Aisha Buhari: When Best Friend Becomes 'Enemy'

AISHA BUHARI: WHEN BEST FRIEND BECOMES ‘ENEMY’

      The last time I checked, the Nigerian First Lady – Mrs. Aisha Buhari – who is reckoned to be the best friend to her husband, President Muhammadu Buhari was on the contrary perceived as his ‘enemy’. Such phenomenon is not unconnected with the political comment made by the woman in question during a recent interview granted to the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

       In the interview, which took place precisely on Thursday 13^th October, Mrs. Buhari had alleged that few people in President Buhari’s cabinet have hijacked power, while neglecting people that worked for his success. She unequivocally stated that out of fifty persons appointed by the president into various political offices, he barely knew five of them. When asked if the president was aware some people were subverting his government, she said ‘whether he knows or he does not, those that voted for him know’.

       When asked if she had tried to discuss such with him considering that she remained the closest person to him, she answered ‘there is nothing I can tell him, he is seeing things himself.’ The first lady went further to appeal to those who did not have voter’s card to give way to those that had, stating that the latter were the ones that struggled towards the emergence of this administration as well as knew the true agenda of the government. She concluded by saying that if things continued like this, she might not come out to support her husband’s re-election bid come 2019.

        In his reaction to his wife’s comment, President Buhari in an interview granted to a group of German journalists during his trip to Germany, said ‘I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs in my kitchen and my living room and the other room.’ The president further stated ‘I claim superior knowledge over her and the rest of the opposition, because in the end I have succeeded’.

        The statement attracted tremendous mixed feelings cum condemnations from the global community, particularly the German Chancellor – Mrs. Angela Merkel who happened to be his host as at the time he made the comment. Consequently, the president’s media aides described it as joke in order to calm most wailers down; the claim became contradictory and laughable when the president subsequently ordered the first lady in another media chat to steer clear of politics, and concentrate on taking care of him.

        One would wonder what warranted the first lady to make such sensitive utterance publicly. Being the seemingly best friend to the president, and one who should hold the key to his heart, everyone would have expected her to begin such crusade from ‘the other room’ before going public if need be, but she rather thought it wise to commence from the public sphere. This implies that she wasn’t having a good rapour with the president, in spite of the fact that she remains the only wife of the president and occupies a highly revered position in the State House.

        The president of any country is expected to maintain a sound relationship with his first lady in terms of communication. So, when such scenario is missing, it becomes a lapse. For the First Lady to have disclosed that she had never discussed the matter with the President is a clear indication that they are not having a sound rapour, and such is unhelpful to not just both of them but the country at large. Pronouncement of proposed leadership policies is supposed to start from ‘the other room’; you should first discuss the idea with your wife, and see how she would react to it.

        In view of the President’s reaction that the First Lady belongs in the kitchen and so on, I think there was a mix-up somewhere. Though his wife erred by going to the press to present such opinion, his reaction was equally an overstatement. Describing a first lady as house wife didn’t make any meaning to me. Even if it was a joke as they claimed, such joke made no meaning to me, too.

       The office of the First Lady is a very viable office in any nation, thus anyone occupying such position ought to be seen as an inevitable element while discussing governance. A first lady is not meant to be relegated to the background irrespective of the circumstance, because she’s not just a mother to her biological children but like a mother to every citizen of the country where she reigns, and that of Nigeria wouldn’t be an exception.

       Also, ordering a first lady to stay away from politics is, to me, an aberration. We can never finish discussing governance without mentioning the First Lady; her role when it calls for governance is very essential and unavoidable. Similarly, one cannot finish discussing governance without mentioning, or taking reference from, politics, because the latter begets the former. And, politics is like history whilst governance is like the future. You can’t talk about the future without taking a clue from the history. So, if the First Lady is meant to be deeply involved in issues pertaining to governance, she is equally required to know much about politics.

       Besides, Mr. President forgot so soon the role women play in politics. He simply forgot that without the participation of women, an aspirant of a certain political position would achieve nothing. He quickly forgot that women, either married or single, possess the highest number of voter’s cards in any society and they remain the most motivated class when it calls for election. He actually forgot that his wife contributed immensely towards his victory. Believe it or leave it, women are the key to any electoral victory.

        I expected President Buhari to attend to his wife’s comment with silence while in public domain, and try settling the issue with her indoors. Yes, she has erred, but that didn’t call for overreaction; obviously, he overreacted. At such circumstance, people – particularly those you call your friends – would push you to say what you wouldn’t want to say ordinarily. That’s why we must be extremely careful whenever we find ourselves in suchlike circumstance.

        She has spoken as a woman, but you still need to cuddle her as a man, probably having scolded her indoors. Women are too emotional and highly sensitive; so they can behave in an unexpected manner at any time if their emotions are hurt or trampled upon. This is the reason we are advised to be careful the way we handle them. A little hurt felt by a woman can make her act like an enemy.

        I equally enjoin Mr. President to try and address those issues raised by his wife. She wasn’t crazy to have said such thing; her comments were ostensibly informed by convincing reasons. Mrs. Buhari may have spoken the unspeakable, thereby making her appear like her husband’s enemy, but we must note that her comment was consequential and timely. Even if those comments were a mistake, let’s not forget that sometimes mistake is necessary. So, those calling for her arrest, or her head, should jettison the barbaric thought towards facing reality. Think about it!    

Comr. Fred Doc Nwaozor

Follow: @mediambassador 

Eradicating the Monster called Malnutrition

ERADICATING THE MONSTER CALLED MALNUTRITION

        Malnutrition can be defined as a physical weakness caused by not eating enough food of the right kind. It can also be described as a situation involving the state at which the human body lacks the required food components known as ‘balanced diet’. It simply means poor nutrition, and can be referred to as ‘under-nutrition’ when the carrier does not possess enough nutrients or ‘over-nutrition’ when s/he has more nutrients than requires.

        Malnutrition is caused by having an inadequate diet or a problem absorbing nutrients from food. There are several reasons either of these conditions might occur to include having reduced mobility, a long-term health condition such as a chronic disease, or a low income. Malnutrition could be in form of kwashiorkor, anaemia, obesity, xerophthalmia, pellagra, among others, as the case may be.

       Other medical conditions that can lead to malnutrition include: a condition that results to lack of appetite such as cancer, liver disease, persistent pain or nausea; a mental health condition including depression, dementia, or schizophrenia, which may affect one’s ability to look after him/herself; a condition that disrupts one’s body ability to digest food particles or absorb nutrients such as dyspepsia or ulcerative colitis; and, a condition that makes swallowing difficult or painful such as dysphagia as well as persistent vomiting or diarrhoea and eating disorder including anorexia nervosa.

        It’s worth noting that, some kinds of medication can increase one’s risk of developing malnutrition. Research indicates that over 250 types of medicine are known to disrupt the body’s ability to absorb as well as breakdown nutrients. One may also be at risk of becoming malnourished if his/her body has an increased demand for energy – for example, if it’s trying to heal itself after undergoing a major surgery or having sustained a serious injury such as a burn, or if the body is experiencing involuntary movements like tremor.

        Physical factors can also contribute to malnutrition. If one’s teeth are in a poor state, eating could be difficult or painful. One might also lose his appetite as a result of losing his sense of smell and taste. More so, one may be passing through a physical disability or other impairment that makes it difficult for him/her to cook or shop for food. Social factors that can contribute to malnutrition include: living alone and being socially isolated, having limited knowledge about nutrition or cooking, and alcohol/drug dependency.

         The most common symptom of under-nutrition is unintentional weight-loss. Other signs may include: weak muscles, low mood, constant fatigue and an increased chances of contracting various illnesses or infections. On the other hand, the main sign of over-nutrition is being overweight or obese. However, persons living with under-nutrition can also be overweight if they feed on a diet high in energy (calories) but low in other nutrient. Signs of malnutrition in children can include failure to grow at the expected rate coupled with behavioural changes such as appearing unusually irritable, sluggish and/or anxious.

         In the hospital or clinic, one can be diagnosed to be malnourished or not, by calculating his/her Body Mass Index (BMI). Someone with a BMI that falls within 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy. Thus, one with BMI either less than or greater than the above stipulated range is considered malnourished.

         It’s noteworthy that malnutrition is a severe and deadly medical condition. Significantly, accordingly to the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), statistics show that about 10.9 million children under the age of five die in developing countries like Nigeria each year; survey indicates that malnutrition and other hunger-related diseases cause sixty percent (60%) of the said deaths. In addition, the cost of under-nutrition to national economic development in any of the affected countries is estimated at 20-30 billion US-dollars per annum.

        Treatment may be carried out at home or in the hospital. Dietary changes are the main treatment for malnutrition; if one is undernourished, he might need to increase the nutritional content of his/her foods or diet, with or without taking nutritional supplements. If the person is unable to eat enough to meet his/her nutritional needs, s/he might need a feeding tube to provide nutrients directly into the digestive system or a drip to provide nutrients and fluids directly into the vein.

         The best way to prevent malnutrition is to eat a healthy balanced diet. To stay healthy, one needs to eat a variety of foods from the four main food groups, namely: plenty of fruit and vegetables; plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods; some milk and dairy foods; and, some meat, fish, eggs, beans, among other non-dairy sources of protein.

         Malnutrition could be fundamentally attributed to illiteracy, ignorance or poverty. This implies that the ongoing crusade regarding the eradication of all forms of malnutrition in Nigeria requires the holistic effort of all and sundry including the governments, health experts, civil society, the media, non-governmental bodies as well as well-meaning individuals.

         The government at all levels ought to endeavour to establish primary health-care centres within the reach of the citizenry, especially the ordinary people. And must ensure that each of the health centres enjoys the services of at least a qualified resident dietician. In the same vein, people should be conscientized to visit the health centres situated at their respective localities from time-to-time, in order to acquire the needed counselling on dietary.

         The civil society and concerned NGOs are equally expected to intensify awareness on the possible causes of malnutrition. It is advisable for them to regularly embark on a door-to-door sensitization campaign, and at all times endeavour to organize seminars cum workshops with a view to bringing the less-privileged individuals closer to health/dietary issues. This proposed measure can effectively and efficiently be actualized by involving the mass media.

          It is obvious that most people, particularly those residing at the rural areas, are yet to understand the actual meaning of ‘balanced diet’ owing to lack of education. This is where the informed minds or well-meaning Nigerians are meant to come in; they should let their relatives, friends, well-wishers, neighbours, and what have you, who are less-privileged - information/education wise, to acknowledge the fact that balanced diet can be obtained within their places of residence such as their home gardens.

         It’s no longer news that most Nigerians are preoccupied with the notion that balanced diet comprises ‘expensive’ foods that can only be acquired by high-income earners. Hence, they should be meant to comprehend that they can produce essential foods at their houses without any tangible capital. Besides, it is estimated that 684,000 child deaths worldwide could be prevented by increasing access to vitamin A and zinc, which can be obtained from vegetables.

        The schools at all levels to include primary, secondary and tertiary, on their part, ought to ensure that teachings involving dietary are taken more seriously. In this regard, the various tertiary institutions should introduce a general course that would educate the undergraduates mainly on issues concerning dietary and agriculture in general. Such studies should be made to be mandatory and ubiquitous through legislation. Let’s promote this crusade now, towards actualizing a better Nigeria. Think about it! 

Comr. Fred Doc Nwaozor

Follow: @mediambassador 

                             

Tackling Crimes with Tracking Devices

TACKLING CRIMES WITH TRACKING DEVICES

      Mobile technology such as tracking devices, which has become a powerful crime-fighting tool, has shown significant impact in recent years on most countries across the globe. A tracker is specially programmed equipment meant to trace the actual location of a person or thing. However, it’s worth noting that devices like cell phones, computers, cameras, and what have you, can equally function as a tracker if adequately utilized.

      Cell phones, particularly Smartphone, contain inbuilt mechanism including Global Positioning System (GPS) among other location information that the various law enforcement agencies find valuable. Information like voice call history, text/multimedia messages, phonebook contacts, web browser history, and email, can tremendously help investigators to gather people’s aims and the occasions they have attended, thereby providing the required direction.

      Tracking people via their mobile devices has been adopted by several agencies in most nations, and has become very much a part of most investigations because virtually every adult now possesses a cell phone. Cell phone records can identify calls made and received. The cellular towers that were used in the conversation, data communication, as well as the Short Message Service (SMS), can as well be obtained.  The cell phone records hold latitude and longitude information that can be used as a historical reference to identify where the mobile device was at a particular period.

       Similarly, citizens are advised to regularly send digital photos and videos of crimes in their custody to apt quarters. New technology allows sent images to be directly linked to the record of a related call, and be forwarded to emergency respondents on their way to crime scene. A good example of such technology is CrimePush, a multiplatform Smartphone app that allows users to report crimes effectively and at ease. It equally gives users the ability to forward multiple GPS-tagged distress messages to designated emergency contacts/quarters.

       High-profile criminal incidents all over the world have proven beyond doubts how valuable mobile phone images can be during crime investigations. The bombings in the United Kingdom (UK), precisely London, in July 2005 marked a turning point in news coverage and the role of camera phone images. Witnesses to the attacks used their cell phone cameras to record their experiences in the aftermath. Not only did it signal a new era of citizen journalism, but police in London were able to use the sent photos as clues towards tracking the terrorists that masterminded the bombings.  

       SMS is more discreet and safer in some circumstances to include burglaries and kidnapping. Several police departments in various countries have text-a-tip programs that allow people to send anonymous messages from their cell phones. With a view to providing people with a confidential means of communication, SMSs are sent to a separate third-party server where identifying information is removed and assigned an encrypted alias to ensure callers’ anonymity.

       The various security agencies in Nigeria, especially the police, are required to fully employ the use of various tracking devices in issues regarding crimes. Technology is being developed and deployed by several criminals to perpetrate crimes, with the aim of leaving no, or little, digital footprint. This ranges from selling illicit goods on the internet to mass identity theft and credit card fraud. Vehicle crime also poses a dynamic challenge to these agencies; vehicle crime investigators are invariably faced with ever-changing technology as well as regular introduction of new vehicle models. Modern vehicles are more like mobile computers constantly threatened by hackers. The police must take note of this fact and advance on it.

       Digital forensics is a branch of science encompassing the recovery and investigations of materials found in digital devices including computers, cell phones, and cameras. The police will continue to be challenged to acquire the needed tools and training to perform competent digital forensic investigations, and keep pace with criminal activity. Digital forensic department ought to be designed in all police quarters, and such unit should be sustained by continually providing the required equipment, manpower, and environment.

       Legislation can also be of help. Hence, lawmakers should provide a law, mandating all vehicles coming to Nigeria to bear micro-dotting technology. This would ensure that each vehicle contain approximately 1000 hidden markers that hold the identity of that vehicle, so that, in the event of the vehicle being stolen, it can be easily identified. Importantly, the locations of the 0.5mm dots are not visible to thieves, thus cannot be altered by them. The police personnel should also be trained on how to indentify data-dot technology.

       The recently signed Cybercrime Act should equally be duly implemented by setting up a special unit under the Police Force that would be in charge of crimes involving the internet. Such unit must possess all the needed devices and experts. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is, on its part, expected to play a major role in crimes pertaining to the use of cell phones, thus the police must endeavour to collaborate with them.

       For Nigeria to properly tackle all kinds of crimes, the relevant authorities must boast of various well-equipped sensitive units on digital investigations, cyber security, and electronic discovery. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

(TheMediaAmbassador)

-ICT/Engineering Consultant, Researcher, Blogger, Analyst & Activist-

Founder/CEO, Docfred (Nig.) Ent. - Owerri

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frednwaozor@gmail.com

http://frednwaozor.blogspot.com

Twitter: @mediambassador