Mr Lanre Alege, a Pharmacist with the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, said this in a lecture delivered during June edition of the keep fit exercise for staff of the hospital at the Kwara stadium on Saturday.
He said it was estimated that only five per cent of the children with Sickle Cell Disease live past the age of 10 in Nigeria, compared to over 96 per cent surviving into adulthood in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Alege, who is the Coordinator of the programme, also disclosed that the recurrent pain and complications of the disease can interfere with many aspects of patients life, including education, employment and psychological development.
He said that Sickle Cell Disease is a genetic disorder due to the presence of an abnormal form of haemoglobin in the red blood cells, called haemoglobin S (Hb S) instead of haemoglobin A (Hb A).
According to him, the red blood cells (Erythrocytes) may contain normal haemoglobin AA only, a mixture of A and S (Hb AS) or S only.
“Persons with AS haemoglobin have sickle cell traits, and are referred to as sickle cell carriers, while those with haemoglobin SS only (Hb SS) suffers from sickle cell disease.
“Those with AA are normal without sickle cell traits.
“Haemoglobin in the red blood cell is responsible for the transportation of oxygen in the body,” he said.
Alege said that the topic, ‘Sickle Cell Disease’ was carefully chosen because June 19 of every year is celebrated as world Sickle Cell Day, and Nigeria joined the rest of the world to celebrate it on Friday.
According to him, there is presently no cure for sickle cell disease, but the cost effective treatment exists for the pain and other aspects of the disease.
He listed the most important components of the treatment to include early interventions with analgesics, antibiotics, rest, good nutrition, folic acid supplementation and high fluid intake.
“At times, invasive procedures such as blood transfusion and surgery may be needed. Sickle Cell Disease is completely preventable,” he added.
Among the recommendations, he gave, for the prevention are that carriers should not marry AS or SS, education about inheritable nature of the disease.
He stressed the need for public education to determine genotype, so that incompatible people do not fall into love let alone marry each other.
Alege added that Churches and Mosques should refuse to join such people in marriage. (NAN)
Appointment scandal: PDP calls for sack of Osun Attorney General, Akande
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has demanded the immediate removal from office of Mr. Femi Akande as the Attorney General and Osun State Commissioner for Justice over his alleged role in the appointment of his wife, Mrs. Yeside Oyinkansola Akande, as his Personal Assistant.
Also, the party has described as funny the growing nepotistic attitude of the state governor, Adegboyega Oyetola and his team as regards appointments into public offices in the state.
In a statement signed by Sunday Bisi, Chairman of Osun State Chapter of the PDP and obtained by DAILY POST, PDP warned of the dire consequences of turning Osun into a personalist dictatorship on public service, transparency and economic wellbeing of the state.
It alleged that Mr. Akande has proven to be unworthy of the sensitive office he heads as commissioner and as such is unfit to roam around the administration of justice in Osun State, unless the governor is complicit as evident on the appointment letter.
According to the party, “The recent leakage of the approval by Gboyega Oyetola, of the appointment of Mrs. Yeside Akande, wife of the Attorney General and Commissioner in the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Femi Akande as personal assistant to the latter was not only an eyesore, but confirms the fears of our party on the height of nepotism Mr. Oyetola has introduced to governance in Osun State.
“The PDP having been inundated with several petitions by concerned residents of the state over sharp practices and mind-boggling, fraudulent political appointments under the reign of governor Oyetola, now have all doubts expunged with such appointment of Mrs. Yeside Akande as personal assistant to her husband commissioner for justice in the state.
“If such cronyism could be contemplated and exercised in the justice ministry of the state, one then wonders, how messy governance has gone in the state under the watch of a man still struggling with the irremovable toga of a mandate usurper.
“That the letter of the laughable appointment of Mrs. Akande as Personal Assistant to her husband was also backdated to almost five months earlier also speaks volume of a deeply corrupt government masquerading about in sheep garments.
“No human society would thrive with an administrative tyrant that the governor is trying to position himself, not to talk of a highly wired Osun State of 2021 and beyond.
“Mr. Governor’s open embrace of hereditary impunity appears to us more like a criminal building an empire of criminals to cover for an initial stain of criminality.
“Governor Oyetola is advised to halt such desperate fear of his own shadow and reverse his cult of personality gear without further delay for the sake of Osun State.”
It warned the APC government to desist from the wanton lopsidedness in the alleged recent conversions of some civil servants carried out Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.
“About thirty of the officers who benefitted from the secret conversion exercise superintended by the governor with the active connivance of the state Head Of Service, Comrade Olowogboyega were said to be from the governor’s hometown of Iragbiji.
“The Governor in our opinion, should come out clean against the impunity in his veins as a subtle tyrant apparent next time such forms for conversion and elevation for civil servants are put on sale, by indicating that only his cronies and members of his family in Iragbiji should buy the forms instead of disguising with the civil service application to siphon money from innocent applicants.
“Mr. Governor should be told in clear terms that sectionalising or personalising the state civil service with cronies for obvious parochial intents is not and can never serve the state productively.
“Even if the governor fires all the Permanent Secretaries that are not of his family and clan and appoint fellows as personal aides to his cabinet members, it won’t augment for the open frauds his government is trying hard to cover from the eye of the public.
“In the end, history will find him guilty of fraudulent cronyism against the overall interest of the state.”
While describing the governor and his aides as absolute monarchists in a constitutional democracy, the PDP called on Oyetola to be prepared for the inevitable consequence of such deep-seated corruption induced personalist system being fostered on the state.
DAILY POST recalls that on February 4, 2020, the state government in a letter by the Secretary to the State Government, Oluwole Oyebamiji and marked SS/EX/02/VOL.195, approved the appointment of Mrs. Yeside Oyinkansola Akande as personal assistant to the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
The letter reads, “I am pleased to inform you that the Governor of the State of Osun, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola has approved your appointment as Personal Assistant to the Attoney-General and Hon. Commissioner for Justice with effect from 24 October, 2019.
“While congratulating you on this well-deserved appointment, the State Government counts much on you that this elevation would enhance your performance with a view to moving the State of Osun to greater heights.
“Congratulations and best wishes for a fruitful tenure of office.”
BREAKING: EFCC arrests Ex-Zamfara Governor, Abdulaziz Yari
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arrested the former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari.
Yari was arrested for alleged illegal financial dealings and misappropriation of funds, Guardian reports.
The former governor is being detained at the Sokoto office of the Commission.
EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, confirming the arrest said Yari was interrogated for about seven hours before he was detained in Sokoto.
Some of the alleged financial infractions against Yari include the sum of $56,056.75 reportedly lodged in his account with Polaris Bank; N12.9m, N11.2m, $303m, N217,388.04 and $311.8m said to be kept in different accounts in the name of Yari and his companies.