NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Re: Nigerian doctors misdiagnosed Yar’Adua’s ailment May I respond to your reporter's story with the above caption. While it is commendable that at last Nigerians know the type of ailment their president is contending with, it is at the same time improper to portray Nigerian doctors in a wrong light. Churg-Strauss Syndrome (also known as allergic granulomatosis angiitis) is a rare diffuse disease affecting the blood vessels of the heart (coronary), lungs (pulmonary), brain (cerebral) and the abdominal and skin areas. It is an auto-immune disease, meaning that the body turns on itself, destroying its own tissues. The disease causes an inflammation of the blood vessels known as "vasculitis" which predominantly affects the small and medium sized blood vessels of the areas listed.The lung is often times damaged by this ailment, hence the persistence of asthma. The cause remains unknown and the incidence is approximately 2.5 cases per 100,000 adults per year with a slight preponderance in males. The disease can start at any age, but usually between 15 to 70 years. Among the three noted phases of this disease, allergic rhinitis (inflammation of the nose, a well known form being hay fever) and asthma are particularly noted. It is a multi-organic disease that could lead to heart failure, myocardial infarction (heart attack) and even death. Heart attack in particular remains a very major cause of death. The main thrust of this rejoinder is that treatment is often with prednisolone ( a steroid) and sometimes in combination with immunosuppresive drugs. It should be noted that with treatment, asthma often persists. Thus, it is not correct to state that Nigerian doctors wrongly disgnosed or mis-treated Yar'Adua. It is also not correct to state that Nigerian doctors only treated asthma, as this remains a persistent presentation of this rather chronic ailment. It is always important to research a story very well before publication so as not to wrongly castigate the only profession in Nigeria that cannot afford to divert from its true calling. Your reporter could have been of tremendous help to Nigerians if he had emphasised the need for the provision of adequate, modern and sophisticated diagnostic equipment in the country. This, for instance, would have made it unnecessary for Yar'Adua to travel to Germany for treatment. Dr Olusegun Fakoya sharan-fakoya@yahoo. com

The return of Shaibu Amodu The name Shaibu Amodu has become synonymous with Nigerian football. He was the then 35- year- old man who led the BCC Lions of Gboko in 1989 to become the first team across the Niger to win the FA Cup popularly called the Challenge Cup. The follwing year, he also led the team to win the now rested Africa Winners Cup, “Mandela Cup”, the first in that region, and third for the country after the then IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan won it in 1976 and Rangers International of Enugu in 1977. He not only led the team to win the FA Cup in subsequent years, he also helped them to win the league . He also wrote his name in gold in various clubs like Elkanemi Warriorsof Maiduguri, 3SC of Ibadan , Sharks of Port Harcourt , Nassarawa United of Lafia and Orlando Pirates of South Africa. When Clemence Westerhof abandoned the Super Eagles in USA and ran to his native country immediately after our first World Cup appearance in 1994, the mantle of leading the Super Eagles fell on the Edo State born soccer tactician. He led the team to the Confederation Cup in Saudi Arabia where they played up to the semi finals losing on penalties to Mexico. Amodu, it would be recalled, led the Super Eagles to that historic match at the Wembly stadium against the English national team. Before the African qualifying series of the France 1998 World Cup in 1996, Amodu fell out with those in authority especially the then Minister of Sports, Chief Jim Nwobodo, who never hid his admiration for a foreign coach. Many were not surprised when he was shown the way out because of his refusal to work under a foreign technical adviser. The exit of Amodu saw the coming of Phillipe Troussier, who eventually led the country to France 1998 World Cup. Now that he is back in the saddle,Nigerians are expecting nothing but a rejuvenated national team. A team that would be far from the catastrophe that was presented at the last African Nations Cup in Ghana. A team that has character, that Nigerians would be proud to identify with. Patrick Ngwaogu, Journalist, Abuja.
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Re: Nigerian doctors misdiagnosed Yar’Adua’s ailment

The return of Shaibu Amodu