thus there is need for us, irrespective of age, to go for constant cancer testing or screening.

On this note, I call on all health practitioners and stakeholders to, at all cost, strengthen their crusade targeted to educate the entire public on the dangers and possible causes of cancer, so that, we shall all live to celebrate a cancer-free world as it is widely anticipated by the global society. Don’t forget; prevention is no doubt, far better than cure. Think about it!

 

 COMR FRED DOC NWAOZOR

(The Media Ambassador)
_____________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
+2348028608056