From Drug Warrior to Information Minister - Dora Akunyili is Lame-ducked!

In line with some Nigerians, I’m not thrilled by the new assignment of Prof. Dora Akunyili, who is now the new Information and Communication Minister.

Before her new portfolio, Akunyili was head of Nigeria’s state food and drug administration, NAFDAC. A tough job, and a position she recorded unparalleled excellence.

[Dora] won praise from Nigerians in the past seven years for having cut down on counterfeit and dangerous medicines. Nigeria has been plagued by tainted, fake or untested drugs since it gained independence from Britain in 1960. When Akunyili took over her post in 2001, a staggering 80 percent of the medications sold in Nigeria were deficient in one way or another… - VOA.

In charge of information and communication, Dora Akunyili has become a “lame-duck bureaucrat” - a mouth-piece of the government who must put her opinions and sentiments aside and “fall in line” whatever the circumstance may be. Now she must operate under close supervision and direct authorization of Aso Rock.

This is a really a loss for Nigeria and great deviation from Akunyili’s days at NAFDAC — where “her tenure has been hailed as a huge success in a country plagued by tainted, fake or untested drugs”.

Dora Akunyuli is a tough gun who made several ground-breaking moves in the food and drug industry. She even survived several assassination attempts financed by ruthless, deep pocketed merchants of Onitsha and Aba markets — Nigeria’s ground zero of the fake drugs and medicine business.

Her remarkably successful seven-year stint at NAFDAC was made possible not only because she is committed and driven by excellence, but because she operated almost under 100% autonomy, away from the undue — and often corrupting — interference of the federal government.

Media reports informed that the medicine merchants at Aba and Onitsha markets erupted into jubilation when Akunyili’s removal was announced. They were seen with their guns shooting into the air to celebrate.

And I thought to myself, they have very reason to celebrate…Akunyili’s removal may very well mark the demise of NAFDAC.

Topic: CNN Says Oil Is A Curse To Nigeria!

Quote

PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (CNN) -- Trash litters its cities. Electricity is sporadic at best. There is no clean water. Medical and educational services are limited. Basic infrastructure is severely lacking.

"Planet in Peril" met in a secret location with members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.

These are not conditions that should plague one of the richest oil states in the world. Hundreds of billions of dollars has been made from the Niger Delta's oil reserves and many people have gotten very rich. Conversely, the average Nigerian has suffered as a result of the country's oil prosperity. The United States Agency for International Development says more than 70 percent of the country lives on less than a dollar a day -- the population is among the 20 poorest in the world.

Oil companies are only part of the equation. The other is the Nigerian government. Transparency International, a global organization intent on stamping out corruption, has consistently rated Nigeria's government one of the most corrupt in the world.

Nigeria's federal government and oil companies split oil profits roughly 60-40. The money is then supposed to make its way down to the local governments to fund various projects. Somehow, little money actually reaches its intended destination. Nigeria's own corruption agency estimates between $300 billion to $400 billion has been stolen or wasted over the last 50 years. Lisa Ling travels to secret location to meet notorious Nigerian militant group »

Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state, one of the largest oil producers of Nigeria's 36 states, acknowledges past problems with corruption, but thinks progress is being made.

"There's a lot of improvement," Amaechi said. "The work being done by the corruption agency and the federal government has somehow been able to control the level of corruption in government."CNN's award-winning "Planet in Peril" series returns with a worldwide investigation. Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Lisa Ling take you to the frontlines of the battle over our natural resources.

Over the last few years, a culture of militancy and violence has arisen in the absence of jobs and services. Kidnappings for ransom, robberies and even murder happen with regularity.

The biggest and most powerful armed group is the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND. They say they are at war against the Nigerian military and the oil companies operating there.

MEND, formed in 2005, said it has more than 30 camps throughout Nigeria. Members are armed with high-tech weaponry they said was obtained from "foreign sources." Hundreds of people have been killed on both sides and countless oil workers have been kidnapped.Over the years, MEND's attacks on oil pipelines have halted oil production and, therefore, raised the price of oil around the world. They demand oil profits be distributed to average Nigerians of the Niger Delta and said they will not stop their attacks until their objectives have been fulfilled. See environmental battle lines for "Planet in Peril" »

The battle is over oil -- one of the world's most valuable resources. But to most Nigerians -- oil is a curse.

It has provoked an environmental disaster of monstrous proportions. Since the 1970s, the United Nations estimates there have been more than 6,000 oil spills in the Niger Delta -- that is equal to more than 10 times the amount spilled from the Exxon Valdez in 1989. Yet, there is no international outcry and rarely are the spills reported, even to most Nigerians. They are still happening and the consequences are nothing short of devastating.

Communities along the Niger Delta have lived off subsistence fishing and agriculture for decades. Collecting food becomes impossible when a spill happens, like one that occurred in August. The waterways and mangroves are blanketed in thick brown oil sludge that goes on for miles. Toxicity overpowers the air and a sense of lifelessness pervades the landscape. Many say it will take 10-15 years for the area to be free of contamination -- if the cleanup effort commences in a timely manner.

The August spill was a result of a leak from an old pipeline that had corroded. It took the oil company three months to clamp the leak, but the company said it wasn't reported for a full month after it began. Once the leak was reported, the company said it was denied access to the site by the community. Leaders of the village deny that, and the finger-pointing between the two sides is nothing new -- there is no love lost here.

Who is telling the truth? Who knows? Either way, the creeks are blackened. This is life in the Niger Delta.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I recently had the following conversation with a friend:
"Every time I break up with my boyfriend, he freaks out. He showed up outside my apartment last time."
"Well sounds like you just have to break up and get it over with."
"Yeah, but it's not a good situation every time I do it."
I stopped and thought for a second. "Not a good situation?" Isn't that kind of obvious? How can anyone expect a breakup to be a good situation at all?
Breaking up is a selfish act that can be a necessary evil in your dating life. But there are easier ways to do the whole process.
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The first step is to adjust your mentality and recognize the situation:
You are not ruining someone's life; they will get over you some day.

If you don't break up quickly and honestly, it's unfair to you and the other person.
If you don't break up quickly and honestly, it's unfair to you and the other person.
If you are even thinking about breaking up with someone, it's probably time to do it. Would you want to be with someone who was having second thoughts while you were madly in love with them?
It's going to be ugly and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
What's the best way to break up? There is probably no best way. But there are a number of tactics that can help make it easier for both parties (even though both parties may not recognize it at the time). Here are some good tactics to use for a "clean" break:
1. Make It Fast
The longer you take to get to the point (whether it's hours or days), the less they will take you seriously. And if you make it look like you're having a hard time going through with the breakup, they will think they can change your feelings or stick around in your life.
2. Be Honest
Don't sugarcoat the situation. If you're seeing someone else, tell them you're seeing someone else. My little sister broke up with a live-in boyfriend because she kissed another guy during a business trip. She told her boyfriend the deal -- it made it more concrete. Avoid cliche's like "I love you, I'm just not in love with you." Guys don't understand this stuff. If you've lost feelings for them, just say it. They can't argue with that. And avoid covering up -- "I just can't be in a relationship right now." Sure you can -- if you were still really into him, you'd be in a relationship with him.
Honesty will protect you in the long run, because the truth comes out eventually.
Honesty will protect you in the long run, because the truth comes out eventually.
3. Don't Feel Sorry for Anyone
People will beg, cry, get angry, or shower you with guilt. Just keep going, try to ward off your guilt. It's just going to slow you down and prevent you from getting to your objective. And never take someone back, or cancel breaking up because you feel sorry for them. Do you really want to stay with someone you feel sorry for?
4. Set Post-Breakup Rules
Let them know the deal: you won't be answering their calls or emails. You won't be accommodating them if they show up at your apartment. Eventually, if they have any personality and independence, they will stop bothering you -- but only if you stick to these rules. If you lay these rules out at the time of breakup, then they can't say: "why are you ignoring my calls?" Don't tell them what they are allowed to do -- they can call you all they want, but if you have stated you won't be answering their calls then you are well within your rights when you don't pick up.
5. Stick With It
The more you take them back, the less seriously they'll take your breakup attempts.
6. Neutral Site
Never do it at your place. You want to be able to leave on your own time. Neutral places are the easiest locations to make a quick getaway. The longer you've been together, the more likely it is that you'll be required to do it in person.
Breaking up takes strength. I have found that people who can't break up with someone they are no longer into are somewhat weak. Do what you want to do, and don't get swayed by the situation or the other person.
Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
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