Dr. David Paddy, a health expert and the founder of Paddy Paddy Wellness, estimates that over 65 percent of Nigerian males over the age of 40 are at danger of developing erectile dysfunction.

Mr. Paddy blamed the condition on a lack of consistent exercise, ongoing consumption of processed foods, an irregular eating and sleeping schedule, and other harmful behaviors.

He asserted that erectile dysfunction may increase a man’s risk of heart attack, stroke, and early death, adding that “it is imperative for men to take action and tackle this issue head-on before it takes a toll on their overall health and well-being.”

Mr Paddy stated this at a health sensitisation program, in Abakaliki, on Thursday, called for urgent measures to checkmate the issue.

According to him: “The issue of erectile dysfunctions alarming because on a daily basis I get countless questions from people asking me how they could get rid of the problem. I sent out a survey recently to know which was the biggest problem men are facing currently. And among these issues, erectile dysfunction in the form of low libido, weak erection and premature ejaculation was the highest.

“This is not surprising because in 2019, one Dr. Festus from the University of Ife conducted a survey and he found out that the percentage of men suffering erectile dysfunction as at 2019 was around 44 percent. It got us thinking that if we had 44 percent of men having this issue in 2019, imagine what the number is in 2023. If you look at the statistics you will now understand the need for us to begin to educate our men.

“Among the causes of this-we have infections, abdominal fats, low testosterone levels (which is largely attributed to age) because as you grow older your testosterone level decreases. But God has blessed us with natural herbs to take care of all these things. He has provided a lot of natural resources to increase our hormonal level and a lot more. God knows that as you age your testosterone and hormonal level is growing low and He has provided things around us with which to increase it and thereby increase our performance. But like I said ignorance is one of the reasons why a lot of people don’t know that these things exist, let alone using them to help themselves.

“The rate of erectile dysfunction is alarming. It’s very alarming and I can tell you this for sure. It’s increasing on a daily basis and we have to do something about it.

“Let me give you an instance as to why I said this. A clinical research or study carried out about a couple of years ago showed that the average sperm level in men was about 40 million cells. Now, a decade later it was discovered that the average sperm cells in men had reduced to 15 million. Can you see the huge gap? Can you see the difference? This simply tells you that there’s a problem. It should tell us that there’s a very serious silent killer on the prowl among men. This is killing men gradually, and the problem is most men are too embarrassed to talk about it. It’s hard for men to walk up to a doctor and say I can not perform in bed. But when we put out our messages out there , it will attract them and it becomes easier for them to reach out and speak out.

“About 65% of Nigerian men are likely to suffer from the stigmatisation of having weak or no erection once they are 40 years old. This silent humiliation and suffering has given rise to an urgent need for conversation and effective solutions to address this pervasive problem.”

He continued: “The reason why the issue of erectile dysfunction, High Blood Pressure etc. are on the rise among Nigerian men is simple. There has been a very big shift from the time of our forefathers to the time we live currently in. The lifestyle of our forefathers back then was simple. In those days, our fathers consumed chemical-free liquids. At that time they also had nothing to do with processed foods. Everything was natural for them. There was a lot of natural activities for them then-you had more people going to the farms, you had people walking kilometers and you had more people eating fresh foods, right.

“And that’s why it sounds funny when you hear people say I’m a traditional man, I’m a modern man and you also hear all these debates where some ladies say I can make fresh foods for my husband like the ancient women used to, and that if he can’t eat processed foods he can go and die. Well and of course, that’s why men are dying. This is because our mothers in those days understood these things, and even though they didn’t know the exact science, they knew the importance of having fresh foods in the body. So we are going to give credit to them as well.

“You could see that the problem is deeply rooted. Everybody is on the go. There’s no time to relax; there’s no time to meditate, there’s no time to actually work on getting rid of stress. So, all these things combined together, are the reasons why there is a serious rise in these health challenges among men.

“The new man has to go and tap into the secrets of the old man and asks, “How did the old man survive? What did the old man do differently?” Now, when we go into conversations like this, then we can start to see a new change. And if you are not fortunate to go into programs like ours, then it’s going to be a little difficult.”

Following the conclusion of her cook-a-thon, a US resident gave Chef Damilola Adeparusi, also known as Chef Dammy, the sum of N1 million.

The Ekiti University student prepared food for 120 hours while receiving praise and criticism from people from all areas of life.

Even though Chef Dammy was the subject of an official Guinness World Records statement, this hasn’t stopped people from rewarding her.

The generous donor who gave Dammy N1m continued by sharing his motivation for the gift.

The Guinness World Records on Thursday said that the video announcing Nigerian chef, Hilda Bassey aka Hilda Baci, as the new record holder for the longest cooking by an individual, is the top performing tweet ever on their handle, with 25 million views.

The video was reposted on Thursday with the caption, “Yeah, so this is our best-performing tweet of all time with nearly 25 million news feeds reached.”

Recalled that GWR announced Baci’s confirmation in a video shared on their Twitter handle on Tuesday.

It was accompanied by a statement on its website that reads, “Following a thorough review of all the evidence, Guinness World Records can now confirm that Hilda Effiong Bassey, better known as Hilda Baci, has officially broken the record for the longest cooking marathon (individual), with a time of 93 hours 11 minutes.”

Baci attempted to set a record of 100 hours, however, almost seven hours were deducted from her final total because of the extra minutes for one of her rest breaks early on in the attempt.

The world’s largest kidney stone was removed from a 62-year-old retired soldier by Sri Lankan military physicians, the army announced on Wednesday.

According to the army, the stone that was removed from the ex-sergeant, Canistus Coonge, was 801 grams (28.25 ounces), which is more than five times the weight of a typical male kidney.

The average kidney is between 10 and 12 centimeters long, but Coonge’s kidney stone was 13.37 centimeters (5.26 inches) long.

“The removal of the world’s largest and heaviest kidney stone through a major surgery occurred on June 1 at the Colombo Army Hospital,” the military said in a statement.

Coonge told the local Swarnavahini TV that he had abdominal pain since 2020 and oral medication had not helped.

“I was told to undergo surgery after a recent scan,” he said. “I feel normal now.”

The Sri Lankan case surpassed the largest kidney deposit previously recorded of 620 grams from a patient in Pakistan in 2008, according to Guinness World Records.

Elder financial exploitation, according to Senator Eze Ajoku, President of the Coalition of Societies for the Rights of Older Persons in Nigeria (COSROPIN), occurs when governments at all levels refuse to pay pensions to its senior citizens and retirees.

Ajoku bemoaned the fact that various forms of abuse are meted out to the elderly in society without any punitive measures being taken against the perpetrators on Thursday in Abuja during the observance of the United Nations World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2023.

He emphasized the necessity for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign the Older Persons Rights and Privilege Bill in order to ensure the preservation of the the rights of the elderly in the society.

According to him, the Bill seeks to confer privileges and benefits on older persons to enhance their quality of life as well as address the social and economic challenges, triggered by ageing and the need for the government to formulate policies that would incorporate the elderly.

Recalled that the Older Persons Rights and Privilege Bill 2019 was passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly and transmitted to then President Muhammadu Buhari for his assent, however, he did not sign it before leaving office.

Ajoku, a former Nigerian senator, who represented Imo East Senatorial District in the Senate, further urged the government to treat older persons as a class of vulnerable people, calling for the provision of monthly social security stipends, free medical care, older person’s homes in the country.

He noted that these measures would go a long way in improving the quality of life for the older persons in Nigeria.

Commenting on the theme of this year’s celebration which is “Addressing Gender-based Violence in Older Age–Policy, Law and Evidence-based Responses,” he said the theme recognised the unique challenges faced by older persons, particularly older women in relation to gender-based violence as well as highlighted the need for comprehensive policies, legal frameworks and evidence-based approaches to addressing these issues.

In his address, Dr.Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, said the efforts of the Ministry led to the establishment of the National Senior Citizens Centre and the approval of the National Policy on Ageing by the Federal Government.

Sani-Gwarzo represented by Mr. Joseph Dzunguse, Focal Person for Older Persons in the Ministry, commended Senator Eze Ajoku and COSROPIN for working relentlessly to protect the rights, privileges and dignity of olders persons in Nigeria.

He therefore, pledged the ministry’s partnership with COSROPIN in ensuring that older persons in Nigeria live a happy, healthy and productive life.

In his remarks, the Director General of Legal Aid Council, Abubakar Aliyu, said the Council provides free legal services for all Nigerians, including the older persons.

Aliyu represented by Mr. Victor Labesa, Director, Planning, Research and Statistics in the Legal Aid Council, tasked the older persons to explore the services of the Council to seek redress whenever their rights are violated.

It would be recalled that the United Nations World Elder Abuse Awareness is observed annually on June 15th, to shed light on the global issue of elder abuse and promote the rights and well-being of the older persons in the society.

Okowa Cautions Edwin Clark Over Unending Attacks, Says Continuous Attack Will No Longer Be Tolerated

Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the former governor of Delta state, said yesterday that after eight years in office, he will no longer put up with insulting remarks from Chief Edwin Clark, the former minister of information for the Republican Party.

Concerned about the alleged smear attempts against the former governor, Okowa advised the wise man to develop a “father and son” relationship with the present and previous governors of the South-South region rather than criticizing them.

He asked the top Ijaw leader to consider how he would be remembered and to avoid having endless conversations with former governors.

The immediate past Governor who reacted to Clark’s allegation of being a traitor and fraudulent through his Spokesman, Mr Olise Ifeajika, in Asaba yesterday said the elder statesman goofed in all the issues he raised against Okowa.

He warned that any form of misinformation in the public space against the character of Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa will no longer be tolerated for posterity sake.

He said the former Governor will never be tired of setting the record straight over the alleged N150 billion loan, which was reduced to N91 billion and approved as bridging finance discount by the state’s House of Assembly.

He said he used the allocation that accrued to the state under his eight years administration were judiciously used for the growth and development of the state.

According to Ifeajika, “ For the elder statesman, whom we reverred and placed in high esteem, to have asked Okowa, diligently appropriate the finances of the state as governor, to come and account for the eight years allocation to the state, was not salutary to a man that has performed superlatively.

“This was a man that build a multi-billion naira floating market on a deep sea. Construct roads for vehicles to drive with ease on riverine terrains. Built three new universities that are now admitting and serving the children, taking them out of the streets and generating employment.

“He couldn’t have developed the state with his spit or sand, if not with the allocation accruing to the state. In youth development, Okowa ranks among the best among the best in Nigeria.”

He decried the allegation that the former Governor owns the controversial Premium Bank in Asaba.

“We know Okowa to be a Medical Doctor turned politician. He is not a businessman. He didn’t study Banking and Finance. So, to tie the ownership of one particular bank in a desperate bid to run him down, is again unfortunate and uncharitable to his quality service delivery.

He said instead of demeaning the former Governor, the elder statesman should commend him for his financial prudence, transparency and good governance.

“Whether the naysayers believe it or not, Okowa has done creditably well during his eight years as Governor of Delta state”, he said.

On Thursday, the Nigerian House of Representatives rejected a proposal that sought to end the “Japa Syndrome,” in which young Nigerians leave the country in pursuit of better opportunities.

The House passed the resolution in response to a motion of urgent national importance presented by the member for Benue State’s Ado/Ogbadigni/Okpoku federal constituency, Hon. Phillips Agbese, on the urgent need to declare young Nigerians’ emigration abroad a national emergency.

In contrast to the number recorded in 2019, Hon. Agbese stated that there has been a 40% increase in the number of young Nigerians leaving the country, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which estimated that overall international emigration from Nigeria in 2020 total 1.7million, which is a substantial increase from 990,000 in 2010.

The lawmaker again noted that the Nigerian population is made of two-thirds of persons under the age of 30 and that a good number of the persons are already afflicted with what today is acceptably referred to as the “JAPA SYNDROME”.

He further noted that the recent Reports by African polling Institute indicated hat 69 percent of young people would opt to relocate abroad if given the chance or if the opportunity presents itself.

“Concerned that the growing statistics of young Nigerians leaving Nigeria and securing permanent residence in the United Kingdom, the USA, and Canada portends a grave danger for our nation in many ways from Economic to intellectual and Social aspects”.

According to him, those leaving the country are not just the poor but middle class who possess skills/workforce including Bankers, Lecturers, Health care practitioners,Doctors, Nurses and trained manpower, all of whom were trained in Nigeria.

Agbese expressed concern that if the scenario continues with the nation’s able minds, brains and skilled personnel leaving, Nigeria may fall into grave crisis in its critical sectors from education to healthcare, thereby making a bad situation worse.

He urged the House to called for a national summit to address the factors causing the problem.

Debating the motion on the floor Hon. Sada Soli, member representing Jibia/Kaita federal constituency of Katsina state, speaking against the motion, argued that the motion contravened the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, which provides that it is the liberty of a Nigerian if he is qualified, normal and has all the grant rights of movement anywhere he wants.

Another lawmaker Jaha Usman, member representing Damboa/Gwoza/Chibok federal constituency of Borno state, who ke in favour of the bill, argued that the bill does not seek to stop young Nigerians from relocating abroad but for the urgent need to address the factors causing it.

After much deliberation on the motion, speaker Tajuddeen Abbas put the motion to voice vote and majority members voted to step it down as he adjourned plenary to 4th July, 2023.