ShortStory I Misplaced Priority (II)

MISPLACED PRIORITY (II)

      Ifeoma who was already intensely shocked and confused as she caught the sight of the weird and mind-boggling scene, subconsciously broke her movement afar like an electrocuted being. “Ikenna ..!” She managed to exclaim.

     “Ify ..” He responded, still flabbergasted.

      The lady by his side preferred to act like a spectator as the melodrama proceeded.

      “What is going on here?” Ifeoma said, moved closer to them.

      “What is it?” he rhetorically tendered. “Besides, you never told me you were coming?”

       She ignored the query. “Who is this?” she enquired, pointing at the guest.

       “Well,” quoth Ikenna. “This is Chinwe.” He answered, laid his right arm on the guest’s shoulders.

       “So, who is she?”

        Chinwe remained calm and attentive.

       “She’s my fiancée, if you must know.” He replied unequivocally.

       “Fian… what?”

       “Fiancee.”

       “Am I dreaming or something?”

       “Since I understood you weren’t ready to settle down, I decided to have a second thought.”

       “But I told you I was working on it?”

       “For how long?” Ikenna quarreled. “What do you take me for; a fool?” he added, furiously stood up.

       “Then, why did you tell me you were coming to my place today?”

       “I actually wanted to tell you that I have found my real love.” he responded, looked at Chinwe whom was still seated calmly. “But I later realized it was irrelevant.” He concluded, resumed his seat.

       At this point, Ifeoma couldn’t withstand the pressure and shame which still seemed not unlike a mere dream, thus she hastily turned her back on them and dashed out of the apartment amidst intense tears. When she got outside, she realized her car’s door wasn’t closed, but her already boiling senses weren’t bothered by the observation. She hopped into the black Toyota Jeep in the tattered mood and drove off.

       There won’t be a suitable way to describe how she reacted on her way back home. While on the steering, she felt like undressing herself. Everything abruptly became so worthless to her person. The pink T-shirt she wore seemed drenched which wasn’t unconnected with the unsolicited fathomless sweats that kept coming. She was seemingly, to say the least, hot and crazy.

      “Who was that?” Chinwe asked Ikenna.

       The question came a few minutes after Ifeoma’s departure while they were still seated in the settee right in the lounge room.

       “She is Ifeoma.” Ikenna replied reluctantly.

       “That’s not what I asked.”

       “So?”

       “Who’s she to you?”

       “What else do you want to hear?” quoth Ikenna. “Didn’t you hear all the discussions?”

        Ikenna hooked up with Chinwe barely a few weeks back having decided to forget everything about Ifeoma whose attitude was unbecoming, and she (Chinwe) had agreed to settle down with him.

       “So you have been double dating?” queried Chinwe who was still curious.

       “Double dating who and who?” Ikenna said. “Since I met you, I have not even sighted her.”

       “Then why is she still following you?”

        Ikenna was speechless.

       “Besides, why didn’t you quit the relationship before searching for another woman, if you are truly done with her?”

       “Wait, what are you insinuating?”

       “Exactly what you think.” She said, frowning.

       “Let me assume I didn’t hear you clearly.”

       “You have not still answered my question.”

       “Like you heard earlier,” quoth Ikenna. “I planned to be at her place today and break the news to her.” He said, paused. “But your visit obstructed everything.”

       Chinwe’s visit disorganized Ikenna’s proposed visit to Ifeoma’s place. She actually took him unawares, thus there was no how he could proceed with the plan. And she had never heard of Ifeoma either.

       “Oh my God!” Chinwe exclaimed.

       “You have nothing to worry about,” Ikenna conscientized. “I will take care of everything.” He assured, looking into her sexy eyes.

       “With the look on that lady’s face,” quoth Chinwe. “She could be up to something …” She presumed.

       “Like I said,” Ikenna interrupted, attempting to kiss her. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about.” He landed, eventually kissed her and made her to lean on his hairy chest.

       When Ifeoma arrived home, she removed all her wears excluding panties and bra while in the sitting room, went for a bottle of brandy at her bar and began to devour it without a glass whilst seated on one of the bar’s stools.

      “What’s happening to me?” she thought, looked very weird. “This is all my fault.” She admitted.

       She madly stood up with the bottle in her left hand, confusedly walked towards her room, but eventually returned to the bar and sat down. This time, she was seated on another stool. “I caused this,” she lamented aloud. “I caused it!” She reiterated, felt like fisting herself severally.

       Some seconds later, she abandoned the drink which had already gotten to half, went for another bottle. This time, she preferred whiskey. She began to empty the already popped bottle without much ado. She drank, and drank until she got to stupor.

       When she regained her consciousness at about 5.05pm on that very day, she found herself in a hospital bed to her utmost surprise. By her bedside was one of her male friends named Kelvin.

       Kelvin was one of the men in her life and she never loved him a bit because to her, he wasn’t even promising let alone successful. He visited her apartment on that fateful afternoon having called her number severally all to no avail, only to meet her lying on the tied floor starkly nude. He managed to dress her before rushing her to a nearby hospital.

       Few seconds on, she looked at Kelvin, smiled, never bothered to inquire how she got to the hospital. It appeared she understood the scenario. “Thank you.” She told him.

      “You are welcome, dear.”

      “Will you marry me?” She asked desperately.

       The eyes of the 40-year-old Kelvin popped open, felt very amazed to hear such rare words from her. He had invariably adored her and thought she could never think of accepting any marriage proposal from him let alone seeing such thing coming from her tongue. He tried to ascertain if he was dreaming, but behold it was a reality.

        He quickly held her classy hands with his while she still lay in the bed. “You mean,” he uttered. “You will marry me..?”

        She nodded, smiling.

       “Yes of course, I will marry you.” he said with alacrity. “You are everything I need in this world.”

       “Really..?”

       “Of course!”

       “Thank you so much.”

        Two months later, they tied the connubial knots to people’s utmost amazement including her fans. They were deeply marveled to observe that the ‘almighty’ Ifeoma could settle for the least on her list.

       Before the marriage, Ikenna had already wedded Chinwe - his newest love.

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Opinion I Marking the 2017 World Cancer Day

INTENSIFYING AWARENESS ON CANCER SCOURGE AS THE WORLD CANCER DAY IS COMMEMORATED ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2017

          

Tomorrow, Saturday February 4, the world over is commemorating the 2017 World Cancer Day. Each year, 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 (UN) 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.

         

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, and a change in bowel movements, among others. While these symptoms may indicate the occurrence of cancer, it’s equally worth noting 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, and 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, at diagnosis, the ‘five-year survival rate’ in the developed world is on the 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 per cent (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.

         

As the World Cancer Day is being observed tomorrow, 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’s 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 as well 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!

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Opinion I As Imo Launches 'Imo Air' Amid Recession

THE ‘IMO AIR’ AND OKOROCHA’S STRIDE IN AVIATION

        

The last time I checked, Imo State could proudly boast of an airline. The said aircraft tagged “Imo Air’ was launched by the state’s government ably led by Governor Rochas Okorocha penultimate week, precisely on Tuesday 24^th January 2017, after it successfully landed at the Sam Mbakwe Airport Owerri with passengers from Lagos State, at about 12:20pm.

        

It’s noteworthy that the aircraft has a capacity of one hundred and forty (140) passengers. Prior to its successful landing at the aforementioned airport, several Imolites and onlookers were of the notion that the awaited feat was likely to be a mirage. At last, their skepticism – which was natural and normal though – was proven wrong by the governor who was accompanied to the airport by various top government functionaries. It suffices to say that the above mentioned date ushered in a moment of ecstasy mixed with astonishment. The mixed feelings were obviously witnessed by anyone who could see through his/her eyes.

        

Therein, the governor made it known that the number of airlines the state had planned to kick-off with, regarding its interest in aviation business, was five. According to him, four additional aircrafts were on the way, and would soon be equally launched by the ‘Rescue Mission’ administration. The number one citizen went further to disclose that the airline business would temporarily be managed on behalf of the state by Dana Airline pending when the state would receive full license to run the business.

        

It would as well interest you to note that the governor reiterated his administration’s readiness towards ensuring that the Imo airport is fully transformed to an International Cargo Airport in no distant time. He said that the April 17, 2017, being the date the state was targeting toward meeting the lofty demand, would never be shortchanged or compromised. Based on his speech, the initiative which was supposedly a Federal Government (FG) project was at the moment duly funded by the Imo State government.

       

Stating that Governor Okorocha’s aim of investing in the aviation industry is a welcome development ought to be described as understatement. The governor has conspicuously  proven to the general public, particularly those who understand what it takes to run a venture in the said sector, that the business the FG had been afraid of going into could easily be initiated as well as managed by a state government. Actualization of such a feat has made Imo to be reckoned the first state across the federation to invest in aviation, especially at a period when every facet of the country is seemingly suffering from economic comatose.

        

This very accomplishment is strongly propelling my person to believe that one of the expensive statements made by the Imo governor during the launch of the ‘Imo Air’ was something to behold. Speaking at the event, Gov. Okorocha wholly told the members of the press, and of course the entire public, that Imo – the Eastern Heartland – wasn’t affected by the ongoing recession that is ostensibly nearing depression. That, to me, was indeed an overstatement.

        

How could the governor claim that Imo was not suffering from recession while the teeming workers in the state are being paid seventy per cent (70%) of their salaries, and there was recently a sixty per cent (60%) cut from the arrears of pension accruable to the state’s pensioners? We must be mindful of how we speak in any public domain, so that, we won’t end up generating crisis when the people are expected to rejoice. I must say unequivocally that such an utterance didn’t augur well for any civil servant or pensioner who was present at that epochal ceremony.

        

Though the government had really tried to pay the workers’ salaries till date as well as cleared the backlog of pensions owed the teeming senior citizens, it’s worth noting that these stewards and retirees, as the case may be, were not being paid as they were meant to. And the cut in the said payments was solely occasioned by the lingering economic mayhem that’s apparently ubiquitous. So, coming out to tell the public that the state was not negatively affected by the unbearable economic condition was not unlike creating a paradoxical scene.

        

Lest I digress, this critique is mainly informed by the need to let the Imo State government realize that aviation business is often characterized by several challenges and intrigues. Yes, a feat has obviously been recorded, but it’s imperative to acknowledge that sustaining it ought to be of paramount importance, both to the investor and the beneficiaries at large. It’s not anymore news that lack of maintenance culture remains one of the major factors bedevilling the contemporary Nigerian society, and Imo is no doubt not exceptional.

        

To this end, I would advise the government in question to take the day-to-day management of the venture very seriously with a view to ensuring that the basic motive of establishing it is duly actualized. Diversification is presently the only way out, and having thought it wise to include the aviation industry in the scheme of things, is arguably a laudable step; but it’s pertinent to comprehend that if we failed to do the needful in the long run, the lofty dream would definitely yield further crises rather than addressing the existing quagmire.

        

Hence, as much as I candidly commend the amiable governor for recording this rare feat, I equally advise His Excellency to ensure that the needed measure is taken as the odyssey progresses. So that at the end, we will all gather to celebrate his person. Think about it!

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