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Showing posts with label Informative. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Informative. Show all posts

Ancient Sub-Saharan Africans possibly interbred with unknown hominins – Study

Source: Xinhua/NAN
Published by The SUN Nigeria. Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Human ancestors living in Sub-Sahara Africa may have interbred with unknown "ghost'' species of early hominins, a study on the evolutionary history of a salivary protein has indicated.

"This unknown human relative could be a species that has been discovered such as a subspecies of Homo erectus, or an undiscovered hominin,'' Omer Gokcumen, assistant professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, said in a recent statement.

"We call it a "ghost'' species because we don't have the fossils,'' he added.

The new research is among the most recent genetic analyses indicating that ancient Africans also had trysts with other early hominins.

The research team traced the evolution of an important mucin protein called MUC7 that was found in human saliva, examining its gene in more than 2,500 modern human genomes.

"When we looked at the history of the gene that codes for the protein, we see the signature of archaic admixture in modern day sub-Saharan African populations,'' Gokcumen said.

The research team found that a group of genomes from sub-Saharan African populations had a version of the gene that was wildly different from versions found in other modern humans, even beyond the differences between modern humans and the Neanderthals or Denisovans.


The finding, published on Britain's Molecular Biology and Evolution journal, showed that the ancestry of Homo sapiens are more complicated than originally believed.

Study showed that genes mutate during the course of evolution.

Thereby researchers calculated that the ancestors carrying Sub-Saharan MUC7 variant interbred with the "ghost'' hominin species as recent as 150,000 years ago, after the two species' evolutionary path diverged from each other some 1.5 to 2 million years ago.

The new studies also found that the MUC7 gene helps give spit its slimy consistency and binds to microbes, potentially helping to rid the body of disease-causing bacteria.


ICC says South Africa broke rules by failing to arrest Bashir

~TheGuardian. Thursday, July 6, 2017


War crimes judges ruled Thursday that South Africa flouted its duties to the International Criminal Court in 2015 by failing to arrest visiting Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, wanted on genocide charges.


The widely expected judgement slapped Pretoria for failing in its obligations and hindering the work of the world’s only permanent war crimes tribunal, of which it is a founding member.

“The chamber concludes that by not arresting Omar al-Bashir while he was on its territory… South Africa failed to comply with the court’s request for the arrest and surrender” of the Sudanese leader, said presiding judge Cuno Tarfusser..


This was “contrary” to the provisions of the court’s guiding Rome Statute and prevented it from seeking to prosecute Bashir on 10 charges of war crimes, including three of genocide in Sudan’s western Darfur region.


But the judges stopped short of referring the matter to the UN Security Council for further action, with Tarfusser saying “a referral would be of no consequence”.

Despite two international arrest warrants issued in 2009 and 2010, Bashir remains at large and in office as conflict continues to rage in Darfur.

In June 2015, he attended an African Union summit in Johannesburg, and despite earlier consultations between ICC and South African officials then flew out of the country again unhindered.

The UN Security Council asked the ICC in 2005 to probe the crimes in Darfur, where at least 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced since ethnic minorities took up arms against Bashir’s Arab-dominated government in 2003, according to UN figures.

No diplomatic immunity

Pretoria’s lawyers had argued at an April hearing at the ICC there “was no duty under international law on South Africa to arrest” Bashir, arguing there was “nothing at all” in the UN resolution to waive his diplomatic immunity.

But ICC prosecutor Julian Nicholls shot back that South Africa “had the ability to arrest and surrender him and it chose not to do so.”

In the end, the only reason Pretoria did not arrest him was that South Africa “disagreed with … the law as set out… so it did not comply,” he said.

Judges agreed in Thursday’s ruling that international obligations cannot “simply be put aside” if a country disagrees with them, and ruled that in this case Bashir did not enjoy immunity.

8 Things We All Need To Know About Our Blood Type!

BLOOD TYPE AND NUTRITION
Here’s what you need to know – a chemical reaction happens in our bodies (during the entire day) and the blood type can be crucial when it comes to digestion or weight loss. You can take this for example – it’s highly recommended that people with blood type O consume foods high in protein, such as: meat and fish! People with blood type A does not require meal consumption at all, because vegetables are more suitable for them. And, people with blood type B should avoid chicken and consume more red meat! And finally, people with blood type AB will benefit from sea foods and lean meat.

BLOOD TYPE AND DISEASES
Here’s what you need to know – well, mostly because of the different formation of antigens on the surface of red blood cells, every blood type is different. Moreover, this is why every blood group is resistant to one type of disease, while being susceptive to some other type. So, knowing the characteristics of blood types can aid in prevention of specific diseases.

BLOOD TYPE AND PERSONALITY
Can I ask you a simple question – did you know that your blood type can affect your personality? Well, of course and you can take this for example – people with blood type O are considered as extraverts, creative, social, and confident. While, people with blood type A are peaceful, artistically-minded, and trustworthy. People who are dedicated to their goals, strong, and are independent are usually people with blood type B. And finally, people with blood type AB are reliable, shy, responsible, and like to take care of others. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

BLOOD TYPE AND PREGNANCY
The medical experts also say that women with a specific blood type group have bigger chances of getting pregnant than other types. Moreover, women with AB blood type produce less follicle stimulating hormone which helps women to conceive more easily.

Nigerians 6th happiest in Africa, Norway world’s best

~News Agency of Nigeria
March 20, 2017


Nigerians in Germany in a photo-op with President Buhari, 2016
Despite the economic recession, Nigerians are Africa’s sixth happiest people, according to a new report released on Monday that called on nations to build social trust and equality to improve the wellbeing of their citizens.

Algeria leads the rest of Africa in happiness, followed by Mauritius. Strife-torn Libya is surprisingly ranked third, ahead of Morocco. And even a bigger surprise, another crisis-torn nation, Somalia is Africa’s fifth happiest country ahead of Nigeria and South Africa, ranked 7th. Tunisia is eighth and Egypt ninth, while Sierra Leone is tenth.

At the bottom ten are Benin, Madagascar, South Sudan, Liberia, Guinea, Togo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and the worst of them, Central African Republic.

(Please read the full African Report here: Africa- ranking of Happiness

On the global stage, Norway displaced Denmark as the world’s happiest country

The Nordic nations are the most content, according to the World Happiness Report 2017 produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global initiative launched by the United Nations in 2012.

Countries in sub-Saharan Africa, along with Syria and Yemen, are the least happy of the 155 countries ranked in the fifth annual report released at the United Nations.

“Happy countries are the ones that have a healthy balance of prosperity, as conventionally measured, and social capital, meaning a high degree of trust in a society, low inequality and confidence in government,” Jeffrey Sachs, the director of the SDSN and a special advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General, said in an interview.

The aim of the report, he added, is to provide another tool for governments, business and civil society to help their countries find a better way to wellbeing.


Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, Finland, Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Sweden rounded out the top ten countries.

INTERNET: .africa joins the internet

~TheGuardian Nigeria. Friday, March 10, 2017.



Africans who want to register a website will be able to apply for a .africa domain name in the coming months, which outgoing AU commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said would allow the continent’s people and businesses to better reach the world.

“With .africa, I would say Africa has finally got its digital identity,” said Dlamini-Zuma, who will next week hand power to Chadian Foreign Minister Moussa Faki Mahamat after four years at the helm of the continental body

Sub-Saharan Africa has one of the lowest rates of internet penetration in the world, according to the World Bank, with only around 22 percent of people online compared to the global average of 44 percent.

The AU has vowed to increase broadband internet penetration by 10 percent by next year as part of its ‘Agenda 2063’ development proposal.

As the continent’s largest economy, South Africa dominates African presence online, holding 1.1 million of the two million website registrations on the continent, said Lucky Masilela, CEO of ZA Central Registry, the South Africa-based company that will administer .africa.

High fees are an obstacle to many people who want to register a website, Masilela said.

In some African countries, it can cost as much as $250 (235 euro) but Masilela said .africa addresses will be available at a cut-price rate of just $18 to anyone on the continent.

“.africa is going to be a market disruptor and will assist in lowering the cost of domain names,” Masilela said.

The AU is hoping proceeds from the domain registrations will help cover some of its administrative costs and fund the AU commission.

The domain is due to be available to the public in July but it remains unclear how strong demand will be.

Nollywood actor, Hanks Anuku exits Nigeria, turns Ghanaian

~Vanguard Nigeria. Sunday, March 5, 2017.

Actor Hanks Anuku turns Ghanaian with new name
Nana Kwame Fifi Kakra Anuku.
Nollywood Actor Hanks Anuku has become a Ghanaian having naturalised, relocated and changed his name to Nana Kwame Fifi Kakra Anuku.

The veteran actor Hanks Anuku has finally embraced Ghana as his adopted country, Ghana Link reports.

The actor who has relocated to Accra has now become a naturalized citizen of Ghana.

In a recent interview with Ghana Creative Arts, Hanks said he is going to stay in Ghana for the rest of his life in order to help Ghanaians.

On why he left Nigeria, the actor said the crisis in Nigeria forced him to leave the country and send his family to London while he hustle in Accra Ghana.

He added that his adopted Ghanaian name is Nana Kwame Fiifi Kakra Anuku.

TheCable€ï€² Verified accountï‚™ @thecableng tweeted Hanks Anuku saying that " God told me to leave Nigeria... I have found peace in Ghana ''.

BROWN CHYNA€ @Brown_Chynah also said Anuku comfirmed: " I'm Ghanaian Now!''

He said aActor Hanks Anuku Changes His Name To Nana Kwame Fifi Kakra

Sobontone€ @Shubomi_said "Anuku Ditches Nigeria & Becomes Ghanaian; Changes Name''.

Nature, Fruits and Vegetables: Tea can kill your sex life!

Topics:
Tea can kill your sex life!
Can pawpaw seed cure cancer?
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Tea can kill your sex life!
~Punch Nigeria. Monday, December 5, 2016. 


Apart from the weight of his bank account, a man's ability to get it up and satisfy his woman in bed is one of the important things that make a man worthy of his sex.

A man with weak libido or weak erection can't be a happy man; just as his partner is likely to keep wondering what the problems are.
Yet, physicians warn that the choice of tea that a man drinks might influence his performance in the bedroom!
The average person loves to drink tea, especially as a part of breakfast meal any day.

Nutritionists say tea is good, and there is no time of the day that it can't be taken. However, sex experts warn that certain teas are not recommended for men, because such teas can kill and bury a man's ability to have erection and satisfy a woman sexually.

One of such teas is the licorice tea. According to researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Centre, it is best to seek pre-approval from your doctor before you embark on drinking this particular tea!

They warn that if you eat a few pieces of black licorice, it won’t hurt your sex drive. However, eating a lot of it could. And how do you determine the quantity when you gulp it down as tea?

The scientists warn that consuming licorice can result in hormonal changes, including a reduced libido in both men and women.

Like licorice, like mint tea
Another tea that can also wreak havoc on libido is mint tea. Just like the licorice tea, mint tea can be bad for the libido as well, experts warn.
"Mints and mint oils are flavoured with menthol, which can reduce testosterone," an expert warns.

And, you'd better believe this, there are teas that combine these two elements. It's called Mint Licorice Tea!

The bottom line: When next you go shopping for tea, watch out!




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Can pawpaw seed cure cancer?

~TheGuardian Nigeria. Wednesday, November 23, 2016.

A community health expert, Mrs Karounwi Israel, says pawpaw seeds can help in the management of diabetes, stop cancer growth, kill bacteria and heal viral infections.

Israel, the President of KARIS, a non-governmental organisation, which teaches people on many wonders of plants and fruits, spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.


The expert advised people not to discard pawpaw, also known as papaya seeds because of its many health benefits.


HERPES: The infection called herpes

Topics:
- The infection called herpes
- Seek treatment for herpes
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The infection called herpes
Written by Dr. Sylvester Ikhisemojie
~Punch Nigeria. Sunday, February 19, 2017.


Written by Dr. Sylvester Ikhisemojie
Herpes is an infection caused by a very resourceful kind of microbe known as a virus. It is a clever virus too which finds it easy or convenient to adapt to their respective hosts. The virus causing herpes is of two types which are named the Herpes simplex Type 1 and Type 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2). The former is mostly involved in causing lesions around the face or more broadly, around the head and neck. In some cases, it causes a severe kind of gum inflammation called gingivostomatitis. This is often seen in children. The Type 2 is mainly found in association with disease in the genital region. This broad categorisation is sometimes wrong especially among certain population groups in whom the Type 1 is found more in association with genital diseases than the Type 2.

Herpes is not a new disease although it was not properly understood until the last two decades of the twentieth century. It dates back to more than 2000 years when the ancient Greeks in response to the creepy nature of the disease named it a creeping or crawling disease. In the Type 1 disease in which the face and lips are primarily involved, the skin problem it causes often resembles a bleeding gum. Most of these infections are not associated with any notable condition or illness. In the majority of cases, there is in fact, no disease status. However, when there is such a disease condition developing in association with this infection, significant illness, incapacitation and even death can occur.


This disease condition has increased in importance and spread in the last quarter of a century. It has therefore become a major public health concern and even though there is no immediate association with this virus of dramatic images of suffering and disease and death, the conditions exist without doubt. There is much ignorance about this virus and what it causes and there is so much else in terms of what damage it can cause especially among those people who already have a compromised immune status as a result of another condition like cancer treatment or long-standing kidney or liver disease. It is also more likely to occur in people with AIDS. In the United States, herpes is the most common cause of genital ulcers.



Both strains of the virus can cause disease in man as has been mentioned above. In addition, they are able to penetrate the unique kind of tissue prevalent in nerves and induce those cells to allow them to reproduce and multiply. It tends therefore, to follow the various nerve routes prevalent in the areas of the body where it mounts its attacks. It can complicate the wounds associated with burns and certain other skin conditions that would result in an inflammation of the skin known as dermatitis. The virus is found everywhere in the world and no age group is exempt from its effects. It is endemic in the human population and human beings are its only known reservoir. The virus also has no known natural vectors but it is liable to perform periodic reactivation which is the reason why so many sufferers of the infection become depressed and poorly motivated when they are exposed to repeated infection. The virus is speedily inactivated by drying and at room temperature so that it quickly loses its potency once it is outside the body. As a result of that weakness, it is not common to get the infection by droplets or in the form of aerosol.



Sex surrogates: Your man's impotence has a solution!

Written by Bunmi Sofola
~Vanguard Nigeria. Friday, February 17, 2017.

AS I bent over Ken, a truncheon in my hand, he looked up at me with a strange sort of longing in his eyes. I kissed him hard on the lips and moved my mouth over his neck and chest. I let him get a good look at me in my American cop uniform before I took off my top and threw it on the floor. I stepped out of my knickers and straddled

him on the bed, kissing him again and stroking his body. And then it happened. I saw him get aroused as I watched. 'Bingo,' I thought, and slipping on protection, he maintained his erection as we had sex. You see George has an intimacy problem. He's in a long-term relationship and madly in love with his girlfriend but he struggles to get an erection during sex. My job is to help him-and other men like him-find their confidence sexually…."

Ashley Grayson is one of a growing number of sexual surrogates all over the world. She is married and what she does is far from prostitution. She continues:"I'm not a prostitute, although I have been called one by people ignorant of my profession. I'm a sex surrogate. I help men with sexual or intimacy problems. I step in for their partner when there's a problem and I coach them through it. I also work with single men who

have sexual anxieties and need help to overcome them. I'm in partnership with a qualified sexual psychologist who holds therapy sessions with clients. There, she will talk to them about their most intimate thoughts, experiences and issues and draw out their insecurities and anxieties. We then work together to devise a 'sexual programme' to help the client overcome his problems.

"And that's where I come in. I work one-on-one with the men over several sessions, sometimes as many as a dozen. We start off very slowly and I usually start by working on eye contact and holding hands. My job is to help the man overcome his problems with intimacy. So he can go back to his partner a confident sexual being. Or, if he's single, he can initiate a sexual relationship and follow through with it, without crippling fear or insecurities stopping him. Sexual therapy of this kind enables the client to discover intimacy as a healing experience, free from the pressures, potential rejection and judgemental attitudes they have experienced in their sexual conditioning.

Why you don't have to exercise every day

~Punch Nigeria. Tuesday, January 17, 2017.

Exercise is one of the best ways to avoid chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer, as well as an early death. But it can be tough to squeeze into a schedule: Health experts recommend about 150 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous, breath-sapping exercise, each week.

Since daily exercise isn't realistic for everyone, researchers decided to study whether people who tend to cram their weekly exercise into one or two days on the weekend (so-called "weekend warriors") get the same benefits as those who exercise daily. In the new research published in JAMA Internal Medicine, they found that how often a person exercises might not make a difference in determining how long a person lives.

Gary O'Donovan, a research associate in the Exercise as Medicine program at Loughborough University in England, and his colleagues analyzed data from national health surveys of more than 63,000 people, conducted in England and Scotland. People who said they exercised only one or two days a week lowered their risk of dying early from any cause by 30 per cent to 34 per cent compared to people who were inactive. But what was more remarkable was that people who exercised most days of the week lowered their risk by 35 per cent not very different from those who exercised less.


The findings support the idea that some physical activity-even if it's less than what the guidelines prescribe-helps avoid premature death. Researchers saw benefits for people who squeezed the entire recommended 150 minutes per week into one or two days, as well as for people who didn't quite meet that threshold and exercised less.

Exercise was also effective at reducing the risk of heart-related death. The people who exercised regularly and those who exercised a couple days a week both cut their risk by about 40 per cent. Again, the frequency of exercise didn't seem to matter.

The same was true for risk of death from cancer. Those who exercised-whether it was every day or only a few days-lowered their risk of dying from cancer by 18 per cent to 21 per cent, compared to those who didn't exercise. This risk reduction was true whether they met the recommended physical activity requirements or not.

"The main point our study makes is that frequency of exercise is not important," says O'Donovan. "There really doesn't seem to be any additional advantage to exercising regularly. If that helps people, then I'm happy."

The results remained significant even after O'Donovan accounted for other variables that could explain the relationship, including a person's starting BMI. In fact, the benefits were undeniable for people of all weights, including people who were overweight and obese.

That should be heartening to anyone who finds it hard to carve out time for physical activity every day.


9ja rules! "Wahala dey o"! - Popularising the Naija Language: 5 things to be thankful for if you live in Nigeria

Topics:

  • Popularising the Naija Language
  • 5 things to be thankful for if you live in Nigeria
  • Is there anything wrong with following instruction? Who is wrong here, the Ticha or the student?
  • "My own don spoil today!!!"
  • "Wahala dey o"!
  • 9ja in the life beyond!
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Popularising the Naija Language
By DENJA ABDULLAHI


Using the word “pidgin” to describe the speech pattern or its written version commonly referred to as broken English in days gone by or stylishly named “rotten English” by Ken Saro Wiwa in his novel Sozaboy is no longer fashionable nor accurate –so concluded language scholars at the IFRA (Institut Francais de Recherche en Afrique) Nigeria-organized conference on the Nigeria Pidgin held at the University of Ibadan in 2009.


The conference rose with the firm resolution that the Nigerian Pidgin is currently well developed enough in terms of widespread usage, identifiable orthography and communicative propensity to shed the derogatory connotation of the term pidgin and wear a new respectable toga to be known as Naija. Several measures were suggested to further popularize the Naija Langwej in its current standardized version, among which was its use in literary writings.

The poet, Eriata Oribhabor, was an active participant at the said conference, where he presented a paper on “The Use of Naija in the Media, Arts and Entertainment” and it is, therefore, logical for him to attempt to creatively present the newly renamed Naija langwej in 50 poems of varying length and subjects in a collection entitled Abuja Na Kpangba An Oda Puem –dem .The arrival of the collection, with its catchy title, echoes many other iconoclastic efforts by notable poets in the past in their attempts to make us take the then pidgin seriously as a language of creativity. One recalls Aig-Imouekhuede’s Pidgin Stew and Sufferhead (1982),Ken Saro Wiwa’s long pidgin poem “Dis Nigeria Self” in his collection Songs In a Time of War(1985), Mamman Jiya Vatsa’s Tori For Geti Bow Leg(1985),Ezenwa Ohaeto’s I wan Bi President(1988) and If To Say I be Soja(1998) as signposting the land-marking usage of the Nigerian Pidgin in literature.

All the aforementioned books were received by the reading public for their public spirited themes and particularly for their use of a language with mass appeal –the language of the people.


Abuja Na Kpangba An Oda Puem-dem, though following in the footsteps of the rich traditions of Pidgin poetry of the earlier writers, makes a strong case for taking the form seriously in terms of conforming to the grammar and stylized standards of the Naija langwej. Beyond the pioneers identified above, contemporary writers usually switch on to pidgin as a kind of second rate attempt at creating humour which they erroneously think pidgin is best for and can be done as solely defined by the capacity and exposure of any writer. Thus we see varied orthography, some of them outlandish and mostly led by the ear and generally appearing like twisted English in many of the pieces presented as Nigerian Pidgin in contemporary Nigerian literature, whether it is drama, prose or poetry.

In Abuja Na Kpangba…, the corrective and pioneering venture of the poet Eriata in showcasing the new way the hitherto Nigerian Pidgin now Naija should be written is noted in the “Edito Mesej” by David Esizimetor prefacing the poems thus: “dis koleshon of puem speshal bikos na im bi di fest naija langwej buk we dem poblish wit di niu spelin sistem we bi Standad Naija Otografi(SNO) we Naija Langwej Akedemi(NLA)aprov.” After that, the poet plunges into the wonders and the contradictions of the city of Abuja in the title poem entitled Abuja na hevun,na kpangba where he writes: Abuja na ples!/ wen you land/ yu go wonda weda/ na Naija yu de?/ yu go de luk ayanyan/ yu go de hala laik se/ yu wan kolo/ yu go se/ “abi no bi Naija bi dis?”/ “abi na obodo oyibo bi dis?”

In another poem the poet asks: “Wich Landa Broda?” as a post-colonial critique of history as written or perceived by the colonizers, not sparing the internal colonialists, too: Abuja don te/ Gbagyi don de/ bifo Abuja kom de
na so i bi.// Naija don te/ awa pipul don te/ bifo Naija kom de/ na so i bi.//
Na so wi de/ Dem se na Landa Broda/ Dat na wait lai/ Wich Landa Broda?
In poems, such as “A get sista” and “Wich neshon yu bi?”, the poet explores family themes and upbringing resonating with the boy-girl child dilemma as it affects both parents. In the first poem, we witness a mother with so many boys already pining for a girl: “No bi boi bi di tin/na gel mama want/bot na boi” ; while in the second poem we encounter a disciplinarian father dealing with his horde of boys: “Papa pas soja/i gada os laik gels/haus no get gels/i no wan hie.”

The poems in the collection traverse the wide range of subjects any poet can muster, ranging from socio-political concern, love, treachery, ribaldry ,urban tales, class dichotomy to simple display of street lingo or credibility which is never in short supply in the arsenal of the form on which the collection is built.


What is however very noticeable in Abuja Na Kpangba is the assured manner in which the poet is able to navigate the varied subjects using Naija(Nigerian Pidgin) without being verbose and with refreshing turn of phrases in virtually all the poems that give the reader a feeling of reading Pidgin like it has not been written before. And in places where the poet quarries deep into the lingo of Naija, as spoken in maybe Sapele-Warri axis considered as the native speaking area of the language, footnotes not glossaries are generously supplied to aid comprehension by non-native speaker. For example, in the poem “Na fo haus yu swim?”, mocking pretentious child upbringing by parents, who themselves were very free as children, the poet pens thus: Wi du am fo sansan/ Baf fo sansan/ Swim fo dambadamba/ Kach ogoro,kuk feri fud/ Ple,jomp an laf. (italics mine).

In explaining some uncommon words in the above smippet from a much longer poem, the poet supplies footnotes indicating that sansan means “sandy ground”,dambadamba as “stagnant pool of rain water collected in dugout sand pits”,ogoro as “frogs” and kuk feri fud as “cook imaginary play food.”The most obvious change in the orthography a lay reader of the collection will notice in relation to earlier forms of the Nigerian Pidgin he or she may have come across is in the spelling and pronunciation of the letters or words i and a . The letter i in very many pidgin renditions sounds as or pronounced as a as in i dey kampe (apology to Olusegun Obasanjo of i -still –dey- laugh fame).In Abuja Na Kpangba, the written form of i and the pronunciation is close to that of the letter e as used in context in the poem “Abuja na hevun,na kpangba”: “Abuja na di ples!/na di veri ples/i de kamkpe no bi lai.” Compare that to the use in the poem “A arenj” which goes thus: “A de kamkpe/a arenj/a si pepe,a sabi/a arenj, etc.”
Eriata Oribhabor has definitely achieved a crescendo in Abuja Na Kpangba in the sheer exhibition of the mastery of Naija(Nigerain Pidgin), as he passionately weaves piece after piece, showcasing the viability of the language in expressing our humanity and the endless pleasures that lie in speaking in one’s own tongue;in this case the Naija Langwej.

The book from the content page to the blurb is written in the Naija langwej which is commendable except for the page on about the author at the very end which is written in straight English and one wonders why that oversight?And you readers must wonder too why this review was written in English and not in the Naija Langwej or at least in Nigerian Pidgin. I guess it will take a long time before we will be able to settle the language question in our literature and the coming of Abuja Na Kpangba has added a fresher dimension to the unending discourse.
Denja Abdullahi, former National General Secretary, Association of Nigerian Authors, is Deputy Director, National Council for Arts and Culture, Abuja.
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5 things to be thankful for if you live in Nigeria
~Vanguard Nigeria. Sunday, December 18, 2016. 

It's been a rough year for Nigeria. From the hike in the price of the dollar to increase in the cost of food and living, there have been a lot of reasons to feel discouraged about the giant of Africa. Many have become fixated on big-picture worries and so, take for granted all the little facets of life that deserve appreciation.

Believe it or not, Nigeria is still a pretty great place to live. And to bring a major boost to your overall happiness. Jumia Travel shares some things you can be grateful for if you live in Nigeria.

Jollof Rice

Why chicken is good for men

~Punch Nigeria. Wednesday, December 28, 2016.

From soup preparations to fried and roasted forms, chicken is a popular food in India that is cooked in multitude ways in every household. Chicken is one of the most valued foods among people of all ages, throughout the world. Not only it forms a crucial part of various culinary traditions but it is also highly nutritious and delicious to taste. Here are some amazing health benefits of eating chicken.

Helps boost testosterone levels

Men should consume foods rich in zinc as it helps regulate testosterone levels as well as boost sperm production.

Helps build muscles

Chicken is one of the best non-vegetarian sources of protein. It is lean meat, which means that it contains more amount of proteins and less amount of fat. A 100g serving of roasted chicken offers you 31g of protein, making it great for those who want to bulk up and build muscles.

Keeps their bones healthy

Apart from protein, chicken is rich in several minerals like phosphorus and calcium, that helps keeps bones in mint condition. Also, it has selenium which has been known to cut risk of arthritis.

Relieves stress

Chicken has two nutrients that are great for reducing stress - tryptophan and Vitamin B5. Both of them have a calming effect on your body and this makes chicken an excellent option after a stressful day. Also, it tastes great and that too adds to its stress releasing, happiness inducing properties. Read our mega guide on how to deal with stress.


Reduces PMS symptoms

Magnesium, a nutrient present in chicken helps soothe symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome and fight the various mood changes that a woman might experience during her periods. Here are more tips on dealing with PMS.

Boosts immunity

How to manage abdominal pain in children

Written by Dr Rotimi Adesanya
Web: www.doctoradesanya. blogspot.com.
~Punch Nigeria. Friday, November 11, 2016. 


Dr Rotimi Adesanya
Most children complain of abdominal pain (or stomach ache) at one time or another. While there may be no cause for alarm in most cases, parents should take such children to the hospital if the pain is severe and persistent or if such children seem generally unwell.

Causes of stomach ache
The term 'stomach ache' is casually used for all types of pain experienced in the abdominal area, but anyone who has suffered it knows that one stomach ache can be different from another. Not only can a stomach ache occur high up under the ribs or down low in the guts; its intensity varies.

Stomach pain in children is often caused by excessive gas and indigestion, which might not be a serious issue. A 'sore tummy' may also be a sign of infections like food poisoning, gastroenteritis, pneumonia or urinary tract infections.

Severe stomach pain might be caused by more serious or surgical illnesses like appendicitis or intussusceptions, which is when part of the gut slides into or over itself. Pain in the stomach that keeps coming back might be associated with constipation, food intolerance or inflammation in the gut.



Symptoms
The symptoms that come with stomach pain may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, constipation, bloating and loss of appetite. These symptoms vary, depending on the underlying cause of the pain.

Why sugar could be eight times more addictive than cocaine!

~Vanguard Nigeria. Sunday, September 18, 2016.

DOES the thought of living life sugar-free fill you with horror? If so, you may unknowingly be addicted. In fact, sugar is believed to be eight times more addictive than cocaine. Some people are more sensitive than others, but the more sugar you eat, the more likely it has taken hold of your addictive pathways and is driving you to eat – and drink – far too much.

When sugar hits the bloodstream, it stimulates release of a brain chemical called dopamine, which makes you feel good. The feeling is usually short-lived. By the time you're licking the chocolate off your fingertips or picking the last crumbs of biscuit from the plate, your dopamine levels will probably have fallen, taking you into a mini-withdrawal. This can trigger cravings for more sugar, urging you, against your better judgement, to pick up another biscuit or break off another square of chocolate so your brain can have another hit of dopamine. Before long, the biological signals that would normally control hunger and satiety (fullness) are swiftly being overwhelmed by this dopamine stimulation, to the point where your body (and brain) starts listening only to sugar's cues and ignores the fact that you have already eaten far more than you need.

If you have even the mildest addiction to sugar, there is every chance that your 'off' switch no longer works properly in response to eating, either. That's why one biscuit or scoop of ice-cream never seems like enough, even after a huge meal. The more sugar you eat, the more your tolerance adapts, so you end up needing more and more sugar to get the same boost – drug addicts and alcoholics experience the same cycle.

QUIZ: ARE YOU A SUGAR ADDICT?

ANSWER honestly yes or no to the following questions …

*CAN YOU eat sweet, starchy or fatty foods until you are over- full?

*DO YOU feel hungry even after eating a full meal

*CAN YOU eat large quantities of sweets or stodgy foods even when you're not feeling particularly hungry?

HEPATITIS B: The silent killer.

Written by Dr Ojum Ekeoma Ogwo.
~The SUN Nigeria. Sunday, September 18, 2016.



Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver from any source. Hepatitis commonly results from a virus. We have 5 types of viral hepatitis – viz;

1) Hepatitis A – infective hepatitis.

2) Hepatitis B – serum hepatitis.

3) Hepatitis C – associated with alcoholic liver disease.

4) Hepatitis D – associated with drug addiction.

5) Hepatitis E – occurs mostly in under-developed countries.


Here we are concerned with only Hepatitis B, which is the deadliest.

What is hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B or serum hepatitis, is a 42 nanometre DNA virus, also called “Australian antigen, as a surface antigen, designated as (HBsAg). Spread by blood, secretions and sexual inter course.

High risk groups are the 5 Hs- Homosexual, haemophiliac, hospital worker, heroin addict and haemodialysis patients.

What are the symptoms of hepatitis B?

i) Loss of appetite.

ii) Tiredness.

iii) Diarrhoea and vomiting.

iv) Jaundice (yellow skin or eyes).

Hepatitis B can also lead to;

i) Liver damage (cirrhosis).

ii Cancer of the liver. And,

iii) Death.

Affairs with married women are not as 'safe' as men think – Reader

Written by Bunmi Sofola
~Vanguard Nigeria. Sunday, August 28, 2016.

FROM time to time, I get letters from you readers that are so interesting that I feel I ought to share them with the rest of you. A few days back, a letter simply signed "Iyabode" popped up on my e-mail and I couldn't help chuckling to myself as I read it. She wrote: "Dear Bunmi, I am one of the regular readers of your articles in The Vanguard every Sunday, and I do not even know how fully I can express my feelings about your articles. If I may tell you, they have really improved my lifestyle and I always make copies available to friends whenever the need arises.

Bunmi, I shall be grateful if you can please help write something one of these days on: Why men of today prefer married women as girlfriends. Honestly speaking, it is a vogue in town these days. Please help emphasize on the following points:

Class: This set of married women are known for their own class. Most of them are wives of rich and notorious men. These men also go out at all times with extremely younger girls, leaving their wives and kids at home, thinking that money can fix everything, forgetting about love and happiness.

Sex: This category of ladies are preferred by men because they do have wide sexual experiences and they are very safe as they don't pester the men for marriage.

Fashion: These ladies are very fashion conscious. They are seen in designer dresses and at beauty parlours. They do not mind how much they spend on manicures, pedicures and professionally

Five reasons you should sleep naked

~Punch Nigeria. Sunday, August 14, 2016.

It encourages greater intimacy
Apart from making sleeping next to a loved oneexciting, our naked body releases oxytocin, often referred to as the "love hormone."
A 2009 study published by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden, says"Oxytocin reduces bloodpressure, cortisol levels and helps to reduce stress.
Thishormone does not only help relationship, but also your health!

It can keep you cool
One way to be cool during sleep is to abandon cloths.

It may help relieve insomnia
According to Dr. Cameron Van den Heuvel of University of South Australia's Centre for Sleep Research, regulating sleep temperature may bring some relief to sufferers of insomnia.

"Studies of sleep onset insomniacs show that they consistently have a warmer core body temperature immediately before initiating sleep, when compared with normal healthy adults. This results in a state of heightened arousal that prevents them from falling asleep when they go to bed, probably because they have to wait for their bodies to lose the heat that's keeping them awake. We're only talking about a half to one degree but that small temperature change can result in significant differences in arousal between insomniacs and people without sleeping problems."

The implication is that sleeping naked relieves insomia.

It can help relieve stress
Sleeping naked can relieve stress because itlowers cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone commonly referred to as the "stress hormone," and when levels are chronically spiked, health problems can arise, such as a propensity towards high blood pressure, weight gain, and a compromised immune system.

It can make you look and feel young
During sleep a variety of growth hormones, as well as anti-aging hormones such as melatonin, are released. These hormones serve to keep us looking and feeling young. To encourage the optimal release of these growth hormones, we need to get those seven to eight hours of sleep.

Sex does get better at 40!

Written by Bunmi Sofola
~Vanguard Nigeria. Sunday, July 31, 2016.

Do you dread the thought of reaching middle age? Wearing sensible shoes? Worrying about your wrinkles? Going off sex? Totting at what young people get up to? Well, forget it! Middle age has had a make-over. Two different studies have revealed that far from facing a mid-life crisis: women in theirmiddle years are increasingly confident, having more fun and enjoying better sex than ever.

So why does life get better once you leave your 30s behind? That's the question Jill Arnold, a senior lecturer in Psychology at Nottingham Trend University asked a group of women. At the age of 59, she felt that talking to other women about then-lives and experiences might help her to

understand. Along with her photographer daughter, she launched a project to find out how women view themselves as they get older. Arnold and her daughter interviewed and photographed 50 women aged between 45 and 65. Far from meeting frumps and grumps, they found people who were funny, creative and surer of themselves then ever before. "I think the increased confidence comes from knowing what you want," says Arnold.

"By the time they reach middle age, many women have spent years pursuing their careers and devoting all their energy to their children. Now they are looking forward to doing more things independently, even selfishly." One woman told me that she'd always thought she would feel isolated as she grew older. But her life is fuller than ever and she has a long list of things she wants to do with her time as soon as she retired.

" Arnold believes that although older women still feel under pressure to look good, they think to themselves: "I will try to find a way that is convenient for me." She says: It's not that these women don't care what anyone thinks any more. They know that they will be the judge. But they are more confident about the choices they make.

Stephanie Busari heads Nigeria CNN office

Written by Akeem Lasisi
~Punch Nigeria. Tuesday, July 26, 2016.


Seasoned Nigerian broadcaster with the Cable News Network, Stephanie Busari, is back to head the company's Nigerian office to be unveiled in Lagos. The office is to give the network a "nimble, broad-based, digital-first presence in Africa's most populous country."

The lady, who will be the Supervising Producer, Africa, will work across CNN's news gathering and digital operations, and will be the network's first responder for all platforms.

A statement from the organisation indicates that since joining CNN in 2008, Busari has worked across some of the network's most important African stories.

She was central to CNN's coverage of the missing Chibok girls, working alongside Senior International Correspondent, Nima Elbagir.

On her feeling about the new assignment, she says, "I am thrilled and excited to be back home after a long time away. I have always kept close links with Nigeria and have a considerable network here already. CNN is investing here because we believe Nigeria is a globally important nation with enormous potential and it is v ery exciting that I have been entrusted with helping to tell the story of my country to the world."

According to her, her wide experience across the globe will aid her.

"I have covered a wide variety of beats across hard news stories and features. I have even worked on the party scene as a showbiz reporter, and, at the other extreme, I have worked as a court reporter. So, hopefully all of this experience will stand me in good stead in such a diverse country as Nigeria. There are literally stories to tell everywhere you look here," she notes in an interview.

A multi-award winning journalist, Busari began her career at the defunct London-based newspaper, New Nation, which was aimed at the UK's black and ethnic minority communities. She then moved to the UK's Daily Mirror, where, among other beats, she covered Northern Ireland, reporting on some of the worst-affected areas of "The Troubles". While in Belfast, she also launched and edited an award-winning lifestyle column for the paper. A native Yoruba speaker, she also speaks French fluently.


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