User talk:Hussain obaro/sandbox

MEDICAL TOURISM: IS NIGERIA REALLY A “GIANT” IN AFRICA? A friend of mine was told me of his experience about two years ago when worked as a medical officer MO, at the Federal Medical Centre FMC, Katsina. A Local Government Chairman rushed his second wife who had been about 16 weeks pregnant to the hospital, for bleeding per vagina. Doctors later found that the young lady had had a miscarriage.One of the doctors asked the honorable why he didn’t enlist his wife for antenatal early enough because there were no record that she was ever enlisted in FMC Katsina. But the man boastfully, said “Do you really expected me to enlist my wife in this kind of hospital for antenatal? There are better hospitals in Egypt and that is where I prefer” Amused and amazed of his cluelessness, my friend asked the him whether he knew the reasons for his wife’s miscarriage? but the man simply said “you tell me. your are the doctor here”. Even though the Chairman’s first the wife had the antenatal of her children in Nigeria, The man who thinks his elevated status as a magistrate should be reflected in the choice of hospital his wife enlisted for antenatal opted for Egypt as a way of “showing off” his class among his peers and friends. The funny thing is that after two trips to Egypt where his wife had enlisted for antenatal, the he had to rush the young lady to a Nigeria hospital instead of flying her to Egypt! the miscarried would have been totally unnecessary and avoidable had the lady been allowed to get antenatal care in Nigeria, like her mate. Government at various level have done and doing so much to rehabilitate, upgrade and provide the right modern facilities to enhance health care delivery system in Nigeria, but the issue of Medical Tourism which is already causing so much embarrassment to Nigeria and indeed the rest of Africa has being on the increase. Even when there is adequate facilities and well trained man power, some wealthy Nigerians still prefers to travel abroad for medical care for reasons ranging from; showing off elevated status and sudden found wealth, lack of trust and confidence and Nigerian health care delivery system or simply because they occupy a public office in which they are entitled to free or government sponsored medical care, so they opts for foreign medical care as a way of wasting and milking the resources of the country, like its no man’s business, after all its not their hard earned money. In Nigeria today, public office holders travels abroad for medical challenges as ordinary as malaria. Some even fly out of the country using tax payers money to get only medical checks outside the country. if the president of this country, state governors, federal and states legislators members of the judicial top officers and even some ward councilors always fly abroad for medical care despite the fact that the doctors they are going out to patronize aren’t really better than the ones we have in Nigeria and apart from the lack of sophistication for very serious and emergency cases, Nigerian hospitals can compete favourably with the rest of the world. The moneys being wasted on foreign medical trips yearly runs into millions of dollars that could be properly channeled into providing and establishing world class hospitals in different parts of the country which would benefit both the rich and the poor. During the life time of Nelson Mandela, even when he was critically ill, I didn’t hear of any time he was flown out of south Africa for medical care. For a leader so great and internationally respected to as a matter of policy, insist to seek medical care within the boundaries of south Africa is an example that Nigerian leaders and public office holders should emulate. As a self acclaimed “Giant of Africa” the rest of Africa and the world should see our health sector as second to none in the continent. But ridiculously, many of our public office holders even travels to smaller African countries to seek medical care. There’s need for the leaders of the federal republic of Nigeria and indeed all public office holders to stop embarrassing this country. We need to stop this inferiority complex and the mentality that any thing foreign is better. We have well trained medical personnel in this country, all that is needed is for the Government to further upgrade medical facilities in the Nigerian hospitals to bring them at par with what obtains in other countries they always run to for medical care. It is said that one of the features of the third world or under developed nations is their inferiority complex of always failing to consume, utilize or patronize what they produce or have, but rather they crave more of what they do not produce. One of the ways Nigeria can earn respect as the “Giant of Africa” is for us to rise above the mentality of seeing anything foreign as better than our’s. By way of a law, through the National Assembly, public office holders, from the president to the ward councilors should be mandated to lead by example, by patronizing Nigerian hospitals. As it is only through this that Nigerians, our African brethren and indeed the rest of the world would have confidence in the Nigerian health care delivery system. Enough of these continuous drain of the country’s resources and economy in the guise of seeking medical care abroad. This wastage must be put to an end if we are really the “Giant of African” Hussain Obaro, oseniobaro@yahoo.com

TIME TO FINALLY SCRAP THIS UNCONSTITUTIONALITY Over the years, many unique women have fulfilled the role of 	First Lady. Some of these women stayed in the background, while others used their position to advocate for specific issues. A few First Ladies even played an important role within the ambient of the law in their husbands administration. As a result, the role of First Lady has evolved over the years. The United States of America is not only a model for the rest of the world in terms of economic and infrastructural development, and modernization and upliftment of the rule law, but has also earned its place as the world “Leader”. Hence, I will base the discussion of this article on the legacies of a few American First Ladies and their contributions as it affects the administration of their husband and how they used their position and influence to institute change in perception and/or in fact in comparison to what is the case in Nigeria. Dolley Madison, was 17 years younger than has husband, President James Madison. She was one of the most well-loved First Ladies in the history of America. She actually served as President Thomas Jefferson’s White House hostess after his wife died. She then become First Lady when her husband won the presidency. She was well active in creating weekly social events and entertaining dignitaries and society. During the war of 1812, as the British were bearing down on Washington, Dolley Madison understood the significance of the national treasures housed in the White House and refused to leave without saving as much as she could. Through her brave and meticulous efforts many items were saved that would have most probably been destroyed when the British captured and burned down the White House. Sarah Polk, was well educated, attending one of the few higher learning institutions available to women at the time. As First Lady, she used her education to help her husband, President James Polk. She was known to craft speeches and write correspondence for her husband, the President and she took her duties as First Lady seriously, consulting Dolley Madison for advice. She entertained officials of both parties and was well respected throughout the United States. Abigail Fillmore, was one of President Millard Fillmore’s teachers at New Hope Academy, even though she was only two years older than him. She shared a love of learning with her husband which she turned into the creation of the first ever White House library. She helped select books for inclusion as the library was being designed. As a side note, the reason there was no White House library up to her time was that Congress feared it would make the President too powerful, so they relented until 1850 when Fillmore took office and appropriated 2000 dollars for its creation on the influence of his well educated wife. Caroline Harrison, an accomplished musician with a degree in music, her father introduced her to her future husband, president Benjamin Harrison. Caroline Harrison played an important and active role as First Lady, overseeing major renovations to the White House including adding electricity, updating plumbing and adding additional floors. she painted the White House China and had the first Christmas tree ever in the history of America erected in the White House. Caroline Harrison was also a huge proponent for women’s right. She was the first President-General of the Daughters of the American Revolution before she died of tuberculosis four months before the end of her husband’s term as president. Edith Wilson, was actually president Woodrow Wilson’s second wife while President. His first wife Ellen Axton, died in 1914. Wilson then re-married Edith Galt on December 18,1915. In 1919, President Wilson suffered a stroke and so Edith Wilson basically took control of the presidency. She made daily decisions about what items should or should not be taken to her husband for input. If it was not important in her eyes, then she would not pass it on to the President. Having to take care of a not so healthy husband and tending to urgent national issues side by side was what made Edith Wilson one of the most vibrant and strongest First Ladies in history. Eleanor Roosevelt, is considered by many to be America’s most inspiring and influential First Lady. She married President Franklin Roosevelt in 1905 and was one of the first to use her role as First Lady to advance causes she found significant. She fought New Deal Proposals, civil rights and the right of women. She believed education and equal opportunities should be guaranteed for all. After her husband died, Eleanor Roosevelt was on the board of Directors for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NAACP. She was a leader in the formation of the United Nations UN, at the end of the world war II, she helped draft the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” and was the first chairman of the UN human rights commission. From Martha Washington to the present occupier of the office of the First Lady of United States of America, Michelle Obama. Even though the office of First Lady is recognized in the American constitution, American First Ladies are always known for their high sense of class, decorum, politeness, comportment, humility and responsibility which has attracted a lot of respect and dignity to the esteem office. Apart from Edith Wilson whose husband, President Woodrow Wilson was partially incapacitated as a result of the stroke he suffered while in power, First Ladies in America have always stayed clear of states matters and do not meddle in matters that has to do with decision making whether at the political party level or at the level of national policy. Even though the Nigerian constitution does not create or recognize the office of the country’s First Lady or potential First Gentleman. However official founding and staff have been allocated to the First Ladies of Nigeria since independence. The First Lady is addressed by the title “her Excellency” and a Seal of Office was created for them. From Flora Azikiwe, Victoria Aguiyi-ironsi, Victoria Gowon, Ajoke Muhammed, Esther Oluremi Obasanjo to Safinatu Buhari. The Nigerian First Ladies have majorly confined themselves to their traditional and domestic functions as these ladies didn’t really flaunt themselves as official figures. Not until the time of Maryam Babangida, Maryam Abacha, Stella Obasanjo, Turai Yar’Adua to the incumbent occupier of the office, Patience Faka Jonathan has the office of First Lady gained so much prominence, flamboyance, extravagance and recklessness. This abuse and rape of the Nigerian constitution has been left unchallenged in a country which prides itself “The Giant of Africa” and the must populous black Nation in the world. The way the Nigerian First Ladies presents and flaunts themselves as public figures, disregarding the unconstitutionality of their office has portrayed Nigeria as a lawless country. How else can one best described a country that doesn’t’ obey and respect her own constitution? First Ladies in Nigeria don’t only act as if they have unlimited powers but with the help of their rather weak husbands also on several occasions behaves as de facto presidents without being challenged. From utterances which can be described as not too complimentary, Feminine or Presidential to causing great deals of embarrassments for the country on several different local and international scenes by either jumping protocols or deliberately disregarding constitutional and diplomatic rules and regulations, most of the activities of the Nigerian First Ladies have dented the image of this country internationally. It is only in Nigeria that a First Lady has enormous powers to make and influence decisions even at the political party level, by single handedly picking, endorsing and enforcing some candidates on the party, to run for different political offices across the country. Not even in the United States of America where First Ladies are internationally revered, honored and constitutionally recognized, has displayed such powers. Nigerians have allowed this abuse of power and uttermost disrespect and disregard to the constitution of the our country to linger for too long. If a First Lady can further ridicule an unconstitutional office ab initio to the point of inciting pre-electoral violence by calling on members of her husband’s political party to stone members of the opposition political party all in the name of political campaigns and even going further to describing a part of Nigeria in an uncomplimentary manner in such a way that could trigger violence and war, then that is unconstitutionally taken too far. The National assembly should at this juncture rise above partisan political considerations and speak in one accord to call a spade a spade, in the interest of unity and cooperate existence of this country. Wars have been fought, women and children have been killed, Nigerians have starved to death, children have lost their parents, parents have lost their children, and lovers have lost their beloved in our journey and strive to keep Nigeria one. This is the time for Activists, the Nigerian Bar Association, the international community and indeed all Nigerians to rise in defense of this hard earned oneness and unity and call the Nigerian First Lady to order. there is need for this whole concept of First Ladyship to be reviewed or even scrapped ones and for all. we can’t continue to practice a democracy in which we can’t obey our own laws, The constitution is supreme and every public office holder has sworn an oath to obey and defend it. This is the time to obey and defend the Nigerian constitution by scrapping the office of First Lady. Hussain Obaro, oseniobaro@yahoo.com