WORLD AIDS DAY...Dr Chukwuali

Federal Medical Centre, Keffi

A goodwill message from the IHVN-FMC Keffi Action Project
On the occasion of theWorld AIDS day, 2009

Dear Compatriots,
Every year, the 1st of December is celebrated globally as World AIDS Day. Since 1988, this day has been set aside for increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education about HIV/AIDS.
The reality of HIV/AIDS can no longer be contested by any rational person. The latest world statistics show that 33.4million people, including 2.1million children, are living with HIV/AIDS, there being 2.7million new infections in 2008 alone. About half of the HIV infections occur before the age of 25 years and kill the victims before they are 35 years. In other words, HIV/AIDS virtually eliminates our youths, our vibrant work force. Overall, 2million people died globally of HIV/AIDS in 2008 and the world has lost 25million people to HIV/AIDS since its discovery in 1981.
Sub-Saharan Africa currently bears 67% of the global HIV/AIDS burden with HIV prevalence rates of up to 23.9% in Botswana and 18% in South Africa.

In Nigeria , 2.6million people, both adults and children, are living with HIV/AIDS. This translates to approximately 20% of the global HIV burden even though Nigeria represents barely 2% of the World’s population.

In Keffi, 9.1% of women attending antenatal clinic as well as 8.6% of prospective blood donors are HIV positive.

Unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected partner, transfusion with infected blood, sharing of sharp objects between infected and uninfected persons and transmission from an infected mother to her unborn or breast-feeding baby remain the major means of transmission of HIV. These are fueled by ignorance, poverty, illiteracy and reckless lifestyles. Abstinence from unprotected sexual intercourse, being faithful to a single, uninfected sexual partner, correct and consistent use of condoms, avoidance of transfusion with unscreened blood, avoidance of sharing of sharp objects and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) remain the major means of prevention of HIV transmission.

The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day is UNIVERSAL ACCESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS. It draws attention to the need for people living with HIV/AIDS anywhere in the world to have unhindered access HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, recognizing this as fundamental human rights.
Frequently, we infringe on the fundamental human rights of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs). Discrimination and stigmatization in whatever form against PLWHAs constitute an infringement on their fundamental human rights and these in turn hinder access to prevention, treatment, care and support. We must respect and protect PLWHAs.

We are hereby called upon to join the fight against HIV/AIDS. Let us provide unhindered access to information on prevention to those who are uninfected and unhindered access to treatment, care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Thank you very much.

Signed by:
Dr Leo Chukwuali (JP)
MBBS, FWACS, FICS.
PMTCT Focal Person.
For the Project Director

IHVN-FMC Keffi Action Project.

THE ACTION PROJECT IS A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT ON HIV/AIDS PREVENTION, TREATMENT, CARE AND SUPPORT BETWEEN THE INSTITUTE OF HUMAN VIROLOGY, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, USA AND THE FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTRE, KEFFI, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA. IT IS FUNDED BY PEPFAR.THIS MESSAGE WAS CIRCULATED WIDELY TODAY IN KEFFI AND ENVIRONS.

In Nenwe, who will cry when you die?

Dear Sai, Permit me once again, to fraternally GANG UP with you on this one. My brother Ken Mbah, is happily another "gangster" on this. His fingers were faster than mine. Sai, in 2004, Engr. Chris Nwonye put it very crudely, again we were pretending to be discussing dreams of and projects for Nenwe. He said, it is all talk, talk and more talk, "but when it is time for action, the room suddenly becomes empty". I followed up with a question, "is it the same thing as oroo ovohu? You were there, Sai. Do you again, remember our discussions on how to help build St. Peters Nenwe? It was punctuated by money, money, money. Remember? Also try to read our various contributions on Water, Light, Road, Culture and Hospital projects in Nenwe. There is always a booby trap. You have followed up with the various Health Projects by Dr. Chukwuali and his group of professionals. While reasonable men and women are making donations, eccentrics are busy either attacking the philosophy of the initiative or the esometric (I am not sure about this one) of the organizers. May I request the Moderator to RE-publish names of all donors in those previous Health projects and other developmental projects in Nenwe so that we know who the real enemies of the town are. Development of Nenwe town is not by e-mail. We need money, yes, money, ideas, responsible ideas, suggestions, not distractions; not brain waves. Money, money, money. Each time there is a noble idea on the table, we resurrect Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Thomas Paine and some times, Mark Antony, to use Brutus to kill our ambitions. We show our mastery of grammar, even if our ideas are damn shallow. And the only reason is because a friend once said NIU Lagos embezzled money contributed before the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria in 1914. By the way, money contributed by others?. Visit the archives and read my piece on PhD - Pull Him Down syndrome on NOL. AS if to reasure us, Chief Martin at that time, suggested that if we are afraid of embezzlement, we should send all the money to him and he would send same to his mother for safe keep. He went further to say that he runs a scholarship program and beneficiaries receive their money through his mother. But no, it is not enough assurances. The only story that sticks is how a friend said NIU Lagos could not account for money contributed by OTHER well meaning citizens, before Socrates was born. I appreciate the apparent anger or loss of faith shown by my brother and name sake, Kalu Onyemaechi on the lack of depth of discussions on NOL, but we know the source of our distractions. And only when we run out of ideas, do we retreat from NOL and return as a tree to make a forest. Let us be more practical - let us contribute money and pursue one project for Nenwe. NPAUSA is working on water. Let NOL work on making school chairs for our junior brothers and sisters whom we abandoned decades ago and who are still sitting on bare floors in Nenwe schools. Let us extend electricity to the more than 85% of the areas where there is no electricity currently. "Suddenly, the room becomes empty" and meaningless grammar takes over. There is a Nenwe Scholarship Program, contribute to it. You don't have to be a Bill Gates or an MO Ibrahim to make an impact. There are families in Nenwe who have not even one person in a primary school. It is not out of choice. They are our relations, mine and yours. Grammar can not send them to school. We have called for donations to support the Nenwe cultural fiesta, give us your ideas, if you are afraid of your money. It is regrettable and shameful that people who are ensconced in the comfort provided by others are the same ones shooting down any useful suggestion that would move Nenwe forward. And we are quick to refer to past heroes of Nenwe as if we have learnt anything from their bravery. In my subject line above, I have parodied a book, Who will cry when you die, by Robin Sharma. I recommend it for everyone to read. As ever Chief Cyril Onyemaechi Oleh (Okwuru Oha) Abuja - Nigeria "If we fall back, should we complain others are rushing forward?"

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MARRIAGE IN NIGERIA -THE REVEALED TRUTH

Dear All,

Adindu Okoro, popularly known as

ADIDAS is fast becoming one of our prolific writers. He already has three titles to his credit and is coming out again with a new

work titled :MARRIAGE in NIGERIA -THE REVEALED TRUTH; the presentation of which takes place on November 22, 2009 @ Chief Felix Mbanta's Comkpound - Kado Village Abuja

You are invited

CHASING SHADOWS

CHASING SHADOWS? Popped up on this forum a number of times. Those of you who attended Awgu County Secondary School in its pre-civil war glorious days will remember our esteemed senior tutor, the late Mr. Eneh. He was a remarkable precision shooter. As the kites (egbe) would hover above in the sky, he would ask one his children to bring his double barreled rifle. He never looked at his target directly. He would look at the shadow of the kite on the ground, points his gun upward, pulls the trigger, and tells his children to go pick the kill. The legendary fictional Sherlock Holmes also used shadows prominently. How about James Bond in the Gold finger who used the shadow of his enemy to gun him down. Chasing shadows may not be a bad thing. I must confess that I have chased shadows in my life. It could be a good thing. One could chase the shadow of the person he adores and admires. One can also track down a shadow he wants to abolish. I have chased the good shadow of my late father and have attained some success with it. Now, I am tracking down the shadows of the enemies of Nenwe culture. You need to know or define the objects whose shadows you want to chase. Shadows represent real objects and invariably do not exist as phantoms. When you have done this, you also want to ensure that you become good at chasing shadows, and a little bit of luck can't hurt. Now, let us join hands and track down the shadows of greed, tyranny, and corruption in our society. They are the real enemies of Nenwei. Did I mention to you that I am also walking in the shadow of a distant figure in Nenwe history? Let not your spirit be troubled. Sincerely, Cosmas Onwudiwe Onuora, M.D., FACOG, FICS.

__._,

Kay Onyinye Nwaru....called to the Nigerian Bar

Brethren,

You are specially invited to the Nigerial Law School, Abuja on Friday 5th November, 2009 when my younger daughter, Kay Onyinye Nwaru would be called to the Nigerian Bar. Our Abuja brothers would predictably make it a very grand event, as usual.

Still counting the blessings, Adamu nwayi, Barrister Ruth Priscilla Nwaru, just back from the UK has hooked a budding banker from Abatete, Obinna Okonkwo, who will be coming for the main Igba nkwu at my family home in Obiofu, Nenwe on Saturday 14th November, 2009. Ive oma ruwe kwe ibemu ga oshi gbaamu okirikiri.

May the Almighty God, umu muo Nenwee, guide and protect you as you come and go in peace.

Remain Blessed.

JON.

Digitalization... History of Nenwe Town

Dear Sam,

Digitalization for online consolations of the  book  may not  be long, but you my  get a paper copy from many points in Nigeria (Abuja; Lagos; Enugu; Nenwe )  and  even from Europe,  for  a token  delivery contribution or completely  FOC.

Just send a message to  chukwubike@gmail.com  indicating  your  location.

Charles

 -----------------------------------------------------------

NENWEONLINE@yahoogroups.com

with what am seeing now, i think MBC is already a big hero in the land of NENWE.....

may his soul rest in perfect peace the hero of our land..

can anybody link me to the page that i can get the (Nenwe) history online? thanx.

samuel extant" samuel2002lyus@yahoo.com

Nzuko Ndi Igbo of Northeast Ohio ( NNINO ).

Scenes from the second annual Iri-ji celebration of Nzuko Ndi Igbo of Northeast Ohio ( NNINO ). Special thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Sunny N. Mbah who joined us from Dallas and to Messrs Okechukwu Mbah, Okwudili Ani, and Charles Emeka Mbah who came from Atlanta.

Cardinal Arinze@Ohio...Nigerian community

His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze recently visited the Nigerian Community in Northeast Ohio. Scenes from his lecture and grand reception at Embassy Suites Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio.

WHAT A HAPPY WEEK

You may recall that I recently sent a mail of encouragement to my colleagues of Nenwe origin appearing for the just concluded Fellowship Examinations of the National and the West African Post Graduate Medical Colleges. At the beginning of this week, Dr Cornelius C. Chukwuegbo called me to announce his success in the Part I Fellowship Examination in Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology of both the National and the West African Post Graduate Medical Colleges . A day later, I called Dr Emeka Ihechi Udeh to be informed of his success in the Part II (Final) Fellowship Examination of the National Post Graduate Medical College in Cardio-thoracic Surgery. He has since taken up a Consultant/ Lecturer I position with the ESUT Teaching Hospital. On Wednesday, Dr Chris Ejikeme Edeh walked into my office and announced his success in the Part I Fellowship Examination of the National Post Graduate Medical College in Restorative Dentistry. All these successes were at first attempt! To crown it all, on Thursday I got a memorable SMS from my very own. On this Ascension day of our Lord, the University of Nigeria , Nsukka announced the ascension of Dr Chukwuemeka Basil Chukwuali to the coveted chair of full PROFESSOR OF ARCHITECTURE of the University of Nigeria Nsukka with effect from October 2002. Oh! What a week. What a happy week for me and for Nenwei. I am, indeed, a happy man. Dr L.I.Chukwuali (JP) MBBS, FWACS, FICS. _ . __,_.._,___

NOL MEMBER CONTESTS ELECTION OVERSEAS

MOTHER APPRECIATION CEREMONY

Nenwe Cultural Fiesta 2009

The Nenwe Cultural Fiesta was one of the high points of my Holiday visit to Nenwe. Believe it or not, I am already looking forward to this years's edition.

With Air Commodore Chris Chukwu (flanked by Air Cdre NE Offor (awgu), Gp Capt Ben Ugwueke, (Nenwe) and Gp Capt Emeka Ozoemena (Ihe), the stage was set to receive the Chief Host, Dr. Cos O. Onuora. He was not alone on his own side of the table - our own dear JON, Clem Ebere, Prof. Okey Alimba, Pat Hawkins, etc were on hand to witness.

I saw our brothers from NPAUSA - ably led by Charlie Mbah. Te gathering was a roll call. The four Igwes - Nwachukwu, More, Ifeanetu and Imoh added colours to the Cultural event. They all appeared in their splendour, with their Red Cap Chiefs in tow.

When last did you witness the real Nenwe boxing context? It was the high point of the event. Some, a little younger than me, could not remember when last they saw that spectacular. If that was eventful, the iwa ekwa regalia was a sight to behold. Imagine those able bodied men in full avarangidi war regalia displaying Nenwe talents, Culture and Dance. It was nostalgic.

There were competing dance groups - the Nenwe National anthem (Ikwirikwo), Ubo Ogele, Igede Ubo, Egerende, ikpa, etc. There was a long list of dancing groups. I am still feeling bad that up till now that most of the dance groups could not be accommodated due largely to te late start of the event. They mobbed me at te end of the day to protest their non inclusion.

Oh, you should see the iwa ji (Cutting of roasted yam and eating with palm (red) oil.) Pieces of roasted yams went round the crowd. With oil, it was a delicacy.

I must thank all those who put this together - Dr. Onuorah captured the essence of the event in his speech. There is no people without a culture, not all nenwe cultures are barbaric. The Parish priest in charge of St. Peters Catholic Parish, Rev. Fr. Emma Anugwom sat all through; he said both opening and closing prayers.

I can not describe the ikpa dance as displayed by Officers - Chukwu, Offor, Ugwueke and Ozoemena. Offor in particular was at home, la aruchi nti while dancing.

Donatus Nzeh, Decency Mbah and Ezekwesiri reminded us of Odabara dance. Their dance steps... oh my God. Some one close by me joked that it was a mixture of Reggae and Disco.So we called it, Odabaradisco.

Bismarck Orji, Valent Aniobi and Chief Gab Ejim deserve some comendations for their efforts. But please next time, don't bring tables that will make the Air Cdres look like liliputs. They are giants in many ways.

Sai, able Sec, was the reporter of the event. I am sure he will soon publish his pictures.
and audio.

As for me, I am still sufering from the dust I inhaled at the event. It was my own contribution to Nenwei.

Chief Cyril Oleh
Abuja Nigeria
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VIEW PICTURES

ENVYING GAZA......A NIGERIAN

CHUKWUBIKES' .... DAY by DAY: ENVYING GAZA......A NIGERIAN

Buon 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009