16102021 - Southeast Gov INEC top official in trouble over $4m bribe

More documents

Recommendations

Info

40—SATURDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 16, 2021 Taking Ivermectin won’t stop COVID-19 infection — Experts By Sola Ogundipe ince news broke that Ivermectin has a Sperceived therapeutic effect against the COVID-19 virus, there has been mad rush for the drug all over the world. With countless tablets of the drug being sold over-the-counter, the risk of misuse, overdose, and purchase of the animal version is dangerously high. In Nigeria particularly, the shelf price of Ivermectin tablets has gone up appreciably in recent times as desperate stockpiling of large quantities commenced in the wake of the emergence of the Delta variant among other concerns. But health experts have warned that Ivermectin has no effect in curtailing COVID- 19 and called for cautionary use. As the controversy rages around the drug, an international group of experts has faulted the series of studies claiming that the drug is a miracle remedy against the disease. The scientists said the studies claiming that Ivermectin can treat the coronavirus disease have been found to be not only deeply flawed, but unreliable even as they call for an overhaul of medical research to prevent more misinformation around unverified cures. Flawed studies making the rounds In a letter in the Nature Medicine, a scientific journal, the group of researchers explained how rising doubts about studies claiming ivermectin could help treat Covid are flawed. They detail how one such piece had concerning discrepancies in its data, which led to its eventual withdrawal. According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, and the US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, ivermectin is not authorized or approved for use in preventing or treating COVID-19 in humans. The CDC notes that Ivermectin is approved for human use to treat infections caused by some parasitic worms and head lice and skin conditions like rosacea. The scientists argue that currently available data do not show ivermectin is effective against COVID-19, although clinical trials assessing ivermectin tablets for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 in people are ongoing. Warning that taking large doses of ivermectin is dangerous, the experts say ivermectin should be procured through legitimate sources such as a pharmacy, and taken exactly as prescribed. •Drug not authorised for coronavirus treatment or prevention Part of the anxiety is that Ivermectin products are different from those approved for humans and that the use of animal ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 in humans is dangerous. In another research, they said elements in its methodology were flawed, and the errors were then compounded by larger reviews, called meta-analyses, which based their findings in large part on these flawed studies. Impossible numbers, unexplainable mismatches in data The scientists add that this study is not alone and predict others claiming ivermectin has a clinical benefit will also be withdrawn in the coming months due to their “impossible numbers”, and “unexplainable mismatches” in the data. But the damage may have been done with many hundreds of thousands of patients that have taken the drug, according to the principal signatory of the letter, Kyle Sheldrick of the University of New South Wales in Australia. “This research has created undue confidence in the use of ivermectin as a prophylactic or treatment for Covid, has usurped other research agendas, and Even the levels of ivermectin for approved human uses can interact with other medications, like bloodthinners probably resulted in inappropriate treatment or substandard care of patients,” they wrote. As a result, the scientists called for an overhaul of how clinical data on Covid is analysed. They said creators of meta-analyses should both request and review the individual patient data, the raw from individual participants in a study or trial, of the studies they use to reach their wider conclusions. Similarly, the scientists said clinical trials on Covid treatment should also make this data available to ensure this kind of analysis could happen. Any study that refuses to do so should be treated with extreme caution or omitted from analysis entirely, the scientists said. They acknowledge their call may be controversial because it represents a change to a “long-accepted” scientific practice but added that the ivermectin example justifies it. “We believe that what has happened in the case of ivermectin justifies our proposal: a poorly scrutinized evidence base supported the administration of millions of doses of a potentially ineffective drug globally. Yet when this evidence was subjected to a very basic numerical scrutiny it collapsed in a matter of weeks,” they wrote. Ivermectin ineffective against viruses Meanwhile, Dr. Timothy Geary, one of the world’s foremost experts of Ivermectin, also warned that Ivermectin is ineffective against COVID-19 or in fighting viruses generally. Geary, the Research Chair in Parasite Biotechnology at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, says that the 2020 study which spawned much of the Ivermectincraze is not being correctly read. In an interview, he explained that although the study did show that Ivermectin could inhibit the replication of COVID-19 virus cells, many people are misinterpreting the study and believing that the drug has viruskilling properties. Geary explained, though, that the concentration of Ivermectin used in the study was so high that it could not be used for treatment in a human, and would likely cause an overdose. “In that study they showed that in cell cultures, Ivermectin could inhibit (Covid) replication, but the concentrations required for that effect were in a range called the micromolar range - very high concentrations relative to what you would find in the plasma of a treated person or an animal, which would be 20 to 50 times lower.” Prescribed versions of Ivermectin drug come in pill form, so liquid versions are not advised and can lead to overdose which can cause serious side effects and even death. They warned against the misinformation being spread around that it’s okay to take large doses of ivermectin. It is not okay, they stated. “Even the levels of ivermectin for approved human uses can interact with other medications, like blood-thinners. You can also overdose on ivermectin, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension (low blood pressure), allergic reactions (itching and hives), dizziness, ataxia (problems with balance), seizures, coma and even death.” The experts note that currently, the most effective ways to limit spread of COVID-19 include getting a COVID-19 vaccine and following safety precautions and guidelines. To improve cancer survival, scientists investigate what kills patients cientists don’t really know what kills Smany cancer patients, but fruit fly research could provide answers according to University of California, Berkeley, researchers who are finding commonalities between the two that could lead to ways to prolong the lives of cancer patients. Fruit fly research is already pointing to a new anti-cancer strategy distinct from the conventional goal of destroying the tumor or cancerous cells. Instead, the research suggests, launching an attack against the destructive chemicals the cancer is throwing off could increase survival rates and improve patients’ health. “It’s a really complementary way of thinking about therapy,” said David Bilder, UC Berkeley professor of molecular and cell biology. “You’re trying to help the host deal with the effects of the tumor, rather than killing the tumour itself.” Jung Kim, a postdoctoral fellow in Bilder’s lab, recently discovered that tumours in fruit flies release a chemical that compromises the barrier between the bloodstream and the brain, letting the two environments mix — a recipe for disaster in numerous diseases, including infection, trauma and even obesity. In collaboration with the labs of UC Berkeley professors David Raulet and Kaoru Saijo, Kim and Bilder subsequently demonstrated that tumors in mice that release the same chemical, a cytokine called interleukin-6 (IL-6), also make the blood-brain barrier leaky. More importantly, they were able to extend the lifespan of both fruit flies and mice with malignant tumors by blocking the effect of the cytokine on the barrier. “The IL-6 cytokine is known to cause inflammation. What’s new here is that this tumor-induced inflammation is actually causing the blood-brain barrier to open. If we interfere with that opening process but leave the tumor alone, then the host can live significantly longer and healthier with the same tumor burden,” Bilder said. IL-6 plays other important roles in the body, so to benefit cancer patients, scientists would have to find a drug that blocks its action at the blood-brain barrier without altering its effects elsewhere. But such a drug could potentially extend the life span and health span of human cancer patients, he said. According to Bilder, scientists still are uncertain what causes death in many cancer patients. Cancer of the liver, for example, clearly destroys the function of an organ essential for life. However, other organs, like the skin or the ovaries, are less critical, yet people die from cancer in these sites, too, sometimes very quickly. And though cancers often metastasize to other organs — multiple organ failure is one of the main causes of cancer death listed by doctors — Bilder questions if that’s the whole story. “Many human cancers are metastatic, but that doesn’t change the basic question: Why does the cancer kill?” he said. “If your tumor metastasized to the lung, are you dying because of lung failure or are you dying from something else?” For that reason, he works with nonmetastatic tumors implanted in fruit flies and mice and looks for systemic effects, not merely the effects on the tumorcontaining organ itself. One systemic effect of cancer is cachexia, the inability to maintain weight, which leads to wasting of muscle even when the patient is receiving intravenous nutrition. While Bilder discovered one possible reason for this — cancers release a chemical that prevents insulin from storing energy in the body — other scientists have found additional substances released by cancers that may also be responsible for tissue wasting.
SATURDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 16, 2021—41 As soon as Timi came through the door of the roaring party, all eyes were on her. Not because of her beauty of course. I’m sure if her mum were alive, she would be the last to call her pretty. But she’s always been very successful in her career and, as soon as the current managing director of the firm she’s worked with for decades retired, she was next in line A divorced mother of two, she’d paraded a string of men of means since her divorce. Only, after a few years of courtship and using her to get favours from her numerous contacts, they’d dumped her. But like it’s said, there was always another man in the wings, ready to promise her lasting friendship. And the incurable romantic she’s always been, she always fell for their glib tongues. So, who was this man that now walked through the door with her, towering above her and looking incredibly handsome? Surely he wouldn’t be another lucky ‘find’ of hers? By the time they’d hung around for the best part of an hour, words were out they were lovers. His name was Andy, an engineer bunmsof@yahoo.co.uk Pull off a new romance at 60! who had a successful business abroad. The icing on the cake for Timi was his being a divorce – he’d been single for as long as Timi had, and if things went the way they planned, he would be right there by her side as her husband when she would be confirmed her firm’s new managing director. All these facts came months later of course, as friends were dealt blow-by-blow reports on the progress of the romance. I was a bit anxious about Timi who always wore her heart on her sleeve. So when I ran into her a few months before her expected promotion, I tried to hint she should take this new relationship of hers with a shovel-full of salt. “What do you mean?!, she flared. “I’ve known Andy a long time you know! And we’d dated briefly in the past. It was providence that made us meet again on an international flight. Now we stay in each other’s houses whenever either of us travelled. Even when he’s away on business, I could always let myself into his flat as I have extra set of keys. “You of all people should be happy for me! After all the adventurous users I’d been Sex is like going to the gym! SPEAK to any mother of young children and she’ll undoubtedly tell you that intimacy with her husband is not on her list of priorities. As far as most new mothers go, intimacy is usually tagged ‘the last job of the day’. But could having children make your sex life with your husband even better – eventually? That with a bit of work, it can trigger a second honeymoon? Well, that’s what Sally said she discovered after three children and a sex life that left her husband getting a bit indifferent in the bedroom. “After having children, a woman’s needs become mundane, things such as her husband’s laundry or getting the meals ready. But a man’s libido remains. With our three children all under ten came the exhaustion of motherhood. I went from being a bubbly, flirty thing to an anxious, snappy creature who lived in old wrappers tied across my chest. Dan, my husband’s demands became more of a bother. When met by my cold shoulder in the bedroom, he’d ask: ‘Have you gone off me? When I finally acquiescent after a few months with great reluctance, it’s usually in the missionary position and mainly because I didn’t want his need being met elsewhere. “I must have tackled more than I could chew – what with erratic house – helps and a randy husband – that my doctor diagnosed depression and gave me antidepressants. It was then Dan realised I really had a problem and he became more sympathetic. At least he could see that my lack of desire for sex wasn’t down to him. On one occasion, he even confessed he’d feared I was having an affair – with three young children to look, after!? “When I was with my friends, our main topic of conversation was how a house full of children left us doing all we could to avoid sex. But I know Dan deserved more. He was a good husband and I wanted to satisfy him. Could anything bring the buzz back? Oddly enough, the trigger was a silly domestic row. I was still mad at him as I left for work in a huff. Then I remembered I still had some money meant for him in my bag. A colleague had advertised some lingerie that I thought were ridiculously expensive. With sadistic delight, I splashed out his money on quite a few. At least with them, I might just be able to reignite a long-dormant spark. “And so, that night, while Dan was locking up, I changed into my new undies and slipped into bed. Instigating sex for the first time in years was such a turn-on. When Dan saw me in bed, his mouth dropped open. It was the best sex we’d had in years. It felt like those early days when all that mattered was us. My libido had been kickstarted. Seeing how happy it had made us, I came up with a plan inspired by an article I once read. I decided we should try to have sex every day for a week. Dan was delighted. And while we managed only three nights – exhaustion, TV and one of the kids being ill – we had fun trying. “I realised what I’d been involved with, I’ve finally met a genuine man who wants to marry me!” Marriage? That was a new twist to the tale. Timi is a glam gran of 60 who has three grandchildren. Tell me, what sane man with a supposedly good job gets married to a 60-year-old? Experience had thought me to keep my mouth shut whenever anyone I tried to counsel mentions love. NO matter what is said, they seldom listen. “And he’s a stud too,” she breathed. “For the first time since I kicked my no-good husband out, I finally found a man who is free to parade me as his partner. And he’s taken the investment side of my life under his wings. We have some profitable projects we’re currently involved with...” Warning bells started clanging, but I kept my mouth shut. When it comes to business deals, Timi is as ruthless, as they come. Thanks to her business connection, she’s made a lot of mind-bugling deals missing: how making love unites a couple. The next morning we were more demonstrative inn our affections. Sex is like going to the gym – you might not fancy it to start with, but once you make the effort, you get addicted. It became a naughty secret between us – we’d send each other sexy texts during the day and gaze at each other over dinner. I suddenly remembered what I’d found attractive about my husband. It felt so daring – adults frolicking in the same house as the children! Before we had children, the fact that sex was on tap made us complacent...” So all you readers reading this and thinking ‘if only’, Sally stressed – if she could do it – after three children and ten years of almost non-existing libido – anyone could. “Believe me,” she concluded, “you’ll want to shout about it too!” and has impressive property to show for it. Who knows what other profitable doors this Andy wonder could open for her? Friends were preparing a few congratulatory parties for her promotion when the bubble burst. Andy had disappeared! “What do you mean disappeared?” I asked the friend who broke the news as if she was actually glad Timi had met her come-uppance. “That crafty rogue bided his time,” she explained. “For close to two years, he spent a lot of her money and lavished attention on her; gave her mind bugling sex and introduced her to his four children as their step-mum. The crunch came when Andy informed Timi of a property currently going for a song in Britain. They could both buy the property and turn it into mini bedsits for single tenants. Timi fell for the impressive e-mail he sent her, showing all the property’s features, what they both could do with it and how much they would be raking in when the bedsits were eventually let. He even made it possible for her to speak with the estate agents. “His firm would handle the reconstruction so they could save a few pennies. Our love-struck aunty fell for it. She sent in thousands of pounds as downpayments and later flew down to see the progress being made at reconstruction. The builder was quite helpful too, answering all the questions Timi wanted answers to. She was so impressed, she sent in more money. That was when Andy stopped all contact with her. She couldn’t believe it. She travelled out and hurried down to his house but all the locks had been changed and none of the neighbours knew where to find him. She was still making frantic enquiries about his whereabouts when he sent her a text he was in hospital and seriously ill. He would get in touch as soon as he felt better. “When next Timi visited their building site, the rubble were still there with no workers. On inquiry, she was told it was council property. Furiously, she tried to get hold of Andy with no luck. In the end she got hold of one of his daughters who didn’t look shocked at what her dad just did. “He does it all the time,” she said looking at Timi with pity. Timi begged her to ask Andy to get in touch or she would use all her connections to destroy him when next he showed up in Nigeria. ‘Why don’t you do just that?’ Andy challenged when he called a few days later. “I’ve just left the hospital after paying hefty bills from the venereal disease you gave me. You say any nasty thing about me and I would let the world know what a disease riffled trollop you are!’ Needless to say, that was the end of discussion leaving our glam gran with no romance, no prospective husband and a chunk of her savings gone, but happy to still have a job! Honeywell, FRSC collaborate on road safety awareness For the safety of lives and property during Mber months especially Christmas period, the yearly road safety awareness introduced by Road Safety and Honeywell Flour Mill Plc. has kicked off in a way to remind travellers especially drivers the need to observe road safety roles to avoid road accidents and avoidable deaths on our roads. Speaking during the awareness exercise, Assistant Corp Commander (ACC), Emmanuel Obi, Unit Commander RS2.15 Ojota said, “we are here today because of the collaboration we have with Honeywell, in respect of our Mber month flag-off awareness with a theme: “Maintain Self-Speed, Avoid Night Travel, Enjoy Quality Road Experience”. It has been ongoing programme since Road Safety started, that towards the end of the year, we try to sensitise our motorists on the right way to use the roads and tell them that the month of December is like any other month in the year. This, we have been doing every year, and it is not an in-house programme. Awareness has always been going on and we have what is called, ‘advocacy visit’ where we visit parts, churches and mosques to keep creating road safety awareness. It has been an ongoing thing in Road Safety”. However, Commander Obi said that what we are trying to preach now is for drivers to avoid over speeding, get your valid driver’s lisence, don’t overload vehicles, ensure that your tyres are in good condition. “We also disencourage night trips because of the condition of our roads and insecurity in the country”. In addition, Mr. Dayo Adeniyi who is the lead trade marketing function, Honeywell Flour Plc., said, “We have been into this partnership with Road Safety up to a decade to create awareness during Mber months because of our interest in the life of Nigerians. Unfortunately, during this season, a lot of lives are lost which need not be so, because of low awareness, ignorance and other practices of drivers. We will continue to collaborate with Road Safety to ensure that the awareness and information is out there to our drivers and populace L-R: Trade Marketing Manager, Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Mr. Adedayo Adeniyi; Customer and Channel Marketing Manager, Mrs. Ebele Oluwalana; Area Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission, Ojota Unit, Emmanuel Obi; Head Human Resources, HFMP, Mrs. Bisi Duduyemi and Head Corporate Strategy, Mr. Gbolaro Olulade, during Honeywell/FRSC ember month safety campaign, in Ikeja, Lagos…on Thursday at large on the need to take life easy at this time”. In terms of result of this awareness, Adeniyi said, “I want to believe that the Road Safety has the record of reduction in road accident and lives lost during these periods. Speaking about Honeywell Flour Mill Plc, he said in terms of our business, more people patronise us because they are life and the lives we are able to safe through this awareness is also to the benefit of our nation, Nigeria.
Page 2 and 3: 2 — SATURDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 16
Page 4 and 5: 4 — SATURDAY VANGUARD, OCTOBER 16
Page 10 and 11: 10—SATURDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 16,
Page 20 and 21: SATURDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 16, 2021
Page 32 and 33: C M Y K 32—SATURDAY Vanguard, , O
Page 36 and 37: 36-SATURDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 16, 2
Page 38 and 39: 38—SATURDAY Vanguard, OCTOBERBER
Page 48: C M Y K SATURDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER

16102021 - Southeast Gov INEC top official in trouble over $4m bribe

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?