Fiza Mohammad sent a message to the members of RAMADAN ๑۩๑ رمضان كريم ๑۩๑ KAREEM.

--------------------
Subject: The second ten days of Ramadan.

The second ten days of Ramadan.
  "The second Ashra"

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
2nd Ashra of Ramadan

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) has said:
It (Ramadhan) is the month, whose beginning is mercy, its middle, forgiveness and its end, emancipation from the fire (of hell) -- Bihar al-Anwar, Vol.: 93, Pg.: 342

Ashra is an Arabic word which means “ten.” In Islamic terminology, the 1st Ashra refers to the first 10 days of the Holy month of Ramadan. The second Ashra refers to the middle 10 days (11-20), and the third Ashra refers to the last set of 10 days (21-30).

The middle Ashra of Ramadan is the time for Maghfirah; the time to wash off our sins. Ramadan is the month to seek Forgiveness and repentance. Having witnessed the Mercy of Allah (SWT) by thanking Him for all that He has granted us, by being good to everyone and keeping ourselves at peace, we realize our relationship with our Rabb, and our role and duties towards Him. This is the time when Allah’s (SWT) Mercy is at its peak, and it is best to utilize this opportunity by imploring Allah to forgive our sins. The Prophet is reported to have said: "Do repent in this month to Allah for your sins, and supplicate with raised hands at the time of prayer as these are the best times, during which Allah Al-Mighty looks at his servants with mercy. Allah answers if they supplicate, responds if they call, grants if He is asked, and accepts if they entreat. O People! You have made your conscience the slave of your desires. Make it free by invoking Allah for forgiveness. Your back may break from the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate (sajda) yourself before Allah, for long intervals, and make this load lighter."

We are required to reflect on these elements in these days of Repentance even more than any other days and this is the time we seek forgiveness and make amendments for our mistakes, never intending to do them again. Do Tauba repeatedly, constantly, and sincerely for Allah loves Tauba, and especially during this Ashra Allah loves to forgive and loves him who seeks forgiveness. Forgive your brothers in Islam, and accept them as friends, and show no ill-treatment or disrespect to others. The Prophet continued and said: "O’ People! Anyone who during this month cultivates good manners, will walk over the Sirat (bridge to Paradise) on the day when feet will tend to slip. For anyone who during this month eases the workload of his servants, Allah will make easy his accounting, and for anyone who does not hurt others during this month, Allah will safeguard him from His wrath on the Day of Judgment."

DUA:
May Allah guide us to Siraat-e Mustaqeem, and grant us the taufeeq to utilize this merciful and ever so forgiving Ashra of the Most Holiest of the Holy Months. May Allah accept our sujood o qayaam and tauba, for indeed His mercy prevails over his wrath, and indeed we are sinners in dire need of that mercy. Aameen.


Best Regards,
Ramadan Kareem Team

http://www.nigeriancurrent.com/ck89-opinion/our-public-water-supply-must-work

Our Public Water Supply Must Work

By Tunji Buhari

Water, it is said, is a free gift of nature. Soon, this may not be the case if plans by the Lagos State Government in collaboration with International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private arm of World Bank, succeed.
Though there have been side denials, there are rumours that the Lagos state government is in talks with the IFC to privatise water supply in Lagos under a so-called Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
The PPP, as experts know, is another form of privatization. The implication is that our right to water as Lagosians will be tied to the privatizers who are only interested in profits.

The planned privatization of Lagos water will not only cause hardship for over 21 million people that it targets and violates their human right to water, but will also result in hike in prices, water shut-offs and low quality water. For water sector workers, it will also mean job losses. Water privatisation has proved to be a failure in some countries where it was introduced. For example, in Manila, Philippines, India and Indonesia. Of recent in Indonesia, a court ruled against an 18-year old World Bank water contract insisting it violated the country’s constitution. In Manila, the strong push to curb the corporate appetite for profits is on-going and in India, the privatization has led to unemployment, poor water quality, etc

In their quest for profits, some of the privatizers have made us believe that public water is not safe for consumption because the source is unhealthy and unwholesome and therefore it promotes bottled water. It is not surprising therefore that in our local restaurants today, bottled water is the order.

We only need to take a cue from the privatization of power sector which has not translated into more hours of electricity to understand what lies ahead. Today consumers pay monthly charges for what they do not consume. It is very clear that privatisation will continue to enrich the big corporations and enslave the people.

The biggest puzzle is that under the administration of Governor Raji Fashola, he kept citizens in the dark regarding the contract of the so-called PPP with the World Bank. A visit to the Ijora Lagos Water Corporation Office to get any information on the involvement of the state in the water privatization is always met with conflicting statements.
The campaign by civil society groups to unravel the mystery around the PPP deal with the IFC is still yet to produce result as a result of the lockup of the LSWC.

It could be said that transparency in allowing Lagosians access to vital information on the deal is not considered an important factor by the promoters of this initiative. Could it be that the Lagos State government is hiding something from the public?

This is the same poser that a coalition led by the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Nigeria Labour Congress and AUCPTRE put before former governor Fashola before he left office. There was no response from him.

We need to remind the incumbent Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode not to forget his electioneering campaign promise that he will not support water privatisation in the state. What the average Lagosian supports is making our public water supply system work.

I Will Come To Nigeria When I Have My British Passport.

I Will Come To Nigeria When I Have My British Passport.

OLATUNJI BUHARI, who recently visited the United Kingdom, writes on his experience and impressions. He also narrates an encounter with a Nigerian who is not in so much hurry to return home

My flight was scheduled for Thursday, February 06, 2014. On the eve of my departure to Queensland, my host had pre-informed me, “Tunji, please, put on a jacket because London is extremely cold”. I replied immediately, don't worry, I am putting on a blazer. I will be fine. Of course I knew it was winter, but thought I could manage. Perhaps, I should have checked the weather report. But I didn’t.

After stepping out of the arrival at Terminal 5 of the Heathrow Airport, the first gust of air that welcomed me was extreme chill like I had never witnessed in all my life. The quick alternative to this unexpected welcome was to run back into the arrival lounge. It was then dawned on me that I had misjudged what I would meet. As I was waiting at the arrival lounge, shivering, my phone rang. Expectedly, it was my host who was already at the airport to receive me. On sighting me he knew what I was experiencing so he removed his jacket and threw it round me. But even with the thick jacket on, the chill was still there.

We left the  airport and set out for our destination at  Ferrari road in West London to see a friend of my friend .  We spent over 5hrs discussing over a bottle of J20 drinks with chips and chicken on the employment opportunities, academics and security in the United Kingdom.

For the purpose of this story, let’s call my friend-friend Pascal. He has been living in London for more than 3years. He said my brother, life here is better than in Naija. I am very much satisfied with job I am doing here. I am doing three different jobs and I get cool pounds at the end of every month. I asked him if he  could not still make the same amount of money in Nigeria. To this he said he was not doing anything when he was in Naija and there was no way he would have made N300,000 in a month on any job. I did not want to prove him wrong or get into any debate with him but of course I know there were some jobs back in Naija that paid even more.

On why he does not want to come back to Nigeria, he said when I get my British passport I will come home. Pascal made several attempts to persuade me to stay with him but I told him I have already secured an hotel. To this, he said I should not worry that we will go and get a refund. I said to him don’t bother, I am here for 5days and after my insistence he agreed

I then finally settled down in my hotel accommodation at Jurry's Inn London Croydon. On entering my room, I headed to my window for a glance of beautiful structures in the city.

I asked my host, I need to eat Naija meal for dinner and his response was that this was not a problem. He instantly put a call to 805 Restaurant and before I could say Jack Robinson the eba and okro soup was here though at exorbitant sum. After I pounced on the eba, I took a shower and retired to my bed for what happened to be first night in London.

The next morning, I woke up very early looking renewed and refreshed. I turned on my TV and tuned to BBC where the Scottish Parliament was discussing the issue of same sex marriage bill! I took my time to listen to the Parliamentarians having just been banned in Nigeria.

The bill which was tagged" Marriage and Civil Partnership". It was on the 3rd stage reading and judging from the presentations by the Parliaments they all seem to be in support of the bill.

Coincidentally, my friend came and said he was also watching the same programme. I asked him if he was aware Nigeria has signed an anti-gay bill. From the looks on his face, he was not. I said to him anyone caught in the acts risk 14years imprisonment.

At about noon, we set out for a tour of London. We visited several malls taking pictures and shopping for friends and family back home. We spent the remaining hours of the day hopping from one mall to another.

Integrated Transport System

Before leaving Nigeria I was scheduled to meet a representative of Peacock College, UK in Lagos for possibility of a short term course but due to pressure of work I could not. In keeping up with my Lagos appointment, my host and I agreed to pay a visit to the college and also to meet another Nigerian friend studying at London South Bank university(LSBU). My host was surprised that a Nigerian could study at the LSBU. I asked him why and his response was that the school fee alone was about Fourteen thousand pounds per session. My mouth was wide agape. I concluded that it was possible she must have won a full or partial scholarship.

Our journey took us by train from Thorten Heat station to Balham station for onward trip to Elepant and Castle where London South Bank University is situated. On arrival at LSBU, our first port of call was the Perry library where my friend was studying hard for an upcoming exam. We met and discussed lots of issues. She took us around from the admission office to the information desk etc.

What fascinated me about the city of London  is the efficient rail transportation  system. It will be difficult for anyone who has travelled out of Nigeria not to be pissed off with the way our leaders have continued to run the affairs of this country since invention of road transportation by vehicles. It thus appears we have not made any progress since then. Though the Jonathan  administration has shown strong commitment in constructing and re-constructing damaged roads in different states  but I think we need to go beyond building roads because the population is growing at geometrical progression and do not see where a constructed two-lane will accommodate us in the nearest future.  

The Nigeria rail sector has been left in a mess.  The coaches are mostly outdated and out of sync with the realities of today. It is argued, and rightly so that the sector is the worst in the country in terms of development. From successive government, right from former President Olusegun Obasanjo till present claimed to have spent huge sums to revive the sector yet nothing visible has been seen.

The same coaches used in eighties when I used to travel from Ebute-Metta, Iddo to Idi-oro are still being used today. A throwback to weeks back when I saw a train moving along Agege Train Station, only God knows the origin,  I could not but watch in amazement as people were hanging by the doors, on the roofs and even at the back of the  train risking their lives.  I was close to tears and wondered  when and how we came to this sorry state and when we will really get things right.

Of course I do not believe our problem is the lack of resources rather, it is the sheer greed and thievery on the part of our public officers. Not too long ago  serving minister was said to have expended a whopping N250 million to purchase just two cars when such could have fixed the rot at airports across Nigeria.

I know our leaders have turned the United Kingdom to a second home where they squander plundered wealth from back here. It is sad that while we still see foreign lands as haven for such illicit actions we fail to ponder how the same people who allow us stash our wealth in their banks think, project ahead to make their nation great. The level of organisation of the traffic network in the UK made me lament the disorganization in the traffic system back home. I  remembered the traffic snarl and man hour of labour lost between Lagos Mainland and the Marina everyday ..And to think an employer would expect an employee to perform optimally. In Lagos we practically spend so many hours in traffic than we spend on productive activities.

In other not to be left behind, we must seriously invest in technology. It dawned on me that the era of going to banks or other institutions where we still battle with network failure is not in sync with the 21^st century. If a university in the UK uses identification card as ATM for the purchase of virtually everything on campus, why not here?

Cigarette smoking: Easy path to ill-health, death

EVERY one knows that smoking hurts, it causes sickness, disability and death. But the harmful effects of smoking may be worse than you really imagine because smoking damages nearly every organ in the human body. Little wonder Mr. Tunji Buhari of the Environmental Rights Action, (ERA), and Friends of the Earth, lamented that, “Tobacco or cigarette smoking is the only known medication that kills half of its users when used as prescribed by the manufactures. It kills over 10,000 persons per day and 4.5 million people yearly.”
As he further disclosed, “Sadly, 70 per cent of this figure are from developing countries, including our own nation, Nigeria and if this trend continues, this figure is anticipated to rise to 10 million a year by 2030.” The history of tobacco is as old as the world itself because almost all parts of the earth has knowledge of tobacco usage and therefore had smoked one form of cigarette or narcotics even in dark ages.
 However, modern attention on the manufacturing of this killer sticks came to light during the slave trade era, when the western world found in Africa, cheap and strong labour which they bought from local greedy African slave merchants, who sold their brethren to the white man, to be used as slaves. These slaves in their millions were wickedly exported to the Americas in special slave ships under very dehumanizing conditions, where most of them worked in tobacco plantations on arrival to the new world, as America was then called, especially in the city of Virginia, United States, to produce raw materials for the production of cigarettes and other dangerous narcotics.
Unfortunately, several years after the abolition of slave trade and slavery, which claimed the lives of many innocent Africans, the tobacco plantations which those slaves nourished for their wicked white masters continued to produce killer narcotics for blacks in developing world as some western nations have banned smoking, having discovered that cigarettes smoking is dangerous to health. In Nigeria, commercial growing of tobacco started in 1934 when British American Tobacco,(BAT), decided to source tobacco leaf locally in preparation for the establishment of a cigarette plant in 1937. BAT has been part owners of the moribund Nigeria Tobacco Company, (NTC). 
Tobacco cultivation first started in Ogbomosho, Iseyin and Ago Are, all in the present day Oyo State, before spreading to the northern part of the country. After the collapse of the Nigeria Tobacco Company, there was another spirited attempt by BAT to relaunch cigarette production in Nigeria. Therefore on September 24, 2001 at an event tagged Nigerian Investment Summit held at Park lane Hotel in London, BAT signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federal Government to set up US$150 million ultra modern cigarette manufacturing plant in Ibadan, Oyo State. Since then, BAT and other cigarette plants have been producing cigarettes to millions of Nigerians who savour these deadly sticks on daily basis. It is estimated that 18 billion cigarettes are sold yearly in Nigeria, with one in every five young Nigerian a smoker, while women smokers have raised to10-fold during the 1990s – 2000. In the United States, acknowledged as one of the world’s highest consumer of cigarettes, 400, 000 Americans die every year from smoking and that is 1,200 per day. Also one every five deaths in this God’s own country was the result of smoking.
Despite the fact that cigarettes contains over 4,000 different chemicals that make them deadly, with 60 per cent of these chemical being carcinogens, which means they can cause cancer, people still puff this sticks as if their lives depended on them. Investigation shows that people smoke for different reasons and which some of them are ready to justify, no matter how long you spend to alert them on the inherent dangers associated with cigarettes or narcotics. Generally, people said they smoke to make them look mature, older and respected and this reason was mostly advanced by teenage smokers.
Others smoke to relax their tensed nerves. Still some see it as status conferrer to set them apart or make them higher than their peers, while some claimed they do it to keep their weight down. And for another set, they come from family of smokers and therefore embraced smoking as family business which they must continue. Again, cigarettes makers spend millions of dollars on adverts, making smoking look cool, elegant, and highly successful, as they usually use music, film, television or even sports stars, and very beautiful, sexy and erotic ladies to send their outwardly innocent but inwardly deadly adverts, publicity and promotion campaigns across their target audience all over the world. The dangerous thing about smoking is that once people get hooked, it is very hard to stop and this is called addiction. And addiction on the other hand is caused by the nicotine contained in cigarettes.
According to Dr.Stephen Oladele of Ola Ayoka Memorial Conval (Health) Clinic, Ogudu, Lagos, “Nicotine stimulates the brain, giving it a sense of euphoria. It raises alertness and lifts a person’s mood, but as time goes on, it takes more nicotine to have this effect. When a person is slowing down or trying to quit smoking, nicotine levels in the blood stream drops but withdrawal is never easy.” However, whatever was gained as the result of the decision by a smoker to quit is lost the moment he or she starts smoking again which gets the nicotine level in the blood stream going higher once again, like a diabetic patient who allowed too much carbohydrates into his system, thereby shooting up his or her sugar level.
Dr. Oladele further said that, “Smoking primarily causes cancer, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory ailment, and harms reproduction.” On a broader spectrum, smoking has been linked to cancers of the lungs, mouth, throat, larynx (voice box), esophagus, pancreas, kidney and bladder. Smoking could also lead to cancer of the stomach, cervix and acute myeloid leukemia or cancer of the blood. Smoking it was disclosed causes more cases of lung cancer as smokers are about 20 times more likely to develop lung cancer than non- smokers. Smoking causes 90 per cent of lung cancer deaths in men and 80 per cent in women. Smokers are four times likely to die from coronary heart diseases than non- smokers. It causes atherosclerosis, or hardening and narrowing of your arteries which may lead to strokes. Smokers could suffer from abdominal aortic aneurysms, a dangerous weakening and ballooning of the major arteries near your stomach. If you smoke during childhood and teenage years, it slows your lung growth and causes your lungs to decline at a younger age. Smoking is related to chronic coughing, wheezing and asthma among children, teens and adults. It also causes half of all cases of adult periodontitis, a serious gum infection that can cause pain and tooth loss. Dr Oladele equally stated that, “Smoking seriously harms reproduction as it causes lower fertility in women, induces placenta previa and placenta abruption which are conditions that can make the baby to be born too early and then be sick. The nicotine in cigarettes smoke reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the fetus and could also retard baby’s growth in the womb resulting to low birth weight.”
Further investigation showed that smokers are less healthy than nonsmokers, have increased risk of cataracts, and low sexual drive. They are linked with inability of wounds to heal fast, and respiratory problems, with women smokers’ bones losing density very fast after attaining menopauses. One crazy revelation about smoking is that while smokers risk their lives by inhaling nicotine into their lungs and other vital internal organs, nonsmokers who stay near smokers as they puff their stick are also, unfortunately, at risk of tobacco death. Non smokers who innocently inhale smoke from smokers engage in second-hand smoking equally called environmental tobacco smoke or passive smoking, because some quantity of nicotine also enter their system and could damage some organs and cause sickness to unfortunate non smokers. According to WHO report, “It has been confirmed that for every eight smokers who die, one innocent bystander also dies from second-hand smoke and if one is exposed to second-hand smoke for about 120 minutes, then the person must have smoked the equivalent of four sticks of cigarettes.”
Surprisingly, despite these frightening health hazards associated with smoking, people still smoke as if without it they will die the next moment. This writer had interesting interaction with some smokers to find out why in the first place they decided to smoke cigarettes, what they gain from smoking, the health hazards they experienced and when they hope to finally drop this deadly habit. Mr. Oyetunde Olusoji, a young Interior Decorator disclosed that he started smoking cigarette in 1998 due to peer group influence. “Honestly, I still don’t understand why I joined my friends who smoke to do the same. I just wanted to belong to the big boys group and to be seen as one of the movers and shakers of the school environment in which I found myself. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I got hooked into this deadly act and I don’t know how to remove myself from it.” Mr. Olusoji stated that sometimes, certain conditions stimulate the need to smoke. For instance, “If Iam alone and feel bored, I will have the urge to smoke and also whenever I drink beer, only God could stop me from smoking because once Iam taking beer, the next thing that comes to my mind is to smoke and I must satisfy that urge. Interestingly, Mr. Olusoji is aware of the health hazards linked to smoking and even postulated that 60-70 per cent of chest and lung pains come from smoking. However, he argued that since some people developed cancer of the lungs without even touching a stick of cigarette, he no longer bothers himself on the dangers inherent in smoking as long as his urge is satisfied each time the feeling to smoke envelopes him, fully aware that one day, he will die of one illness or the other. As he further disclosed, “One negative effect of smoking on me which I regret so much is the social stigma it hangs on me as some of my girlfriends refused to kiss me because my mouth always smelled of cigarettes. My girlfriends at a stage, individually, asked me to choose between them and cigarette and when I chose my stick over all of them, I knew that my liberation from smoking was still very far. If you smoke, you can hardly get responsible girlfriends because any girl that accepted to befriend you as a smoker if you investigate well, equally has bad habit which when you discover and want to make noise over it, she will blackmail you with your smoking act and you will have no option than to keep tolerating each other’s vices.”
But in a very interesting swift, Mr. Olusoji dramatically decided to quit smoking in 2006 only to resume in2009. According to him, he returned to smoking when he encountered serious challenges which mounted pressure on him, thereby tensing him up. So till today, he is still helplessly addicted to nicotine, hoping that one day God will grant him the grace to quit what he tagged “this destructive habit that robbed me of all my responsible girlfriends, leaving me with the bad ones as I don’t expect any reasonable girl to date a smoker.” 
A former chronic smoker, Pastor James Okoro, founder and general overseer of the Word Foundation Assembly, Lagos, who by what he identified as the special grace of God and his will power, discipline and determination quit smoking in 1997, a habit he acquired in 1983 said that, “There is an evil spirit in cigarettes that induces people to smoke. The day that unclean spirit of nicotine addiction left me, I knew that I have been liberated. The very bad aspect of smoking is that every smoker will advance reasons to justify his action. Some light a stick each time they wanted to go the toilet as thy claim it helps them to empty their bowels. To others, it simply gives them joy and any attempt to stop smoking takes the joy in their lives away which is ploy by the devil to get them permanently hooked to smoking. Others will tell you that whenever they drink beer, they must smoke so that the beer will go down their throat very well.”
Pastor Okoro said that smokers should be pitied because quitting cigarette smoking is not an easy task. But he counseled that because of the health hazards linked to smoking which he experienced while he smoked, people should halt smoking without further delay. Those who want to stop must involve God in the process as no smoker can automatically quit smoking with power of the flesh because of cigarette’s addictive nature. Before he stopped smoking, he first bid farewell to alcohol which stimulates him to smoke, cut off from his friends who smoked to avoid any temptation, and fully declared himself a born again Christian before all his friends and neighbours, preaching fiercely against smoking. He said that after few weeks, when the urge came up, he looked for a very secret place to hide and smoke so that people he had already told that he was now born again will not see him smoking. However, when he found that there was no hiding place for the gold fish, he used will power and prayers to suppress the urge and subsequently became freed from nicotine addiction.
He advised those who want stop smoking to reject suggestion by some people to go for an alternative to smoking like kola nut, bitter kola, and alcohol, sweets among others, disclosing that if one quits smoking to embrace kola nut for instance, he could again be addicted to kola nut which contains caffeine that is equally harmful if taken constantly in large quantity. “Once you have prayed to God to direct the Holy Spirit to help you stop smoking, let your yes be yes and no be no because anybody who said no to something and could not maintain his no, is a fool. And since I don’t want to be classified as a fool, I totally rejected smoking, and the urge disappeared after two weeks. Up till today, I have never gone back to smoking. Smoking is almost like a curse for an addicted smoker can even go and wake up his worst enemy for cigarettes, once the urge sets in.”
For Mr. Rowland Chukwuka, an Immigration expert, he started smoking in 1996 when he was still in secondary school, stopped in1997 only to go back in the year 2000. “I started smoking through the influence of friends in school. I felt that they are high up there and what they were doing by smoking was very good, and I wanted to belong to the big boys club. Again in 2003, I quit smoking only to return to this bad habit in 2007. It is not as if one deliberately went back, but it is only God Almighty that can help me stop smoking by taking care of me whenever Iam under pressure which actually triggers my quest for cigarettes. I assured my wife on several occasions that I was quitting, only to disappoint her by embracing smoking again.”
Mr. Chukwuka admitted like others that he was fully aware of the hazards linked to narcotics but said that addiction is a very dangerous thing for once you are hooked to a habit, it becomes very difficult to pull out. “Before I temporarily stopped smoking, I experienced terrible headache, which was near a migraine, my dress sense nose-dived as I found myself unkempt and could go without bath for days, stinking even to myself of congealed smoke. I was excommunicated in some quarters and I utterly appeared near irresponsible.”
Lamenting further on the plight of addiction, he said, “It is a big shame to even think that as a member of the Red Cross Society, I still indulge in this awful habit. I hope to one day develop the will power to quit smoking, if not for any other reason, for my children’s future, so that I will not die young and make them fatherless at tender ages. Non smokers should never think of embracing it because all those things you see on cigarettes adverts are false life styles, tailored to get you hooked to smoking. They should obey the warning by the Federal Ministry of Health that cigarettes smokers are liable to die young, for once diagnosed of cancer, then, your days are really numbered on this earth.”
A journalist, who simply called himself Jones, said that he has been smoking for the past 20 years. According to him, he left secondary school, came to Lagos to stay with his big uncles and then look for job. It happened that most of his uncles were smokers and he innocently grew up with them to believe that smoking was a good way of life and has been puffing since that regrettable informal initiation into the club of smokers by his uncles, which could be described as a navigational error. As he recounted, “I started smoking due to peer group pressure as I tried to belong. In those days in question, if you don’t smoke, womanize or drink what then makes you a good big boy. I craved to belong and even when I entered higher school in 1986/87, I continued smoking to maintain the big boy status on campus. I smoke whenever Iam tensed up or under pressure, if Iam drinking beer or when Iam lonely, driving alone back home after work. I saw smoking as part of growing up as those I emulated never told me that it was a dangerous habit until I became addicted because I did not realize what I was doing to myself in the first place and when to call it quits.”
 Jones said that though he has not been clinically diagnosed of any ailment linked to tobacco smoking, “I knew that some serious pains I do feel at my back were induced by smoking because if I leave smoking for some time, the pains disappear only to return when I resume.” He disclosed that the warning on cigarettes packs meant to serve as deterrent has no effect on him, for if it did, he would have stopped smoking long time ago. “So the best I could do is to stop it before it stops me for if I don’t stop smoking, cigarette will stop me. A situation where hide my mouth from my wife even after using mouhfreshner so that she would not decode that I smoked is certainly not the best.”
Another journalist, who pleaded anonymity, told this writer that he derailed into this dangerous zone of nicotine consumption since 1975, made a failed attempt to stop in 1996 but resumed almost immediately and had not considered making another move to quit since that botched attempt. He stated that his smoking habit has caused him breathing difficulties, lack of energy to do strenuous jobs meant for young men, and has seriously lowered his libido or sex drive. Again, he disclosed that smoking made him cough always as he said that there is what is called smokers cough, which is recurrent whether one has cough or not. He experienced pains in his chest, lungs and had fractured relationships with women because of smoking.
This journalist, who is a prolific writer, condemned attitude of Africans to smokers when he blasted, “I don’t see why Africans claim to be holier than the Pope, as smoking in most parts of Africa is still regarded as sin with serious moral burden. Those who smoke in some parts of Africa are viewed as direct candidates to hell fire, who require no visas to enter that terrible place meant for Satan and his servants. In Europe where I grew up, people were concerned only with the health implications of nicotine to smokers and not whether they will go to hell or heaven. In Italy, ashtrays were placed on tables in classrooms and both students and teachers were free to express themselves by smoking if the urge was instigated.”
He disclosed that he is chain smoker who buys cigarettes in rolls and could smoke up to four packs in a day. Speaking further, this articulate journalist who from the way he puffed as our interaction interview progressed has actually mastered the act of smoking yelled again, “Don’t condemn or sympathize with smokers, feel for them and hope that they change because you may be suffering from other forms of addictions, more dangerous than cigarette. It is very difficult to quit smoking because nicotine is involved which is addictive. In my case, I once commenced fasting all in the struggle to stop smoking. During the fasting, whereas I did not eat food, I couldn’t resist the urge to add more nicotine into my system, and therefore I broke the fasting by smoking some sticks. It is indeed better not to start smoking than to think of the gruesome road that leads to quitting this habit.”
Asked if he is not afraid of Federal Ministry of Health’s warning that smokers are liable to die young, he exploded again, “That is outright hypocrisy. How can the government that granted license to these tobacco firms to operate in Nigeria turn around to discourage people from buying the products of companies that pay huge taxes to them? That is why nobody is taking the warning on cigarettes packs serious. If government is honest, let them revoke those firms’ operating licenses and ban them from producing cigarettes in Nigeria, because government posture only amounts to giving with the right hand, only to retrieve with the left hand, which is day light robbery.”
On how to stop the inherent dangers in smoking, he went philosophical; “Every age has its own poison. There was time when alcohol was in vogue, and then tobacco came on board. At a point in history, people took designers drugs like ecstasy and Chinese pill. Then Indian hemp or Marijuana became status conferral on musicians, actors, dancers among others sometimes ago. Today, they take cocaine, heroine, and tobacco. If only for medical implication, I support the clamor to ban cigarette smoking. But again, people will find other poisons to fill their system with but I believe that one day, cigarette will go out of fashion.”
If cigarettes smokers themselves have testified that smoking is dangerous, what is the government doing to ensure that its citizens don’t die young as the result of smoking. Interestingly, the Federal Government instituted a case in court against three tobacco firms some years ago, demanding 22 billion British pounds for glamorizing cigarettes smoking through deceptive adverts targeted to lure youths into smoking. Though the case is yet to be decided, it is a step in the right direction but we had expected the Federal Government to consider the health implications of tobacco in its entirety before granting license to tobacco firms to start producing this dangerous product in our country just because government wanted funds from these companies.
Again, the compulsory inscription by cigarette makers on their packs, warning on the side effects of smoking is also encouraging, only that it is one thing to warn somebody to desist from doing something, but the onus to adhere to the warning lies on the reader. It now becomes a typical case of leading the horse to the river but not forcing it to drink. Worthy of mention and emulation by other states was the decision by the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Abuja which banned smoking in public places on June 1, 2008, to ensure safer air and also prevent second-hand smokers from suffering innocently while the real smokers burn their hearts.
However, the silence maintained by the Federal Government on taking long lasting decision on how to control smoking or ban it out rightly is not in the interest of the nation. The Federal Government should take a cue from the governments of South Africa and Kenya who summoned courage to enact laws regulating smoking in their countries. In South Africa, a law banning smoking in public places and cigarette adverts was enacted, making the people to be conscious of their environment and health for there are penalties for offenders. Also in Kenya, there is a standing law which banned smoking in public places, especially in the capital city, Nairobi. Though the law became effective for sometimes before it slacked, it was a step in the right direction and we expect the Nigerian government to come out with a holistic direction that will make smoking in public places a thing of the past. In fact, against the background that tobacco firms target youths who are the leaders of tomorrow, should make the Federal Government react fast and safeguard the teeming population of our youths, before these glamorous tobacco adverts lure them into smoking today, only to render them useless by one tobacco related disease or the order tomorrow, when we shall look up to the youths to take over from the old and aging leaders.
For smokers who want to quit, physicians developed and monitored website, Healthcommunities.com suggested the following five steps towards final disengagement from cigarette smoking. The are, Get Ready, Get Support, Develop Strategies, Ask Doctor about Prescription Medications and Prevent Relapse. In getting ready, the smoker should outline reasons for quitting, keep diary on when he/she smokes and what triggers it on, research on available information in your area about quitting, set date for quitting and on this date, get rid of ashtrays, lighters and all tobacco products.
In getting support, ask health provider for advice on quitting, sign up for a smoking cessation programmme, talk to friends and family for support and keep journal of your thoughts and feelings during this challenging process.
Developing strategies should make the person learn yoga, meditation, deep breathing, start physical exercises, talk to counselors and research into nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) options. In asking doctor about medications, consider medication that can help reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms and improve your chance of success, research your medication and other withdrawal treatment options. Finally according to these distinguished doctors, in preventing relapse, keep busy. When the urge comes, take one deep breath at a time until it passes. If you relapse, don’t give up; remember many people who quit had to try several times before succeeding.

Fiza Mohammad sent a message to the members of RAMADAN ๑۩๑ رمضان كريم ๑۩๑ KAREEM.

Fiza Mohammad sent a message to the members of RAMADAN ๑۩๑ رمضان كريم ๑۩๑ KAREEM.

--------------------
Subject: The second ten days of Ramadan.

The second ten days of Ramadan.
  "The second Ashra"

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
2nd Ashra of Ramadan

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) has said:
It (Ramadhan) is the month, whose beginning is mercy, its middle, forgiveness and its end, emancipation from the fire (of hell) -- Bihar al-Anwar, Vol.: 93, Pg.: 342

Ashra is an Arabic word which means “ten.” In Islamic terminology, the 1st Ashra refers to the first 10 days of the Holy month of Ramadan. The second Ashra refers to the middle 10 days (11-20), and the third Ashra refers to the last set of 10 days (21-30).

The middle Ashra of Ramadan is the time for Maghfirah; the time to wash off our sins. Ramadan is the month to seek Forgiveness and repentance. Having witnessed the Mercy of Allah (SWT) by thanking Him for all that He has granted us, by being good to everyone and keeping ourselves at peace, we realize our relationship with our Rabb, and our role and duties towards Him. This is the time when Allah’s (SWT) Mercy is at its peak, and it is best to utilize this opportunity by imploring Allah to forgive our sins. The Prophet is reported to have said: "Do repent in this month to Allah for your sins, and supplicate with raised hands at the time of prayer as these are the best times, during which Allah Al-Mighty looks at his servants with mercy. Allah answers if they supplicate, responds if they call, grants if He is asked, and accepts if they entreat. O People! You have made your conscience the slave of your desires. Make it free by invoking Allah for forgiveness. Your back may break from the heavy load of your sins, so prostrate (sajda) yourself before Allah, for long intervals, and make this load lighter."

We are required to reflect on these elements in these days of Repentance even more than any other days and this is the time we seek forgiveness and make amendments for our mistakes, never intending to do them again. Do Tauba repeatedly, constantly, and sincerely for Allah loves Tauba, and especially during this Ashra Allah loves to forgive and loves him who seeks forgiveness. Forgive your brothers in Islam, and accept them as friends, and show no ill-treatment or disrespect to others. The Prophet continued and said: "O’ People! Anyone who during this month cultivates good manners, will walk over the Sirat (bridge to Paradise) on the day when feet will tend to slip. For anyone who during this month eases the workload of his servants, Allah will make easy his accounting, and for anyone who does not hurt others during this month, Allah will safeguard him from His wrath on the Day of Judgment."

DUA:
May Allah guide us to Siraat-e Mustaqeem, and grant us the taufeeq to utilize this merciful and ever so forgiving Ashra of the Most Holiest of the Holy Months. May Allah accept our sujood o qayaam and tauba, for indeed His mercy prevails over his wrath, and indeed we are sinners in dire need of that mercy. Aameen.


Best Regards,
Ramadan Kareem Team

Member Spotlight: Environmental Rights Action in Nigeria

This month Sokari interviews Tunji Buhari who is an Environmental Campaign Worker for Environmental Rights Action, Friends of the Earth Nigeria. He is based in Lagos and has been working with ERA on their Anti-Tobacco campaign. 

Sokari: The Anti-Tobacco campaign in Nigeria is fairly new. Can you give us some background on the campaign? When it started and why at that particular time?

Tunji: Tobacco is the only known product that kills half of its users when used as prescribed by the manufacturer. It kills over 10,000 persons a day and 4.5 million people a year. Sadly, 70percent of this figure is from developing countries. If the current trends continue, the figure is anticipated to rise to 10million a year by 2030. In Nigeria, Commercial growing of tobacco started in 1934 when British American Tobacco (BAT) decided to source tobacco leaf locally in preparation for the establishment of a cigarette plant in Ibadan in 1937. BAT has been a part owner of the moribund Nigeria Tobacco Company(NTC). Tobacco cultivation first started in Ogbomosho, Iseyin and Ago Are, all in the old Oyo State, before spreading to the Northern part of the country. But before the BAT onslaught, tobacco growing in the country was at its lowest.

On September 24, 2001 at an event dubbed the Nigerian Investment Summit held at park Lane Hotel London, British American Tobacco (BAT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government of Nigeria to build a USD150 million ultra modern cigarette manufacturing plant in Ibadan, Oyo State, South West Nigeria At the event, the Nigerian government and the tobacco mogul reached a consummated agreement for the removal of all barriers to BAT's war on public health and the globalization of death, poverty and diseases.

In the calculation of BAT strategists, the Nigerian market is the most crucial in Africa for the company to survive. The anti-tobacco policies of its home country and those being introduced by the European Union were suffocating BAT. In their desperation to explore Nigeria's huge market possibilities, the tobacco giants have facilitated massive smuggling, introduced sophisticated advertisement and overnwhelming marketing gimmicks.

Tobacco, in addition to being a public health disaster, exerts negative impact on national development, the economy, environment and social well-being of persons. It is a purveyor of poverty by promoting irrational allocation of resources. It also compounds third world economic problems as the short term benefits of the whole tobacco trade go only into the vaults of western business moguls. The anti- tobacco project of the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth, Nigeria (ERA) is a resistance to the contrivance of tobacco transnational led by British American Tobacco (BAT) to reduce Nigeria to a haven of rejected products and its people to pawns on the chessboard of corporations. The anti-tobacco campaign takes root in ERA's mission of exposing negative corporate practices and facilitating the enactment of effective policies for sustainable development. And in the tobacco case, policies that will create the needed supportive environment to enable Nigerians live healthy lives and be protected from the greed of global death merchants. 

Sokari: What is the aim of the campaign and how does it relate to other environmental issues in Nigeria?

The aim of the campaign is to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke by promoting the national tobacco control bill in the parliament in order to reduce continually and substantially the prevalence of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke Every aspect of cigarette production is a contributory factor to environmental degradation. Clearing of land for tobacco farming , cutting wood to cure leaves and for making paper for packaging cigarettes, leads to deforestation and other environmental blight. For the production of the "Flue-cured" tobacco, BAT's Training and Demonstration Centre in Iseyin, Oyo State, huge mass of wood dot all the curing barns in the facility. In curing tobacco leaves, they are first stacked on poles, where heat from the wood is directed at them over a minimum of one week period. Cutting of trees for tobacco curing accounts for 1.6 percent of loss around the world with most occurring in developing countries. Also some of the chemicals used in the cultivation of tobacco like, methybromide destroy the environment by killing nematodes and other soil organisms. Recently the capital Abuja was declared a "Smoke free zone". 

Sokari: How difficult has it been to achieve this - what sort of response did you get from the Federal Territory, the Federal Government and people respectively?

Tunji: On June 1, 2008, the Federal Capital Territory declared all public places smoke free. Abuja is going smoke free is as a result of our work and commitment over the past years to ensure that everyone breaths a safer air. The need to protect the non smoking public from the dangers associated with cigarette smoking makes it necessary for the enforcement of the ban on smoking in public places. There is evidence that shows that exposure to Second Hand Smoke can caused diseases and death. Second Hand Smoke is a combination of the smoke which a smoker exhales and the one that comes out of the burning end of a cigarette. This Second Hand smoke is also known as the Environmental Tobacco smoke (ETS) or Passive smoking. Tobacco is a complex mixture of about 4,000 cancer causing chemicals that are extremely harmful to the body. It has also been confirmed that for every eight smoker who die, one innocent bystander also dies from second hand smoke and if one is exposed to second hand smoke for about 120minutes, then the person must have smoked and equivalent of four cigarettes. Second Hand Smoke is as deadly as the real tobacco smoke.. Because of these negative effects of smoking on Non-Smokers the smoke free Abuja will put public health above profits made from selling cigarettes. It will reduce the rate of smoking especially among the young and underage people who are actually the target of the tobacco companies.. Smoke free public places will make the environment cleaner and residents can breathe safer air. The benefits of also going smoke free will help towards achieving the Millennium Development Goal(MDG) of halving poverty by 2015. Because money spent on tobacco products will help provide food and shelter for families.

So far so good, the responses and support from the Federal Capital Territory, Federal Government has been very encouraging. And also the massive media enlightment campaign to inform residents about the enforcement has also be commendable. 

Sokari: What technologies such as the internet and mobile phones have you used in the tobacco campaign and how effective have they been?

Tunji: ERA have been using internet and mobile phones in campaign and launch her Anti-Tobacco Campaign goes on mobile phones last year.

The introduction of mobile phones into ERA tobacco campaign project came after the participation in a mobile activists workshop in Nairobi, Kenya on how to use ICT to press for a policy change. The mobile phone introduction is part of ERA's culture of providing hidden facts behind corporate maneuvers so that Nigerian policy makers can make informed decisions. It is to also create awareness about the hazards of smoking to Nigerians through SMS and also sending some tips to smokers on how to kick out the habit of smoking.

In the same vein, ERA has set up a hotline anti-tobacco campaign which is toll free for all Nigerians to ask question and receive feedback on the dangers of smoking.. The hotline is designed to answer questions on the dangers of tobacco use through SMS. 

Sokari: What lessons have you learned about using mobile phones as a campaigning tool?

Tunji: Clearly, Mobile Phones have played a key role in the tobacco control as a means of communication about the tobacco epidemic in an accurate, realistic and less expensive way.

Mobile phone has been used to create awareness about the hazards of smoking to Nigerians through SMS a tips to smokers on how to kick out the habit of smoking. The introduction of Mobile Phones has had a huge impact on the populace and judging from the numbers of phone calls and responses we have been receiving.

Sokari: ERA has for many years worked in the Niger Delta with local human rights activists and communities against the environmental crimes committed by oil multinationals. Have you thought of using mobile phones to document environmental abuses such as oil spillages and fires?

Tunji: Yes. In 2007 ERA launched a toll-free GREEN LINES to report ecological disasters in any community. If there is any ecological threat in a community whether e.g i pipeline ruptures, fires, pollution or any activity that threatens the environment. The GREEN LINES are toll- free . What SMS platform do you use for your environmental campaigns and how effective are they?

We use 2cheapsms platform for our campaign, which provides the simplest and easiest way to send individualized bulk messages (SMS) to a group of people. What other sectors, besides tobacco control and the mining / petroleum sector, is ERA involved with.

ERA Programme areas include:

Natural Resources and Communtiy Conservation, Energy and Mining, Environmental Education and Mining, Tobacco Control, Democracy Outreach, Trade and Development, Gender, Genetically Modified Organisms, Legal Resources, Media and Publications Nigeria has a very poor infrastructure and electricity provision is a major problem. What are the technological challenges you face as an organisation and as a staff member on a day to day basis due to the poor infrastructure.
The cost effectiveness- I mean the outrageous tariff charges of the mobile network provider.
Lack of electricity which we use to charge mobiles phones for our campaign are not available, we run on generator most time.
Also network problem which make it difficult to reach some of our local people.
Illiteracy: Judging from past experience, a lot of people don't know how to use their mobile phones to send and read sms in English.

Sokari: Why did you get into working on environmental issues?

Tunji: I have been hearing about the environmental degradation going in the Niger Delta for so many years but I was totally committed to the environmental issues when I read a book titled: WHERE VULTURES FEAST: 40 years of SHELL in the Niger Delta by Oronto Douglas and Ike Okonta. The book revealed so many human rights atrocities committed by the multinational oil companies especially Royal Dutch/Shell who is the operating company of the largest oil-producing joint venture in Nigeria. Shell accounts for some 50percent of oil production in the country, the bulk of it in the Niger Delta where the company opened its first well in 1958.