Monday 22 September 2014

PICTURES OF SENATOR ITA GIWA'S DAUGHTER'S WEDDING

Koko and Chimaobi became one on the 20th of September 2014. Koko, the beautiful daughter of Senator Florence Ita Giwa looks super pretty in her detailed wedding dress and her gold embellished fuchsia pink second dress accentuated her lovely figure perfectly.


image




imageimageimageimage

Thursday 18 September 2014

NBC BANS LIL KESH’S HIT SONG – SHOKI

Shoki

The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has reportedly placed a ban on YBNL Rising Star “Lil Kesh”. The Reason why this was done has not yet been revealed but Lil Kesh Tweeted this.

Wednesday 17 September 2014

NATURAL HAIR MEET-UP IN CALABAR



For the first time ever, there will be a Natural Hair meetup in Calabar, so if you live there or near there, or know someone who can attend, save the date - 18th October 2014. It's being hosted by The Kink & I, and Natural Nigerian. You can be natural, transitioning, relaxed and texlaxed.  Everyone is welcome.

DR ADA IGONOH STORY ON HOW SHE SURVIVED EBOLA





As Nigeria battles with the outbreak of Ebola, we consistently commend the dedication and selflessness of the doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. Lives have been lost, and families have had to undergo the trauma of isolation. The fear of the unknown even very crippling. We read about the numbers in the news, but when we put a face to the news reports, it brings it home. Dr. Ada Igonoh of First Consultants Hospital is one of the doctors who attended to Patrick Sawyer. She was infected by the virus and miraculously, she survives to share her story. It is a long read but definitely worth reading as Dr. Ada details her experience. It’s a really gripping read which shows the story of strength, faith and dedication. We are grateful to Ada for sharing her story with us.

On the night of Sunday July 20, 2014, Patrick Sawyer was wheeled into the Emergency Room at First Consultants Medical Centre, Obalende, Lagos, with complaints of fever and body weakness. The male doctor on call admitted him as a case of malaria and took a full history. Knowing that Mr Sawyer had recently arrived from Liberia, the doctor asked if he had been in contact with an Ebola patient in the last couple of weeks, and Mr. Sawyer denied any such contact. He also denied attending any funeral ceremony recently. Blood samples were taken for full blood count, malaria parasites, liver function test and other baseline investigations. He was admitted into a private room and started on antimalarial drugs and analgesics. That night, the full blood count result came back as normal and not indicative of infection.

The following day however, his condition worsened. He barely ate any of his meals. His liver function test result showed his liver enzymes were markedly elevated. We then took samples for HIV and hepatitis screening. At about 5.00pm, he requested to see a doctor. I was the doctor on call that night so I went in to see him. He was lying in bed with his intravenous (I.V.) fluid bag removed from its metal stand and placed beside him. He complained that he had stooled about five times that evening and that he wanted to use the bathroom again. I picked up the I.V. bag from his bed and hung it back on the stand. I told him I would inform a nurse to come and disconnect the I.V. so he could conveniently go to the bathroom. I walked out of his room and went straight to the nurses’ station where I told the nurse on duty to disconnect his I.V. I then informed my Consultant, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh about the patient’s condition and she asked that he be placed on some medications.
 
The following day, the results for HIV and hepatitis screening came out negative. As we were preparing for the early morning ward rounds, I was approached by an ECOWAS official who informed me that Patrick Sawyer had to catch an 11 o’clock flight to Calabar for a retreat that morning. He wanted to know if it would be possible. I told him it wasn’t, as he was acutely ill. Dr. Adadevoh also told him the patient could certainly not leave the hospital in his condition. She then instructed me to write very boldly on his chart that on no account should Patrick Sawyer be allowed out of the hospital premises without the permission of Dr. Ohiaeri, our Chief Medical Consultant. All nurses and doctors were duly informed. During our early morning ward round with Dr. Adadevoh, we concluded that this was not malaria and that the patient needed to be screened for Ebola Viral Disease. She immediately started calling laboratories to find out where the test could be carried out. She was eventually referred to Professor Omilabu of the LUTH Virology Reference Lab in Idi-Araba whom she called immediately. Prof. Omilabu told her to send blood and urine samples to LUTH straight away. She tried to reach the Lagos State Commissioner for Health but was unable to contact him at the time. She also put calls across to officials of the Federal Ministry of Health and National Centre for Disease Control. Dr. Adadevoh at this time was in a pensive mood. Patrick Sawyer was now a suspected case of Ebola, perhaps the first in the country. He was quarantined, and strict barrier nursing was applied with all the precautionary measures we could muster. Dr. Adadevoh went online, downloaded information on Ebola and printed copies which were distributed to the nurses, doctors and ward maids. Blood and urine samples were sent to LUTH that morning. Protective gear, gloves, shoe covers and facemasks were provided for the staff. A wooden barricade was placed at the entrance of the door to keep visitors and unauthorized personnel away from the patient. Despite the medications prescribed earlier, the vomiting and diarrhea persisted. The fever escalated from 38c to 40c.

On the morning of Wednesday 23rd July, the tests carried out in LUTH showed a signal for Ebola. Samples were then sent to Dakar, Senegal for a confirmatory test. Dr. Adadevoh went for several meetings with the Lagos State Ministry of Health. Thereafter, officials from Lagos State came to inspect the hospital and the protective measures we had put in place.
The following day, Thursday 24th July, I was again on call. At about 10.00pm Mr. Sawyer requested to see me. I went into the newly created dressing room, donned my protective gear and went in to see him. He had not been cooperating with the nurses and had refused any additional treatment. He sounded confused and said he received a call from Liberia asking for a detailed medical report to be sent to them. He also said he had to travel back to Liberia on a 5.00am flight the following morning and that he didn’t want to miss his flight. I told him that I would inform Dr. Adadevoh. As I was leaving the room, I met Dr. Adadevoh dressed in her protective gear along with a nurse and another doctor. They went into his room to have a discussion with him and as I heard later to reset his I.V. line which he had deliberately removed after my visit to his room.

At 6:30am, Friday 25th July, I got a call from the nurse that Patrick Sawyer was completely unresponsive. Again I put on the protective gear and headed to his room. I found him slumped in the bathroom. I examined him and observed that there was no respiratory movement. I felt for his pulse; it was absent. We had lost him. It was I who certified Patrick Sawyer dead. I informed Dr. Adadevoh immediately and she instructed that no one was to be allowed to go into his room for any reason at all. Later that day, officials from W.H.O came and took his body away. The test in Dakar later came out positive for Zaire strain of the Ebola virus. We now had the first official case of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria.
It was a sobering day. We all began to go over all that happened in the last few days, wondering just how much physical contact we had individually made with Patrick Sawyer. Every patient on admission was discharged that day and decontamination began in the hospital. We were now managing a crisis situation.
 
The next day, Saturday 26th July, all staff of First Consultants attended a meeting with Prof. Nasidi of the National Centre for Disease Control, Prof Omilabu of LUTH Virology Reference Lab, and some officials of W.H.O. They congratulated us on the actions we had taken and enlightened us further about the Ebola Virus Disease. They said we were going to be grouped into high risk and low risk categories based on our individual level of exposure to Patrick Sawyer, the “index” case. Each person would receive a temperature chart and a thermometer to record temperatures in the morning and night for the next 21 days. We were all officially under surveillance. We were asked to report to them at the first sign of a fever for further blood tests to be done. We were reassured that we would all be given adequate care. The anxiety in the air was palpable.

The frenetic pace of life in Lagos, coupled with the demanding nature of my job as a doctor, means that I occasionally need a change of environment. As such, one week before Patrick Sawyer died, I had gone to my parents’ home for a retreat. I was still staying with them when I received my temperature chart and thermometer on Tuesday 29th of July. I could not contain my anxiety. People were talking Ebola everywhere – on television, online, everywhere. I soon started experiencing joint and muscle aches and a sore throat, which I quickly attributed to stress and anxiety. I decided to take malaria tablets. I also started taking antibiotics for the sore throat. The first couple of temperature readings were normal. Every day I would attempt to recall the period Patrick Sawyer was on admission – just how much direct and indirect contact did I have with him? I reassured myself that my contact with him was quite minimal. I completed the anti-malarials but the aches and pains persisted. I had loss of appetite and felt very tired.

On Friday 1st of August, my temperature read a high 38.7c. As I type this, I recall the anxiety I felt that morning. I could not believe what I saw on the thermometer. I ran to my mother’s room and told her. I did not go to work that day. I cautiously started using a separate set of utensils and cups from the ones my family members were using.

On Saturday 2nd of August, the fever worsened. It was now at 39c and would not be reduced by taking paracetamol. This was now my second day of fever. I couldn’t eat. The sore throat was getting worse. That was when I called the helpline and an ambulance was sent with W.H.O doctors who came and took a sample of my blood. Later that day, I started stooling and vomiting. I stayed away from my family. I started washing my plates and spoons myself. My parents meanwhile, were convinced that I could not have Ebola.

The following day, Sunday 3rd of August, I got a call from one of the doctors who came to take my sample the day before. He told me that the sample which was they had taken was not confirmatory, and that they needed another sample. He did not sound very coherent and I became worried. They came with the ambulance that afternoon and told me that I had to go with them to Yaba. I was confused. Couldn’t the second sample be taken in the ambulance like the previous one? He said a better-qualified person at the Yaba centre would take the sample. I asked if they would bring me back. He said “yes.” Even with the symptoms I did not believe I had Ebola. After all, my contact with Sawyer was minimal. I only touched his I.V. fluid bag just that once without gloves. The only time I actually touched him was when I checked his pulse and confirmed him dead, and I wore double gloves and felt adequately protected.

I told my parents I had to go with the officials to Yaba and that I would be back that evening. I wore a white top and a pair of jeans, and I put my iPad and phones in my bag.
A man opened the ambulance door for me and moved away from me rather swiftly. Strange behavior, I thought. They were friendly with me the day before, but that day, not so. No pleasantries, no smiles. I looked up and saw my mother watching through her bedroom window.
We soon got to Yaba. I really had no clue where I was. I knew it was a hospital. I was left alone in the back of the ambulance for over four hours. My mind was in a whirl. I didn’t know what to think. I was offered food to eat but I could barely eat the rice.

The ambulance door opened and a Caucasian gentleman approached me but kept a little distance. He said to me, “I have to inform you that your blood tested positive for Ebola. I am sorry.” I had no reaction. I think I must have been in shock. He then told me to open my mouth and he looked at my tongue. He said it was the typical Ebola tongue. I took out my mirror from my bag and took a look and I was shocked at what I saw. My whole tongue had a white coating, looked furry and had a long, deep ridge right in the middle. I then started to look at my whole body, searching for Ebola rashes and other signs as we had been recently instructed. I called my mother immediately and said, “Mummy, they said I have Ebola, but don’t worry, I will survive it. Please, go and lock my room now; don’t let anyone inside and don’t touch anything.” She was silent. I cut the line.

I was taken to the female ward. I was shocked at the environment. It looked like an abandoned building. I suspected it had not been in use for quite a while. As I walked in, I immediately recognized one of the ward maids from our hospital. She always had a smile for me but not this time. She was ill and she looked it. She had been stooling a lot too. I soon settled into my corner and looked around the room. It smelled of faeces and vomit. It also had a characteristic Ebola smell to which I became accustomed. Dinner was served – rice and stew. The pepper stung my mouth and tongue. I dropped the spoon. No dinner that night.

Dr. David, the Caucasian man who had met me at the ambulance on my arrival, came in wearing his full protective ‘hazmat’ suit and goggles. It was fascinating seeing one live. I had only seen them online. He brought bottles of water and ORS, the oral fluid therapy which he dropped by my bedside. He told me that 90 percent of the treatment depended on me. He said I had to drink at least 4.5 litres of ORS daily to replace fluids lost in stooling and vomiting. I told him I had stooled three times earlier and taken Imodium tablets to stop the stooling. He said it was not advisable, as the virus would replicate the more inside of me. It was better he said to let it out. He said good night and left.

My parents called. My uncle called. My husband called crying. He could not believe the news. My parents had informed him, as I didn’t even know how to break the news to him.
As I lay on my bed in that isolation ward, strangely, I did not fear for my life. I was confident that I would leave that ward some day. There was an inner sense of calm. I did not for a second think I would be consumed by the disease. That evening, the symptoms fully kicked in. I was stooling almost every two hours. The toilets did not flush so I had to fetch water in a bucket from the bathroom each time I used the toilet. I then placed another bucket beneath my bed for the vomiting.
On occasion I would run to the toilet with a bottle of ORS, so that as I was stooling, I was drinking.

The next day Monday 4th of August, I began to notice red rashes on my skin particularly on my arms. I had developed sores all over my mouth. My head was pounding so badly. The sore throat was so severe I could not eat. I could only drink the ORS. I took paracetamol for the pain. The ward maid across from me wasn’t doing so well. She had stopped speaking. I couldn’t even brush my teeth; the sores in my mouth were so bad. This was a battle for my life but I was determined I would not die.

Every morning, I began the day with reading and meditating on Psalm 91. The sanitary condition in the ward left much to be desired. The whole Ebola thing had caught everyone by surprise. Lagos State Ministry of Health was doing its best to contain the situation but competent hands were few. The sheets were not changed for days. The floor was stained with greenish vomitus and excrement. Dr. David would come in once or twice a day and help clean up the ward after chatting with us. He was the only doctor who attended to us. There was no one else at that time. The matrons would leave our food outside the door; we had to go get the food ourselves. They hardly entered in the initial days. Everyone was being careful. This was all so new. I could understand, was this not how we ourselves had contracted the disease? Mosquitoes were our roommates until they brought us mosquito nets.

Later that evening, Dr. David brought another lady into the ward. I recognized her immediately as Justina Ejelonu, a nurse who had started working at First Consultants on the 21st of July, a day after Patrick Saywer was admitted. She was on duty on the day Patrick reported that he was stooling. While she was attending to him that night, he had yanked off his drip, letting his blood flow almost like a tap onto her hands. Justina was pregnant and was brought into our ward bleeding from a suspected miscarriage. She had been told she was there only on observation. The news that she had contracted Ebola was broken to her the following day after results of her blood test came out positive. Justina was devastated and wept profusely – she had contracted Ebola on her first day at work.

My husband started visiting but was not allowed to come close to me. He could only see me from a window at a distance. He visited so many times. It was he who brought me a change of clothes and toiletries and other things I needed because I had not even packed a bag. I was grateful I was not with him at home when I fell ill or he would most certainly have contracted the disease. My retreat at my parents’ home turned out to be the instrumentality God used to shield and save him.

I drank the ORS fluid like my life depended on it. Then I got a call from my pastor. He had been informed about my predicament. He called me every single day morning and night and would pray with me over the phone. He later sent me a CD player, CDs of messages on faith and healing, and Holy Communion packs through my husband. My pastor, who also happens to be a medical doctor, encouraged me to monitor how many times I had stooled and vomited each day and how many bottles of ORS I had consumed. We would then discuss the disease and pray together. He asked me to do my research on Ebola since I had my iPad with me and told me that he was also doing his study. He wanted us to use all relevant information on Ebola to our advantage. So I researched and found out all I could about the strange disease that has been in existence for 38 years. My research, my faith, my positive view of life, the extended times of prayer, study and listening to encouraging messages boosted my belief that I would survive the Ebola scourge.

There are five strains of the virus and the deadliest of them is the Zaire strain, which was what I had. But that did not matter. I believed I would overcome even the deadliest of strains. Infected patients who succumb to the disease usually die between 6 to 16 days after the onset of the disease from multiple organ failure and shock caused by dehydration. I was counting the days and keeping myself well hydrated. I didn’t intend to die in that ward.

My research gave me ammunition. I read that as soon as the virus gets into the body, it begins to replicate really fast. It enters the blood cells, destroys them and uses those same blood cells to aggressively invade other organs where they further multiply. Ideally, the body’s immune system should immediately mount up a response by producing antibodies to fight the virus. If the person is strong enough, and that strength is sustained long enough for the immune system to kill off the viruses, the patient is likely to survive. If the virus replicates faster than the antibodies can handle however, further damage is done to the organs. Ebola can be likened to a multi-level, multi-organ attack but I had no intention of letting the deadly virus destroy my system. I drank more ORS. I remember saying to myself repeatedly, “I am a survivor, I am a survivor.”

I also found out that a patient with Ebola cannot be re-infected and they cannot relapse back into the disease as there is some immunity conferred on survivors. My pastor and I would discuss these findings, interpret them as it related to my situation and pray together. I looked forward to his calls. They were times of encouragement and strengthening. I continued to meditate on the Word of God. It was my daily bread.

Shortly after Justina came into the ward, the ward maid, Mrs Ukoh passed on. The disease had gotten into her central nervous system. We stared at her lifeless body in shock. It was a whole 12 hours before officials of W.H.O came and took her body away. The ward had become the house of death. The whole area surrounding her bed was disinfected with bleach. Her mattress was taken and burned.

To contain the frequent diarrhea, I had started wearing adult diapers, as running to the toilet was no longer convenient for me. The indignity was quite overwhelming, but I did not have a choice. My faith was being severely tested. The situation was desperate enough to break anyone psychologically. Dr. Ohiaeri also called us day and night, enquiring about our health and the progress we were making. He sent provisions, extra drugs, vitamins, Lucozade, towels, tissue paper; everything we needed to be more comfortable in that dark hole we found ourselves. Some of my male colleagues had also been admitted to the male ward two rooms away, but there was no interaction with them.
We were saddened by the news that Jato, the ECOWAS protocol officer to Patrick Sawyer who had also tested positive, had passed on days after he was admitted.

Two more females joined us in the ward; a nurse from our hospital and a patient from another hospital. The mood in the ward was solemn. There were times we would be awakened by the sudden, loud cry from one of the women. It was either from fear, pain mixed with the distress or just the sheer oppression of our isolation.

I kept encouraging myself. This could not be the end for me. Five days after I was admitted, the vomiting stopped. A day after that, the diarrhea ceased. I was overwhelmed with joy. It happened at a time I thought I could no longer stand the ORS. Drinking that fluid had stretched my endurance greatly.

I knew countless numbers of people were praying for me. Prayer meetings were being held on my behalf. My family was praying day and night. Text messages of prayers flooded my phones from family members and friends. I was encouraged to press on. With the encouragement I was receiving I began to encourage the others in the ward. We decided to speak life and focus on the positive. I then graduated from drinking only the ORS fluid to eating only bananas, to drinking pap and then bland foods. Just when I thought I had the victory, I suddenly developed a severe fever. The initial fever had subsided four days after I was admitted, and then suddenly it showed up again. I thought it was the Ebola. I enquired from Dr. David who said fever was sometimes the last thing to go, but he expressed surprise that it had stopped only to come back on again. I was perplexed.

I discussed it with my pastor who said it could be a separate pathology and possibly a symptom of malaria. He promised he would research if indeed this was Ebola or something else. That night as I stared at the dirty ceiling, I felt a strong impression that the new fever I had developed was not as a result of Ebola but malaria. I was relieved. The following morning, Dr. Ohiaeri sent me antimalarial medication which I took for three days. Before the end of the treatment, the fever had disappeared.

I began to think about my mother. She was under surveillance along with my other family members. I was worried. She had touched my sweat. I couldn’t get the thought off my mind. I prayed for her. Hours later on Twitter I came across a tweet by W.H.O saying that the sweat of an Ebola patient cannot transmit the virus at the early stage of the infection. The sweat could only transmit it at the late stage.
That settled it for me. It calmed the storms that were raging within me concerning my parents. I knew right away it was divine guidance that caused me to see that tweet. I could cope with having Ebola, but I was not prepared to deal with a member of my family contracting it from me.

Soon, volunteer doctors started coming to help Dr. David take care of us. They had learned how to protect themselves. Among the volunteer doctors was Dr. Badmus, my consultant in LUTH during my housemanship days. It was good to see a familiar face among the care-givers. I soon understood the important role these brave volunteers were playing. As they increased in number, so did the number of shifts increase and subsequently the number of times the patients could access a doctor in one day. This allowed for more frequent patient monitoring and treatment. It also reduced care-giver fatigue. It was clear that Lagos State was working hard to contain the crisis

Sadly, Justina succumbed to the disease on the 12th of August. It was a great blow and my faith was greatly shaken as a result. I commenced daily Bible study with the other two female patients and we would encourage one another to stay positive in our outlook though in the natural it was grim and very depressing. My communion sessions with the other women were very special moments for us all.

On my 10th day in the ward, the doctors having noted that I had stopped vomiting and stooling and was no longer running a fever, decided it was time to take my blood sample to test if the virus had cleared from my system. They took the sample and told me that I shouldn’t be worried if it comes out positive as the virus takes a while before it is cleared completely. I prayed that I didn’t want any more samples collected from me. I wanted that to be the first and last sample to be tested for the absence of the virus in my system. I called my pastor. He encouraged me and we prayed again about the test.

On the evening of the day Justina passed on, we were moved to the new isolation centre. We felt like we were leaving hell and going to heaven.
We were conveyed to the new place in an ambulance. It was just behind the old building. Time would not permit me to recount the drama involved with the dynamics of our relocation. It was like a script from a science fiction movie. The new building was cleaner and much better than the old building. Towels and nightwear were provided on each bed. The environment was serene.

The following night, Dr. Adadevoh was moved to our isolation ward from her private room where she had previously been receiving treatment. She had also tested positive for Ebola and was now in a coma. She was receiving I.V. fluids and oxygen support and was being monitored closely by the W.H.O doctors. We all hoped and prayed that she would come out of it. It was so difficult seeing her in that state. I could not bear it. She was my consultant, my boss, my teacher and my mentor. She was the imperial lady of First Consultants, full of passion, energy and competence. I imagined she would wake up soon and see that she was surrounded by her First Consultants family but sadly it was not to be.

I continued listening to my healing messages. They gave me life. I literarily played them hours on end. Two days later, on Saturday the 16th of August, the W.H.O doctors came with some papers. I was informed that the result of my blood test was negative for Ebola virus. If I could somersault, I would have but my joints were still slightly painful. I was free to go home after being in isolation for exactly 14 days. I was so full of thanks and praise to God. I called my mother to get fresh clothes and slippers and come pick me. My husband couldn’t stop shouting when I called him. He was completely overwhelmed with joy.
I was told however that I could not leave the ward with anything I came in with. I glanced one last time at my cd player, my valuable messages, my research assistant a.k.a my iPad, my phones and other items. I remember saying to myself, “I have life; I can always replace these items.”

I went for a chlorine bath, which was necessary to disinfect my skin from my head to my toes. It felt like I was being baptized into a new life as Dr. Carolina, a W.H.O doctor from Argentina poured the bucket of chlorinated water all over me. I wore a new set of clothes, following the strict instructions that no part of the clothes must touch the floor and the walls. Dr. Carolina looked on, making sure I did as instructed.

I was led out of the bathroom and straight to the lawn to be united with my family, but first I had to cut the red ribbon that served as a barrier. It was a symbolic expression of my freedom. Everyone cheered and clapped. It was a little but very important ceremony for me. I was free from Ebola! I hugged my family as one who had been liberated after many years of incarceration. I was like someone who had fought death face to face and come back to the land of the living.

We had to pass through several stations of disinfection before we reached the car. Bleach and chlorinated water were sprayed on everyone’s legs at each station. As we made our way to the car, we walked past the old isolation building. I could hardly recognize it. I could not believe I slept in that building for 10 days. I was free! Free of Ebola. Free to live again. Free to interact with humanity again. Free from the sentence of death.

My parents and two brothers were under surveillance for 21 days and they completed the surveillance successfully. None of them came down with a fever. The house had been disinfected by Lagos State Ministry of Health soon after I was taken to the isolation centre. I thank God for shielding them from the plague.

My recovery after discharge has been gradual but progressive. I thank God for the support of family and friends. I remember my colleagues who we lost in this battle. Dr. Adadevoh my boss, Nurse Justina Ejelonu, and the ward maid, Mrs. Ukoh were heroines who lost their lives in the cause to protect Nigeria. They will never be forgotten.

I commend the dedication of the W.H.O doctors, Dr. David from Virginia, USA, who tried several times to convince me to specialize in infectious diseases, Dr. Carolina from Argentina who spoke so calmly and encouragingly, Mr. Mauricio from Italy who always offered me apples and gave us novels to read. I especially thank the volunteer Nigerian doctors, matrons and cleaners who risked their lives to take care of us. I must also commend the Lagos State government, and the state and federal ministries of health for their swift efforts to contain the virus. To all those prayed for me, I cannot thank you enough. And to my First Consultants family, I say a heartfelt thank you for your dedication and for your support throughout this very difficult period.

I still believe in miracles. None of us in the isolation ward was given any experimental drugs or so-called immune boosters. I was full of faith yet pragmatic enough to consume as much ORS as I could even when I wanted to give up and throw the bottles away. I researched on the disease extensively and read accounts of the survivors. I believed that even if the mortality rate was 99%, I would be part of the 1% who survive.

Early detection and reporting to hospital is key to patient survival. Please do not hide yourself if you have been in contact with an Ebola patient and have developed the symptoms. Regardless of any grim stories one may have heard about the treatment of patients in the isolation centre, it is still better to be in the isolation ward with specialist care, than at home where you and others will be at risk.

I read that Dr. Kent Brantly, the American doctor who contracted Ebola in Liberia and was flown out to the United States for treatment was being criticized for attributing his healing to God when he was given the experimental drug, Zmapp. I don’t claim to have all the answers to the nagging questions of life. Why do some die and some survive? Why do bad things happen to good people? Where is God in the midst of pain and suffering? Where does science end and God begin? These are issues we may never fully comprehend on this side of eternity. All I know is that I walked through the valley of the shadow of death and came out unscathed.

We’d like to thank Dr. Ada Igonoh for sharing her inspirational story.

We’re hoping the spread of Ebola Virus is curbed soon, and we’re thankful for all the health workers and medical researchers around the world, who are working tirelessly to achieve this goal.

 

Tuesday 16 September 2014

MERCY JOHNSON'S BABY SHOWER

Pregnant Nollywood star, Mercy Johnson, had her baby shower in the US last week. Present at the baby shower were Nollywood director, Tchidi Chikere, and his wife Nuella Njubigbo.




NOLLYWOOD'S DIVA, MONALISA CHINDA TURNS 40 YEARS OLD

Friday 12 September 2014

LIBERIAN WOMAN FOUND HANGING IN LAGOS

The domino effect of Patrick Sawyer's unfortunate sojourn into Nigerian soil still echoes into today, as we read from the PUNCH newspaper that a Liberian woman (known simply as 'Kate') committed suicide in Isheri-Oke over the stigmatization that greeted her.

The #PUNCH newspaper reports below:
kate1

While they said that the woman had been sickly for some time, the residents said she did not appear to have any problem with anyone in the community.

But after the outbreak of the Ebola disease that was brought to Nigeria by a Liberian diplomat, Patrick Sawyer, some of the people in the area opted not to have anything to do with her.

One of the residents who pleaded anonymity said, “We see her in this neighbourhood every day. She always looked sick but people stopped selling to her after the Ebola outbreak. It could be because she was Liberian and looked sickly. This might have frustrated her.”

Another resident who spoke to our correspondent after his request for anonymity was granted said, “She attended a church in the area and her church members still saw her yesterday. I used to see her every day in the dress she died in. She was sick and people in this area had avoided her, especially after the Ebola outbreak.”


 Meanwhile, while we cannot confirm this, a blog claims that the woman committed suicide because she tested positive for the HIV virus. "...she recently went to an hospital where some tests were carried out on her, and it revealed she was HIV positive. She has been finding it difficult to live after that, but I never knew she would commit suicide," the blog says.

NDANI TV: JUST SAY IT - DAMI ELEBE

Thursday 11 September 2014

DESMOND ELLIOT TO CONTEST FOR LAGOS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY



Actor and movie producer Desmond Elliot is contesting for Lagos State House of Assembly under the APC.

  

CHIBOK SCHOOLGIRLS’ 150 DAYS IN CAPTIVITY

SADLY, the Chibok schoolgirls are still in Boko Haram’s captivity 150 days after they were abducted in dead of the night, while the nation remains in shock and despair. Yet, the government remains befuddled and does not know what to do to free the remaining 219 of them, with the escape of 57 others. Theirs is a most agonising experience that should lacerate every heart. Unfortunately, Nigerians are beginning to forget them.
 
Abducted Chibok girls

AMERICA MARKS 13TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 TERROR ATTACKS

ap_barack_obama_pentagon_sept_11_jc_140911_16x9_992

Marking the 13th anniversary of the attacks of 9/11, U.S President Obama this morning paid tribute to the lives lost and the power of the American spirit.

“Thirteen years after small and hateful minds conspired to break us, America stands tall and America stands proud,” the president told survivors and victims’ families at a ceremony at
the Pentagon. “And guided by the values that sustain us, we will only grow stronger.”

America endures, the president said, because of the “tenacity of our survivors,” the “dedication of those who keep us safe,” and “the perennial optimism that defines us as a people.

“We carry on because as Americans we do not give in to fear. Ever,” he said.

The morning after Obama outline his strategy to “degrade and ultimately destroy” ISIS, references to that looming terror threat were notably absent from his remarks.

Instead, the president focused on the future and the enduring strength of the nation.

“Generations from now, Americans will still fill our parks, our stadiums, our cities,” he said. “Generations from now, Americans will still build towers that reach toward the heavens, still serve in embassies that stand for freedom around the world, still wear the uniform and give meaning to those words written two centuries ago — land of the free, home of the brave. Generations from now, no matter the trial, no matter the challenge, America will always be America.”

Thirteen years ago, Obama was a little-known state senator driving down Lake Shore Drive in
Chicago when he heard news of the attacks over the radio, not knowing how the tragedy would come to shape his future presidency.

“They sought to do more than bring down buildings or murder our people,” he said today. “They sought to break our spirit and to prove to the world that their power to destroy was greater than our power to persevere and to build. But you and America proved them wrong. America endures in the strength of your families who, through your anguish, kept living.”

Wednesday 10 September 2014

FAT GIRLS ANONYMOUS: YOU ARE DESERVING BY WANA WANA UDOBANG

A friend once shared with me his two most cherished life philosophies which he also shared with his daughter when she was very young. The first; no one has the right to treat you less than you are. The second; unrequited love is bullshit.
Well where was he when I was a little girl? 
It is almost impossible to talk about being a fat girl and ignoring the narrative of love with the opposite sex in the same sentence. Even in situations where you refuse to engage in such conversations, for some reason or another you just find yourself entangled in it.
I have been pretty lucky when it comes to dating so I haven’t had any exes beat me to a pulp or treat me like absolute crap. I will admit though, I have had my own fair share of disasters and perhaps mostly of my own doing because I felt I was undeserving.
If you are like me, you are probably used to the word ‘cute’ as a constant refrain with a follow up piece of rhetoric about how you would find a good person to love you if you just went on some weird food deprivation programme for six months. There I was thinking that love didn’t cost a thing, but I guess I forgot to read the fine print. 
Again if you are like me with this thin permeable skin, you just soak up all those messages without even knowing it. In other words, that shit sticks and it creeps up in ways you could never imagine.
Take for instance an my ex-boyfriend  who woke up one day and decided he didn’t want to be with me anymore. I don’t enjoy the whole serial dating thing, so let’s just say moving on wasn’t as easy for me as it was for him. This was made even worse by his reasons for the break up..wait for it….I was a ‘little too nice’. 
At first I thought this has to be the most daft excuse for a breakup I had heard. I would later discover he had complained about this to his friends prior to the breakup.
He was right. I was too nice. Before rehab, I think I wanted to act perfect enough so he wouldn’t see what I considered my own imperfections. There were times he deliberately took advantage of this and I would ignore it, maybe believing I had no right to be upset about anything. Coupled with my childhood abandonment issues and my aversion to confrontation, I can see how the poor guy would have thought he could probably wake up with me holding a cleaver next to his jugular because it just wasn’t normal to be so nice and considerate about every single thing. The truth is much like a dog that smells fear and latches on to it, sometimes humans do the same and they can oppress at will given the slightest chance.
That’s what feeling undeserving can do to you. It robs you of the right to express yourself, whether dissatisfaction or anger, it keeps you in a perpetual state of fear, you think your life is confined to taking what you get possibly because you have been told that its only the beautiful ones that get loved so until your body changes and you can morph from cute to beautiful, you really cant afford to be demanding or rock that boat.
The interesting thing is. it doesn’t only occur with romantic relationships. It’s about all kinds of relationships. You just happen to be the chubby, chilled out, loyal, understanding, forgiving, good and sacrificial friend. Half the time you don’t even know you are doing it but you are always there to please everyone, even at your own detriment.
You actually forget that you have a right to choose or to want things just like anybody else.
I remember my friend Temi saying to me, she often gets told that she is so lucky that she got married or rather that somebody married her. It was heart breaking hearing that because I wondered if sometimes she had moments when she actually started to believe it even if I believe and hope it isn’t the case.
If you are from these parts, you know that political correctness is something our people struggle with. You will always hear all sorts and it will forever be a constant narrative whether you choose to engage or not as long as you look nothing like the mould. I have to consciously remind myself that my life is on my own terms and I deserve the best of love, life and happiness through out every stage of this journey.
 
deserving
 

HOW DO MEN REACT TO DIFFERENT LEVELS OF MAKEUP?


Tuesday 9 September 2014

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SET TO BAN POMO

Federal Government may have concluded plans to ban sale and widespread consumption of hides and skins(Pomo)which is a delicacy to most Nigerians. This indication emerged Tuesday  when the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina called for competent regulations that would check the consumption and sale of the product.
PONMO
 
He said this at the 3rd joint anniversary of Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN) and Nigeria Institute of Animal Science held at the University of Ibadan. If this is achieved, he noted that livestock farmers would stand good chances of making high dollar return if the hides and skins are tanned into leather. The minister who was represented at the occasion by the Director, Animal Production and Husbandry in the Ministry, Dr. Ademola Raji, said, ”I also commend NIAS for its advocacy and public enlightenment programs on Radio and Television that promote value addition in Livestock, as against sale and consumption of primary products alone, particularly with the issue of curtailing the widespread consumption of hides and skins as Kpomo which ought to be tanned into leather for a very high dollar return to the farmer and Tanneries. I expect that competent regulations acceptable by all stakeholders will be developed so as to give credibility that our set standards for food safety are being implemented which will boost value addition.” The theme of the programme was entitled, “Value Addition in the Nigerian Livestock Industry: A strategy for Economic Growth and Stakeholders Empowerment”. The minister stressed that FG would continue to drive its Agricultural Transformation Agenda with increased vigour in all its ramifications, pleading for continuous support and cooperation of all stakeholders in the livestock sector to deliver the benefits. He said,”I am confident that the satisfactory production levels achieved in the poultry and swine segments will soon stretch to reach other commodities such as beef, dairy, micro livestock and animal by products such as leather, bones, hides and skins.
The drive to turn Agriculture into business and not merely a way of life is now in full gear, with the use of mobile phones and e- wallet for input distribution directly to farmers, farmer’s registration with biometric identity cards and the Growth Enhancement Support scheme.
We have all seen the revolution in Rice production and processing; in cassava, sorghum and cotton that have increased output per hectare, through the supply of high quality raw materials to revive industries that have hitherto closed down.” Food production, he said, rose in 2013 by 8 million metric tonnes over 2012 figures which represents over 70% growth of the target set for 2015 by Government. “In 2012, 264,000 hectares of dry season paddy rice cultivated in the Northern states alone yielded 1.1 million metric tonnes.” he added.
Speaking earlier, NIAS President, Professor Placid Njoku, applauded the Federal government for tackling the deadly Ebola virus disease, noting that the institute would encourage its members to undertake visionary studies aimed at producing popular bush meat in the country in ”intensive ,hygienic and Ebola disease free environment.”

OBASANJO'S SON SHOT IN MUBI ATTACK

INSECURITY—Right: Members of local vigilante called Civilian Jtf on  patrol in Maiduguri, Borno State, yesterday.  Left: Lt. Col. Adeboye Obasanjo. Photos: NAN/Sahara Reporters.

Son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Lt Col Adeboye Obasanjo, an army engineer at the 3rd Division in Jos, Plateau State was shot yesterday by Boko Haram terrorists as he led soldiers on an offensive to reclaim Michika town in Adamawa State which fell into the hands of the insurgents. Twenty four soldiers were also reportedly killed during the encounter in which Lt Col Obasanjo was said to be seriously injured. The Defence Headquarters did not respond to inquiries seeking confirmation of the incident but a reliable military source, who confirmed the story, said the injured Obasanjo was receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Yola, the state capital. At the time of the incident which  took place at Baza, Major Gen J.S. Zaruwa, Colonel Victor Ebhaleme, who serves as the Brigade Commander of the 23rd Army brigade in Yola and Lieutenant Agwu were all together advancing towards Michika when Boko Haram fighters ambushed them and unleashed the deadly attack on the soldiers. According to reports, the army also lost an armoured tank to the militants. As a result of the attack, Mubi town has practically been deserted following the closure of schools and massive retreat of soldiers from the city. Meanwhile, as the insurgents overran Michika, security operatives were said to have fled when they ran out of ammunition on Sunday. A competent source from Michika, who escaped the attack and now taking refuge in Gombi council area of Adamawa State, expressed worry over the deadly attacks carried out by terrorists in the North-East. He regretted that this has destabilized the economic fortune of the citizenry who had laboured in this rainy season but had to abandon their farmlands. Another resident who fled from the attack on Michika, Mr. Tumba Philemon who is now residing with one of his relatives at the state university in Mubi, expressed fears that the insurgents may invade Mubi as the town is not far from Michika town which has been reclaimed by insurgents. He noted that the terrorists, who succeeded in chasing away security operatives in Madagali town, invaded neighbouring Michika on Sunday and wreaked havoc on innocent civilians and internally displaced persons before hoisting their black and white flags. Philemon added that, he was contemplating leaving Mubi town when he discovered that the state university authorities in Mubi has given directive that the school will remain closed on Monday (yesterday) and urged students to go back to their various homes for safety as the school authorities could no longer guarantee their safety. He said when he discovered that the university had been closed, he had no option than to relocate to another zone. Over 20 Boko Haram terrorists were killed by the troops of Nigerian Army on Sunday, while three soldiers sustained fatal injuries when the insurgents attacked the residence of former Commander  of Niger-Delta Special Task Force, Major General Tukur Buratai and Buratai Central Primary School in Buratai Town of Biu Local Government Area of Borno State. A resident of the area, Mallam Idi Buratai said the gunmen, numbering over 50 in number, stormed the town on motorcycles and Hilux vehicles and attacked the residence of General Buratai and Buratai Primary school, and succeeded in burning them. He said: “The soldiers guarding the residence of the former Task force commander, in collaboration with their colleagues from Biu military barracks and the members of vigilante group, repelled the attack, killing over 20 members of the sect”. Mallam Idi said the terrorists also succeeded in burning all mobile network masts in the town, adding that the terrorists, who stormed the town at about 9:30am on Sunday, came through Buni-Yadi, the town captured by the insurgents in Yobe State last month. A resident of the town, who fled to Biu, Bukar Buba said the soldiers guarding the residence of the Army General successfully repelled the attacked, where many insurgents were killed, adding that they however fled with three vehicles inlcuding a military vehicle, noting that the three soldiers that sustained injuries later died at Biu general hospital while receiving treatment. Confirming the incident, the District Head of Buratai, Alhaji Maina Garga said the insurgents attacked the residence of General Buratai but the soldiers guarding the house successful repelled the attack, killing many of the insurgents, while three soldiers sustained injuries. He said normalcy has since return to the town, as the soldiers guarding the residence of General Buratai got prompt re-enforcement from Biu Military Barracks. Altogether, Boko Haram terrorists are now in control of six local governments in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. In Borno, the insurgents have taken over and hoisted their flags in Gwoza, Gamboru-Ngala and Banki local governments. Bama and Damboa which were earlier taken over by the insurgents had been reclaimed by the military. In Adamawa, the insurgents are in control of  Michika and Gulak local governments, while in Yobe, they have taken over Buni-Yadi Local Government.
 

WIN A WASHING MACHINE WITH THE NEW OMO FAST ACTION

 
OMO Ambassadors - Bellanaija - September 2014
As part of its tradition of rewarding consumers for loyalty, the New OMO Fast Action with its unique ability to “remove tough stains faster than any other detergent” will be rewarding consumers for posting selfies holding the New OMO Fast Action detergent in the consumers’ best attire.
Just the way the new ambassadors of New OMO Fast Action have posed in the pictures above, New OMO Fast Action will be selecting pictures posted on the OMO Instagram page every month between now and end of the year. Do you consider yourself lucky? Take a picture with the New OMO in your best attire and share it now on the OMO Instagram page  @Omo_Detergent to win brand new washing machine.

BUY ONGA TIME OUT WITH KATE DVD AND WIN A KITCHEN MAKEOVER



Cooking tips have never been easier to come by, with over 100 recipes to prepare wonderful meals all in one DVD & Booklet combined, it doesn’t get any better than this and that's not all, lovely kitchen makeovers are up for grabs with other lovely consolation prizes.
Kate Henshaw just released this lovely DVD pack which is a compilation of her TV program titled “Onga Time Out with Kate”. The pack comes with a DVD that contains 26 episodes and a booklet that contains over 100 recipes. DVDs are available on Konga and also in Stores and Supermarkets Nationwide.




Go get your copy on Konga    http://www.konga.com/5b94ea5679242dc432a9b73d3eae0332# and Supermarkets Nationwide and stand the chance to win a kitchen makeover and other lovely consolation prizes.




For more details on how to win these fabulous prizes, buy your copy and follow the instructions in the booklet.



The first winner of the kitchen makeover will be announced last Saturday of September on E-weekly STV. Watch Out!!!



Visit
www.facebook.com/timeoutwithkate or follow @timeoutwithkate for more details.




DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE EXPECTING A SECOND CHILD

Kensington Palace has announced the second official pregnancy of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. She is expecting her second child and younger sibling of the year old Prince George.
   kate and Prince WilliamPrince William, Kate expecting second child: palace

OMAWUNMI MEGBELE IS ENGAGED



After years of dating and a child together, singer Omawumi is finally engaged to her baby daddy, Toyin Yusuf. He popped the question and Omawumi said yes. Congrats to them.

Monday 8 September 2014

SERENA WILLIAMS WINS US OPEN

Leveller: Williams has caught  Martina Navratilova (left) and Chris Evert (right) on 18 Grand Slam titlesTaking it all in: Williams lays on the court at the Arthur Ashe Arena after her emphatic winOver the moon: Serena Williams celebrates her US Open victory with a jump for joy with the trophy
 
It took Serena Williams two months to go from the nadir of her Wimbledon embarrassment to Grand Slam champion in two months, emphatically claiming her 18th Grand Slam title on Sunday night. The 32 year-old American equalled the Major tally of Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert by overcoming an edgy Caroline Wozniacki in the US Open final 6-3 6-3 in 75 minutes, reconfirming her position as the world's number one player. After collapsing on the court in delight and trying, and failing, to surpress her emotion, she was presented by the two legends with an eighteen carat gold bracelet from Tiffany's marking the achievement.In addition to the jewellry she received a cheque for $4 million (£2.41 million), comprising of her tournament winnings and a bonus for being the dominant player in the recent American events. It was the biggest single prize in tennis history.