Cellphones and tablets: Radiation risk?

 September 24, 2014 | By Better Health Publishing

Kids love iPads. They’re bright, easy to use, tactile and fun. There have even been videos of toddlers tapping print magazines to close or expand images — and being disappointed when that doesn’t work. In a way, tablets have changed the way we think about the world.

But there’s a question that’s beginning to dawn, especially considering the rapid adoption of these devices as educational tools for children: How safe are they?

For years, people have been concerned that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted by cellphones and other sources are dangerous, possibly carcinogenic. However, since tablets are basically enlarged phones, they might also pose a risk. With so many of these and similar devices being brought into schools, we need to take a hard look at the potential dangers.

EMF

Electromagnetic fields are produced by any electrically charged object. In other words, we are pretty much surrounded by them. More research needs to be done, but there is some early evidence they can do harm.

A study in the Journal of Neuro-Oncology found EMFs from cellphones can damage DNA in the brain. Another study, published in the International Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, Also showed a heightened risk of DNA damage from cellphones.

In 2011, the World Health Organization classified EMFs as potential carcinogens. Let’s be clear: This does not mean EMFs cause cancer. It simply means the issue warrants further research. Since there are billions of cellphones in the world, the sooner we figure out their safety level, the sooner we can figure out what constitutes appropriate use.

Tablets

But what about tablets? They are similar to cellphones, and every time a tablet refreshes a Web page it emits radiation. They are certainly wonderful tools, but what are the risks?

Looking at the numbers, iPads in Wi-Fi mode may produce significantly more radiation than smart phones, even when not connected to a network. Because children can use iPads for long periods, they may be getting quite a dose. This is concerning because we need to clarify what constitutes a safe EMF level.

However, there is significant anecdotal evidence already that EMFs from tablet computers do, in fact, produce health consequences. For example, there are a number of accounts on forums from people who became dizzy or nauseated after using an iPad. Again, we must approach this with caution. They could be reacting to the EMF, but they could also be sensitive to the flicker from their screens.

It’s also quite possible that some people are more sensitive to EMF radiation. There have been many personal anecdotal accounts of people experiencing migraines, fatigue and insomnia and other issues when exposed to such radiation.

Protection

Whether we can prove sensitivity to EMFs or not, there are a number of ways to protect ourselves from the effects of different types of radiation in general. The first line of defense is adopting a diet rich in plant-based nutrients. Phytonutrient compounds such as polyphenols can help neutralize free radicals, dangerous molecules that can damage human DNA.

Start with fruits and vegetables, particularly brightly colored ones. The same molecules that make them colorful also provide antioxidant protection. Food-based vitamins are also an important source of antioxidants, particularly vitamins C, A, E and D3.

We’ve often noted that people who have trouble with EMFs also show sensitivity to heavy metals and other toxins. As part of a comprehensive detox, we recommend both modified citrus pectin (MCP) and alginates, which are derived from fruit peels and brown kelp respectively. These botanicals are excellent at removing heavy metals, as well as radioactive isotopes. MCP also binds to the inflammatory protein galectin-3, which has been linked to cancer and cardiovascular disease.

How we use tablets affects our exposure. We strongly recommend that everyone thoroughly read their device instructions, which describe where the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular antennas are located. Try to keep these antennas away from your body. Limit use when possible.

There’s no doubt that iPads and other tablets are an advanced technology. They are also new, and their safety quotient isn’t fully understood. Twenty years from now, we may find they pose no appreciable risk. We could also find the opposite. In our view, it’s best to play it safe.

Full list of winners @ The Headies 2015

on January 02, 2016   /   in Entertainment, News 1:19 pm   /   Comments

Headies Hall of Fame
2Face Idibia

Best Street-Hop Artiste
Olamide (‘Bobo’)
Best Pop Single
‘Godwin’ by Korede Bello

Best Male Performance
Timi Dakolo (‘Wish me well’)

Best R&B single
‘Wish me well’ by Timi Dakolo

Best rap single
‘King kong’ by Vector

Best Vocal Performance (female)
Aramide (‘Iwo Nikan)

Best Ragga/dancehall single
‘German juice’ by Cynthia Morgan

Best Music Video
‘Katapot’ (by Reekado Banks, video shot by Unlimited L.A)

Best Collaboration
‘Local Rappers’ – Reminisce ft Olamide, Phyno & StormRex

Best Rap Album
“Chairman” by M.I

Best Music Producer
Legendary Beatz (‘Ojuelegba’)

Lyricist On The Roll
Vector

Next Rated
Reekado Banks

Revelation of The Year
Yemi Alade

Recording of the year
‘Wish me well’ – Timi Dakolo

Best Alternative Song
‘Sade’ – Adekunle Gold

Special Recognition Award
Don Jazzy

Best Pop/R&B Album
AYO – Wizkid

Artiste of The Year
Olamide

Song of The Year
‘Ojuelegba’ – Wizkid

Rookie of The Year
YCee

Zaria Clash: We’ve no apology to any group threatening Nigeria’s peace – Army

on January 06, 2016   /   in News 7:18 pm   /   Comments

The General Officer Commanding, (GOC) 1 Mechanized Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, has said that, the Nigerian Army has no apology for its recent encounter with members of the Islamic sect, Shi’ites, in Zaria, Kaduna State.

File Photo: Army-Shi’ites clash in Zaria, Kaduna State

The GOC said that, the Army cannot fold its arms and watch any group or sect threaten the peace and stability of the country.

Addressing newsmen at the headquarters of 1 Division in Kaduna on Wednesday, the GOC said, the Army has no issue with the Shi’ites, saying “they are like any other sect in the land, but as long as they obey the law of the land no problem, but if any group chooses to challenge the authority of the land, it means they do not value the sanctity of life and the constitution of Nigeria.”

The GOC added that the military has no issue with the Islamic sect, pointing out that even some military personnel are Shiites by religious calling, but they respected and obeyed constituted authority, and the military has no issue with them.

According to him, “Army has paid heavily with the blood of its officers and men to protect this country, and so we have no apology to any group, either Shiites Islamic sect, Christian sect, even pagan sect that is threatening the peace of the country.

“We don’t have any issue with the Shiites or any sect at all in the land as long as they obey the law of the land. But if any group tends to challenge the constituted authority of the land, it means that such group does not respect the constitution of the land.

“Even in the military, we have Shiites members, but there is no issue with them because they are law abiding citizens.

“But we have issues with those who creates a State within a State, and our rules of engagement are very clear, that is, when there is threat to a constituted authority, it must be arrested before it goes full blown.

“We know the business of violence but we apply it professionally if the peace of the land is being threatened, so we are appealing to Nigerians who are bent on causing violence stay off,” he said.

The GOC however insisted that the Army remains the guidance of Nigerian democracy, but stated that, an attempt on the Chief of the nation’s Army is akin to an attempt on a sitting president.

Giving an overview of the activities of the division in 2015, the GOC said, “We want to re assure the members of the North West zone that the army will do everything possible as mandated by the constitution of Nigeria to protect our people and to enable the people go about their activities without molestation.”

Facebook to train Nigerian Senators on use of application

on November 13, 2015   /   in News 9:00 am   /   Comments

Abuja – Senators are to receive free Facebook training, says the Chief of Staff to the President of the Senate, Sen. Isa Galaudu on Thursday in Abuja.

Galaudu, in a letter sent to the senators inviting them for the event, said the training was in line with the promise of the leadership of the 8th Senate to utilise the social media.

“Senators and their aides receive training on use of facebook in line with the promise of the President of the Senate to ensure more representative legislature using e-parliamentary tools.

“This is a partnership between the Office of the Senate President and Facebook.

“Senators and aides who wish to participate in the programme should please email grsenatesocial@gmail.com with their full names.’’
The Facebook team, led by the African Head of Public Policy, will be in Nigeria at the weekend for the training slated for Monday.

According to the Special Assistant to the President of the Senate on Social Media, Bamikole Omishore, the training is at no cost to the senate as Facebook offered to conduct the training for free.

Southeast governors reject relocation of Boko Haram suspects

 July 6, 2015  Written by Okodili Ndidi, Owerri

Governors from the Southeast zone yesterday condemned the relocation of Boko Haram suspects to Ekwulobia Prisons in Anambra state.

They noted that the presence of the terror suspects in the region was creating tension and fear and urged the federal government to relocate them to Abuja “where there is security”

The governors might have been referring to the series of protests in Anambra state by traders and some community leaders over the relocation of the prisoners to the state.

The governors met yesterday in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

Apart from host Goveror Rochas Okorocha. In attendance were Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).

Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi was represented by Deputy Governor Kelechi Igwe.

Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano was “unavoidably absent” according to Okorocha.

 The Imo State governor told reporters after the meeting that lasted for about two and a half hours  deliberated on the possible consequences of the relocation of the Boko Haram suspects and concluded that it was not in the best interest of the zone.

He said though the decision was purely a security matter, it has far-reaching effect on the psyche of the people in the zone. “We are appealing to the Federal Government to have a rethink on the relocation of the Boko Haram suspects. If there is any place they should be relocated to it should be Abuja where they have enough security. The issue is already creating security concern in the zone”.

He however ruled out any plan by the governors to recall Igbo in the troubled North, stressing that, “we are all part of the entity called Nigeria and we share in the plight of our brothers in the North East, so it is not the issue of recalling the Igbo in any part of the country but to make sure that they are secured anywhere they find themselves”.

The Forum according to him, also deliberated on the fate of the Igbo displaced in the North as a result of the insurgency and appealed to the Federal Government to adequately compensate them.

Other decisions by the governors are that Enugu State should remain the capital of the Southeast and the meeting point of the Southeast Governors’ Forum.

According to him: “We have met today and agreed to work together as governors from the Southeast zone to combat security challenges confronting the zone, especially kidnapping, armed robbery and baby factory. We are going to write the Federal Government to adequately equip security operatives in the zone to ensure adequate security in the zone”.

He said the Forum had agreed to build an economic hub in the zone to boost trade, which he said is the main occupation of the people: “We have looked at the current economic situation in the country and how it affects our people who are majorly traders and we have decided to build an economic hub in the zone and a committee was set up for that and it is headed by the Abia state governor”.

He said that the South East governors have come to realize the need for them to come together and work in the overall interest of the people of the zone since the period of politics had come and gone and what is now left is service delivery to the people of the area.

The governors disowned Radio Biafra  and said the Radio in question does not have the endorsement of the SouthEast governors. And that the security agencies would do their job.

Okorocha also said the South East governors have resolved to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari to catalogue what the administration will do for the people of South East zone

The Forum also agreed to create an economic hub. A committee  to work on it will be chaired by the Abia State governor.

EXCLUSIVE: Katsina College releases Buhari’s ​WASC results

Government College, formerly Provincial Secondary School, Katsina, which Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, graduated from in 1961, has released Mr. Buhari’s secondary school certificate examination results.

The results, obtained exclusively by PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday, confirm Mr. Buhari’s claim that he undertook the University of Cambridge West African School Certificate Examinations and obtained five credits in English Language, Geography, Hausa Language, History, and Health Science.

PREMIUM TIMES obtained the computer printout from Cambridge University as well as a statement of result, signed by the current principal of Katsina College, dated January 21, 2015.

The results show that Mr. Buhari, a former military head of state, failed in Mathematics and Woodwork, and had a pass in Literature in English.

The examination centre number was 8280, while Mr. Buhari’s candidate number was 002.

The statement of results is printed on the letter head paper of the Katsina State Ministry of Education, and it shows that the examination took place in 1961.

The Cambridge print out also shows the result of 17 other candidates at the centre, including Shehu Yar’Adua, a former Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters.

Controversy over Mr. Buhari’s result escalated Tuesday after the Nigerian Army, which had earlier admitted to having copies of his certificate, reversed itself, saying it could not even attest to the details listed in his records.

The spokesperson of the Army, Olajide Laleye, said “Neither the original copy, certified true copy (CTC) nor statement of result of Major-.Gen. Mohammadu Buhari‘s WASC result is in his personal file.”

He said while it is the practice in the Nigerian Army that before candidates are shortlisted for commissioning into the officers’ cadre of the service, the selection board verifies the original copies of credentials as presented, “There is no available record to show that this process was followed in the 1960s.”

The military’s comments came after the retired general had said that his lost copies of results were with the Army, an explanation he gave ahead of elections February 14.

Mr. Buhari expressed shock at the claim and told the media in Kano, Wednesday, that he had given the controversy no serious thought until the intervention by the military.

He emphasised at a briefing that started behind schedule that he indeed sat for the Cambridge West African Examination, alongside Mr. Yar’adua, and Umar Abdullahi, a former President of the Court of Appeal.

“My examination number was 8200002, and I undertook the examination together with some prominent Nigerians including, late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, and former President of Court of Appeal, Umar Abdullahi,” the former military leader said.

He said since his disclosure that he had lost the original copies of his academic documents, he had all along assumed his records with the Military Secretary, a position he once occupied for years, remained intact.

“But to my utmost surprise I was told that although the records of my certificate are available but there are no copies of my certificates in my file,” Mr. Buhari said.

“I consented to this press conference because of the concern of my supporters and well-meaning Nigerians on the issue at stake, otherwise I will treat it for what it is: pure mischief. I wouldn’t have considered it an issue worth the nation’s while.”

Mr. Buhari challenged the Nigerian media to undertake a special investigative Journalism on the issue so that they will uncover the truth behind the allegations.

He repeatedly accused the ruling PDP of stirring the controversy to divert public attention from the critical issues of insecurity, corruption and economic woes, facing the nation.

“And although the ruling party may want to wish this away, the issue in this campaign cannot be my certificate which I obtained 53 years ago,” he said. “The issues are the scandalous level of unemployment of millions of our young people, the state of insecurity, the pervasive official corruption which has impoverished our people and the lack of concern of the government for anything other than the retention of power at all costs.”

Should everyone go to university?

on June 24, 2015   /   in Tip of a New Dawn 2:40 am

By Tabia Princewill
I AM aware that by the time this article is published, I will most probably be inundated with emails asking me to clarify my position. So I will do my best to do so from the onset.

In the Western world, a university degree has long been the prerequisite for gaining middle class status. Indeed, in the United States, for example, the affluence of baby boomers and their children was correlated to getting a degree and an office job, which in many African countries today remains the norm.

President Barack Obama has called higher education “an economic imperative” as statistically, those who graduate with a university degree make several times more than those who graduate with a school certificate for example and this is true in many countries. However, in Nigeria, over the years, qualifications have become a mere symbol and having a degree in many parts of Africa does not necessarily mean that one has gotten an education.

Students are presented with paper qualifications at the end of their courses but remain bereft of even the most basic skills one would need to work and survive in an ever-competitive and global work place. So, this raises the question: What then is the point of a university degree? We need to rethink the point and purpose of many of our tertiary institutions which churn out half baked alumni with often zero chances of ever getting an entry level job, let alone progressing to much else. I remember how much Dr Goodluck Jonathan’s commitment to opening a university in every state of the federation was celebrated at the time by those who the point of a real education eludes, and who also do not understand that quality beats quantity any day.

Half the universities in Nigeria today are not viable institutions: the teaching one receives at many universities would not pass as a secondary school course in other climes. Yes, the truth hurts and we must be willing to acknowledge painful truths so that we can empower young Nigerians to grow and achieve. But how can they when most exams in Nigeria are not based on testing students’ ability to analyse or discuss but on their capacity to retain lengthy information, like any computer or robot could?

Furthermore, the states many universities are located in are barely viable themselves, unable to pay salaries, creating little wealth and development, adding even less value. It is more important, in Nigeria, to pay public officers salaries than to develop and empower those who elect them. In France, for instance, to reduce the cost of governance in several regions, their governments and administrators will be merged into larger, singular bodies which will not stop government from reaching the people, or from delivering on the quality of life citizens deserve.

On the opposite end I fear we in Nigeria will not stop creating states and universities until there is one state per ethnic group and one university per street corner! Having more universities looks good on paper, but in a country where education is already so poorly funded, we would do well to consolidate the few functioning universities we have rather than encouraging the ad hoc creation of new and unfortunately irrelevant ones. But let’s get back to the contentious issue of who should attend said universities.

The truth is that with so many young people in university, the value of degrees is lessened, grades are inflated and trades are understated. In many industrialised nations (e.g. the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, etc.) barely a quarter, or 25% of the population goes to university as more and more people learn a trade. In good African fashion, I must admit my brief surprise when a plumber in the UK complained to me about his mortgage.

The idea of a plumber in Nigeria being able to afford a mortgage isn’t something many can unfortunately contemplate. Learning a trade in Nigeria is hardly the preferred option, no matter one’s social class as there is little dignity of labour in our country. So, every year the Nigerian Law School produces thousands of lawyers the economy and the society does not need. More than half of the class of 2013 is still searching for a job and every new batch simply adds itself to the melee and one finds 30-year-olds who have never held down a job.

I am not calling for universities to become elite enclaves which only the rich can either afford or aspire to. However, I am indeed asking that vocational training and skills acquisition becomes a real agenda for government (beyond Jonathan’s simplistic purchase of stoves for women). A young person’s potential is realisable in so many different ways and if our education were more practical, less theoretical, the high failure rates in some of our universities would be lessened, as some students would realise their calling or aptitude is perhaps more suited towards learning a trade. Why does Nigeria import deep sea divers in the oil and gas industry therefore helping Asian experts make huge salaries when Nigerians could be trained for that purpose?

There are huge and undiscovered job and entrepreneurship opportunities if government would create not just an enabling environment but prepare students from secondary school to understand what the world requires of them in terms of values, attitudes and skills. One last point I would like to make is about parents: studies show that many cognitive and non-cognitive skills are hereditary.

The children of successful, affluent parents are almost predestined (I don’t often like or use the word as I believe the power of human agency supersedes any inevitability) to do well. So we must rescue parents of school-age children in disadvantaged regions as their own understanding of education also determines their children’s success. Even some rich Nigerians would rather push their daughters to get married than get an MBA but that’s a topic for another day perhaps. Ideally, we should want every Nigerian to go to university but given the few jobs available in the sectors Nigerians typically study for , it might not be such a wise investment or public policy to pursue.

We need more realism and less utopia in our public discourse so we can find work for those already out of school and create a society where paper qualifications are not the beginning and the end of a better life.

Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir

Wanted by the International Criminal Court, ICC, for years, Omar Al Bashir yet again, evaded the international justice system as many in the African Union and Nigeria, believe the ICC witch hunts African leaders. I wonder if the child soldiers and destitute Sudanese Al Bashir has used and sacrificed would be of the same opinion.

It is always so difficult in Africa for us to strongly, in one voice, condemn wrong doing: we view every criticism as an attack, especially when there is clear evidence of immoral, unacceptable actions. Take the Nigerian Army’s response to Amnesty International’s claims of unspeakable violence wrought upon innocent civilians. Those who have nothing to hide do not fear investigation.

Africans are refugees in their own countries, dying on the Mediterranean in their quest for decent lives, yet, we in the pages of newspapers, in our private conversations, defend these callous leaders.

Buhari and oil subsidy

Many reports say the President is about to remove subsidy and commentators ask why Nigerians support this now and resisted it under Jonathan. The answer for me is simple: many did not trust the former administration to use the savings adequately.

But if rumours of free education and social services under this new government are anything to go by, it is no wonder Nigerians do not seem ready to fight government on this.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/should-everyone-go-to-university/#sthash.qKAwbgd1.dpuf