Int'l Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women

COMBATING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AS THE WORLD MARKS THE INT’L DAY FOR ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

     
Today Wednesday November 25, the global community is commemorating the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. From November 25 – the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to December 10 – the Human Rights Day, the sixteen (16) days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world.

      
A woman can be defined as a female human being. In the same vein, violence is defined as a behaviour involving physical force or emotional maltreatment intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone/something. On the other hand, a society is an organization of people who have the same or similar interest/aim; the overall people in a particular area or locality can also be referred to as a society.

      
Undoubtedly, no society in existence can be said to be complete if a woman is yet to be found in it, regardless of its nature or size. We can testify to this fact by considering how a woman came into the world. Of course it is no longer news that having created man, God the creator thought it wise to form a woman from the rib of a man; this was so because God realized of what benefit a woman would be to a man in any society/arena he finds himself.

      
A family for instance – a nuclear family precisely, which remains the smallest society on earth, can never strive successfully or attain to its anticipated height if a woman is missing. Realistically, a family cannot be formed in the first place if a woman is nowhere to be found.

       
And along the line having created or formed a family with the help of a woman, if she eventually dies, the affected family will live to suffer the vacuum her eternal demise has created. This implies that, psychologically, no widower can boast of being a happy man, especially a situation where the late wife left some kids behind.

       
Sometimes even when the widower has gotten married to another woman, provided the late wife left some indelible footprints behind such as the kids or that she was made up of some irreplaceable features, he shall remain in an unending emotional trauma until he is being compensated with one thing or the other by the Almighty.

        
Ab initio, the womenfolk has been considered to constitute the integral part of the wider society. It is obvious that a social gathering or union cannot achieve an effective and efficient goal if the women are not carried along.

         
It might sound a bit controversial but the truth remains that nature had ordained woman to be the most attractive being in any society she happens to be a member or a part of; this is the reason whenever a social group of people intends to pay a courtesy visit to a certain office holder, if they fail to include at least a woman among the delegate, the said outing might end up being fruitless. Why? Simply because the presence of a woman has a natural tendency of arresting the heart of any man irrespective of what the man in question is made up of.

       
The political terrain is not left out. Surely, any man occupying a political position would boldly testify to the fact that his beloved wife is the reason he is striving assiduously and successfully. Suffice it to say that, a woman is indeed in charge of any leadership position even when her impact seems invisible. The   advisory role, both morally and otherwise, a woman plays in the life of a political office holder who happens to be her spouse supersedes whatever advice or counsel he receives from his employees/appointees, or friends and well-wishers, as the case may be.

       
Considering the church, which is an institution as well as one of the oldest societies across the globe, there is no need reiterating the fact that its sustainability from the onset has been possible owing to the effort of the womenfolk. A woman has been proven to be more pious than a man; this is why she remains the engine room towards the uplift of our children’s spiritual lives. And we are all aware that someone or a family whose spiritual life is porous is apparently living like a tree without a single root. Due to the fact that a woman is closer to the church than a man, the easiest way to conscientize a married man toward the uplift of a church is by winning the heart of his wife, since it is obvious that a woman has the key to a man’s heart.

       
Frankly, the role of a woman both in her immediate and wider society cannot be overemphasized. From the aforementioned facts, it can be pinpointed that without a woman, the children cannot be properly raised, be it morally, academically, religiously and what have you. Similarly, without a woman, a man’s social, political and emotional life shall remain incapacitated and in shambles.

     
Acknowledging this fact, it is noteworthy that as Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, it is our civic responsibility to ensure that women or girls whom are ubiquitously vulnerable owing to their nature are duly respected as well as safeguarded with a view to strengthening our respective societies and the nation at large. We can contribute our individual quotas by always being conscious of the fact that women are obviously the backbone of any existing society.

     
It is estimated that about thirty-five percent (35%) of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence by a non-partner at some points in their lives. However, some national studies show that up to seventy percent (70%) of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetimes.

     
Violence against women is a human rights violation; it is a consequence of discrimination against women both in law and in practice, and of persisting inequalities between men and women. Unarguably, violence against women/girls impedes progress in many areas of human endeavour including poverty eradication, curbing contagious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, strengthening peace and security, thereby crippling nation building.

     
Surely, violence against women and girls, which continues to be a global pandemic, is not inevitable; thus, prevention is possible and essential too. Everyone has a responsibility to prevent and end violence against women and girl children, starting by challenging the culture of discrimination that allows it to exist.

     
Similarly, there’s also a compelling need for our legislators to enact a strict and formidable law that would holistically address any form of violence against the members of the womenfolk. The proposed law ought to ensure that anyone at all levels found guilty of any violence against the said group to include rape, battering, female genital mutilation, subjection into prostitution, and what have you, is thoroughly penalized or meant to face a capital punishment. There is no better time than now. Think about it!    

     

COMR FRED DOC NWAOZOR

Follow: @fdnnwaozor  

Awaited Imo LG Polls

AWAITED IMO LG POLLS ON MY MIND

     
Greetings brethren. If a veteran hunter forgot his den gun while embarking on a hunt, I wonder how he would perform in the process. In the same vein; as a talented writer, if I intend to ignore my pen while carrying out an analytical task, I wonder how I would perform. Similarly, as an activist by calling, if my tongue is eventually sealed, what would be my fate?

      It would also interest you to know that I’m an engineer or a technologist by profession; so as a practicing engineer, if I misplaced the screwdriver in my workshop, how would I render my services? I humbly implore you to give it a deep thought and kindly get back to me with a tangible response. Please, I can’t wait to have the reply to any of these enquiries.

      
The summary of it all is that, in any thing you do or you are into, there must be something or an item you are not meant to joke with or take for granted. For instance, a politician who takes his/her team mates or party colleagues for granted is definitely headed for doom; there are no two ways about it. Any politician who truly wishes to excel or strive to the next level must always carry his or her associates along, else he would no doubt finds him/herself in an unforeseen sorry state.

      However, that is not my business for today’s edition. Today, my interest lies solely in the awaited Imo State Local Government election, which is apparently long overdue. The 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended thereafter, clearly and frankly stipulates that the country shall be made up of the federal, state and local governments, and shall respectively be headed by an Executive President, Executive Governor as well as an Executive Chairman.

    
The aforesaid mandate implies that any state across the federation that is yet to have Executive Chairmen in its various Local Government Councils is not existing/acting in accordance to the rule of law, thus it’s expected to do everything possible toward ensuring that such anomaly is duly addressed.

      One major thing the former governor of Imo State – Chief Achike Udenwa did during his reign as the governor of the state from 1999 to 2007, which was applaudable and worthy of emulation though his administration never favoured the masses, was that he ensured that each of the twenty-seven (27) Local Government Areas in the state had an Executive Chairman. Subsequently, the man that succeeded him – Chief Ikedi Ohakim who seemed very smart managed to conduct what appeared like an election barely few months to the expiration of his tenure.

     
Now, His Excellency Owelle Rochas Okorocha is on board and since his inception, Imo likewise few other states in Nigeria is yet to experience what is constitutionally referred to as “LG polls” although the teeming electorate have been coming across series of promises as regards the awaited polls. I tell you unequivocally that any rational being or anyone who thinks good of the state would say that one of the greatest things he expects the esteemed governor to do is to candidly conduct the long awaited LG election regardless of the political party he or she belongs/affiliated to.       

     Owing to the fact that many Nigerian politicians are sycophants and those of Imo state are not exceptional, most of the governor’s associates whom are aggrieved in respect to this ordeal wouldn’t intend to disclose their grievances to his hearing; rather, they would prefer to remain praise singers even when the governor is erring.

     
My colleagues of like minds who have the interest of the state at heart had been patient enough due to the fact that the Imo governor Chief Rochas Okorocha has been preoccupied with several developmental projects since he assumed duty ranging from the establishment of free education policy to infrastructure, road networks, among many others, with the hope that the said election would surely be conducted someday; but the last time I checked, it appeared the persons in question were fast losing their patience.

      The Local Government Council enables governance to be holistically felt by the ordinary people irrespective of the locality they are resident in. the local government is in a good position to duly x-ray the true need of the people at all levels especially the rural/remote areas of any given state. A local government chairman is invariably the only one that possesses the capacity to ascertain if any of the local markets or roads within his/her jurisdiction requires an urgent rehabilitation. Hence, the function of the Local Government Councils in any state cannot be overemphasized.

      And, “Transition Committee or Caretaker” Chairmen whose stay in office is obviously temporarily would not be able to render the needed services to the people because they may be asked to leave their various offices at any time; funny enough, sometimes they are even taken unawares in regard to termination of duty, and such practice is not wholesome for the growth of any state. A substantive or elected chairman who is regarded as an “Executive Chairman” has a stipulated period of time to spend in office, thus would have a tangible time to execute his/her agenda and most importantly, he/she would concentrate fully while carrying out the task before him/her.

     As one who is determined to render good governance to the entire Imolites as promised ab initio, maybe the governor is afraid of seeing unscrupulous elements occupying the positions of the Executive Chairmen or Councillors of the various LGs and Wards in the state. As a focused governor, he may be of the view that the various LGs may end up having men of underworlds as their Executive Chairmen if elections were conducted, and such scenario wouldn’t augur well with his Rescue Mission Agenda.

      If the aforementioned perception is the governor’s fear, I’ve a suggestion or candid advice for his Excellency. First and foremost; prior to the election, he should endeavour to involve the various concerned security outfits in the state towards ensuring that every aspirant is duly screened without any fear or favour; by so doing, any prospective LG Chairman or Ward Councillor with questionable character or with any trace of stained antecedents would be shown the way out.

      More so, rigorous seminars ought to be organized for the electorate in order to create a platform through which they would be thoroughly sensitized on the need for them to cast their votes for whom they have explicit confidence in or whomsoever that would bring nothing but good governance to them, without being biased. The electorate should be meant to realize that the awaited polls would determine their future/fate.

     
Lastly but not the least, the state’s Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) must be warned to take the election very seriously; they must be notified severely that whosoever violates any of the electoral Acts would be meant to face the wrath of the law without much ado. As an astute administrator, I strongly believe the impeccable governor has all it takes to make the polls in question yield nothing but unalloyed success.

     
Nevertheless, all I want the governor to acknowledge is that the people cannot wait to witness the said polls, thus he ought to do everything humanly possible and within his reach to ensure he complies with the yearning of the teeming Imolites especially the masses whom I’m aware remain his priority. Thus, he is expected to see the election in question as a tool synonymous with his targeted success just as a veteran hunter sees his den gun. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

Follow: @fred_nwaozor          

  

2015 World Diabetes Day

INTENSIFYING AWARENESS ON DIABETES AS THE WORLD DIABETES DAY IS COMMEMORATED TODAY SATURDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2015

        

Diabetes is a lifelong medical condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high. It is often caused by the insufficiency or lack of the hormone known as insulin, which is produced by the pancreas – a gland found behind the stomach.

       

The amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by insulin. When food is digested and enters the bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into the cells where it’s broken down to produce the required energy.

       

However this implies that, if one has diabetes, his/her body is unable to break down glucose into energy; because there’s either not enough insulin to move the glucose or the insulin being produced doesn’t work properly.

        

There are two main types of diabetes namely: Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. The former is usually more delicate than the latter which is far more common.

        

In Type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin. As no insulin is produced, the victim’s glucose level increases, which can seriously damage his body’s organs. Type 1 diabetes is often regarded as Insulin-dependent diabetes; it is also sometimes recognized as Juvenile diabetes or Early-onset diabetes, because it mostly develops before the age of forty (40) or usually during the teenage years.

       

If one is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, he would need insulin injections for the rest of his life. He would also need to pay very close attention to certain aspects of his lifestyle and health, to ensure that his blood glucose levels stay balanced at all times.

       

Type 2 diabetes takes place when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or it cells don’t react to insulin. This type of diabetes is generally known as Insulin-resistant diabetes. Since Type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition, the patient may eventually need medication mainly in the form of tablets.

       

Type 2 diabetes is in most cases associated with obesity. Obesity-related diabetes is sometimes referred to as Maturity-onset diabetes owing to the fact that it is more common in older people.

       

During pregnancy, some women possess high levels of blood glucose, which makes their body unable to produce enough insulin to absorb it all. Such condition is known as Gestational diabetes and it affects up to 18 in 100 women during pregnancy. Pregnancy can as well make existing Type 1 diabetes worse.

       

Gestational diabetes can increase the risk of health problems developing in an unborn baby, therefore it’s very necessary for a pregnant woman to keep her blood glucose levels under control. In several cases, gestational diabetes develops during the second trimester of pregnancy, which is weeks 14 to 26, and disappears after the baby is born. But the truth remains that, women who suffer from gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life.

       

The general symptoms of diabetes, which often take place simultaneously, are as follows:

v Feeling very thirsty.

v Urinating more frequently than usual, particularly at night.

v Feeling very tired.

v Weight loss and loss of muscle bulk.

v Cuts or wounds that heal slowly.

v Blurred vision, caused by the lens of the eye becoming dry.

v Itching around the private part or frequent episodes of thrush.

        

Type 1 diabetes can develop quickly over weeks or even days. Whilst, many people may have Type 2 diabetes for years without realizing it because the early symptoms tend to be friendly.

       Statistics, according to World Health Organization (WHO), show that about 347 million people worldwide are presently suffering from diabetes. In 2004, an estimated 3.4 million people died from consequences of high fasting blood sugar. The most devastating aspect of diabetes is that, almost half of the people suffering from it do not know that they have the disease. In view of this, WHO stipulates that diabetes would be the 7^th leading cause of death by the year 2030.

      
Many more people worldwide have blood sugar levels above the normal range, but not high enough to be diagnosed as having diabetes. This is referred to as Pre-diabetes. If your blood sugar level is above the normal range, your risk of developing full-blown diabetes is increased. Thus, it’s absolutely very important for diabetes to be diagnosed as early as possible because it would get progressively worse if left untreated.

        In general, diabetes carriers are advised to eat healthily, take regular exercise and carry out regular blood tests in order to ensure that their blood glucose levels remain balanced. Above all, they are also advised to maintain a very cordial relationship with their doctors or health experts.

        Today Saturday November 14, the world over is commemorating the 2015 World Diabetes Day. The World Diabetes Day, which is an annual and international commemoration, was instituted in the year 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) to help in raising public awareness on the dangers and control of diabetes.

        World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations (UN) Day in 2007 through the passage of the UN Resolution. The day was chosen in honour of the birthday of Frederick Banting who along with Charles Best first conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin in 1921. The campaign attached to the World Diabetes Day draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes community and keeps diabetes firmly in the public spotlight.

        As the global community marks the World Diabetes Day today, I’m using this avenue to urge the general public to endeavour to live a life that would exonerate them from contracting this dreaded disease that has claimed hundreds of millions of souls as well as maimed several lives both in the past and present. They can achieve this by ensuring that they consume balance diets or by staying away from constant intake of starchy or sugary foods without supplementing them with other required classes of foods.

       
The sufferers of the disease ought to also note that they can live as long as possible if necessary precautions are always taken, or if they continually stick to the modus operandi surrounding the disease, such as eating healthily, indulging in regular exercise, carrying out blood tests regularly, and consistent intake of the prescribed drugs or frequent consultation of a physician, among others.

       
Yes diabetes has no absolute cure but it can be prevented, or managed if contracted; thus it is worthy to acknowledge that we have every opportunity to live without the disease or live healthily if being attacked by it. Think about it!

 

COMR FRED DOC NWAOZOR

Executive Director, Centre for Counselling, Research

& Career Development - Owerri

_____________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com