Flooding in Lagos: NOA charges residents on proper disposal of Pure Water Sachets

Mr. Ishola in the middle

The National Orientation Agency, NOA, has again enjoined Lagosians to behave responsively by properly disposing pure water sachet after drinking the water inside it.

 Mr. Waheed Ishola,the Lagos Director of the NOA, stressed the point an interaction with newsmen in Lagos.

Ishola explained that pure water sachets and other nylon materials which are non-degradable are the major causes of flooding by blocking drainages.

He lamented that despite grass root sensitization exercises by the agency and other related organisations, people still found it difficult to stop disposing refuse indiscriminately.

He also called on the need to start holding commercial water producers accountable for the environmental disasters caused by the materials they used in packaging the products.

Story by Innocent Onoh

LOKOJA—The National Orientation Agency, NOA, has disclosed that 53 persons lost their lives in eleven states across Nigeria due to the 2015 flood disaster. NOA also revealed that 100,420 persons were displaced between August and September this year as a result of the flood disaster.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/10/53-dead-100000-displaced-in-2015-flood-says-noa-boss-omeri/

LOKOJA—The National Orientation Agency, NOA, has disclosed that 53 persons lost their lives in eleven states across Nigeria due to the 2015 flood disaster. NOA also revealed that 100,420 persons were displaced between August and September this year as a result of the flood disaster.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/10/53-dead-100000-displaced-in-2015-flood-says-noa-boss-omeri/

13-year-old Girl Goes on 68-day Dry Fasting to Bring Good Luck to Family

A young girl who had only gone on dry fasting to bring good luck to her family has ended up with much more than she bargained.

Aradhana

 

 A 13-year-old girl from Jain in India has died in the city after observing a 68-day fast.

 

According to The Times of India, the girl, identified only as Aradhana, observed the 'Chaturmas' fast to bring good luck to her family. Her father, Laxmichand Sansadiya, had recently suffered huge loss in his jewellery business.

 

A Chennai-based priest had advised the girl's parents to ask their daughter to observe the 'Chaturmas' fast in order to recover from the loss in business and earn huge profits.

 

Aradhana's 10-week long fast ended on the 3rd October and it was celebrated with a huge event at their house called 'Paarana'. The event was also attended by Padma Rao, a Telangana minister from Secunderabad area.

 

Soon after, she was rushed to a hospital because of dehydration. 

 

The girl had slipped into coma after prolonged starvation and the doctors said that her intestines had dried up after the fasting and both her kidneys were also severely damaged.

 

The doctors declared her 'brought dead'.

 

A complaint has been lodged by the child rights' association seeking immediate action against Aradhana's parents.

Commotion as Newly Married Couple Were Robbed on Their Wedding Day in Benue State

The couple

 

John Itodo, an Assistant Inspector of Nigeria Prisons Service attached to Otukpo Division, and his wife have been robbed.

 

The man was in the early hour of Friday robbed at gun point with his bride, Jesse and other family members while returning from their traditional marriage.

 

According to Daily Post, Itodo, younger brother to Yemi Itodo, had concluded a traditional marriage rite with his bride in Etulo, a suburb of Katsina-Ala local government of Benue State on Thursday and was to move to Otukpa in Ogbadibo LGA same day for their wedding ceremony billed for Saturday.

 

The vehicle carrying the newly married couple, however, broke down in Aliade, Gwer LGA and the couple and some family members had to sleep over at Aliade.

 

“As early as 4 am on Friday, we set out for onward movement to Otukpa and the journey was smooth until we got to a place called Atlo, after Otukpo.

“We saw a military check-point by 6am with about 5 soldiers on uniform, fully armed, flagging down our car and we parked”, a family source revealed

 

Speaking further, the source said “We thought they were genuine soldiers because they were kitted with Army Uniform and carrying weapons. They also blocked the federal road with logs of wood and lanterns on both sides of the road, to suggest it was a military or police check-point.

 

“One of them entered our vehicle and asked the driver to move towards a path in the bush while the rest unknown’ soldiers’ were following with legs.

“They took us to a nearby bush and dispossessed us of a large sum of money and all our belongings, including a professional video camera and photo camera with the memory card which contained all our marriage activities yesterday”.

 

He said the matter has been reported at the Otukpo Police Area Command.

Resident raises alarm over alleged sharp practices by Lagos private doctors

 

Picture used for illustration

A Lagos resident has called on the state government to take a close look at activities of private medical firms, who he accused of trading on lives of patients especially those of pregnant women and babies.

The resident who did not want his name mentioned for security reasons alleged that private health institutions have formed a network among themselves, through which they exploit the people.

Correspondent ran into the angry resident at a hospital near Coker Bridge, in Coker Aguda council, where his wife was on admission as at Wednesday this week.

He was furious at the medical practitioners for referring his wife for multiple medical screenings, at huge cost, thus leaving him with no money to treat her.

The resident who suspected that the diagnostic centers and the hospital, were working together to exploit him, complained that some of the test results they gave were wrong, as they diagnosed appendices instead of ulcer.

 “Immediately my wife told me of abdominal pain, we started observing and suspected ulcer. But when we went to the hospital, the doctor prescribed medical test and referred us to a diagnostic Centre. Because they were very not professional, they said it was appendicitis. That I did not believe because my wife had undergone appendix operation before. So, I prevented them from performing the operation.The doctor, thereafter referred us to another diagnostic Centre on Ogunlana Street,, Surulere. There it was confirmed that she has epigastric ulcer”.

According to him, when he refused them from operating his wife, on the ground that she had undergone appendicitis operation, the doctor of the private hospital referred them to another test instead of treating her.

 “When I was telling this doctor of the real lab result, he insisted we should run a third test for confirmation. I have spent so much on test alone. What I am concerned is that all the money we have been spending would have been enough to treat her”.

The resident said with the hard times in the country, the onus is on government to protect the masses, especially in issues of health.

“It is coming from my pulse. I am not happy because I am not seeing any improvement. The money used for running so many tests, would have been used to treat her. I would have gone out of this place since. I have so many things to do with money, not only on my wife. I am really disappointed”.

“Things are really not easy in this country. So you have to manage the little you have prudently. If you don’t manage your money well, you go bankrupt and start borrowing. I don’t want to be a borrower. It is not even good. The Bible condemns it”.

When the attention of the head of the medical team was drawn to the uproar caused by the man, the doctor threatened to stop treating his wife and subsequently discharge her forcefully.

"This women is leaving this hospital this moment. Imagine, he (referring to the man) has not even being meeting up in paying the medical bills totaling over N50,000, yet he had the gut to complain that his wife was not given proper treatment", said the doctor.

Meanwhile another resident also reported of a false diagnosis by a diagnostic centre in Ikorodu area the state, which said she won’t be able to deliver her baby due to narrow pelvis and it turned out to be false.

The women said she ended up delivering her baby weighing over 4kg.

Although government hospitals are seen as better alternatives, many Lagos residents still avoid them, because of bureaucratic bottlenecks causing them to wait for  long hours before treatment , among others.