Below The Headlines - 61
Below The Headlines - 61
When snake bites don't kill and Chinese food now being served with Jollof in Canada
Our thoughts remain with the flooding victims in Maiduguri. It has been truly devastating.
Inside Nigeria
A story that will be familiar to longstanding readers of this newsletter:
Tomato and pepper farmers in Bula, a community in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State, are reeling from the sudden collapse of tomato prices, by 90% in just two weeks.
During a visit to the Bula market on Thursday, September 12, 2024, it was observed that hundreds of baskets of tomatoes and bags of peppers were displayed for sale, but farmers were struggling to find buyers despite the drop in prices.
The cost of a large basket of tomato, which sold for N10,000 just two weeks ago, has now slumped to N1,000. Bell pepper (tattashe) has also seen a dramatic fall in price, with a bag now costing N10,000 against N40,000 two weeks earlier; a 75% drop.
The price of Scotch bonnet (hot pepper) has also dropped by over 65%, with a bag now going for N16,000 instead of N50,000.
Some levels of suffering are just unfathomable:
The once peaceful sanctuary for the lepers has become vulnerable, as land grabbers and criminals threaten the safety and stability of the residents, leaving them feeling more helpless.
The constant threat of robbery has left the residents in a state of fear, with many unable to sleep soundly at night.
With no security presence or protection, the lepers are easy targets for criminals who prey on their vulnerability.
Under the cover of darkness, criminals slip into the settlement, taking advantage of the residents’ physical limitations, and lack of resources and with no means of defence or access to basic security services, they are often left at the mercy of these intruders.
“Many of us are old and tired. We live in constant fear of robbers who come under the cover of the night to steal our property.
“We can’t stop them, and there is no one to call for help,” said 74-year-old John Ojoawo, one of the residents of the leper colony.
The septuagenarian’s account conveyed the deep sense of insecurity felt by the entire community.
Ojoawo, who played accordion and guitar for local bands in his youth before leprosy took his fingers away joined the colony in 1973 from his hometown in the Iwere-Ile community in Oyo State.
For once, the devil is officially exonerated:
Drivers in the country, particularly those operating commercial vehicles, have been reminded that their recklessness behind the wheel is causing crashes, not the devil, as is often ascribed whenever accidents occur.
The assertion was made by the Bauchi State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), CC Istifanus Ibrahim, during a familiarization visit to the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bauchi State Chapter.
Are you a Chosen? If not, who are you?
How has the church been coping with the trolling on social media?
Our pastor has travelled around the world, and the church has been experiencing a tremendous impact. We now have a presence in almost 120 nations. Beyond that, people have been receiving their healing; thousands of armed robbers and prostitutes have surrendered their lives to God. Let’s set aside other supernatural encounters and focus on what is most meaningful to us—when someone gives their life to Christ. Armed robbers surrendering their lives to Jesus and kidnappers turning to Christ—that, for us, is enough. We are happy these things are happening, regardless of what others may be saying.
How has this affected the church?
I don’t think what is happening has any impact on the church. Our general overseer is not bothered by it. It’s normal—once you’re doing the right thing, people will criticise you. I actually pity those involved because the Bible says, “Every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit is not forgivable. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” I hope those doing this know the Bible. The issue is that some Christians involved are ignorant of God and of what Scripture says. We’re not troubled by this; we pity them. We let them say whatever they want—it’s between them and God. The church is not disturbed at all. The Bible clearly states that if you do wrong, you will face the consequences.
The common excuse used by many of you has now been debunked. Please fix up using the tips below:
General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye has stressed the importance of maintaining romance in marriage, even amid spiritual obligations.
In a message on his Facebook page, Adeboye revealed that he and his wife, Foluke, still use affectionate pet names when they are alone, highlighting that “anointing does not reduce romance.”
Through this heartfelt advice, Adeboye urged married couples to prioritize intimacy and romance to keep their marriages vibrant and joyful.
He explained that some pastors avoid romantic activities, believing it distracts from their spiritual focus.
Adeboye emphasised that being anointed should not negate the need for romance, drawing an example from the Bible.
He wrote, “The fact that you are a Christian does not in any way take romance out of your marriage. Marriage is the only institution where romance and intimacy are allowed between a man and a woman.
[…]
Adeboye suggested simple acts like writing notes, using pet names, and surprising each other to keep the romance alive.
“Once in a while, compose a poem for your spouse and read it to him or her in a romantic setting. Spice things up with pleasant surprises every now and then. Write a note and put it in his or her bag so that when they get to the office and open their bag, they will see the note and smile. Have a pet name that you call each other behind closed doors.
Building a country and society is a lot harder when absolutely no type of public infrastructure is safe from vandalism:
Operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested one Sunday Adedeji for allegedly vandalizing wire mesh used by the Lagos State Government in hedging the road.
Were you aware that eating crocodile is illegal in Nigeria? I know many of you have been enjoying the delicacy so I urge you to stop it now while you can before you end up in prison:
He said, “I have not eaten snake before, but I have eaten crocodile, and the government sued me for that.”
“Eating bushmeat is illegal in Nigeria. One time, I was doing a campaign with a drink brand. They reached out to me saying, ‘We have this new product and need your influence.’
“And when I charged them, they asked why I was charging that big amount. I said, ‘Let me do a post with your drink, and when I do my post, it will trend more than that of the other influencers you hire to promote it. You’ll pay me after the post.’
“I took the drink, and except for the drink, I went to Bushmates’ place, ate the old crocodile, and drank the drink afterward to wash it down.
“The video trended and got 1 million plus views in less than 2 days. They paid me my money, and then the government came for me. I told them to go to the drink people.
University comes up with a ‘solution’ to incessant sexual harassment on its campus:
Some staff members of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) Ile-Ife, Osun State, are unhappy because beds will be out of their office spaces soon.
Professor John Okeniyi, Chief Medical Director (CMD) announced that he would get rid of office beds at OAUTH on Wednesday. Okeniyi, while addressing reporters, said the move would enable his administration to curb the incessant cases of sexual harassment of female staff in the hospital.
The CMD added that the continuous presence of beds in hospital office spaces could continue to give rise to more incidents of sexual assault.
He further stated that the institution put a strict anti-sexual harassment policy in place and that any medical staff who violated any of its rules would be made to face the consequences.
“The laws are clear, which we have brought to the fore for the notice of the people, ‘thou shall not sexually harass’. So, ignorance can no longer be a defence, now that you all know and if anybody does that, the next step is a deterrent with punishment. If anybody does that, we will punish him and will not sweep it under the carpet,” Okeniyi said.
“Once we start punishing people, others will be exposed subsequently, there will be a wall of shame on the internet for it. It will be there for your friends, children, and spouse to see forever.
“For those who cannot control their libido, they will have the law to contend with. Besides that, we will remove beds from offices being used under the guise of night shift. Having beds in offices could provoke sexual harassment. From now, I will personally supervise the removal of beds from offices. The night shift is not meant for sleeping but for people to do their job and leave.
A nice story about a community suffering from thousands of snake bites but very few deaths because the government is working as it should:
In the past, the Gombe State Government collaborated with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine to research improved snakebite management methods. Snake samples were collected and sent to the institution to help create a programme focused on training personnel, providing essential equipment, and producing antivenom. However, the programme eventually faced challenges and was discontinued.
“The state government has since embarked on expanding the facility with the aim of improving snakebite treatment and producing antivenom locally,” Dr Habu Dahiru, Gombe’s Commissioner of Health, tells HumAngle.
“The antivenom is provided free of charge. The state government is the primary supplier and has recently received support from the Northeast Development Commission. We are calling on more partners to assist Gombe State in securing adequate antivenom, especially during peak periods when we stock up in advance.”
In the past six years, from 2019 to 2023, the hospital has recorded 13,306 cases of snakebites — with a mortality rate of 1.5 per cent. Fifty per cent of the victims were men, 22 per cent were women, and 28 per cent were children.
Outside Nigeria
Father Anthony Odiong is facing life in jail for sexual assault and other charges:
A Catholic priest was indicted in Texas on felony sexual assault charges after several victims accused him of sexual and financial abuse, according to court documents and investigators.
The priest, Father Anthony Odiong, was indicted on Thursday by a grand jury in McLennan County, Texas, on two counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of first-degree sexual assault.
He was arrested in July in Ave Maria, Fla., when investigators found him in possession of child pornography while looking into sexual assault claims reported to the police, according to a Facebook post from the Waco Police Department. He was not indicted on possession of child pornography, but could be in the future, Detective Bradley DeLange said.
The police had been investigating Father Odiong for months because they had received “credible information” alleging he committed a sexual assault in 2012, according to the police. During the investigation, Detective DeLange said, the police found several women with similar stories of abuse as the original victim who had come forward. Detective DeLange discovered at least eight women who claim that the priest groped, sexually assaulted or financially abused them, including one woman who sought Father Odiong’s counsel over her marriage troubles.
Under Texas law, it is considered sexual assault if members of the clergy engages in sexual activity with individuals who depend on them emotionally as a “spiritual advisers.”
On this side of the Atlantic, Pastor Aniekan Akpan has also been jailed:
Aniekan Akpan, a pastor at the Christ Paradise Church near Old Kent Road, was described as a well-respected member of the community.
But the 47-year-old has been found guilty of 12 offences related to the sexual abuse of a girl beginning when she was 10-years-old.
At his sentencing hearing on Monday (September 9) an impact statement from the victim was read out.
She said: “It really messed me up. It has affected the way I see older men and I feel uncomfortable around men now. I don’t think I’ll be able to fix that part of my life.”
She added: “I never want to see him out on the street ever again.”
Despite his conviction Akpan, of St James in Croydon, continues to deny the offences.
Judge Ian Darling, sentencing Akpan at Inner London Crown Court, said Akpan subjected the victim to “all manner of touchings”.
“Tragically, she describes in her evidence that she got so used to it going on that she didn’t tell anyone. One of the reasons she said she didn’t tell anyone was that she didn’t think they would believe her,” Judge Darling said.
PZ Cussons has had to cut its dividend by almost 50%. Why? Well:
Pre-tax profits declined 39.7 per cent to £44.7 million in the 12 months to May 31, on revenues down 20 per cent to £528 million year-on-year.
The drop-off in revenue largely stemmed from a 70 per cent fall in the value of the Nigerian naira amid spiralling interest rates, political uncertainty and currency reforms. The business carried out nearly 30 rounds of price increases in its Africa market during the financial year to keep pace with the weakening of the currency.
The Manchester-based company is now exploring the sale of its entire Africa business, which accounted for more than a third of sales as recently as 2023, as part of a strategic review. Excluding the African market, like-for-like revenue slipped by 2.6 per cent.
The Economist visited Maiduguri to report on the flooding:
Children shout “hunger!” at the trucks bringing in food. Even before the floods, hunger was the worst it has been in north-eastern Nigeria for nearly 15 years, according to the World Food Programme. Its treatment facilities have seen a 70% increase in the number of malnourished people from last year, with children and mothers worst affected. Hopes that the upcoming harvest would provide relief have faded; over 115,000 hectares of farmland throughout the country have been ruined by the deluge so far. “Goats, rams, sheep, turkeys, chickens, most of the domestic animals we rear, we couldn’t rescue them,” says Balad Mutiza, a teacher, who fled his home with his family in the middle of the night when the floods came.
Flooding in Maiduguri has given an opening to canoe operators. And they are charging as much as they can for their service:
When floods swept through Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri last week, canoe owners volunteered to help move residents to safety. But residents say they are now being ripped off by the canoe owners charging steep fees to move their belongings.
Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, is reeling from the worst flooding in three decades after a dam wall burst following heavy rains that also hit several parts of West and Central Africa.
With vehicles unable to move in many parts of Maiduguri, residents are relying on canoes.
Falmata Muhammed, a 48-year-old mother of three said she decided to move some furniture this week but was shocked when a canoe owner charged her 80,000 naira ($49.56) for a short trip, more than the monthly minimum wage.
This article says 3.6 million people have left Nigeria in 2 years and looks at what happens to the communities they leave behind:
While technology has democratized modes of connections, having to maintain a virtual relationship with longtime friends has been the hardest challenge for many. Damilola Eneli, whose friend group of 10 has narrowed down to five, says it’s been hard to maintain connections.
“Keeping in touch has become more challenging with different time zones and busy schedules,” she says. “Sometimes, things would be happening in my life and I’d need my best friends but we wouldn’t immediately be able to talk because it would be 3 a.m. in Canada and the one in the U.K. is at work and can’t use her phone. Sometimes I would feel so alone. It’s tough navigating these changes and realizing that the spontaneous connections we once had are now replaced by longing and planning around time zones.”
Writer Deborah Oludimu says she misses being able to be there for her friends and vice versa. “The hardest part for me is that I can’t see them physically anymore, run into their arms anymore, stop at their houses anymore. A friend who used to be a huge supporter of an initiative I started three years ago left [in February] and I’ve been attending meetings with stakeholders by myself since then. It has impacted the way I push myself; two they say is better than one,” she says.
With her partner now also out of the country, the 21-year-old says she is finding it difficult to keep their relationship long distance. For others, there is a newfound anxiety about making friends or establishing new communities. They say little things like sharing hugs in silence are no longer possible and this has had a significant impact on them.
A fun story from Canada where a Nigerian is now running a Chinese restaurant. How long before they start selling plantain along with the rice and black bean sauce? Happening already!:
It’s not the only Chinese restaurant in town but Wang Dao Bistro is certainly the only one in Morden with a Nigerian chef at its helm.
Proprietor Ganiyat Oyesomi-Daibu took ownership of the existing eatery last November, six months after she emigrated to Canada from FCT Abuja, Nigeria, with her husband and five children.
While still in Nigeria, the businesswoman — she owns Nigerian-based spice company GNT Spice — expressed an interest in purchasing the bistro, which was up for sale by original owner Min Wang who was moving to Ottawa.
The timing, however, wasn’t quite right.
“I was in Nigeria when I contacted Min Wang and we became very good friends. She wanted to sell to me but because our documents were taking time to come through she sold it to her friend. I didn’t expect her to wait for me as this is the way of business, but I lost hope,” she says.
As it turns out, the place was always meant to be hers.
“Later on I heard it was for sale again and this time I got it. I called Min Wang and told her it was mine. She gave me all her recipes. She was very, very helpful. So eventually Wang Dao Bistro came to me,” she says.
Her plan was to continue serving Chinese food, even though it was a cuisine she wasn’t particularly familiar with in the beginning.
[…]
By incorporating items such as jollof rice, chicken suya, poundoyam and fufu into the bistro’s rotation alongside her renditions of fried rice, chow mein, spring rolls and breaded shrimp, Oyesomi-Daibu is gradually introducing West African food to the menu.
This story has made it into the international media:
As most of us are well aware, street racing is a dangerous and obviously illegal endeavor, one that can easily lead to disaster, given all the unknowns and variables involved. We’ve seen this time and time again, whether it be horrific – and sometimes fatal – accidents, and many times, people going to jail and losing their cars over a street race. This phenomenon isn’t just reserved for the U.S. either, as a recent street race in Lagos, Nigeria left a C8 Corvette and several other cars in pieces.
There are quite a few videos of this incident floating around social media, but according to the Nigerian Tribune, a young man who goes by the name “Trammania” rented a C8 Corvette and wound up in a street race against a Jeep Grand Cherokee on the main road of Eko Atlantic City. The race was captured on video by multiple bystanders and from various angles, giving us a pretty clear look at what happened, though there are still a lot of questions left unanswered.
Is Maggi the way forward? The Economist recently did a piece (here) about small investments in nutrition that could make the world a better place. I like this idea:
Financial constraints also limit the food Bello has on hand even though doctors have recommended a nutrient-rich diet both to improve her weakening health and to help her teenage daughter, Fatima, grow. Along with eba, on the menu today is melon soup with ponmo, an inexpensive condiment made from dried cowhide.
"Fish, meat, eggs, fruits, vegetables and even milk are costly these days," Bello, 56, said, her lean face etched with worry.
If public health advocates and the Nigerian government have their way, malnourished households in the West African nation soon will have a simple ingredient available to improve their intake of key vitamins and minerals. Government regulators on Tuesday are launching a code of standards for adding iron, zinc, folic acid and vitamin B12 to bouillon cubes at minimum levels recommended by experts.
While the standards will be voluntary for manufacturers for now, their adoption could help accelerate progress against diets deficient in essential micronutrients, or what is known in nutrition and public health circles as "hidden hunger." Fortified bouillon cubes could avert up to 16.6 million cases of anemia and up to 11,000 deaths from neural tube defects in Nigeria, according to a new report from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
"Regardless of economic situation or income level, everyone uses seasoning cubes," Bello said as she unwrapped and dropped one in her melon soup.
