Stop complaining I married Nigerian, Singer Becca tells Ghanaians

Punch Nigeria. Thursday, October 31, 2019

Ghanaian singer, Rebecca Akosua Acheampomaa Acheampong, popularly called Becca, who is married to a Nigerian, Oluwatobi Sanni Daniel, has told her countrymen to stop complaining about the fact that she didn’t marry one of them.

Becca and Daniel got marriedon August 18, 2018, and have already welcomed their first child, a baby girl.

The singer, who has a new single featuring Nigeria’s Tiwa Savage said that she was 33 years old when she got married and as of that time, no Ghanaian man had asked her to marry him.

She said this during an interview session with Afia Pokua. The interview was shared on Instagram.

Becca said, “I did. I got married at 33. So, they cannot say that after 33 years of living in this country, nobody saw me or anything.”

Although the interview was mostly done in a Ghanaian language, the part, where she talked about the age at which she married and how no Ghanaian man had asked to take her to the altar was said in English.

See video link below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4FxMKlncsN/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading

See what our music stars are doing to the world: They ignite fire from Lagos to the whole world

By Ehi Braimah
(Braimah is a public relations and marketing strategist based in Lagos)
VANGUARD Nigeria. Saturday, March 23, 2019

Nigeria's music culture ignites fire from Lagos to Accra, Nairobi, Dubai,
Johannesburg, Cape Town, London, Toronto, Houston and Atlanta

Davido

On election day for governors in 29 States and State Houses of Assembly seats on Saturday March 9, 2019, my family and I were having a late breakfast at about noon and Trace Naija, the popular music channel on DSTV, was on and featuring songs by top Nigerian artistes.

Then I popped this question to no one in particular: who is your favourite Nigerian music artiste and why? My daughter, a keen music follower with her eyes on media arts as a possible future vocation, answered me and announced Wizkid and Davido because of the lyrics, beat, tempo and rhythms of their songs. Wow, I exclaimed! She explained further that their songs are popular and relate well with a youthful audience.

From Lagos to Accra, Nairobi, Dubai, Johannesburg, Cape Town, London, Toronto, Houston and Atlanta, just to name a few places, Nigerian music, sometimes branded as Naija music, has created a new culture of entertainment, excitement and enjoyment as popular dance hall music in those places. Be it a bar, nightclub, lounge or restaurant, music lovers gyrate to the beat coming out of the sound monitors that are recognised and celebrated as Nigerian music.

Two years ago in Nairobi, my host Uche and I visited Club 40/40, Kiza Lounge and Black Diamond where 'Naija' pop music is played steadily. I had the same experience in Atlanta, USA, last October when Ernest, Ralph and I visited Sage restaurant, Little Lagos restaurant, Buckhead Loft, Whiskey Mistress and Regent Lounge.

I'm told that new lounges and restaurants such as Blue Lagoon and Ace also celebrate Nigerian music by Wizkid, Davido, Run Town, Olamide, Tekno, Burna Boy and so on. The effect is usually spontaneous – you just get up and begin to shake your body without any prompting to the unmistakable beats in the songs. The beats give the songs a unique Nigerian identity - a product exported from Nigeria.

Whizkid

When Dr. Reuben Abati interrogated this subject about 10 years ago in the Guardian as the newspaper's editorial board chair and columnist, he wrote that the lyrics in the music by most Nigerian artistes were meaningless and disgusting. The reactions from different quarters, especially the music industry, were swift and defiant and the matter became highly controversial at the time.

The artistes and their promoters fought back vehemently, challenging Dr Abati to a dwell in the court of public opinion and he had to publish countless rejoinders on the matter. Between then and now, the successes of our pop music stars have been remarkable and their achievements profound, thereby earning recognition globally.

Even if you do not agree with content and messaging strategy of the lyrics, the fact remains that the music produced is very popular, enjoyable and hilarious to the music consumer, and very danceable, too. There was a gap our artistes identified which they filled and the result was the big bang effect - they suddenly became popular and began to make waves, and they have never looked back since then.

Popularity and celebrity status varies among the music stars. Fame, which usually comes with a price, may come too early for some of our rising and well established stars, and when there is no consistency in their respective musical repertoire or when the successes achieved are not properly managed, it could spell trouble and declining fortunes may set in.

Stardom means experiencing a new world of bling bling, living in luxurious homes, making significant fashion statements, driving exotic cars and hiring private jets. For the male folks, women are never in short supply; being super stars actually means living life to the fullest. As the discussions continued over the late breakfast, my daughter revealed a Vanguard newspaper story where Mark Dayton, governor of Minnesota in the United States of America, declared October 6 every year as Wizkid Day. That's truly a big deal. It is remarkable.

Catholic Church does not support IVF - Fr. Nnemeka

By Samson Folarin
PUNCH Nigeria. Tuesday, March 19, 2019

The parish priest of St. Cyprian Catholic Church, Oko-Oba, Agege, Rev. Fr. Augustine Nnemeka, has
said it is wrong for members of the Catholic Church to go for In Vitro Fertilisation in order to have children.

The cleric also noted that impotence was enough ground to dissolve a marriage, as he urged intending couples to carry out adequate medical tests before consummating their union.

He spoke on Saturday during a seminar on marriage and family life, organised by the Catholic Men Organisation, an arm of the church.

The seminar, themed, 'Understanding Catholic Marriage and Upholding the Family,' was held on the church's premises.

Nnemeka, during a question and answer session, said impotence and impediments could make the church annul a marriage, adding that an impotent man was not qualified for marriage.

On IVF, he said, "The church does not support it. It has to be natural. When we defined marriage, we said it is for the good of the spouses and procreation. And I simplified it by calling it love-sharing and life-giving. The outcome of love-sharing is life-giving.

"There are some that have done it (IVF) and paid millions without results, because it is not even automatic. The church, however, does not permit all these genetic engineering. I believe saying this will help members who did not know it is wrong to change their mind in case they are thinking of it."

He appealed to parents not to mount pressure on their children, thereby forcing them into marriages they are unprepared for.

The cleric told our correspondent that there was the need for constant enlightenment of couples to build stable homes and a strong society.

The Chairman of the Catholic Men Organisation, Chidi Ekenedo, said many marriages were collapsing due to impatience.

"We know that marriages are facing a lot of challenges in Nigeria and a lot of factors are responsible, which could be economic, social, financial, spiritual or material. Some marriages are facing pressures and tensions and breaking down.

'We decided to put this together to encourage couples and intending couples to be patient and adhere to the teachings of the church on marriage. We want them to know the importance of commitment and effective verbal communication in marriage," he added.

Know your Rhesus factor

By Dr Rotimi Adesanya
~Punch Nigeria. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2018.

Dr Rotimi Adesanya

About 95 per cent of Nigerians are Rhesus Disease positive. The remaining five per cent are RhD
negative. There is a need to encourage parents, especially mothers, to know their blood groups and Rhesus factors because it could help to reduce or prevent cases of mortality.

I have on several occasions seen patients request information on their blood groups. Not one person ever mentioned his Rhesus factor as the reason making the request.

A popular Chinese proverb says "The beginning of health is to know the disease". This explains why it is important for everybody to be aware of this condition.

There are several different types of human blood. The four main blood groups are:

blood group A
blood group B
blood group AB
blood group O
Each of these blood groups can either be RhD positive or RhD negative. The RhD is a protein that is either present or absent on the surface of the red blood cells. This is indicated by a plus sign + or a minus sign -. The blood type O+ means that the blood is type O and each blood cell has RhD positive.

A simple blood test can tell if a woman is RhD negative. Every woman should be tested at her first prenatal visit, or before pregnancy, to find out if she is Rh-negative. The RhD negative gene is recessive, while the RhD positive gene is dominant. This means that there is a chance that a woman who is RhD negative will give birth to a RhD positive child.

A person who is RhD negative may have an immune reaction if RhD positive blood cells enter his bloodstream. A pregnant woman's body considers the RhD positive cells a threat and it mounts an immune system response. Her immune system makes antibodies, also known as anti-RhD antibodies, against the cells. If the woman conceives another RhD-positive baby, her anti-D antibodies will attack her unborn baby's red blood cells. Such complication is also known as the Haemolytic disease of the newborn.

The Rhesus disease destroys foetal red blood cells. It was once considered to be a leading cause of foetal and newborn deaths. Without treatment, severely affected foetuses are often stillborn.

In the newborn, Rh disease can result in jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), anaemia, brain damage, heart failure and death. It can also affect the mother's mental state. Most mothers are always depressed after such a loss.

Yam validated to treat cancer, diabetes, pain, bone loss, others

The Guarduan Nigeria. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018.

Water yam (Dioscorea alata)… inset are the leaves of English lesser yam (Dioscorea esculenta)

Can extracts of the tubers and leaves of some species of yam be used to beat cancer, diabetes, pain, arthritis, bone loss, and premenopausal syndrome?

Researchers say the tuber of yam (Dioscorea esculenta) may provide a possible source for the discovery of anti-inflammatory agents (painkillers) without the adverse effects associated with the use of aspirin and other non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs.

The study published in African Journal of Biotechnology is titled "Anti-inflammatory studies of yam (Dioscorea esculenta) extract on wistar rats."

The researchers from the Department of Pharmacognosy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, led by J. O. Olayemi and E. O. Ajaiyeoba, evaluated the defatted methanol extract of Dioscorea esculenta tuber for anti-inflammatory properties in animal model using Wistar rats.

The study was done using the cotton thread method in measuring the right hind paw oedema and granuloma tissue formation in rats. The extract was tested at doses between 100 - 200 mg/kg body weight of rats.


Preliminary phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of saponins, disgenin, -sistosterol, stigmasterol, cardiac glycosides, fat and starch.

The extract exhibited significant inhibition of the carrageenan-induced oedema that was dose-dependent with a good initial effect in one hour and two hour at doses of 100 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg, respectively.

The observed activity was comparable to that of 150 mg/kg acetylsalicylic acid that was used as a reference drug in the study. Dioscorea esculenta tuber methanol extract supports the folkloric use for management of inflammation.

Trapped between cultures: Nigerian parents in the US, UK, devise ways to save kids

Source: Punch Newspapers Nigeria. Saturday, November 17, 2018

Born and raised in lands thousands of kilometres away from their ancestral homes, many Nigerian parents in the Diaspora are finding new ways of reinforcing indigenous cultures in their children, writes ERIC DUMO

Jesus na you be Oga, Jesus na you be Oga, all other gods na so so yeye, every other god na yeye dem be," gushed out of 12-year-old Amaka's mouth in disjointed Pidgin English as she made for the door. It was a dry afternoon with wind blowing at top speed across most parts of California, yet the excitement on the little girl's face was as moist as a sweaty palm.


Born and nurtured in the United States, young Amaka only got to visit her parents' country - Nigeria - for the first time last December. She had heard so much about the place - many of those tales were gory presentations of what Africa's most populous country looked like. The little girl was only Nigerian in nomenclature but American in spirit and soul. When she jetted out of the LAX International Airport in California together with her father - Mr. Isaiah Uchendu - and mother, Ijeoma - on December 13 last year, she was unsure of what to expect upon arrival in Orlu, Imo State - the home town of her parents. Tales of blood-sucking demons running riot and huge man-eating apes jumping from trees to rooftops had created a dreadful picture of Nigeria in the days preceding the long voyage. It was the beginning of the end as far as she was concerned. But 11 months after that historic trip, Amaka has a different idea of her fatherland and the amazing culture of its many peoples.

Experiencing Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Owerri and her native Orlu in the five weeks she
stayed in the country, the little girl not only realised how wrong her earlier ideas were but also what she had been missing all along. She wished she could turn back the hands of time.

"I thought we were heading to a jungle in Africa but I was surprised when the airplane landed in a place called Lagos, a big city with cars and houses," the 12-year-old recalled as our correspondent played guest to the family at their modest three-bedroomed apartment in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, California, during a recent visit to the United States.

There are about 23,302 Nigerians in the state of California alone, according to a 2016 American Community Survey. While many have lived there for decades, acquiring citizenship status in the process, the pursuit of a new life amidst crushing poverty and widening economic inequality in Nigeria has driven dozens more there.

The Uchendus moved to this bustling city a little over 12 years ago - shortly before Amaka's delivery - their first and only child. The couple, despite now fully entrenched in the American way of life, has not forgotten their roots. Each year, one of them makes the long trip home at least once to see and meet with family members, relatives and friends. The tradition has not only helped them to keep in touch with happenings in their home community but also helped them put to good use their hard-earned savings in the United States. Isaiah works as a driver at a delivery company, while Ijeoma is a senior sales executive at a popular chain store. But while they have plenty of 'Nigeria' in them even in America, Amaka only knows little about home - a situation the couple are desperate to change.

"My daughter used to have weird thoughts about Nigeria and Africa in general and that bothered me and my wife a lot," the 42-year-old said, clutching tightly to the little girl on the three-seater sofa they sat. "Initially, we didn't pay much attention to this but as she began to grow older, we became more concerned. We wanted her to know more about home - about our hometown, Orlu, and our culture in general.

"We saw how other Nigerian parents were beginning to seriously introduce and instil their indigenous culture in their children, so we became more interested in doing the same.

"We began to take her to more Nigerian events in California and started making her take active part in the activities just like the other children.

"As time wore on, she started to show more interest and in fact wanted to know more about Nigeria and her many cultures. My wife and I, at that point, thought that it would be nice to finally take her home to witness things for herself.

BITTER LEAVES: Bitter leaf boosts fertility, fights prostate

Topics:
- Bitter leaf boosts fertility, fights prostate
- Protect your vital organs with bitter leaves

__________________________________

Bitter leaf boosts fertility, fights prostate
By Kudirat Musa, Nigeria 
Monday, November 19, 2018

Dr Grace Johnson, a specialist, has said bitter leaf works so well for fertility, and

fights prostate cancer because its boost the functions of the reproductive system, balance hormones and help the ovary release healthy eggs.


Johnson, who is Food Nutritionist, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday, that the effect of bitter leaf ranges from specifically toning the reproductive organs and boosting overall health.

According to her, the problem with a lot of infertile patients is that they do not connect infertility with "fertile nutrition".

"Good nutrition is considered to be the foundation of a healthy body. That is why a healthy ovary will only be found in a healthy body.

"When the ovary is healthy, it releases a healthy egg (ovum) which once fertilized, results in a healthy pregnancy and if all goes well, you will have a healthy child.


"Bitter leaf has a bitter taste and it is true that most people cannot withstand it but remember that the best of medicines comes with a bitter taste and bitter leaf is ranked high among them,'' she said .

NAN reports that bitter leaf plant with leafy green vegetable and used in the form of vegetable eaten to promote and enhance the digestive tract to do job.

Johnson said "bitter leaf fight prostate cancer which is common among men who are over 40 years old and one of its known symptoms is difficult and painful urination.

"Bitter leaf is very good for this ailment. It increases the flow of urine and reduces the pain as well as regulates the spread of the cell.

"To fight prostate cancer with bitter leaf, just squeeze the fresh leaves in water and take a glassful four times daily while you constantly go for a checkup.

She added that bitter leaf also fight Insomnia, `insomnia is a condition that promotes habitual sleeplessness'.

Nutritionist, however, said that bitter leaf extract has been doing wonders for those suffering from sleeplessness by taking two glasses of bitter leaf solution every night and they would experience a calmness and sleep.

She said that almost everybody knows bitter leaf is a well-known remedy for stomachaches treating malaria, typhoid, diabetes, diarrhea, tuberculosis, gallstones, kidney disease, prevention of cancer and lowering of hypertension among others.

"It is important that bitter leaves should always be taken fresh in other to enjoy its miraculous health benefits,'' Johnson said.

NAN
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Protect your vital organs with bitter leaves

By Anna Okon - Nigeria

Bitter-leaf ('Onugbu' by Igbos of Nigeria )

This plant is very useful in toning the vital organs of the body especially the liver and the kidney. 

Bitter-leaf can be very helpful in maintaining the optimum function of the liver to release bile acid every time people eat fatty foods. Another major function of the liver is the production of glycogen. Glycogen is stored energy that is released in times of low level of glucose especially for people who are fasting.
The liver should be well taken care of by using bitter-leaf. Once the liver has been damaged it can't be restored to its normal function. People with liver problems can drink a glass of boiled bitter leaves water every day.