Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has condoled with the family and government of Kano State over the death of the former Speaker of Nigeria's House of Representatives, Umar Ghali Na'abba.
Governor Umaru Bago, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, described the death of Na'abba as a colossal loss to Nigeria.
He acknowledged the immense contributions of the late former Speaker to the growth and development of Kano in particular and Nigerian democracy in general.
He observed that the deceased was a courageous and dynamic legislator whose wealth of experience in the political landscape of Nigeria will be greatly missed.
While praying to God for peaceful repose of the soul of the departed, the governor encouraged the government and the people of Kano State, as well as the family of the late Na'abba, to take solace in God in this trying moment.
The late Ghali Na'abba, who died at the age of 65, was the 8th Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003.
The Medical Director of Wasiha Medical Centre, Dr. Idris Mohammed, has disclosed that there are illnesses a child might be suffering from today that could have some negative effects that will follow them tomorrow if not properly treated.
He said good health is a great wealth that cannot be overemphasised, especially when it concerns the health of a child.
Speaking in an interview with Newsline in his office recently, Dr. Idris Mohammed, who lamented that the economy of the country was unusual, stressed that "we are in unusual times and people are facing many problems financially and otherwise, but it will be an irony of situation if we have an economic downturn that subjects a child to unnecessary trauma, which may eventually result in severe morbidity and mortality rates.
"Today we are practicing evidence-based medicine. Parents should pay proper attention to their children's illnesses. Parents must first accept that they have a responsibility to their children, and the earlier they begin to discharge those responsibilities, the better," he added.
He went on by saying that chicken pox, which many children suffered from, and if not properly treated, by the time the child grows into adulthood, he or she will begin to have what we call shingles, or small rashes, and these were the things that were supposed to have been taken care of very early in childhood.
Dr. Idris further stated that children suffer from one illness or another without proper attention, and this eventually results in growth retardation, explaining that instead of having a normal, well-built child, the child has a very small stature and is not looking healthy.
He said what we called mental development in a child was not only in terms of physical development but also in brain development; "therefore, that child, if he goes to school, will not be able to catch up with other children who have developed normally because there is stunted growth, not only in physical structure but also in mental development.".
He warned that delay in treating a disease will result in some other uneventful things that you could not expect and might even cause more harm than good for a child and even the parents.
The medical director also said some diabetics found in adult patients linger from childhood, but since they were not properly managed or discovered on time, they eventually followed the child into adulthood; hence, parents should not hesitate to take their children to a certified hospital for proper medical attention, he warned.
