How assisted suicide is gradually becoming lawful in America

CALIFORNIA, America’s most populous state, became the fifth to sanction doctor-assisted suicide on June 9th. According to the End of Life Option Act, adult Californians of sound mind who have a terminal illness and less than six months to live are eligible to receive a prescription for a drug to bring about their deaths. The lethal dose is not quite as easy to procure as a course of antibiotics: the law requires patients to make a written request (verified by two witnesses and approved by two doctors) and to orally request the drugs twice, spaced out by at least 15 days. Doctors confer with the patients (reminding them not to take the drug while in public) and write the prescriptions; individuals wishing to hasten their deaths are obliged to ingest the drugs themselves. This means that patients who are unable to self-administer the medication are not eligible to receive a lethal dose of an “aid-in-dying” drug, whether or not they tell loved ones of their desire to end their lives before they become incapacitated.

In implementing this law, California largely cribbed from similar legislation in Oregon, Vermont and Washington. (The practice is also permitted in Montana due to a court ruling in 2009.) With the End of Life Options Act, the number of Americans potentially eligible to secure an early death rises to about 50m, or roughly one-sixth of the total population. But the option will likely remain the choice of few people facing the end of their lives. The law in Oregon, which pioneered doctor-assisted dying, has not spurred a rash of suicides: over nearly two decades with the Death With Dignity Act, only 991 patients have used the programme to end their lives. Another 600 or so who obtained the medication did not end up taking it.

Three-quarters of Californians support doctor-assisted dying; the law had a fairly smooth run through the state legislature, where it passed in September 2015 by votes of 44 to 35 and 23 to 15. Governor Jerry Brown, a former Jesuit seminary student, signed it the following month, noting that if he faced a prolonged and painful death, “it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill”. Opponents of the measure include disability-rights, religious and pro-life organisations, several of which are backing a legal challenge to the California law in court. The president of National Right to Life, Carol Tobias, condemns the law for having “no real safeguards”. The End of Life Option Act, she says, “shows a blatant disregard for the lives of California’s medically vulnerable citizens and sends a message to these citizens that their lives are less worthy to be lived”. The “real goal” behind the doctor-assisted dying movement, Ms Tobias claims, “is euthanasia on demand for any reason”.

This charge may be overstated, but national polls show strong support for medical aid in dying. The widely publicised case of 29-year-old Brittany Maynard—a California woman with brain cancer who travelled to Oregon to avail herself of doctor-prescribed suicide in 2014—may have pushed support even higher. Slim majorities supported the right to die from 2010 to 2013, but in 2015 a Gallup poll showed that 68% of Americans think terminally ill patients should be able to turn to their doctors for life-ending medication. This year, legislatures in 19 states and the District of Columbia have recently considered right-to-die bills. The Medical Aid in Dying Act was introduced last month in the New York Assembly. New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, is non-committal: “It’s obviously complicated and controversial and it’s going to depend on how the bill is written and what the provisions are”, he said. John Flanagan, the Republican majority leader in the state senate, seems more resistant. “This is an area where we need to be extraordinarily careful and circumspect”, he said. “We’re literally talking about life and death.”

SOURCE: The Economist

Five principal suspects in the murder of a 75-year-old market woman, Mrs Bridget Agbaheme, have been arraigned before a Kano State magistrate court. Dauda Ahmed and four others were presented before Justice Abubakar Jibrin on a 4-count charge which they all denied.

On June 2, 2016, over 3,000 youths were said to have gathered at the popular Kofar Wambai market to take part in a protest that eventually led to the killing of the woman for alleged blasphemy against the prophet of Islam.

Although, no clear evidence has linked the deceased to any blasphemous statement on the prophet of Islam, the 75-year-old Kano resident, who hails from Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, was beaten to death by the angry mob.

Leader of the Igbo community in Kano, Chief Boniface Ibekwe, said that it was not surprising that the suspects denied the charges against them because they understood the magnitude of their crime.

He expressed hope that the prosecutors and the Police would prove beyond reasonable doubt that the crime was indeed committed.

The presiding judge has fixed June 28 for hearing into the case. This he said, is also to allow the Police to conduct all necessary investigation into the matter.

SOURCE: Channelstv

Senate Raises Alarm Over Rising Cases Of Child Abuse

The Upper Chamber made these resolution after a federal lawmaker, Senator Oluremi Tinubu raised a motion on the 2016 Children’s Day celebration.

Senator Tinubu had raised an alarm at the rising cases of violence against children in Nigeria.

She presented from the newspapers, the case of an 18-month-old boy who was allegedly attacked by his step-mothers and was left with broken limbs and injuries to his private parts.

She described the incident as disheartening and emphasized the need to ensure that the Senate enacts more laws to protect children and take all necessary steps to bring such violence to an end.

The Senate has also appealed to the Federal Government to ensure the rescue of the Chibok girls who are currently in the captivity of Boko Haram insurgents.

They also asked the joint committees on Women Affairs and Health, to visit Internally Displaced Persons’ camps and celebrate Children’s Day with the children there.
SOURCE: Channelsnews

Future For Our Girls

On 14 April 2014 the insurgency group Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from their local school in Chibok in Nigeria. Two years on, most of the girls are still missing. And they are not alone: We estimate that a total of 2,000 women and girls, as well as many boys have been abducted.

Distressingly, girls and women that do return face mistrust and persecution. Communities fear they may have been radicalized, and their children born of sexual violence 'tainted' by the blood of Boko Haram fighters. This puts them at risk of discrimination and even potential violence in the future.

A new project by International Alert and UNICEF seeks to address this. We aim to give returning women and girls a future and support their re-integration.

Together with our partners, Federation of Muslim Women's Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) and Herwa Community Development Initiative, we run collective therapy sessions and dialogue clubs where survivors can talk about their experiences. We also help local communities prepare for their return by fostering empathy and trust.

The project is in early days, but is already helping transform lives. Read some of their stories below.

But there is an urgent need - and opportunity - to scale up this work. This is why we are calling on the international community to not only #BringBackOurGirls, but also step up support for the girls and their communities when they do return.

Please join us to help raise awareness of these issues, and help build a better #FutureForOurGirls!

SOURCE: International-alert

Insecurity: Kaduna to purchase CCTVs, drones

The Kaduna State Government on Wednesday said plans were afoot to purchase Closed-Circuit Televisions as well as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to tackle crime in the state.

The Coordinator of an anti-crime initiative, “Operation Yaki”, Col. Yakubu Yusufu, who said this in Kaduna while briefing newsmen, explained that security operatives would be trained in the fresh onslaught against crime in the state.

He said the fresh onslaught would check crime and give the masses a sense of security, thereby enhancing socio-economic activities.

This is just as the Kaduna State Police Command said it has busted a syndicate that specialises in snatching expensive vehicles and selling them in neighbouring countries.

Kaduna State Police Commissioner, Mr. Adamu Ibrahim, said the suspects arrested in connection with the crime would be prosecuted.

He also said the police recovered 403 rustled cows within the last one month and that the recovered cows would be handed over to the committee on recovery of stolen livestock in the state.

He disclosed that some criminals suspected of supplying arms and ammunition to kidnappers had been arrested.

Yusufu said said the provision of modern crime-detecting devices was necessary because crime was getting sophisticated.

He said, “Plans are under way by the state government to provide modern crime-detecting devices and more operation vehicles to the security outfit in order to combat security challenges.

“It is hoped that if this tempo is sustained, the rate of crime would be reduced to the barest minimum in the state and this would pave the way for the development agenda of this administration,” he said.

SOURCE: Todayngnews

Nigeria deploys experts to tackle massive tomato scarcity

Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, on Tuesday said his office had commissioned experts to look into the massive tomato scarcity that has hit the country as a result of a plant disease outbreak.

He said this to journalists at his office.

According to him, the tomato scarcity was caused by the tuta absoluta ant infestation which had affected tomato plants in Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau and Lagos states.

“We waited this long to address the problem because we wanted to consult with experts to understand and proffer solutions to the problem,” Mr. Ogbeh said.

“Now, these experts who have been called in to appraise the situation, will set to work on methods that have worked in other countries on affected sites as soon as tomorrow.

“In the next few days, we will start treating affected sites, so as to stop the infestation and tomatoes can once again become available in the country,” he said.

According to him, the tuta absoluta ant actually originated from South America in 1912 and is spreading to other parts of the world like Europe and Africa.

“The tuta absoluta infestation came into Nigeria through Niger Republic, and in the last three weeks has managed to damage most tomato plants in the aforementioned states however, there was nothing the Quarantine service could do to stop it from coming into the country as the disease is being carried by insects.

“This is a matter of necessity as tomato has become scarce in the country with available tomatoes being sold for as much as N30,000 to N35,000 per big basket in Lagos state.

“In our research, we found out that ordinary pesticides cannot tackle the disease because the tomato moth multiplies so fast, it produces up to 250 offspring per cycle,” he said.

While addressing the cost to treat the infestation, the minister said the treatment would be expensive but will also take other forms apart from money.

“The experts we called in are yet to give us a figure on cost of treatment, but it is likely to be N5 per tomato plant, it could however cost more or less. So, we will source for funds to tackle it.

“We also need to educate farmers on how to control the infestation and we also need to raise new nurseries. The process is much like an immunization programme.

“The federal government is mainly an enabler in this case because it is the states who own the lands where these infestations have occurred. So, we will need to collaborate with the state governors and commissioners to put an end to this problem.”

However, he pointed out that in states like Gombe, tomatoes were still available and the government will do everything possible to stop the infestation from spreading to other states.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Salisu Bala, a tomato dealer at Garki Model market, Abuja, the tuta absoluta pest attack in Kano state, contributed greatly to the scarcity of tomatoes in the country.

The pest led Aliko Dangote to shut down his tomato paste factory in Kano.

“Within two weeks from the ending of March to April, most tomato plants from Kano to Zaria had died from the tuta absoluta pest attacks, so, now, tomato is like gold, when its available it is sold for a very high price, very different from what we are used to,” he said.

“Before the increase in tomato prices, between February to March, one big basket of tomatoes cost N3000 to N3500 but with the increase, its sold for N28,000 to N29,000.

“One dustbin basket was sold from N500 but its currently being sold at N6,000,” he said.

On the issue of imported tomato paste, Audu Ogbeh said NAFDAC had found that imported tomato paste was not good enough for consumption as it was being injected with chemicals that are harmful to health.

“We are working very hard to make tomatoes once again available so Erisco foods and Dangote tomato factory can produce home-made tomato paste for our consumption so we can stop importing,” he said.

SOURCE:PREMIUM TIMES

Nigerian govt to repatriate looted £300 million pounds from Jersey – Minister

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, says the Federal Government is in the process of repatriating stolen 300 million pounds from Jersey.

Mr. Onyeama stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at a news conference organised as part of activities to mark the one year anniversary of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Jersey, an independent, English-speaking territory with a mix of British and French cultures, is the largest of the Channel Islands located between England and France.

The minister said that the money in Jersey would have been repatriated but for a last minute “objection’’ that was raised by the people, who were supposed to forfeit it.

“We are just in the process of repatriating that in the UK itself. Sometimes very often what happens is that the people, who have ownership or who claim to have ownership (of the money) might bring up a defence.

“Like if you take the one in Jersey, it is like 300 million pounds or thereabouts; now everything had been done to repatriate the money.

“It was no longer contested; and then at the last minute, an objection was raised by the people, who were supposed to forfeit those funds.

“So, of course the authorities in Jersey were obliged – as much as they would have liked to just go ahead and repatriate it – to go through certain legal procedures, because the other party would have a lawyer and there were legal issues.

“And then we have to now start going through that all over again; so that is really the challenge.’’

According to the minister, the important thing is that the process has been engaged.

He said Nigeria would not relent in seeking to repatriate stolen funds.

He also said that the process of repatriation of looted funds stashed in other countries like Switzerland and U.S. was in progress.

“It is something that takes time – repatriation of stolen funds – because very often, you have to have an idea; you have to work on lead.’’

According to him, the repatriation of all other funds is in progress even though the Western countries where the stolen funds have been taken to, are creating barriers that will make it difficult to repatriate the monies.

Mr. Onyeama, however, said the Federal Government would consider some mechanisms that would be deployed to make it “a bit easier” for Nigeria to get back the stolen funds.

“That is why the anti-corruption summit and the initiatives of Mr President are really focused on these Western countries to remove some of those barriers, some of those lengthy procedures that are in place, that make it possible for these people to delay and delay and delay.

“And that is what we are looking at; they are coming on board now these Western countries, more and more.

“And so, we just have to look at mechanisms to make it a bit easier when it’s more or less clear, that the stolen funds require us providing all the evidence and it is never easy.

“It’s never an easy task.’’

SOURCE: Premiumtimesng