Nigeria is an amalgam of ancient Kingdoms, Caliphates, Empires and City-states with a long history of organised societies. Its boundaries were drawn as a result of trade (from slavery to pepper or ivory) and overseas territorial ambitions of Western European powers in the 19 th century. The name Nigeria was adopted in 1898 to designate the British Protectorates on the River Niger.
Description of the Coat of Arms
At the top of the coat of arms is an eagle, red in colour and mounted on a wreath which is rendered in the national colours.
The eagle and wreath rest on a black shield with a Y-shaped silver coloured wavy band in the middle of the black shield.
Two white horses support the shield on either side.
The base on which the shield rests is coctus spectabilis, a wild flower that grows in many parts of the country.
Underneath all these is the motto of the country: “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress.”
Symbolism of Flag Elements
The red eagle depicts Nigeria’s strength.
The black shield signifies the fortuitous qualities of the land in agricultural, mineral and solid resources.
The Y-shaped silver coloured wavy band in the middle of the black shield represents the two major rivers in the country, River Niger and River Benue.
The two white horses signify dignity.
Nigerian National Pledge
I pledge to Nigeria my Country
To be faithful, loyal and honest
To serve Nigeria with all my strength
To defend her unity
And uphold her honour and glory
So help me God.
Description of Flag
White vertical stripe sandwiched between two green stripes of equal dimensions.
Symbolism of Flag Elements
White stripe denotes peace and unity and is also symbolic of the Niger River bisecting the countryside.
The green stripes represent agriculture.
Nigerian National Anthem
Version 1
Arise, O compatriots,
Nigeria's call obey
To serve our fatherland
With love and strength and faith
The labour of our heroes past
Shall never be in vain
To serve with heart and might
One nation bound in freedom, Peace and unity.
Version 2
Oh God of creation,
Direct our noble cause
Guide our leaders right
Help our youth the truth to know
In love and honesty to grow
And living just and true
Great lofty heights attain
To build a nation
Where peace and justice
Shall reign.
Nigeria today: The Fourth Republic
On May 29, 1999, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was sworn in as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This follows his victory at the presidential polls conducted in 1999 and 2003. Elected civilian Governors for all the 36 states also took oaths of office on that day. Nigeria's Fourth Republic consists of the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary branches of government.
On May 29, 2007, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was sworn in as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His coming into office after the eight-year rule of Chief Obasanjo marked the first time Nigeria would transit successfully from one civilian administration to the other since the country's independence in 1960.
Looking back: the Birth of Nigeria
In 1914, the protectorate of Northern Nigeria and the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria were merged by Sir Frederick Lugard. The whole country then became known as the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. Lugard became its first Governor General and ruled till 1919. Nigeria voted for independence in 1959; federal elections were held.
The First Republic (October 1, 1960 - January 15, 1966)
On October 1, 1960, Nigeria gained independence from Britain. An all-Nigerian Executive Council was headed by a Prime Minister, Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. On November 16, 1960, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, a pioneer of West African nationalism, became the first Governor-General of a Federation of three Regions of the North, East and West, with Lagos as the Federal Capital. Each of the Regions was headed by a Premier with a Governor as Ceremonial Head. On October 1, 1963, Nigeria became a Federal Republic and severed whatever ties were left with Britain. She decided, however, to remain in the British Commonwealth of Nations. The Governor-General's position was, therefore, re-designated as President.
Eight military regimes succeeded, beginning in 1966, interspersed between the fourth and fifth military regime by a return to civilian rule with the Second Republic between October 1979 and December, 1983. The final military regime left power on May 29, 1999, when the current Fourth Republic was installed and the president democratically elected president.
It was under the Second Military Regime (July, 1966 To July, 1975) that some of Nigeria's major development programmes were established, such as the extensive expansion and exploitation of Nigeria's mineral resources culminating in the 'Oil Boom', which in no small measure changed the economy, the taste and living standard of many Nigerians. It was also, unfortunately, a time of war: on August 9, 1967, Nigeria declared full-scale war on "Biafra" after its forces had invaded and captured the Mid-West State. With Biafra's collapse in 1970, the region was reunited with the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a period of reconciliation and reconstruction followed.
Other highlights of this period included the introduction of various forms of bursaries, scholarships and Students Loan Scheme in the 1970s; a government review programme for the improvement in salaries and wages; the Nigerianisation Decree compelling all foreign firms operating in Nigeria to nationalise or leave; the changing of road traffic from left to right-hand drive; the changing of the national currency to Naira and Kobo and the establishment of organised federal councils for the arts, sciences, sports and agriculture. Corruption was a major cause of strife under the military regimes and it took years for Nigeria to get its house in order.
Second Republic leads to a return to military rule
In October 1979, after more than 13 years of military rule, Nigeria was returned to democratic rule. The National Party of Nigeria emerged victorious in the presidential election and Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Shagari was elected the first Executive President. It was not to last. The hunger and poverty that characterised the last days of the Second Republic prompted the Armed Forces to take power in December 1983. Major General Muhammadu Buhari was installed as the new Head of State.
The Buhari Administration identified indiscipline as the bane of the nation's ills. It launched different phases of the "War Against Indiscipline" (WAI), which has become a household word in many Nigerian homes. This too, did not last. Enter the Sixth Military Regime: a bloodless coup d'état on August 27, 1985 ousted the government of Major General Muhammadu Buhari.
The Second Republic (cont)
On December 31, 1983, the military overthrew the Second Republic. Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari emerged as the leader of the Supreme Military Council (SMC), the country's ruling body. He accused the civilian government with economic mismanagement, widespread corruption, election fraud, and a general lack of concern for the problems of Nigerians. He also pledged to restore prosperity to Nigeria and to return the government to civilian rule but proved unable to deal with Nigeria's severe economic problems. The Buhari government was peacefully overthrown by the SMC's third-ranking member, Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, in August 1985.
Babangida cited the misuse of power, violations of human rights by key officers of the SMC, and the government's failure to deal with the country's deepening economic crisis as justifications for the takeover. During his first few days in office, President Babangida moved to restore freedom of the press and to release political detainees being held without charge. As part of a 15-month economic emergency, he announced stringent pay cuts for the military, police, and civil servants and proceeded to enact similar cuts for the private sector. Imports of rice, maize, and later wheat were banned. President Babangida demonstrated his intent to encourage public participation in government decision-making by opening a national debate on proposed economic reform and recovery measures. The public response convinced Babangida of intense opposition to an economic recovery package dependent on an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan.
The Abortive Third Republic
President Babangida promised to return the country to civilian rule by 1990; this date was later extended until January 1993. In early 1989, a constituent assembly completed work on a constitution for the Third Republic. In the spring of 1989, political activity was again permitted. In October 1989 the government established two "grassroots" parties: the National Republican Convention (NRC), which was to be "a little to the right," and the Social Democratic (SDP), "a little to the left." Other parties were not allowed to register by the Babangida government.
In April 1990, mid-level officers attempted to overthrow the Babangida government. The coup failed, and 69 accused coup plotters were later executed after secret trials before military tribunals. The transition resumed after the failed coup. In December 1990 the first stage of partisan elections was held at the local government level. While turnout was low, there was no violence, and both parties demonstrated strength in all regions of the country, with the SDP winning control of a majority of local government councils.
In December 1991, gubernatorial and state legislative elections were held throughout the country. Babangida decreed in December 1991 that previously banned politicians would be allowed to contest in primaries scheduled for August 1992. These were cancelled due to fraud and subsequent primaries scheduled for September also were cancelled. All announced candidates were disqualified from again standing for president once a new election format was selected. The presidential election was finally held on June 12, 1993, with the inauguration of the new president scheduled to take place August 27, 1993, the eighth anniversary of President Babangida's coming to power.
In the historic June 12, 1993 presidential elections, which most observers deemed to be Nigeria's fairest, early returns indicated that wealthy Yoruba businessman M.K.O. Abiola had won a decisive victory. However, on June 23, Babangida, using several pending lawsuits as a pretence, annulled the election, throwing Nigeria into turmoil. More than 100 persons were killed in riots before Babangida agreed to hand power to an "interim government" on August 27, 1993. Babangida then attempted to renege on his decision. Without popular and military support, he was forced to hand over to Ernest Shonekan, a prominent non-partisan businessman. Shonekan was to rule until new elections, scheduled for February 1994. Although he had led Babangida's Transitional Council since early 1993, Shonekan was unable to reverse Nigeria's ever-growing economic problems or to defuse lingering political tensions.
With the country sliding into chaos, Defense Minister Sani Abacha quickly assumed power and forced Shonekan's "resignation" on November 17, 1993. Abacha dissolved all democratic political institutions and replaced elected governors with military officers. Abacha promised to return the government to civilian rule but refused to announce a timetable until his October 1, 1995 Independence Day address.
Following the annulment of the June 12 election, the United States and other nations imposed various sanctions on Nigeria, including restrictions on travel by government officials and their families and suspension of arms sales and military assistance. Additional sanctions were imposed as a result of Nigeria's failure to gain full certification for its counter-narcotics efforts. In addition, direct flights between Nigeria and the United States were suspended on August 11, 1993, when the Secretary of Transportation determined that Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport did not meet the security standards established by the FAA. The FAA in December 1999 certified security at MMIA, opening the way for operation of direct flights between Lagos and U.S. airports.
Although Abacha's takeover was initially welcomed by many Nigerians, disenchantment grew rapidly. A number of opposition figures united to form a new organization, the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which campaigned for an immediate return to civilian rule. The government arrested NADECO members who attempted to reconvene the Senate and other disbanded democratic institutions. Most Nigerians boycotted the elections held from May 23-28, 1994, for delegates to the government-sponsored Constitutional Conference.
On June 11, 1994, using the groundwork laid by NADECO, Abiola declared himself president and went into hiding. He re-emerged and was promptly arrested on June 23. With Abiola in prison and tempers rising, Abacha convened the Constitutional Conference June 27, but it almost immediately went into recess and did not reconvene until July 11, 1994.
On July 4, a petroleum workers union called a strike demanding that Abacha release Abiola and hand over power to him. Other unions then joined the strike, which brought economic life in around Lagos area and in much of the southwest to a standstill. After calling off a threatened general strike in July, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) reconsidered a general strike in August, after the government imposed "conditions" on Abiola's release. On August 17, 1994, the government dismissed the leadership of the NLC and the petroleum unions, placed the unions under appointed administrators, and arrested Frank Kokori and other labour leaders. Although striking unions returned to work, the government arrested opponents, closed media houses, and moved strongly to curb dissent.
The government alleged in early 1995 that some 40 military officers and civilians were engaged in a coup plot. Security officers quickly rounded up the accused, including former Head of State Obasanjo and his erstwhile deputy, retired Gen. Shehu Musa Yar'Adua. After a secret tribunal, most of the accused were convicted, and several death sentences were handed down. The tribunal also charged, convicted, and sentenced prominent human rights activists, journalists, and others--including relatives of the coup suspects--for their alleged "anti-regime" activities. In October, the government announced that the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC--see below: Abubakar's Transition to Civilian Rule) and Abacha had approved final sentences for those convicted of participation in the coup plot.
In late 1994 the Abacha government set up the Ogoni Civil Disturbances Special Tribunal to try prominent author and Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and others for their alleged roles in the killings of four prominent Ogoni politicians in May 1994. Saro-Wiwa and 14 others pleaded not guilty to charges that they procured and counselled others to murder the politicians. On October 31, 1995, the tribunal sentenced Saro-Wiwa and eight others to death by hanging. In early November Abacha and the PRC confirmed the death sentence. Saro-Wiwa and his eight co-defendants were executed on November 10.
In October 1, 1995, Gen. Sani Abacha announced the timetable for a 3-year transition to civilian rule. Only five of the political parties which applied for registration were approved by the regime. In local elections held in December 1997, turnout was under 10%. By the April 1998 state assembly and gubernatorial elections, all five of the approved parties had nominated Abacha as their presidential candidate in controversial party conventions. Public reaction to this development in the transition program was apathy and a near-complete boycott of the elections.
On December 21, 1997, the government announced the arrest of the country's second highest-ranking military officer, Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Oladipo Diya, 10 other officers, and eight civilians on charges of coup plotting. Subsequently, the government arrested a number of additional persons for roles in the purported coup plot and tried the accused before a closed-door military tribunal in April in which Diya and eight others were sentenced to death.
Abacha, widely expected to succeed himself as a civilian president on October 1, 1998, remained head of state until his death on June 8 of that year. He was replaced by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, who had been third in command until the arrest of Diya. The PRC, under new head of state Abubakar, commuted the sentences of those accused in the alleged 1997 coup in July 1998. In March 1999, Diya and 54 others accused or convicted of participation in coups in 1990, 1995, and 1997 were released. Following the death of former head of state Abacha in June, Nigeria released almost all known civilian political detainees, including the Ogoni 19.
During the Abacha regime, the government continued to enforce its arbitrary authority through the federal security system--the military, the state security service, and the courts. Under Abacha, all branches of the security forces committed serious human rights abuses. After Abubakar's assumption of power and consolidation of support within the PRC, human rights abuses decreased. Other human rights problems included infringements on freedom of speech, press, assembly, association, and travel; violence and discrimination against women; and female genital mutilation.
Worker rights suffered as the government continued to interfere with organized labour by restricting the fundamental rights of association and the independence of the labour movement. After it came to power in June 1998, the Abubakar government took several important steps toward restoring worker rights and freedom of association for trade unions, which had deteriorated seriously between 1993 and June 1998 under the Abacha regime. The Abubakar government released two imprisoned leaders of the petroleum sector unions, Frank Kokori and Milton Dabibi; abolished two decrees that had removed elected leadership from the Nigeria Labour Congress and the oil workers unions; and allowed leadership elections in these bodies.
Abubakar's Transition to Civilian Rule
During both the Abacha and Abubakar eras, Nigeria's main decision making organ was the exclusively military Provisional Ruling Council (PRC) which governed by decree. The PRC oversaw the 32-member federal executive council composed of civilians and military officers. Pending the promulgation of the constitution written by the constitutional conference in 1995, the government observed some provisions of the 1979 and 1989 constitutions. Neither Abacha nor Abubakar lifted the decree suspending the 1979 constitution, and the 1989 constitution was not implemented. The judiciary's authority and independence was significantly impaired during the Abacha era by the military regime's arrogation of judicial power and prohibition of court review of its action. The court system continued to be hampered by corruption and lack of resources after Abacha's death. In an attempt to alleviate such problems, Abubakar's government implemented a civil service pay raise and other reforms.
In August 1998, the Abubakar government appointed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections for local government councils, state legislatures and governors, the national assembly, and president. NEC successfully held these elections on December 5, 1998, January 9, 1999, February 20, and February 27, 1999, respectively. For the local elections, a total of nine parties were granted provisional registration, with three fulfilling the requirements to contest the following elections. These parties were the People's Democratic Party (PDP), the All Peoples Party (APP), and the predominantly Yoruba Alliance for Democracy (AD). Former military head of state Olusegun Obasanjo, freed from prison by Abubakar, ran as a civilian candidate and won the presidential election. Irregularities marred the vote, and the defeated candidate, Chief Olu Falae, challenged the electoral results and Obasanjo's victory in court.
The PRC promulgated a new constitution based largely on the suspended 1979 constitution, before the May 29, 1999 inauguration of the new civilian president. The constitution includes provisions for a bicameral legislature, the National Assembly, consisting of a 360-member House of Representatives and a 109-member Senate. The executive branch and the office of president will retain strong federal powers. The legislature and judiciary, having suffered years of neglect, must be rebuilt as institutions.
The Obasanjo Administration
The emergence of a democratic Nigeria in May 1999 ended 16 years of consecutive military rule. Olusegun Obasanjo became the steward of a country suffering economic stagnation and the deterioration of most of its democratic institutions. Obasanjo, a former general, was admired for his stand against the Abacha dictatorship, his record of returning the federal government to civilian rule in 1979, and his claim to represent all Nigerians regardless of religion.
The new President took over a country that faced many problems, including a dysfunctional bureaucracy, collapsed infrastructure, and a military that wanted a reward for returning quietly to the barracks. The President moved quickly and retired hundreds of military officers who held political positions, established a blue-ribbon panel to investigate human rights violations, ordered the release of scores of persons held without charge, and rescinded a number of questionable licenses and contracts let by the previous military regimes. The government also moved to recover millions of dollars in funds secreted in overseas accounts by corrupt government officials, particularly the former military dictator Gen. Sani Abacha.
Most civil society leaders and most Nigerians see a marked improvement in human rights and democratic practice under Obasanjo. The press enjoys greater freedom than under previous governments. As Nigeria works out representational democracy, there have been conflicts between the Executive and Legislative branches over major appropriations and other proposed legislation. A sign of federalism has been the growing visibility of state governors and the inherent friction between Abuja and the various state capitals over resource allocation.
Problems of communal violence have confronted the Obasanjo government since its inception. In May 1999 violence erupted in Kaduna State over the succession of an Emir resulting in more than 100 deaths. In November 1999, the army destroyed the town of Odi, Bayelsa State and killed scores of civilians in retaliation for the murder of 12 policemen by a local gang. In Kaduna in February-May 2000 over 1,000 people died in rioting over the introduction of criminal Shar'ia in the State. Hundreds of ethnic Hausa were killed in reprisal attacks in south eastern Nigeria. In September 2001, over 2,000 people were killed in inter-religious rioting in Jos. In October 2001, hundreds were killed and thousands displaced in communal violence that spread across the Middle-Belt states of Benue, Taraba, and Nasarawa. On October 1, 2001, President Obasanjo announced the formation of a National Security Commission to address the issue of communal violence. Currently, Nigeria has three major political parties. National elections and state gubernatorial elections occurred in 2003. Nigeria re-elected Obasanjo as President.
The Yar'Adua Administration
In the presidential election, held on 21 April 2007, Yar'Adua won with 70% of the vote (24.6 million votes) according to official results released on 23 April. The election was highly controversial. Strongly criticized by observers, as well as the two primary opposition candidates, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress (AC), its results were largely rejected as having been rigged in Yar'Adua's favour.
After the election, Yar'Adua proposed a government of national untiy. In late June 2007, two opposition parties, the ANPP and the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), agreed to join Yar'Adua's government. On 28 June 2007, Yar'Adua publicly revealed his declaration of assets from May (becoming the first Nigerian Leader to do so), according to which he had N856,452,892 (US$5.8 million) in assets, N19 million (US$0.1 million) of which belonged to his wife. He also had N88,793,269.77 (US$0.5 million) in liabilities. This disclosure, which fulfilled a pre-election promise he made, was intended to set an example for other Nigerian politicians and discourage corruption.
President Yar'Adua was absent at the United Nations General Assembly Meetings in September 2009. Local media sources claimed the president has travelled to Saudi Arabia for treatment of his illness, however Mr Ojo Madueke the Nigerian Foreign Minister was present at the United Nations meeting to represent the Country.
In June and July 2007, several governors who served with him before 2007 were charged by EFCC, the anti-corruption commission. Many decisions of the former government like the hike in prices of petroleum products and VAT have been overturned by his government. Many see this as a sign that he is not a puppet of the former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
Yar'Adua's new cabinet was sworn in on 26 July 2007. It includes 39 ministers, including two for the ANPP.
Buhari and Abubakar filed petitions to have the results of the 2007 presidential election invalidated due to alleged fraud, but on 26 February 2008 a court rejected the petitions. Buhari and Abubakar said that they would appeal to the Supreme Court. Marred by corruption, many argued that this election was rigged by Obasanjo as well, as he wanted his successor to have the same basic ideals that he possessed as President.
Goodluck Jonathan's Administration
Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (born 20 November 1957) is a Nigerian politician is President of Nigeria. He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). On 13 January 2010, a federal court handed him the power to carry out state affairs while President Umaru Yar'Adua received medical treatment in a Saudi Arabian hospital. A motion from the Nigerian Senate on 9 February 2010 confirmed these powers to act as President. On 24 February 2010 Yar'Adua returned to Nigeria, but Jonathan continued as acting president.[2] Upon Yar'Adua's death on 5 May 2010, Jonathan succeeded to the Presidency, taking the oath of office on 6 May 2010.
Early life, education and personal life
Jonathan was born in Otueke in Ogbia Local Government Area of the then Eastern Region, later Rivers State, now Bayelsa State. He holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Zoology in which he attained Second Class Honours, Upper Division. He also holds an M.Sc. in Hydrobiology/Fisheries biology, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Zoology from the University of Port Harcourt. After obtaining his degree, he worked as an education inspector, lecturer, and environmental-protection officer, until he decided to enter politics in 1998.
He is married to Patience Faka Jonathan and has two children.[4] Jonathan is a member of the Ijaw ethnic group.
Political career
Bayelsa State governorship
Jonathan, previously the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, succeeded Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who was impeached by the Bayelsa State Assembly after being charged with money laundering in the United Kingdom. In September 2006, Jonathan's wife was indicted by the nation's anti-crime agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for money laundering related offences.[6]
Presidential race
In December 2006, Jonathan was selected as running mate to Umaru Yar'Adua for the ruling PDP presidential ticket in the April 2007 election.[7]
Acting President
President Umaru Yar'Adua left Nigeria on 23 November 2009 for medical treatment. He did not provide for anyone to assume his duties.
On 9 February 2010, the Senate determined that presidential power should be transmitted to the Vice President. He was appointed to serve as Acting President, with all the accompanying powers, until when and if Yar'Adua returned to full health. The power transfer was called a "coup without the word" by opposition lawyers and lawmakers.[14] The Nigerian Constitution requires a written letter from the President stating he is unable to serve or that the cabinet sends a medical team to examine him but this provision has not apparently been fulfilled leaving some doubts as to the constitutionality of the action.
President
Yar'Adua died on 5 May 2010. Jonathan was sworn in as Yar'Adua's replacement on 6 May 2010,[16] becoming Nigeria's 14th Head of State. He will serve as President until the next election. Upon taking office, Jonathan cited anti-corruption, power and electoral reform as likely focuses of his administration.[17] He stated that he came to office under "very sad and unusual circumstances."
On 18 May 2010, the National Assembly approved President Goodluck Jonathan's nomination of former Kaduna State governor, Namadi Sambo, an architect, for the position of Vice President.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
MALARIA, CAUSE, PREVENTION AND CURE
What is malaria?
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite, Plasmodium, which infects red blood cells. Malaria is characterized by cycles of chills, fever, pain and sweating. Historical records suggest malaria has infected humans since the beginning of mankind. The name "mal 'aria" (meaning "bad air" in Italian) was first used in English in 1740 by H. Walpole when describing the disease. The term was shortened to "malaria" in the 20th century. C. Laveran in 1880 was the first to identify the parasites in human blood. In 1889, R. Ross discovered that mosquitoes transmitted malaria. Of the four species of malaria, the most serious type is Plasmodium falciparum malaria. It can be life-threatening. The other three species of malaria (P. vivax, P. malariae, and P. ovale) are generally less serious and are not life-threatening.
How is malaria transmitted?
The life cycle of the parasite is complicated (for life cycle details, see http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/biology/life_cycle.htm) and involves two hosts, humans and Anopheles mosquitoes. The disease is transmitted to humans when an infected Anopheles mosquito bites a person and injects the malaria parasites (sporozoites) into the blood. Sporozoites travel through the bloodstream to the liver, mature, and eventually infect the human red blood cells. While in red blood cells, the parasites again develop until a mosquito takes a blood meal from an infected human and ingests human red blood cells containing the parasites. Then the parasites reach the Anopheles mosquito's stomach and eventually invade the mosquito salivary glands. When an Anopheles mosquito bites a human, these sporozoites complete and repeat the complex Plasmodium life cycle. P. ovale and P. vivax can further complicate the cycle by producing dormant stages (hypnozoites) that may not develop for weeks to years.
Where is malaria a particular problem?
Malaria is a particular problem and a major one in areas of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. Unless precautions are taken, anyone living in or traveling to a country where malaria is present can get the disease. Malaria occurs in about 100 countries; approximately 40% of the world population is at risk for contracting malaria. To get information on countries that have current malaria infection problems, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has a constantly updated website that lists the problem areas in detail: http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travel/index.htm#riskareas.
What are the signs and symptoms of malaria?
The symptoms characteristic of malaria include flu-like illness with fever, chills, muscle aches, and headache. Some patients develop nausea, vomiting, cough, and diarrhea. Cycles of chills, fever, and sweating that repeat every one, two, or three days are typical. There can sometimes be vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, and yellowing (jaundice) of the skin and whites of the eyes due to destruction of red blood cells and liver cells. People with severe P. falciparum malaria can develop bleeding problems, shock, liver or kidney failure, central nervous system problems, coma, and can die from the infection or its complications. Cerebral malaria (coma, or altered mental status or seizures) can occur with severe P. falciparum infection. It is lethal if not treated quickly; even with treatment, about 15%-20% die.
What is the incubation period for malaria?
The period between the mosquito bite and the onset of the malarial illness is usually one to three weeks (seven to 21 days). This initial time period is highly variable as reports suggest that the range of incubation periods may range from four days to one year. The usual incubation period may be increased when a person has taken an inadequate course of malaria prevention medications. Certain types of malaria (P. vivax and P. ovale) parasites can also take much longer, as long as eight to 10 months, to cause symptoms. These parasites remain dormant (inactive or hibernating) in the liver cells during this time. Unfortunately, some of these dormant parasites can remain even after a patient recovers from malaria, so the patient can get sick again. This situation is termed relapsing malaria.
How is malaria diagnosed?
Clinical symptoms listed above, when associated with travel to countries that have identified malarial risk, suggest malaria as a diagnosis. Malaria tests are not routinely ordered by most physicians in developed countries so recognition of travel history is essential.
The classic and most used test is the blood smear on a microscope slide that is stained (Giemsa stain) to show the parasites inside red blood cells. Although this test is easily done, correct results are dependent on the technical skill of the lab technician who prepares and examines the slides with a microscope. Other tests based on immunologic principles exist; including RDT's (rapid diagnostic tests) approved for use in the U.S. in 2007 and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. These are not yet widely available and are more expensive than the traditional Giemsa blood smear. Some investigators suggest such immunologic based tests be confirmed with a Giemsa blood smear.
How is malaria treated?
Three main factors determine treatments: the infecting species of Plasmodium parasite, the clinical situation of the patient (for example, adult, child, or pregnant female with either mild or severe malaria), and the drug susceptibility of the infecting parasites. Drug susceptibility is determined by the geographic area where the infection was acquired. Different areas of the world have malaria types that are resistant to certain medications. The correct drugs for each type of malaria must be prescribed by a doctor who is familiar with malaria treatment protocols. Since people infected with P. falciparum malaria can die (often because of delayed treatment), immediate treatment for P. falciparum malaria is necessary.
Mild malaria can be treated with oral medication; severe malaria (one or more symptoms of either impaired consciousness/coma, severe anemia, renal failure, pulmonary edema, acute respiratory distress syndrome, shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, spontaneous bleeding, acidosis, hemoglobinuria [hemoglobin in the urine], jaundice, repeated generalized convulsions, and/or parasitemia [parasites in the blood] of > 5%) requires intravenous (IV) drug treatment and fluids.
Drug treatment of malaria is not always easy. Chloroquine phosphate is the drug of choice for all malarial parasites except for chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium strains. Although almost all strains of P. malariae are susceptible to chloroquine, P. falciparum, P. vivax and even some P. ovale strains have been reported as resistant to chloroquine. Unfortunately, resistance is usually noted by drug-treatment failure in the individual patient. There are, however, multiple drug-treatment protocols for treatment of drug resistant Plasmodium strains (for example, quinine sulfate plus doxycycline [Vibramycin, Oracea, Adoxa, Atridox] or tetracycline [Achromycin], or clindamycin [Cleocin], or atovaquone-proguanil [Malarone]). There are specialized labs that can test the patient's parasites for resistance, but this is not done frequently. Consequently, treatment is usually based on the majority of Plasmodium species diagnosed and its general drug-resistance pattern for the country or world region where the patient became infested. For example, P. falciparum acquired in the Middle East countries is usually susceptible to chloroquine, but if acquired in sub-Sahara African countries, is usually resistant to chloroquine.
Is malaria a particular problem during pregnancy?
Yes. Malaria may pose a serious threat to a pregnant woman and her pregnancy. Malaria infection in pregnant women may be more severe than in women who are not pregnant. Malaria may also increase the risk of problems with the pregnancy, including prematurity, abortion, and stillbirth. Statistics indicate that in sub-Saharan Africa, between 75,000-200,000 infants die from malaria per year; worldwide estimates indicate over 1 million children die from malaria each year. Therefore, all pregnant women who are living in or traveling to a malaria-risk area should consult a doctor and take prescription drugs (for example, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine) to avoid contracting malaria. Treatment of malaria in the pregnant female is similar to the usual treatment described above; however, drugs such as primaquine (Primaquine), tetracycline (Achromycin, Sumycin), doxycycline, and halofantrine (Halfan) are not recommended as they may harm the fetus. In addition to monitoring the patient for anemia, an OB-GYN specialist is consulted for further management.
Is malaria a particular problem for children?
Yes. All children, including young infants, living in or traveling to malaria-risk areas should take antimalarial drugs (for example, chloroquine and mefloquine [Lariam]). Although the recommendations for most antimalarial drugs are the same as for adults, it is crucial to use the correct dosage for the child. The dosage of drug depends on the age and weight of the child. Since an overdose of an antimalarial drug can be fatal, all antimalarial (and all other) drugs should be stored in childproof containers well out of the child's reach.
How do I keep from getting malaria?
If you are traveling to an area known to have malaria, find out which medications you need to take, and take them as prescribed. Current CDC recommendations suggest individuals begin taking antimalarial drugs about one to two weeks before traveling to a malaria infested area and for four weeks after leaving the area. Your doctor, travel clinic, or the health department can advise you as to what medicines to take to keep from getting malaria. Currently, there is no vaccine available for malaria, but researchers are trying to develop one.
What other precautions should I take to avoid malaria?
If possible, avoid travel to or through countries where malaria occurs. If you must go to areas where malaria occurs, take the prescribed preventive medicine. In addition, the 2008 CDC international travel recommendations suggest the following precautions be taken in malaria infested areas:
Avoid exposure to mosquitoes during the early morning and early evening hours between the hours of dusk and dawn (the hours of greatest mosquito activity).
Wear appropriate clothing (long-sleeved shirts and long pants, for examples) especially when you are outdoors.
Apply insect repellent to the exposed skin. The CDC recommended insect repellent should contains up to 50% DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), which is the most effective mosquito repellent for adults and children over 2 months of age.
Spray mosquito repellents on clothing to prevent mosquitoes from biting through thin clothing.
• Use a permethrin-coated (or similar repellant) mosquito net over your all beds.
• Have screens over cover windows and doors.
• Spray permethrin or a similar insecticide in the bedroom before going to bed.
Where can I get more information about malaria?
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/history/index.htm#discoverymalariaparasite
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/biology/life_cycle.htm
http://gis.hhs.gov/website/mrisk9/viewer.htm
http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/malaria.htm
http://www.malariasite.com/malaria/history_parasite.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/faq.htm#4
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/diagnosis_treatment/clinicians2.htm
Background
Two important currently used antimalarial drugs are derived from plants whose medicinal values had been noted for centuries: artemisinin from the Qinghao plant (Artemisia annua L, China, 4th century) and quinine from the cinchona tree (South America, 17th century).(2)
Malaria treatment milestones
Quinine
Quinine comes from the bark of a tree native to South America. According to legend it was first brought to Europe by a Countess who had been treated with it in Peru in the 1600s. The bark was named cinchona in 1742 by Linnaeus. In 1820, two French chemists isolated quinine from the cinchona bark and quinine became a treatment of reference for intermittent fever throughout the world. Quinine remains an important and effective treatment for malaria today, despite sporadic observations of quinine resistance.(1)
Chloroquine
Research by German scientists to discover a substitute for quinine led to the synthesis in 1934 of Resochin (chloroquine) and Sontochin (3-methyl-chloroquine). These compounds belonged to a new class of antimalarials, the four-amino quinolines. The German research went no further and the formula for Resochin was passed to a US sister company. During World War II, French soldiers happened upon a stash of German-manufactured Sontochin in Tunis and handed it over to the Americans. American researchers made slight adjustments to the captured drug to enhance its efficacy. The new formulation was called chloroquine. Only after comparing chloroquine to the older and supposedly toxic Resochin, did they realize that the two chemical compounds were identical.(1)
Following the war, chloroquine and DDT emerged as the two principal weapons in WHO’s global eradication malaria campaign. Subsequently, chloroquine resistant P. falciparum probably arose in four separate locations starting with the Thai-Cambodian border around 1957; in Venezuela and parts of Colombia around 1960; in Papua New Guinea in the mid-1970s and in Africa starting in 1978 in Kenya and Tanzania and spreading by 1983 to Sudan, Uganda, Zambia and Malawi.(1)
Sulfadoxine/Pyrimethamine
A pyrimidine derivative, proguanil, also emerged from the antimalarial pipeline during World War II. Proguanil’s success in treating humans led to further study of its chemical class and to the development of pyrimethamine. Resistance to the two monotherapies appeared quickly (within one year in the case of proguanil). Sulfones and sulfonamides were then combined with proguanil or pyrimethamine in hopes of increasing efficacy and forestalling or preventing resistance. By 1953, P. falciparum resistance had already been noted in Tanzania. When Sulfadoxine/Pyrimethamine (SP) was introduced in Thailand in 1967, resistance appeared that same year and resistance spread quickly throughout South-East Asia. Resistance to SP in Africa remained low until the late 1990s but since then it has spread rapidly.(1)
Mefloquine
The development of mefloquine was a collaborative achievement of the US Army Medical Research and Development Command, WHO/TDR and Hoffman-La Roche, Inc. Mefloquine’s efficacy in preventing falciparum malaria when taken regularly was shown in 1974 and its potential as a successful treatment agent was shown soon after. Resistance to mefloquine began to appear in Asia in 1985, around the time the drug became generally available.(1)
Artemisinin
Artemisinin was isolated by Chinese scientists in 1972 from Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood), better known to Chinese herbalists for more than 2000 years as Qinghao. In the early 1970s, initial testing by Chinese scientists of Qinghao extracts in mice infected with malaria showed it to be as effective as chloroquine and quinine in clearing the parasite. Mao Tse Tung’s scientists then began testing in humans and in 1979 published their findings in the Chinese Medical Journal.(1)
Artemisinin and other artemether-group drugs have been the main line of defense against drug resistant malaria in many parts of South-East Asia. Artemisinin has been a very potent and effective antimalarial drug, especially when used in combination with other malaria medicines.(3) Combining an artemisinin drug with a partner drug that has a longer half-life was found to improve the efficacy of the artemisinin. It also reduced treatment duration with the artemisinin and appeared to reduce the likelihood of development of resistance to the partner drug. In the early part of this century, Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) had been shown to improve treatment efficacy and was thought to be a key to containing resistance in Southeast Asia. Read more about the MMV artemisinin programme.
Tackling resistance
However, in 2009, evidence of resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) was reported. Initially in the Thai-Cambodia border region, and now increasingly in Southeast Asia, ACTs are taking longer and longer to clear the parasite from patients. MMV’s first step is to determine whether resistance is only to artemisinin, or whether all artemisinin-like molecules (i.e. endoperoxides) in our pipeline are compromised. Find out more about how MMV is tackling resistance.
REFERENCES
(1) Text, where referenced, was adapted with permission of the US Institute of Medicine (IOM) from the report, {Saving Lives, Buying Time: Economics of Malaria Drugs in an Age of Resistance}, 2004, pp. 126-128
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite, Plasmodium, which infects red blood cells. Malaria is characterized by cycles of chills, fever, pain and sweating. Historical records suggest malaria has infected humans since the beginning of mankind. The name "mal 'aria" (meaning "bad air" in Italian) was first used in English in 1740 by H. Walpole when describing the disease. The term was shortened to "malaria" in the 20th century. C. Laveran in 1880 was the first to identify the parasites in human blood. In 1889, R. Ross discovered that mosquitoes transmitted malaria. Of the four species of malaria, the most serious type is Plasmodium falciparum malaria. It can be life-threatening. The other three species of malaria (P. vivax, P. malariae, and P. ovale) are generally less serious and are not life-threatening.
How is malaria transmitted?
The life cycle of the parasite is complicated (for life cycle details, see http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/biology/life_cycle.htm) and involves two hosts, humans and Anopheles mosquitoes. The disease is transmitted to humans when an infected Anopheles mosquito bites a person and injects the malaria parasites (sporozoites) into the blood. Sporozoites travel through the bloodstream to the liver, mature, and eventually infect the human red blood cells. While in red blood cells, the parasites again develop until a mosquito takes a blood meal from an infected human and ingests human red blood cells containing the parasites. Then the parasites reach the Anopheles mosquito's stomach and eventually invade the mosquito salivary glands. When an Anopheles mosquito bites a human, these sporozoites complete and repeat the complex Plasmodium life cycle. P. ovale and P. vivax can further complicate the cycle by producing dormant stages (hypnozoites) that may not develop for weeks to years.
Where is malaria a particular problem?
Malaria is a particular problem and a major one in areas of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. Unless precautions are taken, anyone living in or traveling to a country where malaria is present can get the disease. Malaria occurs in about 100 countries; approximately 40% of the world population is at risk for contracting malaria. To get information on countries that have current malaria infection problems, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has a constantly updated website that lists the problem areas in detail: http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travel/index.htm#riskareas.
What are the signs and symptoms of malaria?
The symptoms characteristic of malaria include flu-like illness with fever, chills, muscle aches, and headache. Some patients develop nausea, vomiting, cough, and diarrhea. Cycles of chills, fever, and sweating that repeat every one, two, or three days are typical. There can sometimes be vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, and yellowing (jaundice) of the skin and whites of the eyes due to destruction of red blood cells and liver cells. People with severe P. falciparum malaria can develop bleeding problems, shock, liver or kidney failure, central nervous system problems, coma, and can die from the infection or its complications. Cerebral malaria (coma, or altered mental status or seizures) can occur with severe P. falciparum infection. It is lethal if not treated quickly; even with treatment, about 15%-20% die.
What is the incubation period for malaria?
The period between the mosquito bite and the onset of the malarial illness is usually one to three weeks (seven to 21 days). This initial time period is highly variable as reports suggest that the range of incubation periods may range from four days to one year. The usual incubation period may be increased when a person has taken an inadequate course of malaria prevention medications. Certain types of malaria (P. vivax and P. ovale) parasites can also take much longer, as long as eight to 10 months, to cause symptoms. These parasites remain dormant (inactive or hibernating) in the liver cells during this time. Unfortunately, some of these dormant parasites can remain even after a patient recovers from malaria, so the patient can get sick again. This situation is termed relapsing malaria.
How is malaria diagnosed?
Clinical symptoms listed above, when associated with travel to countries that have identified malarial risk, suggest malaria as a diagnosis. Malaria tests are not routinely ordered by most physicians in developed countries so recognition of travel history is essential.
The classic and most used test is the blood smear on a microscope slide that is stained (Giemsa stain) to show the parasites inside red blood cells. Although this test is easily done, correct results are dependent on the technical skill of the lab technician who prepares and examines the slides with a microscope. Other tests based on immunologic principles exist; including RDT's (rapid diagnostic tests) approved for use in the U.S. in 2007 and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. These are not yet widely available and are more expensive than the traditional Giemsa blood smear. Some investigators suggest such immunologic based tests be confirmed with a Giemsa blood smear.
How is malaria treated?
Three main factors determine treatments: the infecting species of Plasmodium parasite, the clinical situation of the patient (for example, adult, child, or pregnant female with either mild or severe malaria), and the drug susceptibility of the infecting parasites. Drug susceptibility is determined by the geographic area where the infection was acquired. Different areas of the world have malaria types that are resistant to certain medications. The correct drugs for each type of malaria must be prescribed by a doctor who is familiar with malaria treatment protocols. Since people infected with P. falciparum malaria can die (often because of delayed treatment), immediate treatment for P. falciparum malaria is necessary.
Mild malaria can be treated with oral medication; severe malaria (one or more symptoms of either impaired consciousness/coma, severe anemia, renal failure, pulmonary edema, acute respiratory distress syndrome, shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation, spontaneous bleeding, acidosis, hemoglobinuria [hemoglobin in the urine], jaundice, repeated generalized convulsions, and/or parasitemia [parasites in the blood] of > 5%) requires intravenous (IV) drug treatment and fluids.
Drug treatment of malaria is not always easy. Chloroquine phosphate is the drug of choice for all malarial parasites except for chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium strains. Although almost all strains of P. malariae are susceptible to chloroquine, P. falciparum, P. vivax and even some P. ovale strains have been reported as resistant to chloroquine. Unfortunately, resistance is usually noted by drug-treatment failure in the individual patient. There are, however, multiple drug-treatment protocols for treatment of drug resistant Plasmodium strains (for example, quinine sulfate plus doxycycline [Vibramycin, Oracea, Adoxa, Atridox] or tetracycline [Achromycin], or clindamycin [Cleocin], or atovaquone-proguanil [Malarone]). There are specialized labs that can test the patient's parasites for resistance, but this is not done frequently. Consequently, treatment is usually based on the majority of Plasmodium species diagnosed and its general drug-resistance pattern for the country or world region where the patient became infested. For example, P. falciparum acquired in the Middle East countries is usually susceptible to chloroquine, but if acquired in sub-Sahara African countries, is usually resistant to chloroquine.
Is malaria a particular problem during pregnancy?
Yes. Malaria may pose a serious threat to a pregnant woman and her pregnancy. Malaria infection in pregnant women may be more severe than in women who are not pregnant. Malaria may also increase the risk of problems with the pregnancy, including prematurity, abortion, and stillbirth. Statistics indicate that in sub-Saharan Africa, between 75,000-200,000 infants die from malaria per year; worldwide estimates indicate over 1 million children die from malaria each year. Therefore, all pregnant women who are living in or traveling to a malaria-risk area should consult a doctor and take prescription drugs (for example, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine) to avoid contracting malaria. Treatment of malaria in the pregnant female is similar to the usual treatment described above; however, drugs such as primaquine (Primaquine), tetracycline (Achromycin, Sumycin), doxycycline, and halofantrine (Halfan) are not recommended as they may harm the fetus. In addition to monitoring the patient for anemia, an OB-GYN specialist is consulted for further management.
Is malaria a particular problem for children?
Yes. All children, including young infants, living in or traveling to malaria-risk areas should take antimalarial drugs (for example, chloroquine and mefloquine [Lariam]). Although the recommendations for most antimalarial drugs are the same as for adults, it is crucial to use the correct dosage for the child. The dosage of drug depends on the age and weight of the child. Since an overdose of an antimalarial drug can be fatal, all antimalarial (and all other) drugs should be stored in childproof containers well out of the child's reach.
How do I keep from getting malaria?
If you are traveling to an area known to have malaria, find out which medications you need to take, and take them as prescribed. Current CDC recommendations suggest individuals begin taking antimalarial drugs about one to two weeks before traveling to a malaria infested area and for four weeks after leaving the area. Your doctor, travel clinic, or the health department can advise you as to what medicines to take to keep from getting malaria. Currently, there is no vaccine available for malaria, but researchers are trying to develop one.
What other precautions should I take to avoid malaria?
If possible, avoid travel to or through countries where malaria occurs. If you must go to areas where malaria occurs, take the prescribed preventive medicine. In addition, the 2008 CDC international travel recommendations suggest the following precautions be taken in malaria infested areas:
Avoid exposure to mosquitoes during the early morning and early evening hours between the hours of dusk and dawn (the hours of greatest mosquito activity).
Wear appropriate clothing (long-sleeved shirts and long pants, for examples) especially when you are outdoors.
Apply insect repellent to the exposed skin. The CDC recommended insect repellent should contains up to 50% DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), which is the most effective mosquito repellent for adults and children over 2 months of age.
Spray mosquito repellents on clothing to prevent mosquitoes from biting through thin clothing.
• Use a permethrin-coated (or similar repellant) mosquito net over your all beds.
• Have screens over cover windows and doors.
• Spray permethrin or a similar insecticide in the bedroom before going to bed.
Where can I get more information about malaria?
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/history/index.htm#discoverymalariaparasite
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/biology/life_cycle.htm
http://gis.hhs.gov/website/mrisk9/viewer.htm
http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/malaria.htm
http://www.malariasite.com/malaria/history_parasite.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/faq.htm#4
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/diagnosis_treatment/clinicians2.htm
Background
Two important currently used antimalarial drugs are derived from plants whose medicinal values had been noted for centuries: artemisinin from the Qinghao plant (Artemisia annua L, China, 4th century) and quinine from the cinchona tree (South America, 17th century).(2)
Malaria treatment milestones
Quinine
Quinine comes from the bark of a tree native to South America. According to legend it was first brought to Europe by a Countess who had been treated with it in Peru in the 1600s. The bark was named cinchona in 1742 by Linnaeus. In 1820, two French chemists isolated quinine from the cinchona bark and quinine became a treatment of reference for intermittent fever throughout the world. Quinine remains an important and effective treatment for malaria today, despite sporadic observations of quinine resistance.(1)
Chloroquine
Research by German scientists to discover a substitute for quinine led to the synthesis in 1934 of Resochin (chloroquine) and Sontochin (3-methyl-chloroquine). These compounds belonged to a new class of antimalarials, the four-amino quinolines. The German research went no further and the formula for Resochin was passed to a US sister company. During World War II, French soldiers happened upon a stash of German-manufactured Sontochin in Tunis and handed it over to the Americans. American researchers made slight adjustments to the captured drug to enhance its efficacy. The new formulation was called chloroquine. Only after comparing chloroquine to the older and supposedly toxic Resochin, did they realize that the two chemical compounds were identical.(1)
Following the war, chloroquine and DDT emerged as the two principal weapons in WHO’s global eradication malaria campaign. Subsequently, chloroquine resistant P. falciparum probably arose in four separate locations starting with the Thai-Cambodian border around 1957; in Venezuela and parts of Colombia around 1960; in Papua New Guinea in the mid-1970s and in Africa starting in 1978 in Kenya and Tanzania and spreading by 1983 to Sudan, Uganda, Zambia and Malawi.(1)
Sulfadoxine/Pyrimethamine
A pyrimidine derivative, proguanil, also emerged from the antimalarial pipeline during World War II. Proguanil’s success in treating humans led to further study of its chemical class and to the development of pyrimethamine. Resistance to the two monotherapies appeared quickly (within one year in the case of proguanil). Sulfones and sulfonamides were then combined with proguanil or pyrimethamine in hopes of increasing efficacy and forestalling or preventing resistance. By 1953, P. falciparum resistance had already been noted in Tanzania. When Sulfadoxine/Pyrimethamine (SP) was introduced in Thailand in 1967, resistance appeared that same year and resistance spread quickly throughout South-East Asia. Resistance to SP in Africa remained low until the late 1990s but since then it has spread rapidly.(1)
Mefloquine
The development of mefloquine was a collaborative achievement of the US Army Medical Research and Development Command, WHO/TDR and Hoffman-La Roche, Inc. Mefloquine’s efficacy in preventing falciparum malaria when taken regularly was shown in 1974 and its potential as a successful treatment agent was shown soon after. Resistance to mefloquine began to appear in Asia in 1985, around the time the drug became generally available.(1)
Artemisinin
Artemisinin was isolated by Chinese scientists in 1972 from Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood), better known to Chinese herbalists for more than 2000 years as Qinghao. In the early 1970s, initial testing by Chinese scientists of Qinghao extracts in mice infected with malaria showed it to be as effective as chloroquine and quinine in clearing the parasite. Mao Tse Tung’s scientists then began testing in humans and in 1979 published their findings in the Chinese Medical Journal.(1)
Artemisinin and other artemether-group drugs have been the main line of defense against drug resistant malaria in many parts of South-East Asia. Artemisinin has been a very potent and effective antimalarial drug, especially when used in combination with other malaria medicines.(3) Combining an artemisinin drug with a partner drug that has a longer half-life was found to improve the efficacy of the artemisinin. It also reduced treatment duration with the artemisinin and appeared to reduce the likelihood of development of resistance to the partner drug. In the early part of this century, Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) had been shown to improve treatment efficacy and was thought to be a key to containing resistance in Southeast Asia. Read more about the MMV artemisinin programme.
Tackling resistance
However, in 2009, evidence of resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) was reported. Initially in the Thai-Cambodia border region, and now increasingly in Southeast Asia, ACTs are taking longer and longer to clear the parasite from patients. MMV’s first step is to determine whether resistance is only to artemisinin, or whether all artemisinin-like molecules (i.e. endoperoxides) in our pipeline are compromised. Find out more about how MMV is tackling resistance.
REFERENCES
(1) Text, where referenced, was adapted with permission of the US Institute of Medicine (IOM) from the report, {Saving Lives, Buying Time: Economics of Malaria Drugs in an Age of Resistance}, 2004, pp. 126-128
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
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Why US favours Jonathan for 2011
Why US favours Jonathan for 2011
Cover Stories Aug 10, 2010By Hugo Odiogor, Deputy Political Editor
LAGOS — As President Goodluck Jonathan prepares to visit the United States of America next month for the United Nations General Assembly, Vanguard can reveal that the America’s determination to secure its interest in the global energy war is the strongest motive for Washington’s preference for the candidacy of Dr. Goodluck Johathan in the 2011 presidential election.
While Nigerian political actors across the geopolitical divide are bogged down with argument on power shift, informed diplomatic source told Vanguard at the weekend that America’s energy security interest in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea is the key edge that Jonathan has over all those that have so far shown interest in the Presidency in the 2011 polls.
Apart from President Jonathan, other known aspirants to the Presidential seat are Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Otunba Dele Mommodu and Alhaji Ibrahim Shekerau.
President Goodluck Jonathan
Among the listed aspirants, some of them lack the experience at national politics, especially at the presidential level.
Those that occupied the office as military leaders from 1983 to 1993 have issues concerning mismanagement of public funds and abuse of human rights which does not say well of the country in the area of public auditing of leaders in a fast changing global environment.
Informed diplomatic contacts told Vanguard in Lagos that Washington was involved in a high level oil diplomacy aimed at securing its energy interest in Nigeria especially in the Gulf of Guinea. The country is engaged in extensive diplomatic consultations at home and abroad to ensure that it stays on top of the situation in Nigeria.
Meddling in domestic affairs
The country has been using its former diplomats to penetrate into those areas that its serving envoys would not enter to avoid being accused of meddling in the domestic affairs of the African country but at the same time it has been making top level consultations through their officials of state.
Former US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Walter Carrington, was in Nigeria last month on a private visit with his Edo State-born wife, Dr. Arese. Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia met with his United States counterpart, Mrs. Hillary Clinton in Washington last week in what diplomatic watchers regard as smoothening the path of Jonathan in the international arena.
The President has another opportunity to up the ante when he meets with world leaders in New York next month at the UN General Assembly gathering.
“These are solid credentials that are so tempting for any politician that is already in office to ignore, especially if there are constitutional lee ways to exploit. I think the political class should be wise enough to put their bet on a horse that has the potentials to win. That is how to play the game, it is not by sowing seeds of discord and mayhem which will be of no benefit to them and the country,” said the source.
The United States through its diplomats has stated that it will continue its investment in the oil sector and to that extent, the country is interested in consistency and continuity in policies and stability in the polity.
Nigeria’s ambassador to the US, Chief A. Adefuye who is saddled with organising the next month visit, has been making contacts with key sectors of the US sectors and investors that will meet with the Nigerian leader in New York. A strong delegation of Nigerians in the Diaspora has been programmed to meet with the President and drum up support for a possible 2011 contest.
The US scale of preference
The source told Vanguard that “the United States will not go beyond providing technical and logistic support to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to organise a credible and acceptable election but we expect that Nigerians should elect a leader who will, among other things, show commitment to reforms, consistency in policies and stability in the polity.
“It is important to elect a leader who has the intellectual capacity to understand the complex global energy demand in the 21st century. This will be a person who could win the confidence of the oil host communities and promote regional security especially in the Gulf of Guinea.
“The success of the amnesty programme in Niger-Delta, tackling the internal insecurity challenges and global war against terrorism, maintaining the anti-corruption campaign in the public sector and ensuring stability and security in the oil supply source are critical to national and international development for Nigeria at this moment.
“The focus of US oil diplomacy also entails having a measure of policy stability especially in seeing the completion of reforms embarked on in the oil sector of which Jonathan is part of the Yar’ Adua administration that embarked on the much awaited programme to restructure and reorganise the Oil and Gas industry instituted, financial and commercial policy and legislative reforms, especially in the Nigerian Content Bill, restructuring the Downstream Gas Bill now called the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB.
Jonathan and global energy war
The global war is between the United States, China and India on one hand and the unstable supply source in the Middle East and Africa. The battle is on who controls the supply source. At stake is the $16 trillion investment in global development of oil production and distribution between 2011 to 2030 in anticipation rise in energy demand which the US-based International Energy Agency, IEA, puts at 35 per cent.
The IEA believes that for Nigeria to remain relevant in the global energy equation, it must be part of the global community. The report of IEA available to Vanguard states that about $16 trillion will be spent on infrastructure and facilities to produce and deliver energy, transport fuels and refined products from producing countries to consuming countries.
United States Secretary of State, Mrs. Hillary Clinton, told his Nigerian counterpart, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, last week that the United States remained committed to future investment in the oil sector in Nigeria where its multinational companies are fully involved in the extraction of hydrocarbons in the volatile Niger Delta. The US Government wants a leader who can see the full implementation of the amnesty programme to bring about peace in the oil rich region.
The United States has been working on boosting its sourcing oil from the relatively peaceful Gulf of Guinea which has in recent times become troubled by militancy and piracy even when the African Command, Africom, a volunteer military alliance put together by Washington to respond to security emergency in African, became operational in 2008.
At the height of the militancy crisis in the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s production level fell from 2.2 million bpd to about 1.2 millionbpd which contributed to the steep rise in the global crude oil price to $147 per barrel in the last quarter of 2008.
Vanguard learnt the recent massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was an issue in the US oil diplomatic moves in the Gulf of Guinea where Nigeria is a major player. It is expected that by the year 2030, the global energy need will be 35 per cent higher than the levels it were in 2003.
Oil diplomacy
The world total energy demand is expected to climb by about 50 per cent by the end of 2030. This expected rise is driven by the emergence of Brazil, China and India as new industrial powers accounting for more than 40 per cent of the global energy demand.
The US is equally worried that interest oil will face increased threatens at the supply source by the aggressive oil diplomacy of China which is active in Sudan, Chad, Angola as well as Nigeria. Access to affordable energy source is essential to sustain business development in US and keep people in employment in its economy that is making sluggish recovery from the recession of 2009.
This means a stable global political economy is import especially from Nigeria which controls substantial oil and other maritime resources in the Gulf of Guinea which America regards as the alternative supply source from the highly unpredictable Middle East.
Prof. Kayode Soremekun of the Political Science Dept, Covenant University Ota, Ogun State told Vanguard that interest of the United States in who emerges as the next president of Nigeria is in line with its position as a global power which studies “situational realities and align its interest with forces that can best protect such interests at any given time, especially as it affects its multinational oil companies.
“The US had a defined interest in having access to resources like oil and to that extent it will seek to ensure stability that will allow its multinational companies in the oil sector to thrive; and to the extent that Nigeria after 50 years of independence has no so clearly defined interest. It will have to rely on extra African powers to define its political and economic interest.
“Nigeria is a sub imperial power that has remained a toddler at 50, hence it must go through this phase where external powers will continue to shape its political destiny.
“Oil is a global energy commodity which is the life wire of industrial economy, and the global nature of the world economy has created a situation where it has become necessary to pay greater attention to events at the supply source of the commodity.
Said Soremekun” Oil Industry experts are quick to warn that the continued rise in oil prices would upset the global economy, consequently the United States has shown considerable interest in oil supplies from the relatively secured Gulf of Guinea, where Nigeria is a major player.
The Middle East remains a source of concern as the US leads the global anti terror war and sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.
LUTH tops newborn survival rates with Recycled Incubator Technique
LUTH tops newborn survival rates with Recycled Incubator Technique
Health Aug 10, 2010By Sola Ogundipe
MORE newborn babies survive at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, Lagos today than in the past and currently, the tertiary health institution is reputed to have a newborn survival rate that is almost three times the national average.
The presence of a reliable neonatal unit which ensures greater chances of survival for premature babies in particular, has also contributed signifcantly to increased patient admissions and reduced length of stay in the hospital.
These facts came to the fore in the wake of last week’s successful delivery of a set of quadruplets at the hospital. – a feat largely attributed to the installed neonatal unit comprising 29 fully functional incubators, including 25 refurbished units that were reactivated under a novel Recycled Incubator Technique (RIT) initiative.
In an exclusive interview, designer of the first RIT system, Dr. Hippolite Amadi, a Consultant Orthopaedic Biomechanist said LUTH currently had the higherst number of functional incubators nationwide. Amadi, who is also an expert in Musculoskeletal Biomechanics, at the Department of Bioengineering,Imperial College London, Consultant Orthopaedic Biomechanist, essentially a specialist in cutting edge medical technology and branch of paediatrics known as Neonatal thermoneutrality, observed that the RIT could be considered Nigeria’s gift to the world, because in 2007 when it was described in medical literature, The RIT was a big story to the world that incubator systems that had been obsolete for as long as 15-20 years had come back to life and were saving lives in Nigeria.
Amadi stated emphatically that the RIT is partly Nigerian and partly foreign. “The whole idea is picking what has been thrown away and bringing it back to life.The incubator has the shape of what it used to be, maybe 20 years ago when it was thrown away, but what is inside is up-to-date technology.
According to him, it is interesting that LUTH came to benefit from RIT in January 2007. “As at January 2007, there wasn’t a single functional incubator in the hospital, but today LUTH has the highest number of incubators in Nigeria.” He added that the development could explain why many newborns were not surviving previously because they required incubator use.
“It was quite bad for the hospital at that time, but when the present management invited me for collaboration, they had an advantage that most of the carcasses of the old incubators were still intact.
“Many of the patients were leaving because they could not cope and even this development affected the training of clinicians in the field of neonatology because you cannot effectively train doctors when the patients are not there. It is a chain reaction.”
Noting that it is avery big advantage for a hospital to have good patient flow, the biomedical engineer observed that with good patient flow, a hospital would have enoughitsyopur doctors and the institution would improve. He said:
“Patient demography is sensitive to functionality. When functionality drops, the patients stay away. But the momemt a unit becomes functional, they begin trooping back, and that’s what’s happening at LUTH. Patient demography in the last three years has just surged to 56.4 percent. It’s a record number and they can hardly cope. the hospital is extending and expanding because people are coming from all over Lagos. LUTH is really functional and needs decongestion.
Further, the medical expert said: “The present management at LUTH tackled the problem headlong. They had asked questions about what had happened in other hospitals and were ready to give it a trial. They began with an initial 10 carcasses that were recycled and every year have recycled five.
“From nothing in 2007, LUTH today has a total of 29 functional incubators and this is a record number because there is no other hospital that has up to 20 incubators. The hospital with the next highest number is the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, which is one of the longest applying RIT in their hospital. Some Teaching Hospitals have had their RITs in the last seven years, but LUTH which began in 2007 is leading. For instance, the University of Benin which began the technique in 2005 has 11 RITs.”
He recalled that the UPTH maintained the lead from 2004 until LUTH stepped into the picture. “Apart from LUTH and UPTH, many other teaching hospitals have less than 10 functional incubators. Yet these are places that require at least 15 functional incubators each at any time.’
Talking about the RIT, he said: “ I designed it in 2002 and in 2003 put together the configuration at the University of Enugu Teaching Hospital (UNETH) for human clinical trials. The result was success ful and we now started introducing them in different teaching hospitals. It is thanks to the RIT that LUTH has newborn survival rates that are higher than the national average. ” Findings also revealed that for most of 2009, RIT was No. 1 in the world chart for top medical 50 findings under incubators. The chart, which is renewed every month has never witnessed the RIT going further than the 10th place.
“Can we really save our babies,” he asked? “Data from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) states that 781 babies die everyday in Nigeria. It is disturbing. What solution do we have? It would be a fool’s paradise to think that the white man will come here.All these led to the solution All these babies cannot be going to the grave. It is the quest of this solution that made me start to reequip the neonatal unit across the country. It is a research work that lasted five years project that started in 2007.”
Quoting a recent 6th-year follow up of RIT in Nigeria, Amadi said he and his research team concentrated on the systems the initiative has functioned on in Nigeria for seven years. “So the 6th year study for all the systems, and aggregated it over another 69 incubators that have covered three years plus to characterise the whole idea of RIT and the result was impressive.
“It chronicles where the hospitals stand within the column of the national average and what has happened in the last three years when the RIT was introduced here. Still deliberating on the 6th-year follow up, Amadi said it wasthe kind of result that is exciting.”
Amadi opined that from the view point of the Thrid World, the instruments used to procure thermoneutrality (i.e., incubators) are very expensive to procure. “Some-state-of-the-art incubators in this country cost as much as N9 million. This is a huge sum of money when you come to a standard hospital such as LUTH that requires as many as 30 incubators, where does it get the money to procure these incubators at the average cost of N6 million each? It may have to shut down so many other units just to run the neonatal unit, which is just a tiny bit of the paediatrics department.”
Lekki-Epe Road: LCC to generate N280 bn in 30 years
Lekki-Epe Road: LCC to generate N280 bn in 30 years
This Is Lagos Aug 9, 2010By Clifford Ndujihe
WHEN the 49.4 kilometre Lekki-Epe Expressway becomes fully operational, the managers of the road, Lekki Concession Company, LCC, would be raking in at least N25.5 million a day, in tolls.
In its users’ guide published last week, the company estimates that 85,000 vehicles will ply the route daily. There will be three toll plazas within a distance of 24 kilometres wherein lies the major settlements on that axis of Lagos. And so with the cheapest toll being N100, the company will generate at least N25.5 million a day; N765 million a month; N 9.31 billion a year; and N279.23 billion in 30 years that the concession will last.
This excludes money that will be generated from a new road along the 49.4 kilometre highway and a 20_kilometre Coastal Road that will also be tolled.
The total project cost is estimated at N105 billion.
However, LCC Managing Director, Mr. Opuiyo Oforiokuma, said users would get value for their money and “optimum utility out of their road experience.”
According to him, road users would benefit from improved convenience, journey times and safety, in comparison to the situation subsisting before the LCC’s concession.
He said the LCC would maintain the road throughout the concession term, provide sustainable solutions to the challenges brought about by historic heavy traffic congestion along the Lekki-Epe axis and hand over the road in an excellent condition to the Lagos State Government after the 30-year concession.
Oforiokuma also promised that the LCC would ensure among others:
•Provision of continuous customer service and support in the event of vehicle breakdown.
•Early detection and removal of foreign objects and other obstructions from the carriageway.
•Response to accidents, emergencies, and other road incidents, to secure the scene, render the road safe for road users, and restore traffic flow.
•Maintenance of appropriate traffic and information signage along the axis, and
•Route patrol services.
Beware, that C of O could be fake
Beware, that C of O could be fake
This Is Lagos Aug 10, 2010By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Monsur Olowoopejo
BEFORE you buy any property in Lagos ensure that the documents are genuine. Reason: There are many cloned certificates of occupancy (C of O) and other titled documents in circulation. Lagos State Governor Monitoring Taskforce, GMT, last week arrested five people who were involved in issuing forged state government’s C of O, building approvals and other property certificates.
The arrest came days after the government initiated moves to go after the perpetrators, bring them to book and eliminate the trend.
Among the five perpetrators arrested was one Mr. Olayiwola Moses, while investigation is still ongoing on four other members also involved in the illicit business.
Earlier, the government warned finance, mortgage institutions, security agencies and members of the public to beware of the forgers, saying there was an “increasing number of cloned/forged Lagos State Government C of Os in circulation that are being presented to secure credit facilities from banks and other financial institutions.”
Lands Bureau warns
The Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr. Gbenga Ashafa, who gave the warning in his Alausa, Ikeja office, specifically, declared that a cartel of fraudsters, who specialise in cloning and forging Cof O for use in obtaining loans from banks and other credit finance organizations, were behind the nefarious activities.
His words: “The fraudsters have devised means of perpetrating such fraud through third Legal Mortgages which is executed without a guarantor having to appear in person.
Financial institutions and banks are advised in their own interest to always ensure due diligence in investigating all title documents presented by parties and individuals who are not the direct owners. This is because the fraudsters usually present certificates of occupancy over landed properties purportedly owned by other parties or individuals as collateral.”
While also warning members of the public, Ashafa, advised that sales/purchase of land and mortgage transactions without proper authentication of Certificates of Occupancy would henceforth not be entertained.
He continued: “Members of the public are once again reminded that the Lagos State Lands Registry should always be contacted for searches and verification to ascertain the authenticity of such Certificates of Occupancy.”
Deploring the trend, the government assured that new Certificates of Occupancy would soon be officially launched to effectively tackle the fraudulent practice.
How suspects were caught
Meanwhile, the 42-year old Moses was apprehended at Agege, Lagos, by one Alhaji Bello, one of his victims, with the aid of some of neighbours and before GMT officers were contaced.
However, as Moses is paraded, all effort to speak with other four men arrested prove abortive as the state officials stated that the case was still under investigation that until the investigation was completed, the arrested men would not be paraded.
Moses accused the state government of revisiting an outdated case, for which he had spent three months behind bars and later jailed for six months, three years ago.
Suspect confirms circulation of fake documents
Moses agreed that he was involved in the business but had stopped after completing his six_month jail term in 2007. “I used to engage in cloning of C of O and I have cloned for two people successfully while the third one was not successful because it coincided with the time when I was apprehended in 2007. For now, I engage in buying and selling of planks at Igboho plank market with the assistance of my elder brother.”
He explained: “I was arrested in 2007 for forgery of certificate. Since then, I left the business. Today, as I was walking through the house of Alh. Bello, because I thought we have settled the case, I was arrested. I spent one week in Alausa Police station, then transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti, Yaba where I spent three months in detention while the investigation was still going on. After the completion of the investigation, the judge sentenced me to six months imprisonment at Ikoyi alongside one Wale Adeoye and one Mr. Taiwo who forged the certificate for him at the demolished Oluwole Market.”
He said: “Alhaji Bello told me to get C of O documents for him. Although I am not an official of Lagos State government but he came to meet me because he knows that I can do it for him. He gave me money and I went to Oluwole to get the cloned documents.
I could not recollect the amount of money we paid for the certificate because it was in 2007. The document is not fresh because they have taken the document to Panti and we met with the senior police officer on ground then and I told them then that the document is a fake document and they told Bello to go and write his own petition while I was taken to court and Bello’s name was mentioned at the court along side other victims but he failed to show up on the day of judgment.”
He however, said that Bello did not know before the arrest that the document was faked until the court demanded that he should present it to clear himself.
Responding, on behalf of the state government, the consultant Lagos State Land Monitoring Team, Engr. Peter Omotosho said, the investigation on Moses had been completed and that investigation on the other four was still going on, adding “when the state government is through with their investigation, they will be publicly paraded.”
He said: “The case, in which Moses was sentenced for in 2007, was not filed by the state government but by those that he had cloned property certificates for in Lagos State. The matter was reported to us by Bello and we collected the C of O from him in other to assist us in arresting the perpetrator.
Since then we have been searching for him, until today when we got information from Bello that he has caught the man we are looking for. He was arrested in 2007 but not for C of O. Government is interested in the case because they are government certificates. We will prosecute the matter before the court so that we will be to able arrest others involved and assist people from falling victim of certificate forgery in the state.”
Senate approves N87b for INEC
Senate approves N87b for INEC
Headlines Aug 10, 2010
Prof Attahiru Jega, INEC chairman,
Clears 3 ministerial nominees
By Ben Agande & Inalegu Shaibu
ABUJA – THE Senate, slashed the supplementary budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission to N87,721,961,531 (eighty seven billion, seven hundred and twenty one million, nine hundred and sixty one thousand, five hundred and thirty one naira).
The reduction, which confirmed yesterday’s report in Vanguard, was N1.897billion short of the N89, 592,874,171 presented by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Despite misgivings from senators over the bill, the Senate approved the amount. The senators also charged the leadership of the commission to justify the confidence reposed in it by the passage of the bill.
But to finance the budget, the Senate also approved plans for a government bond issue to finance an 87.72 billion naira ($585 m) budget to help the electoral commission organise presidential and parliamentary polls next year. “We propose to fund this request by raising federal government bonds,” President Goodluck Jonathan said in a submission to the Senate which was approved by lawmakers.
Although many senators were initially disposed to slashing some of the provisions in the budget, a three hour executive session which preceded the deliberations helped to douse the opposition that would have trailed its passage.
Senate President, David Mark, said the Senate had bent over backward to ensure that the request from the President for the budget of INEC was passed to guarantee a free and fair election.
He said: “We have done this with the hope that INEC will conduct a credible, free and fair election that would be the pride of Nigerians and would make the country proud in the comity of nations.”
Credible voters’ register
Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who spoke shortly before the bill was read for the third time told the commission that every Nigerian expected that having been given all it needed to prepare a credible voters’ register, the commission cannot afford to let the country down.
Presenting the budget, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Iyiola Omisore, said the committee recommended the passage of the Bill because “we are all aware of the mood of the nation in respect of the proper funding of the INEC and the necessary tools it requires to ensure that the 2011 elections are free, fair and credible.”
Deputy Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, said though members of the Senate had reservations about the figures being passed as they did not have the time to closely scrutinise them, “we do not want to be made scapegoats by the Nigerian people” who may blame any problem in the conduct of the election on the National Assembly.
Senator Anyim Ude said the Senate was being held to ransom but “we have no option but to pass the budget with the hope that the committee on INEC would carry out a thorough oversight function to ensure that the money is deployed for their purpose.”
Out of the amount, N25,810,441,531 (twenty five billion, eight hundred and ten million, four hundred and forty one thousand, five hundred and thirty one naira) is for additional recurrent expenditure while the balance of N61,911,520,000 (sixty one billion, nine hundred and eleven million, five hundred and twenty thousand naira) only is for contribution to the development fund for additional capital expenditure.
Senate confirms 3 more ministers
Meantime, the Senate has confirmed Dr. Kenneth Gbagi, Delta State; Hajia Yabawa Lawan Wabi, Borno State; and Hajia Salamatu Suleiman, Kebbi State; as ministers.
The three nominees were sent for confirmation to the Senate by President Goodluck Jonathan in a letter read by the Senate President, David Mark.
Unlike in the past when ministerial nominees were subjected to serious questioning by the Senate, the minister-designate were, however, accorded the privilege of taking a bow before the senators and leaving.
Senator Mark charged them to set aside ethnic and political sentiments in the discharge of their duties and work for the interest of the nation, stressing: “I urge you to put the interest of the nation above personal interests and remember that you are accountable to the public.”
With yesterday’s confirmation, the number of ministers has increased to 42 from 39 which were earlier screened and approved by the Senate earlier this year.
Also yesterday, President Jonathan asked the Senate to expedite action on the passage of the Anti-Terrorism and Anti-Money Laundering Bill to enable the country fulfil its commitment to the Financial Action Task Force and the International Community
The letter reads: “Mr. Senate President will recall my meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly, during which I stressed the importance of the letter and urgency to pass the bills. I wish to draw your kind attention to the fact that the commitment to FATF that the two bills would be passed into law on or before June 30, 2010 was not met.
I understand the two bills are still being worked on by the relevant committees in both houses, which have raised certain concerns on some provisions of the bills. These perhaps may have been responsible for the reduced momentum in the process.
“Mr Senate President may wish to note that every provision in the draft bills presented to the National Assembly is consistent and in compliance with global instruments which Nigeria has signed and ratified. International standards require all member-states to model their domestic legislation in consonance with global best practices. It is, therefore, important that the two bills, when passed into law, should meet basic global standards, failing which Nigeria will continue to be adjudged as non-cooperating jurisdiction.
“You may also wish to be informed that the global financial watchdog is scheduled to meet again with the presidential inter-ministerial/agency committee in September 2010 to review the progress made by Nigeria. It would be a huge plus for the country if the country has a positive report regarding the two pending bills.
“Since the Senate would be reconvening next (this) week, Mr. Senate president and the distinguished senators are again kindly requested to consider passing the two bills and thus save the country an unnecessary backlash from international community for failure to keep commitments and support the global war on corruption, money laundering and terror.”
SEC prosecutes 260 stock market offenders
SEC prosecutes 260 stock market offenders
National News Aug 11, 2010By Luka Binniyat
ABUJA — Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Ms Arunma Oteh, yesterday, said the commission was prosecuting 260 persons for various offences in the Nigerian Stock market.
Oteh made this known at public investigation hearing concerning recent development in the capital market, organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Capital Market.
She said the accused person had been dragged to court as a result of flurry of petitions and allegations of fraudulent activities that SEC received against them, adding: “We are prosecuting them as corporate organisations and as individuals for insider trading, share manipulation and sundry offences.”
She lamented that as a result of weak enforcement of regulations in the past, coupled with other avoidable factors, capitalisation level of the market dropped from N12 trillion in 2008 to N5.5 trillion today.
“There are about seven million investors involved in this fragile market, and they have little confidence in it,” she said.
Oteh said past managers of the capital market had engaged in risky behaviours by taking margin loans under a situation where the bodies regulating the market were unable to coordinate themselves for effectiveness.
She told the Reps that Capital market did not have the length, breath and depth of a standard market, but that SEC was already addressing the situation.
She added that the Commission was already re-organising bond issuance in Nigeria by forming the Nigerian Bond Market.
The SEC boss said: “We are forming a world class Sovereign Bond Market so that states or corporate bonds can be priced at reduced risk,” noting that the bond market was very crucial if Nigeria must meet its basic infrastructural requirements that would lead to development.
“The SEC has a great sense of responsibility and our primary concern is the integrity of the market and the protection of the interests of the investors,” she said.
She said part of the actions taken at sanitising the market was the sack of some key officers of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, and the launching of investigation into alleged sharp dealings by the dissolved council of the NSE.
She introduced the new people on the helms of affairs of the NSE, saying they were all in acting capacity.
They are Mr. Emmanuel Ikazoboh who is now Interim Administrator and would fill in the role of the Chief Executive Officer of the NSE and Mr. Bullama Manu, Interim Head of the Council.
Sacked D-G of NSE, Professor Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke and sacked President of the Exchange, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, would take their turn today with the Committee.
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