Akunyili delivers Odenigbo Lecture series 2007
Professor Dora Akunyili has delivered the 2007 lecture in the Odenigbo series.
Odenigbo is the name of a yearly public lecture which the catholic archdiocese of Owerri,Imo state Nigeria, initiated for the praise of God and the advancement of the spirit of the Igbo people and language through spreading the gospel, good works, good behavior and good education among the general public. The literal meaning of Odenigbo is the one that writes in Igbo. Substantially, Odenigbo is the permeating of the essential values of life through the medium of the Igbo language. It is quite unique in concept and presentation. In the following words, the founder positions the rationale for Odenigbo;
Given the need to welcome the Good news of salvation into the
intimacy of our lives and Igbo culture, special prominence would
be given to the Igbo language through an annual series of lectures
by Igbo scholars in Igbo language’
AJV Obinna.
There are four tenets under which Odenigbo operates. The first tenet posits that Odenigbo causes good things to be put in writing, to be established, and to become widely known. The second tenet hinges on the premise that Odenigbo will heighten interest among the Igbo to use the language to accomplish things among themselves. The third tenet of Odenigbo aims at making the Igbo speaker not just a reader, but a writer of Igbo as well. Finally, the fourth tenet of Odenigbo seeks the enthronement of Jesus Christ as the ultimate ‘Odenigbo’, ‘Ezi Odenigbo’, and ‘Odenuwa’ as he continually permeates and operates within the Igbo nation.
Odenigbo runs as a two day event- the eve is usually dedicated to numerous cultural displays-a prelude to the lecture day. The climax of Odenigbo is the lecture day which usually starts with a Eucharistic celebration at the Maria Assumpta Cathedral in commemoration of the Owerri Archdiocesan day.
The title of this years lecture is ‘Ogwu di ire,ezi nka na nruru aka’ (Fake Drugs).With this, Dora will be taking the Nafdac’s war on fake drugs to the level of culture-spiritual.
Akunyili’s lecture will be the 12th in the series which started in 1996.Previous lecture titles and lecturers include;
1996- ‘Olumefula’,delivered by Professor Nolue Emenanjo,founder,Nigerian
Institute of Languages Aba.
1997- ‘Chibundu,ofe Chukwu na ndu ndi igbo’, delivered by Dr. Theo
Okere of Imo State.
1998 -‘Onyegbula-ndi Igbo na nsopuru ndu’, delivered by Professor
Metu Ikenga of Anambra state.
1999 ‘Echi di ime-taa bu gboo’delivered by Professor Chinua Achebe.
2000- ‘Ujunwa-anuri uwa nile’, delivered by the founder, Archbishop
Anthony Obinna.
2001- ‘Uwa ohuru-aka mgba chere ndi Igbo’, delivered by Prof John
Egbulefu of Abia State.
2002- ‘Agwa bu mma-nzuzi na nzuzo umu igbo’, delivered by
Dr.Mrs Gabriella Nwaozuzu, Associate Professor of Linguistics and
Igbo, UNN.
2003- ‘Odozi obodo-ochichi maka ezi oganihu ala Igbo’,
Delivered by Dr Godfrey Ona of Enugu state, lecturer, Pontifical
Urban University Rome.
2004-‘Ahuike-ike ogwu na ike ekpere’, delivered by Dr Barnabas
Chukwuezi, provost, Imo state University Teaching Hospital, Orlu.
2005-‘Akobundu-amamihe na ebute oganihu’, delivered by Prof
Victor Okereke of Abia State, resident in NY, USA.
2006- ‘ Ijeoma-ofo ndi igbo na ago’, delivered by Rev Dr.Maduakolam
Osuagwu, Co-ordinator, Justice, Development and Peace Commission
(JDPC), Owerrri.
Professor Mrs. Dora Akunyili is a veteran statesman and fundamentalist. She is a headliner any day as her name rings bell on both local and international scenes. She has received over 370 awards at home and abroad. Her honors rolls include;
Ø Icon of hope for Nigerians (2002), by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Ø Order of the Federal Republic-OFR (2002)
Ø Integrity Award (2003) by Transparency International in South Korea
Ø International Euro market Award (2003, 2005 and 2006) by European Marketing Research Center (EMRC), Belgium.
Ø Special Award for combating Economic Crime (2004) by International Pharmaceutical Federation, (FIP).
Ø Grassroots Human Rights Campaigner Award (2005), by Human Rights Defense Organization (International Service) in British House of commons.
Ø Man of the year 2005 Award by Silverbird Communications Ltd, Nigeria.
Ø Honored as one of the 18 heroes of Time magazine worldwide by Time magazine New York (2005).
Ø Honorary degree of Dr of Laws by University of Bristol, London (2006).
Ø Honorary Georgia Citizen by the state of Georgia, USA (2006).
Ø FIP Pharmacist of the year 2005 by the International Pharmaceutical Federation.
Ø Olympic Torch Bearer, Olympic Torch Relay, Athens 2004.
Dora Akunyili is happily married with four children. The treasure team bid her welcome to Odenigbo.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Getting our Priorities Right!
GETTING OUR PRIORITIES RIGHT! (written June 2006)
I definitely did not expect that kind of outburst from him that morning. Little did I know that venturing into his office would change my plans. Maybe if I had known, I would have postponed the visit. But all that is past now. His words still reverberates in my ears.
“What are we talking about here? You mean you have a month old baby at home and you are here to see me for what? My dear, get your priorities right!”
“but sir”, I sauntered in,” I have a nanny taking care of the baby. I wouldn’t leave the baby unattended!”
“listen my dear”, he cut in, obviously agitated with my explanation,” what is more important, this or the future of your child? You should be at home cuddling your baby, transferring your values to her till she is at least six months! Who are you competing with?”
I guess that phrase did it. It struck me like thunderbolt. It jolted up my system, bringing me to a rude awakening of something I hitherto took for granted.
Has it ever crossed your mind that you could have been unconsciously competing against yourself-in your home-in school-at work-even in the society-by working towards certain goals you just must meet up with? Perhaps you are doing “it” just to please your spouse-children-boss-friends etc. you may reason “what is wrong with that anyway? One surely has to live for something!” but I ask “at what and whose expense?”
The truth is that we don’t realize in time what we are doing. I mean the full implications. To most of us (like in my own case) we are just being smart, obviously making the best use of our time. we go on doing what “we have to do”, not minding whose ox is gored-we work very hard and late to earn promotion in the office-we read so hard that we cant do anything else-we leave our very tender babies at home for very long hours-we stretch our purse so hard to buy that piece of item-to send our kids to that school-the list is endless. We just must measure up.
Where then does priority come in? Our priority should naturally be our first concern, and should intricately be intertwined with our values. Our values remain those things we should give precedence, which we should never compromise. Compromising them only goes to show our ignorance and lack of commitment. We should learn just like the economist, to place every need on a scale of preference. Then following the scale we set precedence because it is the timing that determines the adequacy and appropriateness of whatever action we take as long as our value system and sense of judgment remains positive.
Have a pleasant time out and remain strengthened to make all the right decisions.
I definitely did not expect that kind of outburst from him that morning. Little did I know that venturing into his office would change my plans. Maybe if I had known, I would have postponed the visit. But all that is past now. His words still reverberates in my ears.
“What are we talking about here? You mean you have a month old baby at home and you are here to see me for what? My dear, get your priorities right!”
“but sir”, I sauntered in,” I have a nanny taking care of the baby. I wouldn’t leave the baby unattended!”
“listen my dear”, he cut in, obviously agitated with my explanation,” what is more important, this or the future of your child? You should be at home cuddling your baby, transferring your values to her till she is at least six months! Who are you competing with?”
I guess that phrase did it. It struck me like thunderbolt. It jolted up my system, bringing me to a rude awakening of something I hitherto took for granted.
Has it ever crossed your mind that you could have been unconsciously competing against yourself-in your home-in school-at work-even in the society-by working towards certain goals you just must meet up with? Perhaps you are doing “it” just to please your spouse-children-boss-friends etc. you may reason “what is wrong with that anyway? One surely has to live for something!” but I ask “at what and whose expense?”
The truth is that we don’t realize in time what we are doing. I mean the full implications. To most of us (like in my own case) we are just being smart, obviously making the best use of our time. we go on doing what “we have to do”, not minding whose ox is gored-we work very hard and late to earn promotion in the office-we read so hard that we cant do anything else-we leave our very tender babies at home for very long hours-we stretch our purse so hard to buy that piece of item-to send our kids to that school-the list is endless. We just must measure up.
Where then does priority come in? Our priority should naturally be our first concern, and should intricately be intertwined with our values. Our values remain those things we should give precedence, which we should never compromise. Compromising them only goes to show our ignorance and lack of commitment. We should learn just like the economist, to place every need on a scale of preference. Then following the scale we set precedence because it is the timing that determines the adequacy and appropriateness of whatever action we take as long as our value system and sense of judgment remains positive.
Have a pleasant time out and remain strengthened to make all the right decisions.
Looking Back
LOOKING BACK (written may 2006)
The hot afternoon sun was at its peak. People pushed. Horns blared. Beggars besieged everywhere. Hawkers called out their wares. Heavy equipment locomotives dug up and down the earth producing deafening noise. A glance at the gigantic buildings that lined up the street gave away their age. It was an array of the ancient and modern. While some buildings retained the old architectural designs, others fronted modern day architecture in artistic designs. This is the present day scenario at the famous Marina Street on Lagos Island-the hallmark of the civilization of Nigeria in those good old days.
I felt disturbed with this change. You know, that sad, niggling feeling that you are going to miss something you are already used to (I always feel like this when a guest is leaving my house after spending just a few nights!).This is followed by the “not too sure” feeling of a replacement; call it “fear of the unknown”. You wonder how you will cope without! The bulldozers are sure doing a good job-there is no doubt about that. They are rebuilding Marina-repositioning it in the wake of the 21st century. But look at the feeling its’ evoking in me (and possibly a lot of others too)!
I let my mind drift and remembered so many things that have happened in the past. A look at school children going up and down the street reminded me of my own school days. Then all that mattered to me was my school assignments, friends and family. I didn’t have to bother about school fees, house rent, the next meal, clothes .all that was dad and mums’ business. I announced anything I needed and will never take no to any of my requests. Any negative answer/response will get me inconsolable.
You see what I mean? Now the reverse is the case. As a responsible adult and parent it now behooves on me to mother, wife, pay the bills, wash, cook console etc. Not only is that but am also saddled with the onerous task of decision making and taking responsibility for every action. Sleep is now a luxury .these kids don’t want to know .sometimes I wonder if it’s not better being a child. But I realize that being an adult has its own benefits too. I concluded that both roles are essentially crucial after all who does not like to grow? Monopoly kills. So what? I dare you to take a trip down memory lane. Relish it and still come back feeling good about where you are today!
amybest21@yahoo.com
The hot afternoon sun was at its peak. People pushed. Horns blared. Beggars besieged everywhere. Hawkers called out their wares. Heavy equipment locomotives dug up and down the earth producing deafening noise. A glance at the gigantic buildings that lined up the street gave away their age. It was an array of the ancient and modern. While some buildings retained the old architectural designs, others fronted modern day architecture in artistic designs. This is the present day scenario at the famous Marina Street on Lagos Island-the hallmark of the civilization of Nigeria in those good old days.
I felt disturbed with this change. You know, that sad, niggling feeling that you are going to miss something you are already used to (I always feel like this when a guest is leaving my house after spending just a few nights!).This is followed by the “not too sure” feeling of a replacement; call it “fear of the unknown”. You wonder how you will cope without! The bulldozers are sure doing a good job-there is no doubt about that. They are rebuilding Marina-repositioning it in the wake of the 21st century. But look at the feeling its’ evoking in me (and possibly a lot of others too)!
I let my mind drift and remembered so many things that have happened in the past. A look at school children going up and down the street reminded me of my own school days. Then all that mattered to me was my school assignments, friends and family. I didn’t have to bother about school fees, house rent, the next meal, clothes .all that was dad and mums’ business. I announced anything I needed and will never take no to any of my requests. Any negative answer/response will get me inconsolable.
You see what I mean? Now the reverse is the case. As a responsible adult and parent it now behooves on me to mother, wife, pay the bills, wash, cook console etc. Not only is that but am also saddled with the onerous task of decision making and taking responsibility for every action. Sleep is now a luxury .these kids don’t want to know .sometimes I wonder if it’s not better being a child. But I realize that being an adult has its own benefits too. I concluded that both roles are essentially crucial after all who does not like to grow? Monopoly kills. So what? I dare you to take a trip down memory lane. Relish it and still come back feeling good about where you are today!
amybest21@yahoo.com
Looking Back
LOOKING BACK (written may 2006)
The hot afternoon sun was at its peak. People pushed. Horns blared. Beggars besieged everywhere. Hawkers called out their wares. Heavy equipment locomotives dug up and down the earth producing deafening noise. A glance at the gigantic buildings that lined up the street gave away their age. It was an array of the ancient and modern. While some buildings retained the old architectural designs, others fronted modern day architecture in artistic designs. This is the present day scenario at the famous Marina Street on Lagos Island-the hallmark of the civilization of Nigeria in those good old days.
I felt disturbed with this change. You know, that sad, niggling feeling that you are going to miss something you are already used to (I always feel like this when a guest is leaving my house after spending just a few nights!).This is followed by the “not too sure” feeling of a replacement; call it “fear of the unknown”. You wonder how you will cope without! The bulldozers are sure doing a good job-there is no doubt about that. They are rebuilding Marina-repositioning it in the wake of the 21st century. But look at the feeling its’ evoking in me (and possibly a lot of others too)!
I let my mind drift and remembered so many things that have happened in the past. A look at school children going up and down the street reminded me of my own school days. Then all that mattered to me was my school assignments, friends and family. I didn’t have to bother about school fees, house rent, the next meal, clothes .all that was dad and mums’ business. I announced anything I needed and will never take no to any of my requests. Any negative answer/response will get me inconsolable.
You see what I mean? Now the reverse is the case. As a responsible adult and parent it now behooves on me to mother, wife, pay the bills, wash, cook console etc. Not only is that but am also saddled with the onerous task of decision making and taking responsibility for every action. Sleep is now a luxury .these kids don’t want to know .sometimes I wonder if it’s not better being a child. But I realize that being an adult has its own benefits too. I concluded that both roles are essentially crucial after all who does not like to grow? Monopoly kills. So what? I dare you to take a trip down memory lane. Relish it and still come back feeling good about where you are today!
amybest21@yahoo.com
The hot afternoon sun was at its peak. People pushed. Horns blared. Beggars besieged everywhere. Hawkers called out their wares. Heavy equipment locomotives dug up and down the earth producing deafening noise. A glance at the gigantic buildings that lined up the street gave away their age. It was an array of the ancient and modern. While some buildings retained the old architectural designs, others fronted modern day architecture in artistic designs. This is the present day scenario at the famous Marina Street on Lagos Island-the hallmark of the civilization of Nigeria in those good old days.
I felt disturbed with this change. You know, that sad, niggling feeling that you are going to miss something you are already used to (I always feel like this when a guest is leaving my house after spending just a few nights!).This is followed by the “not too sure” feeling of a replacement; call it “fear of the unknown”. You wonder how you will cope without! The bulldozers are sure doing a good job-there is no doubt about that. They are rebuilding Marina-repositioning it in the wake of the 21st century. But look at the feeling its’ evoking in me (and possibly a lot of others too)!
I let my mind drift and remembered so many things that have happened in the past. A look at school children going up and down the street reminded me of my own school days. Then all that mattered to me was my school assignments, friends and family. I didn’t have to bother about school fees, house rent, the next meal, clothes .all that was dad and mums’ business. I announced anything I needed and will never take no to any of my requests. Any negative answer/response will get me inconsolable.
You see what I mean? Now the reverse is the case. As a responsible adult and parent it now behooves on me to mother, wife, pay the bills, wash, cook console etc. Not only is that but am also saddled with the onerous task of decision making and taking responsibility for every action. Sleep is now a luxury .these kids don’t want to know .sometimes I wonder if it’s not better being a child. But I realize that being an adult has its own benefits too. I concluded that both roles are essentially crucial after all who does not like to grow? Monopoly kills. So what? I dare you to take a trip down memory lane. Relish it and still come back feeling good about where you are today!
amybest21@yahoo.com
Looking Back
LOOKING BACK (written may 2006)
The hot afternoon sun was at its peak. People pushed. Horns blared. Beggars besieged everywhere. Hawkers called out their wares. Heavy equipment locomotives dug up and down the earth producing deafening noise. A glance at the gigantic buildings that lined up the street gave away their age. It was an array of the ancient and modern. While some buildings retained the old architectural designs, others fronted modern day architecture in artistic designs. This is the present day scenario at the famous Marina Street on Lagos Island-the hallmark of the civilization of Nigeria in those good old days.
I felt disturbed with this change. You know, that sad, niggling feeling that you are going to miss something you are already used to (I always feel like this when a guest is leaving my house after spending just a few nights!).This is followed by the “not too sure” feeling of a replacement; call it “fear of the unknown”. You wonder how you will cope without! The bulldozers are sure doing a good job-there is no doubt about that. They are rebuilding Marina-repositioning it in the wake of the 21st century. But look at the feeling its’ evoking in me (and possibly a lot of others too)!
I let my mind drift and remembered so many things that have happened in the past. A look at school children going up and down the street reminded me of my own school days. Then all that mattered to me was my school assignments, friends and family. I didn’t have to bother about school fees, house rent, the next meal, clothes .all that was dad and mums’ business. I announced anything I needed and will never take no to any of my requests. Any negative answer/response will get me inconsolable.
You see what I mean? Now the reverse is the case. As a responsible adult and parent it now behooves on me to mother, wife, pay the bills, wash, cook console etc. Not only is that but am also saddled with the onerous task of decision making and taking responsibility for every action. Sleep is now a luxury .these kids don’t want to know .sometimes I wonder if it’s not better being a child. But I realize that being an adult has its own benefits too. I concluded that both roles are essentially crucial after all who does not like to grow? Monopoly kills. So what? I dare you to take a trip down memory lane. Relish it and still come back feeling good about where you are today!
amybest21@yahoo.com
The hot afternoon sun was at its peak. People pushed. Horns blared. Beggars besieged everywhere. Hawkers called out their wares. Heavy equipment locomotives dug up and down the earth producing deafening noise. A glance at the gigantic buildings that lined up the street gave away their age. It was an array of the ancient and modern. While some buildings retained the old architectural designs, others fronted modern day architecture in artistic designs. This is the present day scenario at the famous Marina Street on Lagos Island-the hallmark of the civilization of Nigeria in those good old days.
I felt disturbed with this change. You know, that sad, niggling feeling that you are going to miss something you are already used to (I always feel like this when a guest is leaving my house after spending just a few nights!).This is followed by the “not too sure” feeling of a replacement; call it “fear of the unknown”. You wonder how you will cope without! The bulldozers are sure doing a good job-there is no doubt about that. They are rebuilding Marina-repositioning it in the wake of the 21st century. But look at the feeling its’ evoking in me (and possibly a lot of others too)!
I let my mind drift and remembered so many things that have happened in the past. A look at school children going up and down the street reminded me of my own school days. Then all that mattered to me was my school assignments, friends and family. I didn’t have to bother about school fees, house rent, the next meal, clothes .all that was dad and mums’ business. I announced anything I needed and will never take no to any of my requests. Any negative answer/response will get me inconsolable.
You see what I mean? Now the reverse is the case. As a responsible adult and parent it now behooves on me to mother, wife, pay the bills, wash, cook console etc. Not only is that but am also saddled with the onerous task of decision making and taking responsibility for every action. Sleep is now a luxury .these kids don’t want to know .sometimes I wonder if it’s not better being a child. But I realize that being an adult has its own benefits too. I concluded that both roles are essentially crucial after all who does not like to grow? Monopoly kills. So what? I dare you to take a trip down memory lane. Relish it and still come back feeling good about where you are today!
amybest21@yahoo.com
Dew Drops
DEW DROPS (written march 2006)
Recently, I was delivered of a beautiful baby girl. Her “coming” kept everybody around me tensed as she was quite overdue. Eventually, naming her became an issue. I and my husband came up with various names. Somehow none seemed suitable. Friends and family found the drama funny-today this names-tomorrow that. ‘But you should have had a name for your baby –having carried her for nine months’-was the constant reprieve I got. Well- we finally agreed on a name for her-kaosisochukwu-meaning-as it has pleased God.
I am sure you will be wondering at the prelude. I was just preparing your mind to peruse over this simple but very important question-what is in a name? Here in Nigeria, especially among the Yoruba’s, naming is a big deal. The eight day after delivery is set aside for the official naming ceremony. There is even a biblical foundation to this practice. A child’s name is believed to affect his/her destiny. In fact the bible has this record of Jabez whose life took a turn for the better after his name was changed. I also have a friend named Patience who had to change her name to Favour because she could neither get a job nor get married. And surprisingly after the change of name, she did get the favour of a job!
I chose to name this column DEW DROPS –I wonder if it’s appropriate at all. I don’t know exactly what impression it creates in your mind. Does it prepare your mind for the kind of things I have in my mind? Nevertheless, I am using it as an icon to represent and identify this corner where I will be doing a lot of mind baring with you on issues very close to our hearts. It is normal to hear people use the expression-‘sleep over the matter’. You will agree with me that most times, after sleeping over issues, fresh and wonderful ideas come up. It comes like carefully distilled water, enabling us to get the essential ideas from our thoughts or experience. That is what I have chosen to represent as –dew drops.
So-you are welcome to share with me in this column every month and I do hope the muse will keep me inspired with the gentle drops of dew as we go on in this voyage.
Recently, I was delivered of a beautiful baby girl. Her “coming” kept everybody around me tensed as she was quite overdue. Eventually, naming her became an issue. I and my husband came up with various names. Somehow none seemed suitable. Friends and family found the drama funny-today this names-tomorrow that. ‘But you should have had a name for your baby –having carried her for nine months’-was the constant reprieve I got. Well- we finally agreed on a name for her-kaosisochukwu-meaning-as it has pleased God.
I am sure you will be wondering at the prelude. I was just preparing your mind to peruse over this simple but very important question-what is in a name? Here in Nigeria, especially among the Yoruba’s, naming is a big deal. The eight day after delivery is set aside for the official naming ceremony. There is even a biblical foundation to this practice. A child’s name is believed to affect his/her destiny. In fact the bible has this record of Jabez whose life took a turn for the better after his name was changed. I also have a friend named Patience who had to change her name to Favour because she could neither get a job nor get married. And surprisingly after the change of name, she did get the favour of a job!
I chose to name this column DEW DROPS –I wonder if it’s appropriate at all. I don’t know exactly what impression it creates in your mind. Does it prepare your mind for the kind of things I have in my mind? Nevertheless, I am using it as an icon to represent and identify this corner where I will be doing a lot of mind baring with you on issues very close to our hearts. It is normal to hear people use the expression-‘sleep over the matter’. You will agree with me that most times, after sleeping over issues, fresh and wonderful ideas come up. It comes like carefully distilled water, enabling us to get the essential ideas from our thoughts or experience. That is what I have chosen to represent as –dew drops.
So-you are welcome to share with me in this column every month and I do hope the muse will keep me inspired with the gentle drops of dew as we go on in this voyage.
The Impact of Nutrition on Nigerian National Education and Healthy Growth of School Children
The two images above are very contrasting. While one child looks very healthy, well-nurtured, carefree and appear pleasantly disposed with the world; the other looks unhealthy, with sunken eyeballs, hollow cheeks, helpless, unloved, in great need and very forlorn .Their varied looks is as a result of the kind of nutrition each of them gets. What then is nutrition?
Nutrition is the good we get from all the food we eat and it helps our bodies work. Food is made up of different types of nutrients that contribute to our food being nutritious. There are macronutrients, micronutrients, as well as soluble and insoluble fibers which make up the nutrition landscape. Micronutrients are so called because they are needed by the body in relatively small amounts than the macronutrients. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, fats and oils, as well as water; while micronutrients include vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.
If our bodies fail to get all the nutrients they need, this is called malnutrition .If a person suffers from malnutrition, they can be more likely to catch diseases and it can affect the functions of their body such as brain, eyesight, organs, height, weight as well as the normal formation of body parts if the child is still in the mothers’ womb.
The end product of a well nurtured body is evidenced in robust health which ensures that the different body parts function maximally. It is in an effort to universalize the essence of balanced diet/nutrition that food processing and packaging companies were directed by the World Health Organization (WHO),to provide nutritional information on their products for the guidance of lay people. This nutritional information is found in a corner of every good food packaging, showing the recommended daily amounts (RDA) of each nutrient and what the package contains.
Deriving from the above preamble, it is not out of place to state that a well improved nutrition improves educability and teachability. A better nourished, less hungry child is more attentive and able to learn more easily. This is common sense. My two children who are toddlers exhibit this characteristic a lot. Once they get hungry, they fret and cry so much-nothing consoles them until they get fed again. By implication then, a well-nourished brain means a bright, curios conversational little child who finds life a rewarding experience and sees grown-ups as quite friendly and reasonable. Relationships and learning hold great potential when the developing brain is free from malnutrition.
Education is best understood as an investment in human resources. Hence national education is a nation’s investment in its human resources to effectively minimize waste and maximize resources. Educability and teachability refers to the potential a child has to achieve age-appropriate, specific-curricular and learning objectives, regardless of whether or not a child is actually enrolled in school.
Education is administered through schools. However, according to a UNESCO report, a good school plant and high quality instruction cannot produce the intended educational outcomes when children are too sick, too weak or too distracted to learn. Nutrition and health problems impinge on the quality of the biochemical organism and impede the acquisition of skills and abilities needed to progress satisfactorily in primary school. When there are many such children enrolled in primary schools, the education sector performs inefficiently, optimal returns on investments are not achieved, and progress toward a wide range of development goals are forestalled. And if significant numbers of children are no longer participants in the formal school system, because their health and nutrition status have rendered satisfactory academic progress an unattainable goal, the result is development, and dreams dangerously deferred, the report concludes.
The negative impacts of poor nutrition on health and by extension national education manifest in the following classified conditions: Protein-Energy malnutrition (PEM), Micronutrient deficiency disorders, Helminithic or worm infection, Sensory impairment, and Temporary hunger. (Interregional project, UNDP). Out of this lot, the micronutrient deficiency disorders (e.g. iodine deficiency, iron deficiency, anemia, vitamin A deficiency,) and temporary hunger poses the greatest threat to national education in Nigeria. For greater clarity, let’s look at one isolated example-iron deficiency. Iron is necessary for a number of enzymes to work normally. It can greatly impact strength, activity, alertness, and also the ability to respond to a structured test. Without adequate iron, children start depleting their iron stores in the bone marrow and liver to make red blood cells. Eventually, they become anemic .They are more susceptible to fatigue and their physical work performance decreases. And then finally, iron deficiency affects them mentally, in their thought processes-this is just one nutrient out of many.
Malnutrition is noticeable in the interruption of a child’s healthy growth pattern usually resulting in low height and weight for age.
Currently greater weight –for- height is a nutritional status indicator. This means that if a child seems very very small for his or her age, or appears to have lost significant weight over a small period of time, something is wrong. The child should be screened for a possible deficiency and appropriate aid administered as soon as possible.
In this light, the peak 123 and 456 range is an excellent response to growing children’s micro nutritional needs as they are made to meet their growth and development needs age-appropriately.
The way forward for Nigeria in tackling this global trend lies in a more vigorous campaign raising child quality awareness. This has already been pledged to by most of the world’s governments at the 1990 World Conference on Education for All held in Jomtein, Thailand under the joint sponsorship of UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank. Micronutrient supplementation, deworming programme, early childhood interventions, and the provision of school meal/snacks remain the agreed methods of tackling this monster. The federal governments’ national program on immunization, supplementation of vitamin A micronutrient, as well as the introduction of the free meal a day for primary school children is highly commendable and should be sustained.
It is also worthy to mention here that the educational status of mothers is known to be a consistent predictor of the quality of care their children receive and of their nutritional status and survival prospects. In fact, apart from crippling poverty, stark illiteracy ranks among the major causes of malnutrition worldwide. Therefore, investment in human resource promoting factors through enlightenment programs targeted at women of child bearing age, focusing on essential nutritional education, health and women’s roles in family health should be given prominence as this will lead to sustained nutritional improvement. Breastfeeding remains the most vital source of micronutrients for babies and mothers should know this. Information is power.
The Nigerian national education is aligned with the millennium development goals (MDG’S) which canvasses basic education for all by the year 2015.UBE established by an act of Parliament in the year 2004 is Nigeria’s response to that clarion call. The World Bank, through the British council is already in alliance, working to monitor the progress of UBE, under execution by the various local education authorities. The focal points are to reduce to the barest minimum, these educationally limiting conditions in children through low cost intervention strategies that can halt their negative impact on learning and school achievement.
In conclusion, and by way of recommendation, I think that UNICEF’s model of a school health program is highly appropriate and comprehensive. It reads:
UNICEF’s School Health Program
Health and Nutrition Services
Screening for common health problems
Prevention and treatment of common health problems; first aid
Linkages and referral between schools and health services
School feeding programs
Knowledge and Skills for Health
Curriculum development for skills based education
Extracurricular school health activities, such as school health clubs
or child to child activities
Physical education and sports.
A Healthy and Supportive Environment
Clean water and sanitation in schools
Policies for ethical relations between teachers and students; for example support for
pregnant girls
Positive psychosocial environment.
Nigeria is a developing nation .Thus, any social expenditure such as that which the above model advocates will not only have the short term effect of relieving malnourished children and making them educationally more viable; it will have a long term inter –generational effect on human well-being. The long term benefit translates to economic productivity as a better educated person is likely to be more receptive to innovation, to seek out and benefit from opportunities for change more readily. This is the core of social support.
Nutrition is the good we get from all the food we eat and it helps our bodies work. Food is made up of different types of nutrients that contribute to our food being nutritious. There are macronutrients, micronutrients, as well as soluble and insoluble fibers which make up the nutrition landscape. Micronutrients are so called because they are needed by the body in relatively small amounts than the macronutrients. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, fats and oils, as well as water; while micronutrients include vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.
If our bodies fail to get all the nutrients they need, this is called malnutrition .If a person suffers from malnutrition, they can be more likely to catch diseases and it can affect the functions of their body such as brain, eyesight, organs, height, weight as well as the normal formation of body parts if the child is still in the mothers’ womb.
The end product of a well nurtured body is evidenced in robust health which ensures that the different body parts function maximally. It is in an effort to universalize the essence of balanced diet/nutrition that food processing and packaging companies were directed by the World Health Organization (WHO),to provide nutritional information on their products for the guidance of lay people. This nutritional information is found in a corner of every good food packaging, showing the recommended daily amounts (RDA) of each nutrient and what the package contains.
Deriving from the above preamble, it is not out of place to state that a well improved nutrition improves educability and teachability. A better nourished, less hungry child is more attentive and able to learn more easily. This is common sense. My two children who are toddlers exhibit this characteristic a lot. Once they get hungry, they fret and cry so much-nothing consoles them until they get fed again. By implication then, a well-nourished brain means a bright, curios conversational little child who finds life a rewarding experience and sees grown-ups as quite friendly and reasonable. Relationships and learning hold great potential when the developing brain is free from malnutrition.
Education is best understood as an investment in human resources. Hence national education is a nation’s investment in its human resources to effectively minimize waste and maximize resources. Educability and teachability refers to the potential a child has to achieve age-appropriate, specific-curricular and learning objectives, regardless of whether or not a child is actually enrolled in school.
Education is administered through schools. However, according to a UNESCO report, a good school plant and high quality instruction cannot produce the intended educational outcomes when children are too sick, too weak or too distracted to learn. Nutrition and health problems impinge on the quality of the biochemical organism and impede the acquisition of skills and abilities needed to progress satisfactorily in primary school. When there are many such children enrolled in primary schools, the education sector performs inefficiently, optimal returns on investments are not achieved, and progress toward a wide range of development goals are forestalled. And if significant numbers of children are no longer participants in the formal school system, because their health and nutrition status have rendered satisfactory academic progress an unattainable goal, the result is development, and dreams dangerously deferred, the report concludes.
The negative impacts of poor nutrition on health and by extension national education manifest in the following classified conditions: Protein-Energy malnutrition (PEM), Micronutrient deficiency disorders, Helminithic or worm infection, Sensory impairment, and Temporary hunger. (Interregional project, UNDP). Out of this lot, the micronutrient deficiency disorders (e.g. iodine deficiency, iron deficiency, anemia, vitamin A deficiency,) and temporary hunger poses the greatest threat to national education in Nigeria. For greater clarity, let’s look at one isolated example-iron deficiency. Iron is necessary for a number of enzymes to work normally. It can greatly impact strength, activity, alertness, and also the ability to respond to a structured test. Without adequate iron, children start depleting their iron stores in the bone marrow and liver to make red blood cells. Eventually, they become anemic .They are more susceptible to fatigue and their physical work performance decreases. And then finally, iron deficiency affects them mentally, in their thought processes-this is just one nutrient out of many.
Malnutrition is noticeable in the interruption of a child’s healthy growth pattern usually resulting in low height and weight for age.
Currently greater weight –for- height is a nutritional status indicator. This means that if a child seems very very small for his or her age, or appears to have lost significant weight over a small period of time, something is wrong. The child should be screened for a possible deficiency and appropriate aid administered as soon as possible.
In this light, the peak 123 and 456 range is an excellent response to growing children’s micro nutritional needs as they are made to meet their growth and development needs age-appropriately.
The way forward for Nigeria in tackling this global trend lies in a more vigorous campaign raising child quality awareness. This has already been pledged to by most of the world’s governments at the 1990 World Conference on Education for All held in Jomtein, Thailand under the joint sponsorship of UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank. Micronutrient supplementation, deworming programme, early childhood interventions, and the provision of school meal/snacks remain the agreed methods of tackling this monster. The federal governments’ national program on immunization, supplementation of vitamin A micronutrient, as well as the introduction of the free meal a day for primary school children is highly commendable and should be sustained.
It is also worthy to mention here that the educational status of mothers is known to be a consistent predictor of the quality of care their children receive and of their nutritional status and survival prospects. In fact, apart from crippling poverty, stark illiteracy ranks among the major causes of malnutrition worldwide. Therefore, investment in human resource promoting factors through enlightenment programs targeted at women of child bearing age, focusing on essential nutritional education, health and women’s roles in family health should be given prominence as this will lead to sustained nutritional improvement. Breastfeeding remains the most vital source of micronutrients for babies and mothers should know this. Information is power.
The Nigerian national education is aligned with the millennium development goals (MDG’S) which canvasses basic education for all by the year 2015.UBE established by an act of Parliament in the year 2004 is Nigeria’s response to that clarion call. The World Bank, through the British council is already in alliance, working to monitor the progress of UBE, under execution by the various local education authorities. The focal points are to reduce to the barest minimum, these educationally limiting conditions in children through low cost intervention strategies that can halt their negative impact on learning and school achievement.
In conclusion, and by way of recommendation, I think that UNICEF’s model of a school health program is highly appropriate and comprehensive. It reads:
UNICEF’s School Health Program
Health and Nutrition Services
Screening for common health problems
Prevention and treatment of common health problems; first aid
Linkages and referral between schools and health services
School feeding programs
Knowledge and Skills for Health
Curriculum development for skills based education
Extracurricular school health activities, such as school health clubs
or child to child activities
Physical education and sports.
A Healthy and Supportive Environment
Clean water and sanitation in schools
Policies for ethical relations between teachers and students; for example support for
pregnant girls
Positive psychosocial environment.
Nigeria is a developing nation .Thus, any social expenditure such as that which the above model advocates will not only have the short term effect of relieving malnourished children and making them educationally more viable; it will have a long term inter –generational effect on human well-being. The long term benefit translates to economic productivity as a better educated person is likely to be more receptive to innovation, to seek out and benefit from opportunities for change more readily. This is the core of social support.
The Da Vinci Code
THE DA VINCI CODE (written october 2006)
I picked up my pen several times in the past couple of weeks to write on this topic but each time I came up with nothing but an engaging mental debate! I reasoned that the topic is too controversial at the moment, and perhaps too sacred to thread on. But surely my senses have been assaulted by the DA VINCI FAIRY TALE, as Mrs. Bridget Itsueli of the Lagos Resource Centre puts it. This is not about being a catholic. I happen to be a theology scholar too! So I need to defend what I know.
The Da Vinci Code is a novel written by Dan Brown, an American author and published in 2003 by Doubleday Fiction. It is based on the controversial premise that there is a conspiracy within the Catholic Church to cover up the true story of Jesus. According to this premise, the Vatican knows it is living a lie but continues to do so to keep itself in power. The novel has helped generate popular interest in speculation concerning the Holy Grail legend and the role of Mary Magdalene in the history of Christianity. A movie adaptation of the story in 2006 by Columbia pictures generated even more controversy as this enabled wider viewer ship across age groups, class and culture. The youths are the greatest victims!
The Da Vinci code denies the divinity,ie, trinity of Christ, rejects celibacy and virginity as virtues, claims that the Bible as we have it today is false, and declares that the beloved disciple who sat beside Jesus during the last supper is Mary Magdalene! And a lot more claims!
Given the massive publicity, it becomes necessary that we call a spade a spade. For a start, Dan Brown classified this novel as a fiction but went ahead to write and I quote, ‘All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this book are accurate’. This is a big blunder as anybody who is conversant with the literary term ‘fiction’, will admit. Fiction can never replace fact. So if the book is fiction, why the claim to accuracy?
I t might interest you to know that these set of blasphemies are not new to the church. In fact, the church addressed most of these issues in the council of Nicea in the year 325AD.The only difference today is that the spread has been aided by globalization.
The truth is that in the world of today, there is widespread secularism, moral relativism, and doctrinal subjectivism-people wanting to do things the way they feel like, the way it suits them and the interpretation that suits their particular purpose. Unfortunately, Christianity has raised the stakes so high on morals!
There is need for every Christian to acquaint him/herself with knowledge of the history of the church. It will go a long way to deepen our convictions as this is a matter of faith not science. It is not about who Dan Brown says Jesus is, but who you say He is! If you are waiting for CNN, TIME MAGAZINE or SKYE NEWS to debunk these clams before you believe then you are in trouble. Christianity is not a human enterprise.
Dan Brown seemed to forget that he cannot fool all the people all of the time!
Have a wonderful time.
amybest21@yahoo.com
I picked up my pen several times in the past couple of weeks to write on this topic but each time I came up with nothing but an engaging mental debate! I reasoned that the topic is too controversial at the moment, and perhaps too sacred to thread on. But surely my senses have been assaulted by the DA VINCI FAIRY TALE, as Mrs. Bridget Itsueli of the Lagos Resource Centre puts it. This is not about being a catholic. I happen to be a theology scholar too! So I need to defend what I know.
The Da Vinci Code is a novel written by Dan Brown, an American author and published in 2003 by Doubleday Fiction. It is based on the controversial premise that there is a conspiracy within the Catholic Church to cover up the true story of Jesus. According to this premise, the Vatican knows it is living a lie but continues to do so to keep itself in power. The novel has helped generate popular interest in speculation concerning the Holy Grail legend and the role of Mary Magdalene in the history of Christianity. A movie adaptation of the story in 2006 by Columbia pictures generated even more controversy as this enabled wider viewer ship across age groups, class and culture. The youths are the greatest victims!
The Da Vinci code denies the divinity,ie, trinity of Christ, rejects celibacy and virginity as virtues, claims that the Bible as we have it today is false, and declares that the beloved disciple who sat beside Jesus during the last supper is Mary Magdalene! And a lot more claims!
Given the massive publicity, it becomes necessary that we call a spade a spade. For a start, Dan Brown classified this novel as a fiction but went ahead to write and I quote, ‘All descriptions of artwork, architecture, documents and secret rituals in this book are accurate’. This is a big blunder as anybody who is conversant with the literary term ‘fiction’, will admit. Fiction can never replace fact. So if the book is fiction, why the claim to accuracy?
I t might interest you to know that these set of blasphemies are not new to the church. In fact, the church addressed most of these issues in the council of Nicea in the year 325AD.The only difference today is that the spread has been aided by globalization.
The truth is that in the world of today, there is widespread secularism, moral relativism, and doctrinal subjectivism-people wanting to do things the way they feel like, the way it suits them and the interpretation that suits their particular purpose. Unfortunately, Christianity has raised the stakes so high on morals!
There is need for every Christian to acquaint him/herself with knowledge of the history of the church. It will go a long way to deepen our convictions as this is a matter of faith not science. It is not about who Dan Brown says Jesus is, but who you say He is! If you are waiting for CNN, TIME MAGAZINE or SKYE NEWS to debunk these clams before you believe then you are in trouble. Christianity is not a human enterprise.
Dan Brown seemed to forget that he cannot fool all the people all of the time!
Have a wonderful time.
amybest21@yahoo.com
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