Ebola Facts: Top 7 myths busted

Ebola has officially been declared an international  emergency by the WHO, and has quickly become the biggest outbreak which started in West Africa. But as the disease ravages Africa and is seen to be moving to other parts of the world, there are a lot of myths and misinformation doing the rounds about the disease. So, to help set the record straight, we bust 7 of the commonest myths regarding Ebola.

Myth #1: Ebola is not real

Fact: Ebola is real and is caused due to a virus.

 The virus is thought to have been spread from animals to man and is capable of being contagious even before any symptoms are seen. Having killed over 700 people, the Ebola virus is known to be fatal 90% of the times. This apathy was highlighted in a news report by NEWSY, where Dr Sanjay Gupta said in an interview with CNN that people in Africa have a severe lack of knowledge regarding the virus and how it spreads. They touch the bodies of people who have died due to the infection, and  get infected. This then spreads to people around them. Apart from that in a startling revelation, one person interviewed in Africa said that he did not believe that Ebola was real, while eating a piece of bush meat. As the disease continues killing, it is this belief that only makes the situation worse. 

Myth #2: Ebola can only spread through blood

Fact: Ebola can spread through all body fluids including blood, sweat, semen, saliva and any other discharge.

This is mainly because of the way the virus attacks the body. Apart from affecting a person’s immune system, Ebola multiplies extremely fast and soon spreads throughout a person’s body. It then systematically infects all systems of the human body – barring the nervous system. This leads to bleeding and breakdown of all the defense mechanisms of the body. The infection becomes so severe that at a given time there can be up to 1000 viral cells in one drop of body fluid (especially blood).

Myth #3: Having safe sex can prevent you from getting infected by the Ebola virus

Fact: This is a false belief again. The Ebola virus spreads through all bodily fluids.

Therefore practicing safe sex with a person who has the infection will not prevent you from getting infected. Any contact with an infected person can lead to the infection. Things like touching, kissing and sex will cause the infection. The only thing a condom can help pervent is the fact that you might not catch the infection through semen, but the other sources will still cause Ebola.

Myth #4: There is a cure for Ebola

Fact: There is no known and FDA approved drug in the market to cure an infection caused due to the Ebola virus.

Ebola virus disease is spread due to a virus and so far, does not have a cure. While there is an experimental drug being used on patients in Africa called ZMapp, this drug is still in the testing stages and has not been approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). ZMapp is a mixture of antibodies that are designed to target and inactivate the Ebola virus. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDS), the drug is combination of three different antibodies produced by exposing mice to fragments of the virus. Even though this drug has not yet passed FDA approval its use has helped a number of people and there have been cases of them showing signs of recovery.

Myth #5: Fasting will help cure Ebola

Fact: Absolutely not. Fasting can in fact worsen the condition

While there are studies that have found that fasting can help improve one’s immunity, but if done over a long period of time it can be detrimental for you. Not only will it make you weaker and more susceptible to the disease, but fasting over a period of time can lead a weakened immune system. This myth came about when a group of women activists in Africa said that they would fast for 14 days, after which the virus would not infect anybody world over. While obviously this did not work, it just went to prove that such beliefs can only serve to worsen an epidemic and do nothing to help it.

Myth #6: Ebola only affects Africans

Fact: Ebola affects humans irrespective of their racial background.

While the Ebola virus did first affect people from West Africa, it does not restrict itself to Africans alone. The virus is known to have spread to the US, Myanmar and other African countries. The disease has been declared an international emergency by the WHO and therefore is deadly for all humans.

Myth #7: You will not get Ebola if you have a healthy immune system

Fact: The state of your immune system does not dictate if you can or cannot get infected

A healthy immune system is definitely very important to prevent diseases, but the Ebola virus has become so potent that it can infect people with even the most robust immune system. Since the virus attacks the body and uses a person’s immune response to spread, the health of one’s immune system does not stop this virus from infecting a person.

Bomb Scare In Nyanya FCT As Motorists Run For Safety

Motorists and passersby ran for cover as a car suspected  with explosive device was abandoned in the middle of the road.
The incident, which occurred in the popular and ever busy Nyanya area of Abuja this morning, caused serious panic as everyone around the area ran for safety.
 Soldiers are about now carrying out a search on the Peugeot 406 car.
A commercial motorcyclist who spoke to us claimed that:
“The driver just parked the car and left in a hurry prompting soldiers nearby to be suspicious and people in traffic on seeing the soldiers surrounding the car began to run in different directions,” he said.

OOU students Protest Over School Fees

 Students of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU, are currently protesting in the state, demanding a reduction in their school fees. The students have barricaded the Presidential boulevard, the route leading to the office of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, saying they will not leave until the governor, who is said to be on his way to his office, addresses them.

The students were reportedly shot at and tear-gassed by soldiers this morning as they marched to the Governors office. After being tear-gassed, angry students started destroying public property. They had initially embarked on a peaceful protest, but turned violent after the teargas. 

 

How to Start Cement Business in Nigeria

By: Darlinton Omeh

Cement supply business is one of the best and easiest building material business anyone could start right now. People have been looking for information on How to start cement business in Nigeria without finding any substantial details. In this article, I want to explain in detail to the extent of my understand, how anyone could start cement business anywhere in Nigeria without beating about the bush.

Before we proceed to the detailed step by step how to start, let's first of all look at the merit and profit potential of this business using Dangote cement supply as study case. Like I said before, it's one sure business that everything in it almost seem guaranteed and I can assure you that people who are already doing it are making good money.

A bag of Dangote cement from the factory goes for N1,000 with the minimum buy of one trailer load (600 50kg bags) quantity that cost N600,000 only. If you supply the six hundred bags at the retail price of N1600, you will be making profit of 600 x 600 = N360,000 from the single one trailer trip. When you subtract the cost of transportation, your take home becomes N300,000 per trip

If you decide to sell wholesale at the cost of N1,350 to retailers, your profit would be N350 x 600bags = N210,000 from a single trip. When you subtract the cost of transportation, you will be left withN150,000 per trip.

Now tell me - N150,000 to N300,000 gain per trip from investment of N600,000 without complex logistic and workforce, is it a good or bad deal? Write your answer as comment below and let's know how you feel about this. But in my own opinion, I believe it's a very good business.

If you supply 10 Trailers within any period of time, you are going to be smiling home with N1.5m to N3million depending on the method of supply. 

To Start as a Distributor

1. Distributor - You need to fulfill certain simple requirement to become Dangote Cement Distributor. In effort to ensure distribution of cement all over Nigeria, Dangote Cement is currently seeking credible distributors form any part of Nigeria. In this regard, credible means, individuals who owns a registered company that is, whose business is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria.

To qualify to apply as Dangote distributor, you need to put the following things in place: 

Register your company with Corporate Affairs Commission 

Once you have your company registered which is very simple to do and requires just little amount of money. Just about N50,000 plus waka waka will do that for you if you want to do it yourself. When you have that sorted out, the next is to open a corporate account in any Nigerian bank with the company name.

Open Business Account in any of the Nigeria Banks of your choice

To open a business account in Nigeria, you would require a clearance from EFCC's Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUMIL) to ensure that you wouldn't carry money go hide in oversea :D

After that, you go to Federal Inland Revenue to get Tax Identification Number (TIN) which shows that you are willing to pay tax.

These are the two major requirement for opening business account in Nigeria, the bank will tell you other things you need to do. Within moments after you've provided all what is of you required, your account will be open. Then you get reference letter from the bank and proceed to Gangote.

Dangote Registration Requirements

Please ensure that you have the soft copy of the following documents before you begin Application:

1. Certificate of Company Registration from the Corporate Affairs Commission
2. Application Letter to become a distributor
3. Scanned copy of the Bank reference letter
4. Passport Photograph of the company's Proprietor/MD
5. Passport Photograph of the company's Representative

48 hours registration period guaranteed
Minimum purchase of one trailer i.e 600 bags monthly on cash & carry basis
No Application/Registration deposit required

What strikes me here is the "cash and carry" clause after going through all the rigor to register company and get reference latter from the bank! If I am buying to pay you cash, why make me go through these process, or is it the Nigerians usual way of playing gods when the power is in their hands? Please kindly make us understand.

Anyway, this will be for next article but for now, lets proceed with our business.

Other Logistics You Need to Put in Place!

Whale House - Except you have standby customers you want to supply, you need a secure place to house your product. Get a whale house or any big shop that can accommodate minimum of 600 bags. 

Some but theirs in open place and cover it with tarpaulin for safety but that depends on the quantity you are buying, if you are buying very large quantity, you'd need to get a big whale house.

Arrange for Supply Vehicle - If you can buy yours, that would be nice. In fact, it is another business on it's own - whenever your customer buys, you'll supply them and make extra money from the transport and load fee. You can use it as marketing tool to sell faster than others by offering free delivery to customers buying certain quantity.

If you can't buy yours, just arrange for regular customer who would be assisting you get the cement to the final destination. 

Apart from these two, there is no other much things to worry about. Get down to business and starts making money asap.

2. Retailers - A retailer don't need to go through all these process of application. Once you have your money, you are good to go.

Go to the nearest depot and buy your cement and begin to sell. Each bag of cement you sell, you make profit of N250 - N300 which a good deal considering that you do nothing more than go carry your cement.

You need to have a shop by the roadside or near new site where building projects are ongoing in number. 

Many people sell as retailers even without a shop especially those that leave near the road. All you need to do is to raise up the ground a bit with blocks and cement, plaster the ground and put some container woods.

You can build iron protector around it if the place is unsecured to avoid thieves visiting at night.

One thing very good about cement business is that a single customer could buy hundreds of bays sometimes, giving you instant profit without breaking sweat.

8 out of 10 Nigerian men don't use condoms - SFH survey

According to statistics, 8 out of 10 Nigerian men do not use condoms. This was revealed by Bright Ekweremadu, the Managing Director of Society for Family Health, SFH. He said over 1.8billion sexual activities occur in Nigeria yearly, and 80% of them are unprotected.

Mr Ekweremadu said if Nigerian men were to use condoms, no supplier in the world would be able to afford the quantity of condoms Nigerian men would need. He said their research showed that young Nigerians between 18 and 34 years in the cities of Lagos & Abuja make the highest use of condoms.

He said many sexually active Nigerian men have several excuses for not wanting to use condoms. Excuses like "I am healthy, I dont have infections, flesh to flesh is sweeter" etc...

He said there are so many cases of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies reported yearly because of people's refusal to use condoms. He also said their research shows that the women don't insist on condoms.

N255m car scandal: Presidential panel indicts Stella Oduah

According to a report by Punch, the committee set up by President Jonathan to probe the N255m bulletproof car scandal in the aviation ministry has indicted Aviation Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah.

It was gathered  in Abuja on Sunday  that the report of the presidential committee tallied  with some findings of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation on the scandal. On  December 19, 2013, the House endorsed the report of its committee and agreed that the minister breached the 2013 Appropriation Act.

It was learnt on Sunday that the  panel, like that of  the House, also discovered that the minister’s approval for the cars exceeded the N100m limit.

A top government source, who disclosed this to Punch on Sunday, said although the committee indicted Oduah , it did not say whether she should be sacked or not.

 But sources told Punch  that there was every likelihood of the President using the cabinet shake -up that would follow the presentation of his ministerial list to the National Assembly to relieve himself of Oduah’s continued presence in his government.

'I have a $1million watch' - Oba Obateru Akinruntan

Billionaire Oba Obateru Akinruntan, the Olugbo of Ugboland in Ondo and chairman of Obat Oil spoke recently of his love for the good things of life and how he loves to be the first in acquiring these things. In a recent interview with City People, the Oba described himself as a stylish king

"First and foremost I am very creative and secondly, I emulate the style of our forefathers, wearing royal beads as an old style. You know these days, if you want to become a popular and flamboyant king, you have to use diamonds. Diamond chains, diamond wrist watches, diamond shoes, diamond ring and my muffler is also made of diamond or gold. And that will make you unique among other Obas and that doesn't make you proud. I like to be the first in everything. I have the largest oil tank in West Arica today. Again my chain of cars, I use the same type of automobile with the Queen of England, Queen Elizerbeth, we use the same Rolls Royce and Bentley. Asides that, I have 7 door limousine Mercedes, I want to be the first in everything.

The Oba who has an aquarium wristwatch that is worth $500,00 spoke of his wristwatch collections

"I also have a wrist watch that cost $1 million. Aside that I am a car freak and what I wear with the way I dress, my shoe, my royal diamond cap, wrist watches, diamond ring, and my diamond Mofila is the new thing I have added to it now. I do my shopping in London Jeweller, a special store for top ranking personalities of the world. I wear expensive wrist watches, shoes and chains all made of diamond". he told City People

100 Nigerians languish in Moroccan prisons, says Ambassador

From TUNDE OMOLEHIN, Sokoto

No fewer than one hundred Nigerians are languishing in Moroccan Prisons. The Nigerian Ambassador to Morocco, Senator Abdallah Wali, who disclosed this, told journalists in Sokoto yesterday that most of them were involved in illegal migration, drug offences and related petty crimes.

He also said that there were currently about 100 legal residents in the North African country.
“But, we have a couple of thousands of illegal residents inside Morocco,” the envoy disclosed. Wali further said that the Mission was partnering with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja to stem the tide of illegal migration of Nigerians to Morocco.
He said that the mission had conducted series of workshops to sensitise Nigerians in this direction.
“Especially, Nigerians who come from areas that are prone to visiting Morocco illegally. The whole idea of visiting Morocco illegally is because of its promixity to Europe. It takes only 15 kilometers to cross the Mediterranean sea into Spain,” he explained.
Wali noted that there was no existing protocol between Nigeria and Morocco regarding repatriation of Nigerian prisoners or Moroccan prisoners to their respective countries.
“What we do is that, the Embassy frequently visits Nigerian prisoners in various prisons spread across the country,” he stated.

The envoy also said that during such visits, the Embassy officials listened to prisoners and collate their requests for onward transmission to the authorities.
“Thereafter, they get attention, whether it is medical, sometimes even the food they eat. Sometimes, they also need access to some things that are not provided in the prisons,” Wali, added.

According to the Ambassador, the King of Morocco pardons prisoners, including Nigerians in some cases.

He lamented that many Nigerians were often stranded in Morocco and in most cases, become illegal migrants. He stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja had tried to sensitise Nigerians against illegal migration through the Moroccan route.This is because of the risk involved in travelling, the risk involved in staying as illegal residents in Morocco and the risk involved in crossing over to Europe.

… 8 die in fresh Boko Haram attack

From TIMOTHY OLANREWAJU, Maiduguri


No fewer than eight people have been killed in a fresh attack on villages in the southern part of Borno State by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.


The attackers were also said to have burnt many churches
Residents said some suspected Boko Haram member attacked Sabon Gari village in Hambagtha and Jaji wards of  Gwoza Local Government Area on Thursday, killing eight villagers while the attackers set ablaze about 100 churches in the area. The churches destroyed, according to witnesses are located in communities around the Nigerian-Cameroon border. These include Arbako, Barawa, Chikide, Ngoshe, Pulka, Kirawa, Kwatara, Hirdembeh, Chinene and Kundeh in Gwoza Local Government Area. Gwoza, a border town is about135 kilometres South-East of Maiduguri.


A member of the House of Representatives, Peter Biye Gumtha, representing Gwoza/Chibok/Damboa confirmed the incident, adding that the village attacks were launched by eight insurgents. He said eight people were killed while 16 others were injured.
“What is happening in my constituency is very unfortunate and frightening. People are being killed by terrorists on a daily basis, Churches are being burnt, and if people like me who is also a member of the House Committee on Army, alerted military authorities based on intelligence reports that my village would be under attack by terrorists, and nothing was done to secure the area, then it is unfortunate, because the ordinary people that live in volatile areas are no longer safe and protected by our security outfits.
“As I am talking to you now, I have spent over two years without going to see my people and the electorate because I am no longer safe. All my projects which were aimed at alleviating the economic hardship of my people have been destroyed. There was a time I sent my contractors to construct a health centre in Gwoza town, a day after, they commenced constructing the foundation, some Boko Haram elements went to the project site, destroyed and buried everything,” he stated.


He said apart from churches torched by the insurgents, many primary schools and other public buildings in his constituency, were also burnt.
“Even my countryhome, located on the Bama-Gwoza Road was torched in the early hours of last Thursday. The gunmen also took away over 70 sheep and goats, after destroying 90, 000 packets of chalk, pens and exercise books procured at N38 million for distribution to schools in my constituency,” he further said.


The lawmaker lamented that since he was elected there had been series of attacks targeted at Christian communities in Gwoza, Chibok and Damboa council areas, a situation that forced him to stop visiting the area.

Rivers crisis: Senator shot at APC rally

• Amaechi’s Chief of Staff, others teargased
• Attack disheartening – Fani-Kayode

FROM CHRIS ANUCHA& TONY JOHN,  PORT HARCOURT

The Rivers State political crisis worsened yesterday when Senator Magnus Abe representing Rivers South-East was hit by rubber bullets. Police denied culpability. Also, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Tony Okocha, was among those allegedly teargased at a rally organised by the state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC). Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and four other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors defected to the opposition APC late last year.

The APC rally was held at the state’s College of Arts and Science, Rumuola Road in Obio/Akpor area.
The event, organised under the aegis of Save Rivers Movement, a mobilisation arm of the APC, was billed to start at 12 noon.

As soon as Senator Abe and Chief Okorocha arrived, over 25 Toyota Hilux vehicles carrying policemen stormed the venue at about 8.20am and allegedly started firing teargas and rubber bullets. Canopies, platform, chairs, tables, public address system and other electronic gadgets were allegedly destroyed.

Police allegedly sealed off Rumuola Road and those attending church services did so trekking there. Reporters were said to have been attacked. A claim that two children died in the melee couldn’t be verified by Daily Sun at press time.
When the “Save Rivers Movement” relocated the venue of the rally to Rumuigbo, the participants were not allowed. There is now palpable tension in Obio/Akpor and its environs. For instance, people  living in the affected area  and passers-by have expressed fears about  their health condition, because of the inhaled teargas
When  Daily  Sun  visited  Kelsey Harrison Hospital,  D-Line, where Senator Abe was rushed to, the Medical Director, Dr. Mckay Anyanwu, said the patient came in a state of shock.
He told journalists that  the senator  could neither drink nor eat.  Anyanwu said  the senator was restless  because of the shock and internal bleeding he suffered after  he was  hit by  the  rubber bullets.

Anyanwu said:  “He was unable to talk or eat and he was feeling restless as a result of a traumatic shock. The implication is that there is haemorrhage; this is a blood trauma, it is not a sharp one.
“So, we don’t know the layers that are affected. This can only be detected through the use of MRI. We have given the necessary resuscitative medication. He was bleeding internally (haemorrhage).
“If you check the two sides of his chest, the affected side is so enlarged, as compared to the unaffected area. My immediate concern was to revive the patient. It was later that I was being told that he was hit by a rubber bullet,” Anyanwu noted.
Senator Abe, who was  said  to be in critical condition, was later moved from Kelsey Harrison Hospital in Port Harcourt to the airport enroute London for further medical treatment..
Meanwhile,  Chief Okocha, has condemned  the attack.   He accused the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, of mobilizing policemen to the venue of the Save Rivers Movement/APC rally, to disrupt it and torture Amaechi’s supporters.

He said:  “The state police commissioner ordered operatives from all formations to the venue of our rally. We have written the police to inform them that we will hold a rally today. But they still came here to destroy all we have put in place for our rally,” he said.
Reacting, the police command blamed yesterday’s crisis on the state government.  The command’s spokesman, Ahmad Muhammad,  said  the Save Rivers Movement did not apply  for permit to hold the Sunday rally. He said that was the reason for dispersing the group. He also told Daily Sun it was Amaechi’s opponents that were responsible for  the destruction of platforms, canopies, public address system, adding that policemen were  there to protect lives and property.

He said:  ‘’They have not applied for police permit to hold a rally, so, the police had to disperse them. They were telling lies about the application they said they made.”
Muhammad  also denied knowledge of the attack on Senator Abe. He said:  “I am not aware that Abe was injured or any casualty. No ammunition was fired. The police had to disperse them. They (organisers are telling lies about the situation.”
But the Chairman of the Save Rivers Movement, Aholu Okechukwu, made available to journalists,  copies of the application for permit, to hold the rally,  written to the state police command on January 7, 2014 .
The letter, which was received  by an officer on behalf of the command on same day, was signed  by one Charles  Aholu. The  letter was entitled: “Request for Police Safety.’’
A look at the letter  showed that it gave details of the  date and time of the rally and the nature of the event.

The concluding part of the letter reads “I make these requests for security in order to maintain law and order during the programme. I shall subsequently furnish you with detailed schedules for all the other local government areas of the state.’’
In  his reaction, a chieftain of APC, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode said: “The attack on Senator Magnus Abe and other members of the APC by agents of security forces are disheartening and exceptionally dangerous. Just a couple of days ago, Governor Kwankwaso’s father was attacked and some of his people killed in Kano by unknown gunmen.
“Such wickedness, intolerance and evil is rarely seen. Let those that believe that they can silence the voices of the opposition with threats of violence and death be rest assured of one thing- we cannot be intimidated and neither can we be silenced. First we heard about snipers being trained and lists of opposition figures being drawn up for assasination. Now policemen are openly attacking the same innocent Nigerians and opposition figures that they are being paid to protect.

‘This government has lost its mind and  its bearing. The madnesss, the attacks, the killings, the insults, the persecution, the wickedness, the impugnity and the intimidation have to stop forthwith or else the consequences will be grave for the continued unity of our country.
“Once again, I ask where was Major Hamza Al-Mustapha on the day that Obasanjo released his letter to the press? Once again, I wish to know whether there is any truth in the allegation that he was in North Korea on that day and if he was what was he doing there?, he queried.