Aisha Buhari declares support for foundation on fight against cancer

First Lady, Aisha Buhari.

 The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has declared her unflinching support for OCI Foundation and the fight against breast and cervical cancer to reduce its prevalence in the country.

Buhari made the declaration in her remark at the National inauguration of the Arm Our Youths (ArOY) Anti-Cancer Health Campaign on Thursday, in Abuja.

The event was organised by OCI Foundation in collaboration with NYSC and supported by Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS), First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC), Sweet Home Africa Humanitarian Foundation and other stakeholders.

 The wife of the president Aisha Buhari was represented by the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Yemi Osinbajo. 

In her speech the first lady stated that“It is important to ensure that we do everything possible to reduce the rate of mortality associated with cervical cancer.

 My Future Assured Initiative has been doing a lot in the campaign.“I intend to do more and partner with more organisations such as NCS and OCI Foundation until we overcome the negative health outcomes associated with cancer.

“I wish to declare my support for OCI Foundation, and the fight against all forms of cancer. I wish to also use this medium to call on cancer stakeholders to exact more effort in awareness creation amongst our citizens.

“It is also important to come up with new ideas such as this cascade campaign to Secondary schools,” she said.

In his opening remark, Maj.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, the Director-General of NYSC said Health service to community is one of the cardinal programmes which occupy his heart.

Ibrahim was represented by Mrs Victoria Ango, the Director of Corps Mobilization at the NYSC Headquarters.

“It is therefore gratifying to note that the partnership between the OCI Foundation and the NYSC corps members for awareness on Cancer would not have come at a better time than now.

“The awareness might, among other things, reduce medical tourism and conserve the hard-earned foreign currency of Nigerians.

“Thus, creating awareness to enable Nigerians prevent or better manage this ailment is quite commendable. The NYSC is far more determined than you can imagine to carry out the

awareness to all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria.

“I commend the enormous efforts and sacrifices of the OCI Foundation towards the success of this project. May God give every stakeholder the grace to sustain the programme for desired impact,” Ibrahim said.

In his address of welcome, the President of OCI Foundation, Prof. Chris Ifediora, said the ArOY Health Campaign offers an innovative approach to stemming the scourge of breast and cervical cancer among Nigerians.

According to him, the principles behind it are novel, and were developed from research championed by the Foundation and her associates.

“It is a programme supported by WHO and endorsed by the prestigious Harvard Medical School, USA as well as institutions in Australia, Canada and Sweden.

“The campaign seeks to introduce anti-breast and anti-cervical programme into the NYSC orientation activities across Nigeria.

“It also aims to include preventive teachings into the academic curriculum of all Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria’s 36 state of the federation and the FCT before the end of 2025.

“The programme with the NYSC is expected to commence with the Batch A of the 2022 corps members, which should be within a few weeks from now.

“We have already trained over 95 per cent of the personnel needed, and these include staff of NYSC and the Nigerian Cancer Society across the 36 States and FCT,” Ifediora said.

The event attracted officials from the Presidency, National Assembly, NYSC, HMS, FLAC, National Orientation Agency, Ministry of Women Affairs, , NCS, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Cancer Survivors, Secondary School Students, teachers amomg others.

  Obj. reacts to attack on his farm, Gov. Ortom orders full-scale investigation

Nigeria's former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has reacted to the attack on his farmland at Hawe in Aliade area of Gwer East local government of Benue state by some suspected hoodlums.

The former president said the destruction and burning down of his 2,420 hectares of farmland is a bad development.

 Photo: Chief Olusegun Obasanjo Source: UGC

In a statement issued by his special assistant on media, Kehinde Akinyemi, in Abeokuta, Ogun state, Obasanjo said government at the state and local government level have taken up the matter.

Noting that he is assured that the governments would fish out the perpetrators of the crime, the former president thanked all those who identified with him over the incident.

The statement also said that despite the huge loss caused by the attack, it is gladdening to note that no single life was lost in the incident.

Channels Television had reported that the chairman of the local government where the incident occurred told Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom that the 2,420 hectares of mango plantation belonging to Obasanjo have been razed down.

Emmanuel Otserga said over half of the mango farm, covering over 139 hectares of land was razed by some suspected hoodlums.

He added that following the issue, four suspects have been arrested and more were being trailed to ensure they are all brought to justice.

Otserga said:

“From the look of things, the fire was caused by the deliberate act of mischief-makers. The farm is well safeguarded, there is no way fire can cross over from any quarter into the farm”.

 Meanwhile the Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom, has expressed great displeasure over the fire incident that affected the mango farm of a former president, Olusegun Obasanjo in Howe, Gwer local government area of Benue state.

 Ortom, in a statement issued by Nathaniel Ikyur, his chief press secretary on Tuesday, February 1, ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident considered unfortunate.

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state. Photo credit: Benue State Government Source: Facebook

He maintained that the investigation “would unravel the remote and immediate cause of the fire outbreak.

Obtaining the report of the incident as presented to him by the Chairman of Gwer Local Government Council, Emmanuel Otserga, the governor affirmed that where it is discovered that the fire was an act of sabotage, the perpetrators must be brought to book

According to him, those in the habit of sabotaging his government’s effort would fail.

He further warned that his government would not tolerate anyone trying to pull the state down as there are deliberate policies to encourage local and foreign investors and with particular emphasis on Agriculture.

The Governor, while tasking security operatives in the state to ensure the perpetrators are brought to book and such incident does not happen again, said the incident was the height of irresponsibility.

He said it was an irresponsible act for anyone to have conceived the idea of setting ablaze a farm that was capable of boosting the economic development of the area in particular and state.

Ortom said:

"Obasanjo as a former president is a statesman and needs to be accorded his due respect anywhere in Nigeria and Benue State cannot be an exception."

He urged the Benue state commissioner of police to not relent but to go after the perpetrators by way of arresting and bringing them to book.