Meanwhile, condolence messages and tributes have continued to pour in from friends, former classmates and colleagues.A 39-year-old missionary and evangelist, Pastor Leviticus Makpa Markus and his 2-year-old son, Godsend Makpa, have been brutally murdered by armed bandits in Niger State.
Details of the incident are still sketchy at the time of this report, however, it was gathered that bandits few days ago, attacked Kamberi village where the University of Jos graduate was serving as a missionary and slaughered him and his son while his wife managed to escape with their daughter.
Father and son were laid to rest after a service of songs at the family house in Suleja, Niger State on Sunday evening, May 23.
One Samuel Solomon described the late missionary as a "rugged foot soldier of Christ"
"Late missionary Leviticus Makpa was serving in Niger state, a remote village that has no school....they started the only school in the village and raised many souls. Below were the messages he sent to me two days ago....rejoicing over the new location they got. He came for the last wine conference ....we had planned how to adopt him as a missionary but painfully he has joined the league of martyrs in heaven....his blood will testify over the land and also against the insecurity of a corrupt administration,"
"This is a general indeed...bandits came against them, they hid in the cave to save their lives...after they left, he went back to the field with his family....how many of us can do this? He eventually lost his life and that of his son....the wife and daughter escaped.
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma on Monday disclosed that over 400 people who caused mayhem or attacks in the state have been arrested and charged to court.
This is contained n a statement in Owerri by Uzodinma’s Chief Press Secretary Oguwike Nwachuku.
”Over 400 of those who carried out the threats on the state in the past have been arrested.
”The good thing is that over 70 per cent of them are not Igbo. We will crush anybody that attempts to cause mayhem or attack Imo people again.
”Government cannot surrender to blackmailers, hoodlums, and perpetrators of violence,” he said.
He also advised those planning to visit the state with any form of violence to have a rethink as “government is more than ever ready and prepared to keep Imo safe and secured.”
Uzodinma called on the people to go about their businesses without fear of molestation or harassment.
”What happened in the past weeks will never repeat itself again,” he added. NAN
At least, 100 people have been killed in four council wards of Kastina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State at the weekend after gunmen unleashed terror on communities.
Daily Trust gathered that over 100 dead bodies have been recovered from many villages in the four council wards where the gunmen attacked simultaneously between Saturday and Sunday.
The bill on the discontinuation of the National Youth Service Corps has reached the second reading in the House of Representatives.
Sponsored by the lawmaker representing Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency of Rivers State Awaji-Inombek Abiante, in the explanatory memorandum of the proposal, the bill listed various reasons why the NYSC should be scrapped.
It said the NYSC has led to the “incessant killing of innocent corps members in some parts of the country due to banditry, religious extremism and ethnic violence; incessant kidnapping of innocent corps members across the country.”
“Public and private agencies/departments are no longer recruiting able and qualified Nigerian youths, thus relying heavily on the availability of corps members who are not being well remunerated and get discarded with impunity at the end of their service year without any hope of being gainfully employed.
“Due to insecurity across the country, the National Youth Service Corps management now gives considerations to posting corps members to their geopolitical zone, thus defeating one of the objectives of setting up the service corps, i.e. developing common ties among the Nigerian youths and promote national unity and integration.”
The bill is seeking the alteration of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alteration Bill, 2020.
The youth service, which started on May 22, 1973, was established during the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon under Decree No. 24 of 1973.
NYSC was established to reconcile and reintegrate Nigerians after the Nigerian civil war.
‘We were left to die one by one’
It was 30 years of endless wait for staff of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) who were retrenched by the authority on June 10, 1991.
Before their disengagements, they worked in various ports and were promised prompt payment of their gratuities and entitlements.
However, 30 years after, no fewer than 400 of the 2,750 employees were reported to have passed on, waiting to get their gratuities.
Others are made to hold the short end of the stick with their gratuities and entitlements still elusive.
The payment of the terminal benefits was not handled with dispatch to the extent that till date, some of the workers are yet to collect their full entitlements. Bureaucratic bottlenecks have also hindered many of them from getting their entitlements.
The latest of the dead was Mr. Godwin Amromare, who died last year at the age of 65 while many others are bedridden on account of inability to buy drugs and access good medical care.
Media Chairman and spokesman for the retirees, Sylva Okoro, said they were left to die one by one. Okoro, who has been bedridden for about one year due to lack of finance to receive medical treatment, wondered why the NPA management was treating them with contempt after years of meritorious service.
The 1991 retirees, he added, have the constitutional rights to demand their rights as long as NPA refuses to settle them. Okoro added that the retirees had, through their lawyer, Simmons Cooper Partners, wrote a letter to the suspended Managing Director, NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman, for intervention without any reprieve.
In the letter dated December 3, 2020 and signed by Dapo Akinosun and Victoria Alonge, the retirees asked the suspended boss to immediately pay their full pension and other benefits.
But with the suspension of Usman, he said the retirees were at a crossroads. He said: “The suspended managing director was alleged of carrying government money for her personal use instead of using it to pay their pensions, gratuities and redundancy benefits for 1991. NPA has put us in untold hardship for 30yrs.
“The majority of us passed on during this agitation as a result of lack of financial resources to adequately manage our peculiar health condition and our families,” he added.
Okoro, however, urged the acting MD, Mr. Mohammad Koko, to facilitate the immediate payment of the pensions, gratuities and redundant benefits without further delay.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Igboeze-South local government Area of Enugu State was on Sunday gutted by fire.
Mr Romanus Ezekwueme, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the local government confirmed the incident to newsmen on Monday.
According to him, I was on duty with some neighborhood security around 11 pm on Sunday when we saw the flame coming out from INEC office and immediately rushed to the scene.
“We broke the gate of INEC office because it was locked, only to see that fire has started from the store room in INEC building.
“We immediately made a distress call to Nsukka and Udenu fire service who came and helped us to quench the fire,” he said.
The CSO said the intervention of the fire men prevented the fire from spreading to other parts of the building.
“It is only the store in INEC building that was completely razed down by fire,” he said.
Reacting to the incident, Mr Andy Omeje, the Chairman of Igboeze-South LG also confirmed the fire incident and thanked the fire but said only the store in INEC office was affected.
“We thank the fire service for their intervention that prevented the fire from spreading to other rooms in the building.
“When I was called last night that INEC building was on fire, I rushed to the Local Government secretariat where the building is located, I was there till the fire was quenched before I left,” he said.
The LG boss however, expressed concern that INEC officials had continued to deny security men access to the compound at night by locking up the gate.
“This is to know when hoodlums strike so that they can work together.
“Last night, when the fire incident started, it was difficult for neighborhood security to gain access to INEC compound; they have to force the gate open in order to help to stop the fire,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mrs Lorretta Uroko, the INEC Electoral Officer in Igboeze-South LG confirmed the incident but declined to make further comment.
“I will not comment on this issue until I get permission from my Resident Electoral Commissioner in the headquarters in Enugu,” she said.
Also when contacted, Mr Okwudili Ohaa the Enugu State Chief Fire Officer confirmed the incident and said the service got the distress call around 11pm on Sunday and rushed to the scene.
Ohaa said the firemen were able to stop the fire from spreading to other rooms in the INEC office.
“It is only the store room that burnt completely,” he said.
He said the cause of the fire was yet unknown but advised residents to always have fire extinguisher in their homes and offices as well as switched off electrical appliances when they were not around.
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer in Enugu, Mr Daniel Ndukwe failed as he did not pick calls from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
NAN recalled that, INEC office in Obollo-Afor, Udenu LGA was razed down on May 13 and on May 16, INEC headquarters in Enugu was attacked while vehicles and part of the building were razed.
See adorable photos below;
Breast cancer prevention starts with healthy habits — such as limiting alcohol and staying physically active. Understand what you can do to reduce your breast cancer risk.
If you're concerned about developing breast cancer, you might be wondering if there are steps you can take to help prevent breast cancer. Some risk factors, such as family history, can't be changed. However, there are lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk.
What can I do to reduce my risk of breast cancer?
Research shows that lifestyle changes can decrease the risk of breast cancer, even in women at high risk. To lower your risk:
Limit alcohol. The more alcohol you drink, the greater your risk of developing breast cancer. The general recommendation — based on research on the effect of alcohol on breast cancer risk — is to limit yourself to no more than one drink a day, as even small amounts increase risk.
Maintain a healthy weight. If your weight is healthy, work to maintain that weight. If you need to lose weight, ask your doctor about healthy strategies to accomplish this. Reduce the number of calories you eat each day and slowly increase the amount of exercise.
Be physically active. Physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight, which helps prevent breast cancer. Most healthy adults should aim for at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity weekly, plus strength training at least twice a week.
Breast-feed. Breast-feeding might play a role in breast cancer prevention. The longer you breast-feed, the greater the protective effect.
Limit postmenopausal hormone therapy. Combination hormone therapy may increase the risk of breast cancer. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of hormone therapy. You might be able to manage your symptoms with nonhormonal therapies and medications. If you decide that the benefits of short-term hormone therapy outweigh the risks, use the lowest dose that works for you and continue to have your doctor monitor the length of time you're taking hormones.
Can a healthy diet prevent breast cancer?
Eating a healthy diet might decrease your risk of some types of cancer, as well as diabetes, heart disease and stroke. For example, women who eat a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and mixed nuts might have a reduced risk of breast cancer. The Mediterranean diet focuses on mostly on plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. People who follow the Mediterranean diet choose healthy fats, such as olive oil, over butter and eat fish instead of red meat.
Maintaining a healthy weight also is a key factor in breast cancer prevention.
Is there a link between birth control pills and breast cancer?
There's some evidence that hormonal contraception, which includes birth control pills and IUDs that release hormones, increases the risk of breast cancer. But the risk is considered very small, and it decreases after you stop using hormonal contraceptives.
A recent study that showed an association between hormonal contraceptive use and breast cancer determined one additional breast cancer could be expected for every 7,690 women who use hormonal contraception for at least one year.
Discuss your contraceptive options with your doctor. Also consider the benefits of hormonal contraception, such as controlling menstrual bleeding, preventing an unwanted pregnancy, and reducing the risk of other cancers, including endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer.
What else can I do?
Be vigilant about breast cancer detection. If you notice any changes in your breasts, such as a new lump or skin changes, consult your doctor. Also, ask your doctor when to begin mammograms and other screenings based on your personal history.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has distanced itself from the self acclaimed Prime Minister of Biafra Government in Exile (BRGIE) Si...
