ShortStory I Standing Alone

STANDING ALONE

        “Sergeant Okoro!” DSP Ahmed furiously called in a very high tone while standing in-between his office executive chair and table the moment the said sergeant hastily stepped into his office.

        “Yes sir!” Sergeant Okoro responded accordingly, facing the boss as the ethics demanded.

          He stood seriously right before the DSP, posing not unlike one of the soldiers that fought the Second World War.

         Both were in their uniforms.

         DSP Rasaq Ahmed who was in his early forties was the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of one of the notable police stations situated in one of the South-Western states in Nigeria. He was widely and famously known for his unrelenting vibrant and dogged approach to issues pertaining to security of lives and property from the very day he joined the Police Force. To say the least, he was unarguably a no nonsense police personnel, that, he became the role model of any police officer that intended to discharge his/her duties or serve the country selflessly and efficiently without any iota of fear or favour, as might be the case.

         On that day, precisely 13^th August 2002, he had earlier sent for Sergeant Ekene Okoro within a twinkle of an eye he received a report on one local ‘champion’ in the neighbourhood named Femi who was accused of rape.

         The notorious Femi who hailed from the locality had been terrorizing the residents of the area and its environs, and his dastardly acts coupled with other misdeeds were condoned by the previous DPOs. He was popularly known by his accomplices as ‘Bale’, which literally implied the Monarch of the territory, based on their native language Yoruba.

         DSP Ahmed who was barely one month old in the Division had vowed to deal ruthlessly with anyone in the area of any questionable character having been intimated on the unwarranted anomalies that were on the rampage in the locality. He was actually posted to head the quarters owing to the ordeal.

         “Go and get me the so called Bale.” DSP Ahmed ordered. “Right now.” He supplemented, stood still, looking like one who just lost one of his own.

         “Yes sir!” replied the serious-looking sergeant who was already aware of the ugly incident.

        “Don’t keep me waiting.” He warned.

        “Yes sir!”

          He signalled the sergeant with his left hand as he frowned, urging him to leave immediately.

         The sergeant hurriedly tendered his last salute positioning his masculine chest forward and dashed out of the office like a breastfeeding monkey as requested.

         “Non….sense!” the DPO exclaimed as soon as the sergeant departed, quickly resumed his seat, looking pale and anxious.

          Considering his physiognomy, it was obvious he couldn’t wait to behold the accused person.

          Within three minutes, Sergeant Okoro organized a 5-man team comprising no nonsense and well experienced cops including him, and headed for the consignment with their black patrol vehicle.

       * * * * *

         “We have him, sir!” Sergeant Okoro disclosed in a high tempo the moment he dashed into the DPO’s office, posing as usual.

          This was taking place barely twenty minutes after his departure with the team having successfully apprehended the culprit as instructed by the boss.

          “Good job.” the DPO applauded, nodding his big skull. “Where is he?” He added while standing from his chair.

           He was instantly led by the seeming fearless sergeant to the room where the hooligan was kept in handcuffs.

           Femi who could not be confronted by anyone, not even his King, couldn’t believe he was in the police net.

         “So you are the Bale?” said the DPO in a mean tone within a second he found himself in the room.

          The boss stood directly in front of the suspect who was seated on an Iron back-chair. Among everyone in the room – including the DPO and his men, he was the only one who had a seat. As he felt relaxed in the chair, he calmly looked up to the DPO’s face and remained mute.

          The huge, dark-looking and about 5.5-foot tall Femi, who seemed to be in his mid-forties, was clad in black jeans, blue polo and dark-blue trainers. The stylishly carved beards on his chins and lower jaw were enough to form a forest within his skull. By merely taking a glance at his appearance, you needn’t be told that he was a kingpin.    

          That was the first time the DPO would set his eyes on him. Prior to that moment, the former was only familiar with the latter’s names especially his sobriquet.

          Aside DSP Ahmed, there were other three cops in the room, which was virtually empty. They included Sergeant Okoro and one female officer.

          The DPO, DSP Ahmed who was in his police uniform alongside his junior colleagues signalled the female cop who stood adjacent to him to uncuff Femi.

          She hastily complied with the instruction and returned to her initial position.

          She was standing by the left side of the detainee, Sergeant Okoro stood directly at his (Femi’s) back whilst the other male cop was by his right side. It suffices to say that the hoodlum was surrounded by the four cops present in the room.

         “I learnt you have been terrorizing the whole town?” the DPO proceeded. “And now, you have diverted to rape.”

          Femi remained speechless, looked mean.

        “Are you dumb?” DSP Ahmed shouted.

          Femi stylishly glanced at him. “I promise,” he said. “You will surely regret this.”

        “What …!” the DPO exclaimed in a high voice.

          The other male cop rushed to hit him but he was resisted from doing so by the DPO via a commanding sign.

          The cops including the DPO became preoccupied with extreme rage. They, excluding the boss, kept their pistols handy; the DPO’s was lying on his belted waist.

         “So,” quoth DSP Ahmed. “You are threatening me?”

           The other three cops simultaneously shook their heads in disappointment.

         “Even in my office?” the DPO added, looking bitter.

           To be continued, please.

 

Comrade Fred Nwaozor

National Coordinator, Right Thinkers

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frednwaozor@gmail.com

+2348028608056
Twitter: @mediambassador 

 

Opinion I On The Proposed Increment Of Imo Workers' Salaries

ON THE PROPOSED INCREMENT OF IMO WORKERS’ SALARIES

        

The last time I checked, Imo workers in their entirety once again had a good reason to not just smile but grin. The expected outlook of the physiognomies of the persons in question is informed by the pronouncement made by the Imo Executive Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha penultimate week.

         

In the period in review, precisely on Thursday 19^th April 2018, the state’s number one citizen while speaking to newsmen domiciled in the state who called on him at the Government House, disclosed that Imo civil servants would henceforth be faced with a ‘new salary structure’, which is targeted to bear an upward review of their monthly wages and allowances.

        

The above avowal implies that as from the end of April this year, the said workers are going to be placed on a juicier take-home pay. It suffices to assert that their individual lives are meant to change positively commencing from this month, which would mark the premiere of the proposed new salary structure.

        

Governor Okorocha who used the occasion to comment on the ongoing penury faced by the overall Imo retirees, stated that he was determined to change the welfare of the civil servants for good. This is needless to say that he is wearing the political will over the issue as one would wear a clothe.

         

However, the amiable governor didn’t inform Imolites if the salary structure is mainly aimed at ensuring that the workers start receiving hundred percent of their entitled salaries. We expected His Excellency to use the event to throw more light on the forthcoming initiative.

         

It would be recalled that on arrival of the lingering recessionary era, the Imo Government began to pay the civil servants only seventy percent of their entitled wages, though in agreement with the leadership of the workers’ union otherwise known as the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) of the Imo State Chapter.

       

The consequence of the downward review of the workers’ salaries unabated threw their mood in anguish on a monthly basis even though the scheme was ostensibly approved by them via their leaders. They were left with no option than to accept their fate in good faith since there’s invariably a light at the end of the tunnel if one remains optimistic.

       

It’s noteworthy that it was the unfortunate situation faced by the civil servants that mainly prompted the Imo workers’ Free Working Days; an initiative implemented by the governor to enable them use part of their working period to engage themselves in farming with the motive of boosting their respective incomes as well as attract surplus foods on their tables.

         

Regrettably, the candid initiative that attracted countless criticisms from various quarters, failed to yield any meaningful fruit as anticipated by the Governor who apparently meant well for the teeming workers. The failure of the scheme recently called for its abrupt termination by the number one citizen.

        

It’s equally worthy of note that subsequently, the salaries of the workers were upwardly reviewed to eighty percent, which reportedly remains the percentage received by each of them till date. In spite of the upward review, they were yet not comfortable with the take-home pay. This perhaps was what occasioned the pronouncement made by the governor penultimate week.

         

But, the number one citizen didn’t consider telling us the nitty-gritty of the proposed increment. It was pronounced as if the incoming ‘new salary structure’ is a largesse, and not the workers’ supposed entitlement.  It was presented as if the said initiative is a hamper from the Rescue Mission Government. We were informed in a way that anyone would think the scheme is an additional allowance initiated by the governor.

         

Although the initiative was born out of the governor’s magnanimity because if he fails to do so, no one would query him, but concerned Imolites expected him to notify if the new structure is aimed at increasing the workers’ wages to ninety percent or what have you. Or better still, if it will ensure that the workers henceforth will receive hundred percent of their salaries coupled with extra package on a monthly basis.

        

Inasmuch as I wholeheartedly appreciate the governor for coming up with the ‘new salary structure’, I equally wish to use this medium to inform him that discerning minds in the state would want to know what exactly the initiative entails. Hence, there is need for a painstaking statistics regarding the scheme to be made available to all concerned.

       

As I also urge the leadership of the NLC to salute the number one citizen for the new structure, I implore them to endeavour to ask pertinent questions when need be towards intimating their entire members on whatever they deserve to know. In view of this, I expect them to call on His Excellency with a view to enquiring from him the nitty-gritty of the seeming laudable scheme.

       

It’s imperative for governments at all levels to acknowledge the essence of incentives in boosting the productivity of the labour force. The manpower in any setting, either private or public, ought to be meant to enjoy regular incentives to enable them put in their best regardless of the circumstance.

        

Believe it or not, an effective and efficient day-to-day input can never be gotten from a group of workers that are maltreated as regards regular payment of wages and allowances. Any underpaid labour force as it is witnessed in most quarters across the federation, irrespective of the setting, is liable to malfunction.

         

This is the reason I mustn’t cease to commend Gov. Okorocha for eventually thinking in this direction, even as I tell him that he can do better. He really needn’t be reminded that workers are just not unlike Oliver Twist. Think about it!

 

 

Comrade Fred Nwaozor
Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub (DRH) - Owerri

___________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Twitter: @mediambassador

      

Opinion I Still On 2018 World Malaria Day

 

GETTING READY TO BEAT MALARIA AS WE MARK 2018 WORLD MALARIA DAY

          

On Wednesday, April 25, the world over is commemorating the 2018 World Malaria Day. This year’s theme is “Ready to beat malaria”. It’s a day set aside by the World Health Organization (WHO) to create awareness on the prevalent malaria scourge.    

                     

 Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by a group of single-celled parasitic micro-organisms known as protozoa belonging to the genus plasmodium. The disease is mainly transmitted by mosquito bites, and the symptoms often commence few days after the incident.

        

Malaria is transmitted most commonly by an infected female Anopheles mosquito. The mosquito bite introduces the parasite called plasmodium from the mosquito’s saliva into a person’s bloodstream. The parasites then travel to the liver where they mature and reproduce.

        

The signs and symptoms of malaria typically begin eight to twenty-five days following infection. However, symptoms may occur later in those who have taken anti-malarial medications in the past as prevention.

         

The presentation may include headache, fever, shivering, joint pain, vomiting, haemolytic anaemia, jaundice, haemoglobin in the urine, retinal damage, and convulsions. Malaria in pregnant women is the major cause of stillbirths, infant mortality, abortion and low birth weight.

         

Symptoms of malaria can recur after varying symptom-free periods. Depending upon the cause, recurrence can be classified as either recrudescence or relapse. Recrudescence is when symptoms return after a symptom-free period; it is caused by parasites living in the blood as a result of inadequate or ineffective treatment.

        

Whilst, relapse is when symptoms reappear after the parasites have been eliminated from blood but persist as dormant hyponozoites in liver cells. It commonly occurs between eight to twenty-four weeks and is common among P. Vivax and P. Ovale infections.

          

The primary sources of mosquitoes include sewage, refuse, dirty stagnant water, and untidy environment. In most cases, mosquitoes are peculiar to damp and dirty environments or substances such as gutter, pool, faeces, urine, among other solid and liquid waste materials. This is why residents of untidy localities are at a high risk of contracting malaria.   

          

Methods used to prevent malaria include medications, mosquito elimination through fumigation coupled with regular environmental sanitation, as well as prevention of mosquito bites via regular cum proper use of the mosquito nets, among others. Prevention of malaria, which is yet to have a vaccine, may be more cost-effective than treatment of the disease in the long run. And, the initial costs required are out of reach of many of the world’s poorest people.

          

Owing to the non-specific nature of presentation of symptoms, diagnosis of malaria in non-endemic areas requires a high degree of suspicion. Malaria is invariably confirmed by the microscopic examination of blood films or by antigen-based Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT). Microscopy is the most commonly used method to detect the malaria parasite in the body.

        

In spite of its widespread usage, diagnosis by microscopy suffers from two main drawbacks: many settings especially rural are not equipped to perform the test, and the accuracy of the results depends on both the skill of the lab technician and the levels of the parasite in the blood.

         

Malaria is widely treated with anti-malarial medications. The ones to be used solely depend on the type and severity of the disease. While medications against fever are commonly used, their effects on outcomes are not clear.

          

Uncomplicated malaria may be treated with oral medications. The most effective treatment for P. Falciparum infection is the use of artemisinins in combination with other anti-malarial drugs known as Artemisinin-Combination Therapy (ACT), which decreases resistance to any single drug component.

         

It is obvious that malaria is a killer disease. The WHO estimates that in 2010, there were about 219 million cases of malaria outbreak resulting in 660,000 deaths. The majority of cases, about 65%, occur in children under fifteen years.   

         

Survey also indicates that about 125 million pregnant women are at risk of infection each year. In Sub-Saharan Africa such as Nigeria, Angola, Chad, Congo, Benin, Ghana, and several others, maternal malaria is associated with up to 200,000 estimated infant deaths yearly. In a nutshell, globally, about 3.3 billion individuals in 106 countries are at risk of malaria, mostly among African children.

        

As the annual World Malaria Day is commemorated today, I urge us to be extremely conscious of the outlook of our surroundings since malaria is mainly attributed to unhealthy environment. Thus, we should always endeavour to properly dispose any form of waste found within our place of residence as well as thoroughly sanitize our gutters and toilets at all times. In addition, we ought to ensure that our beds are always covered with treated mosquito net whenever we lie in it.

         

Among all, we should endeavour to see our physician from time-to-time or whenever we notice any abnormality in our body system, for onward review of our health status. In the same vein, the various health personnel across the country are expected to contribute meaningfully in creation of awareness regarding the causes and possible effects of malaria disease cum its epidemic.

         

Most importantly, we ought to always bear in mind that prevention is invariably better than cure. Think about it!

 

Comrade Fred Nwaozor

Executive Director, Docfred Resource Hub (DRH) - Owerri

__________________________________

frednwaozor@gmail.com

Twitter: @mediambassador