I intentionally decided not to be quick in writing anything against the shameful display of unprofessionalism exhibited by Marilyn Ogar (the spokeswoman of the Department For State Service DSS) over the last six years and resolved to calmly set eyes on President Jonathan to see if he can at least for once pretend to be a well discipline leader, thinking he was going to sack outright, punish or, at least, suspend Marilyn Ogar for violating the constitution of the federal republic over and over again and misuse of power under a president who is globally acknowledged to be weak and incompetent.
I thought Jonathan will show he isn't as incompetent and weak as widely believe and prove his critics wrong by taking action against Madam Ogar who's ensnare in almost every partisan and illegal move taken by the once apolitical security agents - her recent raid on the data office of All Progressives Congress (APC) in an attempt to blackmail the opposition by falsely accusing them of cloning INEC's permanent voters card and the manner in which she handled the case speaks volumes about her partisanship and the level of collaboration she has with the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). Unfortunately, President Jonathan’s actions to make sure Marilyn Ogar and her likes respect the rule of law or face retributions has been lackadaisical, bootless, flimsy and reminiscent of the brass tacks that Ogar is indeed serving the president and his cohorts rather than Nigeria.
Viewing from her partisan activities over the years especially before the just concluded general elections, it’s pellucid if someone refer to Marilyn Ogar as the spokeswoman for President Jonathan or the People's Democratic Party (PDP), or even the hitherto DG of the DSS. This woman demonstrated partisanship in the most irresponsible manner and in my own opinion, she better resign honorably from the DSS, as the hurricane of change is about to blow in her direction likewise all of those compromised security personnels.
Nigeria is one different cosmos where corrupt public officials involved in various corruption scandals will almost not ever mind to resign over their shameful acts or to appear for proper investigations. In fact, we have seen several scenarios where these officials were even shielded from investigations by the government itself just as in the case of Diezani Alison-Madueke, many will more often use their relationships with the government to stop the law from acting on them – to an extent of applying crook methods against all decorum and spiritual bewitchery just to elude retributions. To make matters worst, the executives saddled with the responsibility of imposing the rule of law are the sole perpetrators of the law.
In his characteristically inept attitudes, President Jonathan has at least for once proven to be an active president by sacking the notorious Inspector General of Police, IGP Abba Sulaiman, though many spectators faulted the action as self-serving and not in the nation's best interest, but at least, it was a good riddance to bad rubbish. Indeed, IGP Sulaiman has paid the price of serving individual rather than country. Now that President Goodluck Jonathan has found back his balls (apologies to Femi Fani-Kayode), can he extend such disciplinary gesture to Ms. Marilyn Ogar of the DSS and her likes in our security agencies in the best interest of all and sundry?
The role of security operatives cannot be over-emphasised, because of their crucial assignment of keeping the peace in and around our country with or without elections, and the use of security agencies as willing tools by politicians to continuously harass, hound and intimidate political opponents and to stifle basic freedoms guaranteed under Nigerian laws are a direct violation of the rule of law and such practice adumbrate a great danger to the survival of our hard-won democracy.
Our security agencies must appreciate their vital role in ensuring the safety of lives and property and must remain professional, non-partisan and apolitical at all times. Whoever engaged in violating the constitution should be rap-knuckle as stipulated by the law, and Marilyn Ogar must never be an exception.
As expected of any well-meaning citizen, I am forced to draw an equidistant sparked by Madam Ogar's unprofessional and irresponsible mental-outlook. She is supposed to act according to the provision of our constitution to protect lives and property of every Nigerian but Ogar is rather immoral to the constitution. Should she be allowed to continue serving some selfish desires of hers and other few opportunists after all the ignominious rascalities she committed?
Well, going by her actions, one must be forced to concur with the palpability that Marilyn Ogar is perhaps acting a PDP script and shares similar portfolio with Doyin Okupe, Femi Fani-Kayode and Olisa Metuh. She's indeed an undercover spokeswoman of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and President Jonathan but if in doubt, the following few scenarios will justify the fact that Madam Ogar is indeed more of a politicians than a security operative:
Shortly after August 2014 gubernatorial election in Osun state, Madam Ogar was quoted as saying: "Thank God, the APC won the Osun election. There was no bomb blast” (But there were bomb blasts in other states lost by the APC, especially, Ondo captured by the Labour Party, Anambra won by APGA, and Ekiti won by the PDP)”, in this attempt, Madam Ogar was trying to regurgitate the PDP’s unproven allegation linking APC with the notorious Boko Haram terrorist sect but failed to provide any substantial evidence or pursue any prosecution against any APC member. Now that APC has become the ruling party, can Madam DSS continue to serve under the leadership of a "terrorist party"?
In her continuous process of portraying the DSS as mere tool for political propaganda rather than the professional security outfit it ought to be and also in her quest to blackmail and discredit the opposition, Ms. Ogar alleged that the APC had tried to bribe her with ₦14 million to rig Osun gubernatorial polls without providing a scintilla of evidence to support such incredulous allegations, and to my dismay, she's yet to mention any name or make any arrest relating to the bribery accusation.
Madam Ogar further confirmed my fears that herself and the agency she represent have now transformed themselves into the uniform wing of the PDP by referring to the courageous #BringBackOurGirls movement as a franchise and a campaign affiliated to terrorists, without citing any evidence and no subsequent follow-up. This idiotic assertion from a high ranking security personnel isn't only irresponsible but a political hypocrisy in the interest of the presidency who sees the #BringBackOurGirls movement as a threat to their political popularity.
Least i forget, the November 22, 2014 raids on APC Data Centre in Lagos by officers of the DSS allegedly under the orders of Marilyn Ogar isn't only disgusting but a clear demonstration that the security outfit are akin to a form of political attack dogs to harass and intimidate the opposition. Shortly after the bedevil, Madam Ogar disgracefully paraded some young men on national television, claiming that the APC are allegedly cloning INEC's permanent voters card and also registering multiple party members. Surprisingly, Ogar failed to display even a single cloned card to buttress her points but instead, we were shown only APC membership registration forms, and the DSS are yet to present any convincing evidence.
Based on these scenarios above, one must draw a final conclusion that we’ve never had an SSS spokesperson who was so visible and selfish if not this time around. In short, Nigerians weren't even aware that the secret service operates an office of a spokesperson until the unfortunate emergence of Madam Ogar in such position. As a norm for personnels of any professional secret service, they often work in the background as undercover and are rarely seen in public which is why they’re called the secret police but for Madam Ogar, being a secret police has been like becoming a celebrity and an opinion leader who always seek public attention and cheap popularity. she doesn’t have business in continuing her work for the government. She has damaged whatever reputation the SSS fought to build over the years.
Though I will be the second if not the first to oppose the new APC government if they engage in victimization of those perceived to be loyalists to the government of the day, but if Marilyn Ogar escaped the defeat-motivated aggression of President Jonathan as in the case of former IGP Sulaiman. I will strongly advice the APC not to wait to 30th of May before showing Madam Ogar the way out, they shouldn't hesitate to use her as a scapegoat for other security agents to take lessons from and learn not to be partisan in the discharge of their official duties to the federal republic of Nigeria. Dealing with Madam Ogar severely will also make other public servants who will be in position of authority in the incoming APC government take a cue from this scenario that power is indeed transmigratory.
In a nutshell, with the likes of Marilyn Ogar in our once proud and professional secret service, the DSS will be akin to some sorts of notice me monkeys that are always dancing to the tune of any nonsensical melody just to gladden the selfish interest of their paymasters against all decorum and at the expense of national interest. She must not escape punishment unless if she's above the law which i strongly believe she's is not, and with people like her, the DSS and all other security agencies needs no external enemy as they already have one within.
Usama A. Dandare, a social commentator and an advocate of peace and good governance, writes in from Sokoto.
Sunday, 26 April 2015
Monday, 20 April 2015
Codeine Abuse - Misshaping The Future Of Nigerian Youths, By Usama Dandare
Drug abuse can be define as an unwarranted patterned consumption of any natural or synthetic substance or drug in an unapproved quantity for performance enhancement and psychological effect for non-therapeutic, non-medical use by an individual with methods neither approved nor supervised by medical professionals.
When drug abuse becomes a necessity for maintaining psychological and emotional equilibrium, it is called Drug Addiction. Drugs corrode the basic structure of a whole society, by affecting a cultured human society in all aspects including destabilizing families, reducing human productivity, corrupting trustworthy governments and honest police, and demoraling law respecting citizens.
Globally, over 200 million people consume some form of illicit drugs raging from Cannabis, Opium to synthetic “designer” drugs like Ecstasy, Codeine, Lizard Dung, Office Pins, Barbiturate derivatives, Benzodiazepines like Alprazolam, Diazepam, Amphetamines, Phenethylamine and Tryptamine derivatives; different forms of drugs are available for inducing euphoria.
Sadly, Nigeria is ranked 4th on the global ranking of countries with the most widespread use of illegal substances according to 2014 United Nation World Drug Report. The report revealed that the North-West constitutes 37.47% of drug victims in Nigeria followed by the South-West with about 17.32%, the South-East came third with 13.5%, the North-Central has about 11.71% while the troubled North-East constituted the remaining 8.54% of drug users in the country.
Youths on the other hand occupy a delicate and sensitive position within the population structure of any society for several reasons. The Nigeria law for example recognizes that an individual below the age of seven is incapable of committing a crime and an individual between seven and twelve years should be able to know what he ought not to do that is if it can be proved he does not know and he also isn’t criminally responsible for his acts. Between the ages of twelve and seventeen, a person is regarded as a juvenile, and while he may be held responsible for his acts or omission he is treated specially under the law by the children and young persons Acts instead of the criminal procedure act. Youth is the period between child hood and Adult age, and that is exactly the age Drug Barons prefer to recruit for drug trafficking (age: 15-35years) most of whom are either unskilled, unschooled or student or the jobless.
The menace of drug abuse has now taken a formidable dimension whereby our youths indulged in a new modus of attaining a drug-induced stimulation 'getting high' and sorrowfully, the new dimension is nothing but that of "Codeine Phosphate" - a medication ment to cure cough and cold-related ailments but surprisingly, codeine has turned out to be a favourite euphoria to many.
Cough syrup, with or without codeine, is used for the treatment of coughing and related ailments. But in Nigeria today (specifically the northern region), cough syrup, particularly with codeine - which is to derived from Opium Poppy and is related to Morphine and Heroin - is being abused by youths, men, women and even the elderly.
Whenever the word "drug abuse" is mention anywhere in this world, the only substances that will come to light are narcotics like cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other commonly abused substances but the last thing one would ever expect is for cough syrup "with codeine" ment for medication to be mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned substances.
This ugly trend of abusing cough syrup was first introduced by American hip-hop rappers and penetrated it way through other nations especially African countries due to the way and manner in which we (Africans) tends to follow the lifestyle of black Americans. It was formally known as ‘sizzurp’ in America: a combination of cough syrup with preferably candy and/or any soft drink to attain a significant stage of glee.
This cough syrup contains codeine and promethazine and unfortunately, a lot of impressionable Nigerians have started taking the harmful mixture and is now growing dernier cri among young Nigerians and even the elderly were not spared in most cases, as codeine has become the fastest means of inducing frenzy. To make matters worst, codeine syrup isn't only abuse by men but married and unmarried women as well as primary and secondary school children were not left out, top government officials including politicians and civil servants were also reported to be patronizing the harmful substance. Unknown to them, the dangers of overdosing codeine syrup far outweighs the short period euphoria it gives.
Codeine as an alkaloid analgesic drug and a derivative of opium is proved to have similar pharmacological effect as cocaine and heroin, though at a lesser degree because it is relatively less habit-forming. It falls under category of weak opioid, it was also discovered to be a veritable source of drug abuse by some exuberant youths and fun seekers who know about its morphine content.
The effect of codeine among Nigerian youths has been a subject of a morally bankrupt, moribund, debauched and wasted generation that must be reinvigorated and move as one in order to prevent the unwanted complete declination and loss of our societal values, norms and ideas. It's on the nose to know the main einstein behind destroying the future of our talented youths and address it squarely because we can not just fold our arms and cowardly watch the menace of drug abuse condemning the future of our society, in which a vast number of youths ignorantly engaged in drug abuse for various reasons being them social, educational, financial, political and moral.
Codeine has become a favourite for many drug addicts because it is very easy to obtain either over the counter or through prescription at big and small medicine stores. The main reasons for using codeine include experiencing the euphoric effects associated with opiates, just as they averred that it is common practice for young people wishing to obtain a high to drink an overdose of cough syrup straight. In Kano and Jigawa states alone, more than three million bottles of codeine syrup are consumed on a daily basis. In fact, the high demand of codeine syrup in the country makes it too expensive and scarce just as it rocketed from a price of less than N200 to between N800-N1000 depending on the product. Users often mix it with water or soft drink of their choices before drinking while others take it raw and instead of taking just a table spoon as medical experts recommended, the abusers take several bottles daily and down two to three bottles straightaway.
"There are relatively few benefits associated to the use of codeine as a combination to other therapeutics" according to medical experts. Of course, one of its major problems is its addictive symptom, which is traceable to its morphine content”. Other effect of codeine, according to experts is euphoria, which is the feeling of excitement induced by the abuse of codeine-based preparation and can often lead to depression.
Investigations also shown that consumption of beer does not pose as serious threat to the community as the new intoxicant (codeine syrup) that have found acceptance across wide segments of society. And because the sale of beer is more common, it is easier to regulate unlike codeine and other widely abused substances. High dose of codeine, as claimed by users, makes them higher than that of beer or marijuana.
There are several factors that contribute to the abuse of cough syrup among Nigerian youths: peer group, parental background (broken home), emotional stress to mention just a few.
Firstly, a peer group is a form of societal influence on affected youths. For example, a friend can be greatly influenced to be a drug addict if allowed to interact with drug addicts, young and old. He can be tempted on one fateful day to join the bad wagon of his friends, thereby gradually ruining his career in life.
Secondly, the parental background of a child can also result to over dependence of drugs among the affected youths. Due to various family problems like broken homes (divorces) polygamous family, abject poverty, cultural influence, parental neglect, lack of parental affection and responsibility; a father that is a drug addict may greatly influence any of his children likewise an addicted Mother. There have been reports of cases where young children pickup the habit of abusing codeine syrup from their addicted mothers, several reports also stated that women do mix various concoctions of cough syrups with codeine during ceremonies and share it among themselves and when drunk on these concoctions, they find it easier to engage in anti social behavior without any shyness.
Thirdly, naturally some group of teenagers are emotionally stressed but instead for them to seek for a proper medical attention because a stitch in time saves many, they will result to self medications which is a conceptual relic of drug abuse, thereby using hard drugs for such corrections.
The various consequences of the codeine abuse in Nigeria or drug addictions in general are so devastating and very shameful to the extent that the whole world is focusing on Nigerians, among which are:- Social violence among youths, armed robbery, mental disorder, 419, syndrome, social miscreants (area boys and girls), lawlessness among youth, lack of respect for elders, rape and several other crimes.
Our governmental and private businesses are increasingly recognizing the negative consequences of codeine abuse on the Nigerian economy and the Nation’s workforce. Due to it high demand, codeine is costly for our society and if left untreated, it places a burden on our workplace, our healthcare system, and our communities. A number of reports and surveys highlight the detrimental effects codeine abuse has on business productivity and competitiveness as it also increases workplace injuries and absenteeism.
Codeine abuse has an immediate impact on the body and mind, it can also affect your future and your relationship with others. When codeine use becomes an important part of your life, your relationships suffer. You would behave more violently for the access of money for your need for drug. Conflict and breakdowns in communication would become a routine. Addiction to codeine would affect your ability to concentrate and focus at work, it side effects like hangover feeling can reduce the ability to focus and poor performance at work can make you lose your job.
Excessive intake of codeine syrup increases chances of being in dangerous situations and compromise the safety of self and others, under the influence of codeine, you drive roughly in excitement and as such you are compromising the safety of yourself and other road users.
Codeine addiction can become an expensive affair to the family due to it costly nature. In extreme situations, people addicted to codeine try anything from selling household goods to illegal activities like theft and robbery just to secure some money to get their next bottle. Codeine addicts also tend to behave violently for the need of money with family members, often ending up with crimes like murder.
Spending most of your money on codeine would make you poor and leave no money to cover the basic living expenses like rent, food, or utility bills.
There are also numerous health detriments associated with excessive use of codeine: in the human Brain and Spinal, codeine can cause mental and respiratory depression, stupor, delirium, somnolence, and dysphoria. An increased risk of falls and hip fractures has been associated with codeine therapy, particularly in the elderly. It also causes excessive sedation, drowsiness, fatigue, paradoxical excitation, and decreased motor coordination. Others include withdrawal symptoms after either abrupt cessation or fast tapering of narcotic analgesics like codeine, and have included agitation, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, tremor, abdominal cramps, blurred vision, vomiting and sweating. Codeine overdose can sometimes resulted into fever, altered consciousness, autonomic dysfunction, muscle rigidity, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome which is associated with a case fatality rate of about 20%.
In the heart and blood vessels, codeine overdose can cause: hypotension and dizziness, rarely observed tachycardia, bradycardia, and transient hypotension. Prolongation of the QT interval, heart block, and malignant arrhythmias have also been reported when in contact with other phenothiazines (medications used to treat serious mental and emotional disorders).
In the intestinal organs, excessive codeine intake causes: nausea, vomiting, and constipation. Severe constipation and ileus resulting in colonic perforation have been also reported. Higher percentage of codeine in human reproductive organs can also caused urinary retention.
Continuous consumption of Codeine can pose a serious defect to the hair, nails and skin of the affected individuals with some irritating rashes, and codeine-induced rash may be related to direct stimulation of histamine release.
Excess amount of codeine can also affect the kidney with acute renal failure (which may respond to naloxone therapy).
There are several other undesirable reactions resulting from codeine abuse such as rare rash, pruritus, hypertension, photosensitivity, and tachycardia to mention just a few. People with liver and renal disease are strongly advice to stay a thousand miles away from codeine abuse because in general, the adverse effects of codeine are more likely and more severe in people having liver and renal problems.
In order to check-mate the escalating crime wave linked with drug abuse and to curve the increasing menace of abusing cough syrup in Nigeria especially the northern region, the federal and states government needs a firefighter approach to drastically halt unauthorized sale and buying of the drug by placing tougher sanctions or if possible proscribe the production and distribution of cough syrups containing codeine nationwide unless for medical purposes. The government should also embarked on a publicity awareness campaign, using the local media, youth groups, student unions, traditional and religious leaders to fight the wildfire menace of codeine abuse in the country.
On our own part, there is a great need for us to collaborate and discourage the younger generations on the harmful effects of codeine, a collective collaboration with religious institutions, parents and teachers to check-mate the danger associated with this trend is of paramount importance in fighting the undesirable effects of cough syrup abuse. Manufacturers and dealers of codeine-based remedies should be made to face the full wrath of the law if found thwarting any of the rule and a new discouraging marketing strategy is also needed to convince users that the products are more dangerous than the non-codeine products.
The dangers in codeine syrup abuse are miasmatic that can annihilate our entire moral and ethnic values, it can further lamentably debris the future of any given society in a more pernicious scenario than other commonly abused drugs and can go to an extent of bamboozling the overall structural frame of reference of the affected society by mis-shaping the future of it youths. And unless careful and drastic measures are put in place, only then Nigeria will move in the right path and arrive at the desired focal-point in our development.
When drug abuse becomes a necessity for maintaining psychological and emotional equilibrium, it is called Drug Addiction. Drugs corrode the basic structure of a whole society, by affecting a cultured human society in all aspects including destabilizing families, reducing human productivity, corrupting trustworthy governments and honest police, and demoraling law respecting citizens.
Globally, over 200 million people consume some form of illicit drugs raging from Cannabis, Opium to synthetic “designer” drugs like Ecstasy, Codeine, Lizard Dung, Office Pins, Barbiturate derivatives, Benzodiazepines like Alprazolam, Diazepam, Amphetamines, Phenethylamine and Tryptamine derivatives; different forms of drugs are available for inducing euphoria.
Sadly, Nigeria is ranked 4th on the global ranking of countries with the most widespread use of illegal substances according to 2014 United Nation World Drug Report. The report revealed that the North-West constitutes 37.47% of drug victims in Nigeria followed by the South-West with about 17.32%, the South-East came third with 13.5%, the North-Central has about 11.71% while the troubled North-East constituted the remaining 8.54% of drug users in the country.
Youths on the other hand occupy a delicate and sensitive position within the population structure of any society for several reasons. The Nigeria law for example recognizes that an individual below the age of seven is incapable of committing a crime and an individual between seven and twelve years should be able to know what he ought not to do that is if it can be proved he does not know and he also isn’t criminally responsible for his acts. Between the ages of twelve and seventeen, a person is regarded as a juvenile, and while he may be held responsible for his acts or omission he is treated specially under the law by the children and young persons Acts instead of the criminal procedure act. Youth is the period between child hood and Adult age, and that is exactly the age Drug Barons prefer to recruit for drug trafficking (age: 15-35years) most of whom are either unskilled, unschooled or student or the jobless.
The menace of drug abuse has now taken a formidable dimension whereby our youths indulged in a new modus of attaining a drug-induced stimulation 'getting high' and sorrowfully, the new dimension is nothing but that of "Codeine Phosphate" - a medication ment to cure cough and cold-related ailments but surprisingly, codeine has turned out to be a favourite euphoria to many.
Cough syrup, with or without codeine, is used for the treatment of coughing and related ailments. But in Nigeria today (specifically the northern region), cough syrup, particularly with codeine - which is to derived from Opium Poppy and is related to Morphine and Heroin - is being abused by youths, men, women and even the elderly.
Whenever the word "drug abuse" is mention anywhere in this world, the only substances that will come to light are narcotics like cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other commonly abused substances but the last thing one would ever expect is for cough syrup "with codeine" ment for medication to be mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned substances.
This ugly trend of abusing cough syrup was first introduced by American hip-hop rappers and penetrated it way through other nations especially African countries due to the way and manner in which we (Africans) tends to follow the lifestyle of black Americans. It was formally known as ‘sizzurp’ in America: a combination of cough syrup with preferably candy and/or any soft drink to attain a significant stage of glee.
This cough syrup contains codeine and promethazine and unfortunately, a lot of impressionable Nigerians have started taking the harmful mixture and is now growing dernier cri among young Nigerians and even the elderly were not spared in most cases, as codeine has become the fastest means of inducing frenzy. To make matters worst, codeine syrup isn't only abuse by men but married and unmarried women as well as primary and secondary school children were not left out, top government officials including politicians and civil servants were also reported to be patronizing the harmful substance. Unknown to them, the dangers of overdosing codeine syrup far outweighs the short period euphoria it gives.
Codeine as an alkaloid analgesic drug and a derivative of opium is proved to have similar pharmacological effect as cocaine and heroin, though at a lesser degree because it is relatively less habit-forming. It falls under category of weak opioid, it was also discovered to be a veritable source of drug abuse by some exuberant youths and fun seekers who know about its morphine content.
The effect of codeine among Nigerian youths has been a subject of a morally bankrupt, moribund, debauched and wasted generation that must be reinvigorated and move as one in order to prevent the unwanted complete declination and loss of our societal values, norms and ideas. It's on the nose to know the main einstein behind destroying the future of our talented youths and address it squarely because we can not just fold our arms and cowardly watch the menace of drug abuse condemning the future of our society, in which a vast number of youths ignorantly engaged in drug abuse for various reasons being them social, educational, financial, political and moral.
Codeine has become a favourite for many drug addicts because it is very easy to obtain either over the counter or through prescription at big and small medicine stores. The main reasons for using codeine include experiencing the euphoric effects associated with opiates, just as they averred that it is common practice for young people wishing to obtain a high to drink an overdose of cough syrup straight. In Kano and Jigawa states alone, more than three million bottles of codeine syrup are consumed on a daily basis. In fact, the high demand of codeine syrup in the country makes it too expensive and scarce just as it rocketed from a price of less than N200 to between N800-N1000 depending on the product. Users often mix it with water or soft drink of their choices before drinking while others take it raw and instead of taking just a table spoon as medical experts recommended, the abusers take several bottles daily and down two to three bottles straightaway.
"There are relatively few benefits associated to the use of codeine as a combination to other therapeutics" according to medical experts. Of course, one of its major problems is its addictive symptom, which is traceable to its morphine content”. Other effect of codeine, according to experts is euphoria, which is the feeling of excitement induced by the abuse of codeine-based preparation and can often lead to depression.
Investigations also shown that consumption of beer does not pose as serious threat to the community as the new intoxicant (codeine syrup) that have found acceptance across wide segments of society. And because the sale of beer is more common, it is easier to regulate unlike codeine and other widely abused substances. High dose of codeine, as claimed by users, makes them higher than that of beer or marijuana.
There are several factors that contribute to the abuse of cough syrup among Nigerian youths: peer group, parental background (broken home), emotional stress to mention just a few.
Firstly, a peer group is a form of societal influence on affected youths. For example, a friend can be greatly influenced to be a drug addict if allowed to interact with drug addicts, young and old. He can be tempted on one fateful day to join the bad wagon of his friends, thereby gradually ruining his career in life.
Secondly, the parental background of a child can also result to over dependence of drugs among the affected youths. Due to various family problems like broken homes (divorces) polygamous family, abject poverty, cultural influence, parental neglect, lack of parental affection and responsibility; a father that is a drug addict may greatly influence any of his children likewise an addicted Mother. There have been reports of cases where young children pickup the habit of abusing codeine syrup from their addicted mothers, several reports also stated that women do mix various concoctions of cough syrups with codeine during ceremonies and share it among themselves and when drunk on these concoctions, they find it easier to engage in anti social behavior without any shyness.
Thirdly, naturally some group of teenagers are emotionally stressed but instead for them to seek for a proper medical attention because a stitch in time saves many, they will result to self medications which is a conceptual relic of drug abuse, thereby using hard drugs for such corrections.
The various consequences of the codeine abuse in Nigeria or drug addictions in general are so devastating and very shameful to the extent that the whole world is focusing on Nigerians, among which are:- Social violence among youths, armed robbery, mental disorder, 419, syndrome, social miscreants (area boys and girls), lawlessness among youth, lack of respect for elders, rape and several other crimes.
Our governmental and private businesses are increasingly recognizing the negative consequences of codeine abuse on the Nigerian economy and the Nation’s workforce. Due to it high demand, codeine is costly for our society and if left untreated, it places a burden on our workplace, our healthcare system, and our communities. A number of reports and surveys highlight the detrimental effects codeine abuse has on business productivity and competitiveness as it also increases workplace injuries and absenteeism.
Codeine abuse has an immediate impact on the body and mind, it can also affect your future and your relationship with others. When codeine use becomes an important part of your life, your relationships suffer. You would behave more violently for the access of money for your need for drug. Conflict and breakdowns in communication would become a routine. Addiction to codeine would affect your ability to concentrate and focus at work, it side effects like hangover feeling can reduce the ability to focus and poor performance at work can make you lose your job.
Excessive intake of codeine syrup increases chances of being in dangerous situations and compromise the safety of self and others, under the influence of codeine, you drive roughly in excitement and as such you are compromising the safety of yourself and other road users.
Codeine addiction can become an expensive affair to the family due to it costly nature. In extreme situations, people addicted to codeine try anything from selling household goods to illegal activities like theft and robbery just to secure some money to get their next bottle. Codeine addicts also tend to behave violently for the need of money with family members, often ending up with crimes like murder.
Spending most of your money on codeine would make you poor and leave no money to cover the basic living expenses like rent, food, or utility bills.
There are also numerous health detriments associated with excessive use of codeine: in the human Brain and Spinal, codeine can cause mental and respiratory depression, stupor, delirium, somnolence, and dysphoria. An increased risk of falls and hip fractures has been associated with codeine therapy, particularly in the elderly. It also causes excessive sedation, drowsiness, fatigue, paradoxical excitation, and decreased motor coordination. Others include withdrawal symptoms after either abrupt cessation or fast tapering of narcotic analgesics like codeine, and have included agitation, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, tremor, abdominal cramps, blurred vision, vomiting and sweating. Codeine overdose can sometimes resulted into fever, altered consciousness, autonomic dysfunction, muscle rigidity, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome which is associated with a case fatality rate of about 20%.
In the heart and blood vessels, codeine overdose can cause: hypotension and dizziness, rarely observed tachycardia, bradycardia, and transient hypotension. Prolongation of the QT interval, heart block, and malignant arrhythmias have also been reported when in contact with other phenothiazines (medications used to treat serious mental and emotional disorders).
In the intestinal organs, excessive codeine intake causes: nausea, vomiting, and constipation. Severe constipation and ileus resulting in colonic perforation have been also reported. Higher percentage of codeine in human reproductive organs can also caused urinary retention.
Continuous consumption of Codeine can pose a serious defect to the hair, nails and skin of the affected individuals with some irritating rashes, and codeine-induced rash may be related to direct stimulation of histamine release.
Excess amount of codeine can also affect the kidney with acute renal failure (which may respond to naloxone therapy).
There are several other undesirable reactions resulting from codeine abuse such as rare rash, pruritus, hypertension, photosensitivity, and tachycardia to mention just a few. People with liver and renal disease are strongly advice to stay a thousand miles away from codeine abuse because in general, the adverse effects of codeine are more likely and more severe in people having liver and renal problems.
In order to check-mate the escalating crime wave linked with drug abuse and to curve the increasing menace of abusing cough syrup in Nigeria especially the northern region, the federal and states government needs a firefighter approach to drastically halt unauthorized sale and buying of the drug by placing tougher sanctions or if possible proscribe the production and distribution of cough syrups containing codeine nationwide unless for medical purposes. The government should also embarked on a publicity awareness campaign, using the local media, youth groups, student unions, traditional and religious leaders to fight the wildfire menace of codeine abuse in the country.
On our own part, there is a great need for us to collaborate and discourage the younger generations on the harmful effects of codeine, a collective collaboration with religious institutions, parents and teachers to check-mate the danger associated with this trend is of paramount importance in fighting the undesirable effects of cough syrup abuse. Manufacturers and dealers of codeine-based remedies should be made to face the full wrath of the law if found thwarting any of the rule and a new discouraging marketing strategy is also needed to convince users that the products are more dangerous than the non-codeine products.
The dangers in codeine syrup abuse are miasmatic that can annihilate our entire moral and ethnic values, it can further lamentably debris the future of any given society in a more pernicious scenario than other commonly abused drugs and can go to an extent of bamboozling the overall structural frame of reference of the affected society by mis-shaping the future of it youths. And unless careful and drastic measures are put in place, only then Nigeria will move in the right path and arrive at the desired focal-point in our development.
Monday, 13 April 2015
Jonathan's Concession: Making A Hero Out Of A Villain, By Usama Dandare
"We don't become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up ... discovering we have the strength to stare it down." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt (You Learn by Living)
Throughout time, heroes have always set the standard of what real people should strive to be, but can never seem to grasp. A hero is he who can show courage when faced with a problem, he who is able to help another in various ways. A hero is also someone who is there to help others and gives them strength to go on through life’s difficulties, a hero can also be someone who gives up his or her life so another could live.
Generally, heroes distinguished themselves in various aspects of human and social endeavor and they are usually noticed at earlier stages going by what impacts they make on the lives of others. Although there are heroes within our immediate environments that are overlooked everyday and don’t get the recognition they deserve until later in the future before or after their demise.
In Nigerian today, the word "hero" has been so severely abused and miniaturized to someone who concedes defeat rather than he who defeated the so-called hero despite the power of incumbency. Ironically, a hero is not necessarily someone who conceded defeat, or who happens to be victorious in an election. We call the former a looser and the latter a winner. There's nothing impavid in this.
I beg to disagree with that school of thought where a hero is made overnight without pursuing any particular cause nor goal but just for accepting a defeat that must inevitably be accepted no matter how hard you try to dodge. If an elected president can become a hero simply for accepting the outcome of an election, what can you call a football coach who concedes defeat in a football match in which his team looses? A hero too i guess.
Following the outcome of March 28 presidential election in which President Jonathan hurriedly conceded defeat and rang to congratulate the winner, General Muhammadu Buhari, even before results were officially declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigerians with their little understanding of "heroism" were quick to labeled President Jonathan a hero for ordinarily conceding defeat while some even went to the extent of seeking a Nobel Peace prize for the President. The questions here are: Does Goodluck Jonathan has any other choice than to concede? Can we call Dr. Kayode Fayemi a hero for conceding defeat to Governor Ayo Fayose in the last June 2014 gubernatorial in Ekiti state? Can we call Jonathan a hero because he allowed a 'free and fair' election after failing in all attempt to scuttle the whole electioneering process? Of course not!
To me Jonathan is not a hero nor an elder statesman, he is only somebody who had to accept the will of the masses and vacate the seat of power either in peace or in pieces. Gone are the days when any vagabond will refuse to hand over power after loosing in an election; the case of Laurent Gbagbo is a living lesson for whomever wish to learn. In fact, I dont even think Jonathan has the mind to gbagbo Nigerians.
By taking a review of Jonathan's reign of terror for six years and upon realizing how much damage his ineptitude and desperation caused Nigeria, one must wonder where the heroism in him came from. You need no clairvoyant to agree that President Jonathan doesn't want to leave office and even went extra-mile to scuttle the whole election just to remain in control, he did all he can to rig and retain his seat against all decorum but luckily for him, all his undemocratic settings and satanic intentions were muted with the help of card reader and PVC.
Although President Jonathan did remarkably well for conceding defeat which undoubtedly prevented bloodbath in some sections of the country but his action wasn't extraordinary; indeed it's very normal and natural in the face of democracy.
However, making Jonathan heroic simply because he conceded a defeat that must be accepted is not only a mockery to our collective intelligence but also to the memory of all the victims of Jonathan's six years of mismanagement. It is misplaced, parochial and out of point; it is like making a hero out of a villain and a genius out of a mediocre! How can you call a president that presided over the most corrupt regime in world history a hero?
Are we quick to forget all the misdemeanors of President Jonathan and his reign of impunity? This is the most divisive president Nigeria has ever produced, he's the first president to legalized stealing public funds (stealing is not corruption) and criminalized whistleblowers (as in the case of fmr CBN governor). In short, a victory over Jonathan is a victory over impunity, corruption and ethno-religious division. Jonathan's concession cannot erase the pains and miseries inflicted on Nigerians in the past six years resulting from his insensitivity, corruption, impunity and overall maladministration.
The so-called hero planned to form an Interim National Government and submerge the whole democracy having realized an imminent defeat so that power will not return to the opposition. After the plan of Interim National Government failed woefully, Jonathan again moved the idea of sacking Jega to appoint somebody that would be more persuadable to rig himself back to power, he also failed. The same Jonathan also went spending our nation's savings rampantly to traditional/religious leaders and every tom, dick and harry including terrorist groups (OPC and Militants) just to sway their followers to vote him again. Must i have to remind you of all the hate speeches and inciting remarks by Jonathan's attack dogs and the so-called first-lady all in an attempt to garner votes for the president? Jonathan publicly engaged in campaign of calumny and sponsored physical attacks on the opposition and hate-documentaries to blackmail certain big shots within the opposition party. But yet, some misinformed Nigerians are calling him a hero just for accepting defeat. In fact, President Jonathan is not a hero; he is just the outgoing president of Nigeria. Simple!
Looking at Jonathan's body language before and during the election, one must second to the fact that the president wasn't willing to leave power, until some cabals close to the presidency that were looking for a soft landing persuaded him to concede defeat in order for them to leave with their heads held high which may in return save them from further retributions for their sinful activities. Findings by Premium Times also confirmed that President Jonathan was forced to concede defeat by the Minister of Aviation Mr. Osita Chidoka, Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Matters, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa and the Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala against his wish, the four of them pleaded with the president to accept defeat to an extent of kneeling down before he (President Jonathan) agreed to call and congratulate General Buhari. In fact, the controversial telephone call was even placed by Waripamo-Owei Dudafa while kneeling before the president.
Finally, history will remember Goodluck Jonathan not as a hero but a failed president under whose watch $20bn crude oil funds and several billions were unaccounted for, a president whose insensitivity consumed the lives of over 100,000 innocent citizens and made millions refugees in their own land while the whereabouts of several hundreds is still a subject of concern. Jonathan's administration will go down memory lane as a regime symbolize by corruption and impunity, a regime of irresponsibility and rascalities, a regime of bloodbath and fiascos, a regime beneficial to only condemned criminals and some co-devils. Whether you like it or not, Jonathan as a president is the worst calamity to have ever befall Nigeria and he alone, is the architecture of his own failure. I rest my case!
Throughout time, heroes have always set the standard of what real people should strive to be, but can never seem to grasp. A hero is he who can show courage when faced with a problem, he who is able to help another in various ways. A hero is also someone who is there to help others and gives them strength to go on through life’s difficulties, a hero can also be someone who gives up his or her life so another could live.
Generally, heroes distinguished themselves in various aspects of human and social endeavor and they are usually noticed at earlier stages going by what impacts they make on the lives of others. Although there are heroes within our immediate environments that are overlooked everyday and don’t get the recognition they deserve until later in the future before or after their demise.
In Nigerian today, the word "hero" has been so severely abused and miniaturized to someone who concedes defeat rather than he who defeated the so-called hero despite the power of incumbency. Ironically, a hero is not necessarily someone who conceded defeat, or who happens to be victorious in an election. We call the former a looser and the latter a winner. There's nothing impavid in this.
I beg to disagree with that school of thought where a hero is made overnight without pursuing any particular cause nor goal but just for accepting a defeat that must inevitably be accepted no matter how hard you try to dodge. If an elected president can become a hero simply for accepting the outcome of an election, what can you call a football coach who concedes defeat in a football match in which his team looses? A hero too i guess.
Following the outcome of March 28 presidential election in which President Jonathan hurriedly conceded defeat and rang to congratulate the winner, General Muhammadu Buhari, even before results were officially declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigerians with their little understanding of "heroism" were quick to labeled President Jonathan a hero for ordinarily conceding defeat while some even went to the extent of seeking a Nobel Peace prize for the President. The questions here are: Does Goodluck Jonathan has any other choice than to concede? Can we call Dr. Kayode Fayemi a hero for conceding defeat to Governor Ayo Fayose in the last June 2014 gubernatorial in Ekiti state? Can we call Jonathan a hero because he allowed a 'free and fair' election after failing in all attempt to scuttle the whole electioneering process? Of course not!
To me Jonathan is not a hero nor an elder statesman, he is only somebody who had to accept the will of the masses and vacate the seat of power either in peace or in pieces. Gone are the days when any vagabond will refuse to hand over power after loosing in an election; the case of Laurent Gbagbo is a living lesson for whomever wish to learn. In fact, I dont even think Jonathan has the mind to gbagbo Nigerians.
By taking a review of Jonathan's reign of terror for six years and upon realizing how much damage his ineptitude and desperation caused Nigeria, one must wonder where the heroism in him came from. You need no clairvoyant to agree that President Jonathan doesn't want to leave office and even went extra-mile to scuttle the whole election just to remain in control, he did all he can to rig and retain his seat against all decorum but luckily for him, all his undemocratic settings and satanic intentions were muted with the help of card reader and PVC.
Although President Jonathan did remarkably well for conceding defeat which undoubtedly prevented bloodbath in some sections of the country but his action wasn't extraordinary; indeed it's very normal and natural in the face of democracy.
However, making Jonathan heroic simply because he conceded a defeat that must be accepted is not only a mockery to our collective intelligence but also to the memory of all the victims of Jonathan's six years of mismanagement. It is misplaced, parochial and out of point; it is like making a hero out of a villain and a genius out of a mediocre! How can you call a president that presided over the most corrupt regime in world history a hero?
Are we quick to forget all the misdemeanors of President Jonathan and his reign of impunity? This is the most divisive president Nigeria has ever produced, he's the first president to legalized stealing public funds (stealing is not corruption) and criminalized whistleblowers (as in the case of fmr CBN governor). In short, a victory over Jonathan is a victory over impunity, corruption and ethno-religious division. Jonathan's concession cannot erase the pains and miseries inflicted on Nigerians in the past six years resulting from his insensitivity, corruption, impunity and overall maladministration.
The so-called hero planned to form an Interim National Government and submerge the whole democracy having realized an imminent defeat so that power will not return to the opposition. After the plan of Interim National Government failed woefully, Jonathan again moved the idea of sacking Jega to appoint somebody that would be more persuadable to rig himself back to power, he also failed. The same Jonathan also went spending our nation's savings rampantly to traditional/religious leaders and every tom, dick and harry including terrorist groups (OPC and Militants) just to sway their followers to vote him again. Must i have to remind you of all the hate speeches and inciting remarks by Jonathan's attack dogs and the so-called first-lady all in an attempt to garner votes for the president? Jonathan publicly engaged in campaign of calumny and sponsored physical attacks on the opposition and hate-documentaries to blackmail certain big shots within the opposition party. But yet, some misinformed Nigerians are calling him a hero just for accepting defeat. In fact, President Jonathan is not a hero; he is just the outgoing president of Nigeria. Simple!
Looking at Jonathan's body language before and during the election, one must second to the fact that the president wasn't willing to leave power, until some cabals close to the presidency that were looking for a soft landing persuaded him to concede defeat in order for them to leave with their heads held high which may in return save them from further retributions for their sinful activities. Findings by Premium Times also confirmed that President Jonathan was forced to concede defeat by the Minister of Aviation Mr. Osita Chidoka, Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Matters, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa and the Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala against his wish, the four of them pleaded with the president to accept defeat to an extent of kneeling down before he (President Jonathan) agreed to call and congratulate General Buhari. In fact, the controversial telephone call was even placed by Waripamo-Owei Dudafa while kneeling before the president.
Finally, history will remember Goodluck Jonathan not as a hero but a failed president under whose watch $20bn crude oil funds and several billions were unaccounted for, a president whose insensitivity consumed the lives of over 100,000 innocent citizens and made millions refugees in their own land while the whereabouts of several hundreds is still a subject of concern. Jonathan's administration will go down memory lane as a regime symbolize by corruption and impunity, a regime of irresponsibility and rascalities, a regime of bloodbath and fiascos, a regime beneficial to only condemned criminals and some co-devils. Whether you like it or not, Jonathan as a president is the worst calamity to have ever befall Nigeria and he alone, is the architecture of his own failure. I rest my case!
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