Fighting breast, prostate cancers with dietary changes

• Written by Chukwuma Muanya with agency reports

• Eating high-fibre carbs, drinking less milk, others may help cut risk
• Infection makes men more vulnerable to disease
CALORIE restriction, a kind of dieting in which food intake is decreased by a certain percentage, has been touted as way to help people live longer.
          New research suggests that there may be other benefits, including improving outcomes for women in breast cancer. According to a study published May 26, 2014 in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, the triple negative subtype of breast cancer – one of the most aggressive forms – is less likely to spread, or metastasize, to new sites in the body when mice were fed a restricted diet.
        “The diet turned on a epigenetic program that protected mice from metastatic disease,” says senior author Dr. Nicole Simone, an associate professor in the department of Radiation Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University. Indeed, when mouse models of triple negative cancer were fed 30 percent less than what they ate when given free access to food, the cancer cells decreased their production of microRNAs 17 and 20 (miR 17/20). Researchers have found that this group of miRs is often increased in triple negative cancers that metastasize.
      Breast cancer patients are often treated with hormonal therapy to block tumor growth, and steroids to counteract the side effects of chemotherapy. However, both treatments can cause a patient to have altered metabolism, which can lead to weight gain.
        In fact, women gain an average of 10 pounds in their first year of treatment. Recent studies have shown that too much weight makes standard treatments for breast cancer less effective, and those who gain weight during treatment have worse cancer outcomes. “That’s why it’s important to look at metabolism when treating women with cancer,” says Simone.
         Also, diet and lifestyle can play a role in lowering a man’s risk of prostate cancer, according to a trio of new studies.
        A diet rich in complex carbohydrates and lower in protein and fat is associated with a 60 percent to 70 percent reduced risk of prostate cancer, said Adriana Vidal, a co-author of two of the studies and an assistant professor at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina (N.C.), United States.
     In addition, a fiber-filled diet reduced the risk of aggressive prostate cancer by 70 percent to 80 percent, according to Vidal.
     “Good carbs, high-quality carbs, and high fiber are definitely protective against prostate cancer,” Vidal said.
          The two other studies found that:
*Drinking lots of milk could increase a man’s risk of advanced prostate cancer.
*Men suffering from two or more health problems linked to metabolic syndrome also have an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer.
*Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that increase a person’s risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
         They include obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels, elevated levels of triglycerides (blood fats) and reduced levels of “good” High Density Lipo-protein (HDL) cholesterol.
         Also, scientists have said that prostate cancer could be a sexually transmitted disease caused by an infection passed on during intercourse.
         According to the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of California discovered a sexually transmitted infection called trichomoniasis helps the growth of cancer cells in human prostate cells, when grown in a laboratory.
        But the team behind the discovery say more research is now needed to confirm the link.
        Researchers at the University of California have discovered that men infected with the sexually transmitted infection trichomoniasis are more susceptible to developing prostate cancer.
         And experts at Cancer Research United Kingdom (UK) told the BBC that more clinical studies are needed before the disease can be added to the list of cancers caused by Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
            Trichomoniasis is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection, affecting around 275 million people across the world. Many people suffering the effects of the infection will have no symptoms.
 For those that do, they develop after around a month and for women cause soreness and itching around the vagina as well as a change in vaginal discharge.
Infected men may feel itching or irritation in the penis, pain during urination as well as a white discharge from the penis.
          In the new study, Professor Patricia Johnson found the parasite that causes trichomoniasis - Trichomonas vaginalis - secretes a protein that causes inflammation and increased growth and invasion of benign and cancerous prostate cells.
        Meanwhile, in earlier studies, Simone and colleagues had shown that calorie restriction boosted the tumor-killing effects of radiation therapy. This study aimed to examine which molecular pathways were involved in this cooperative effect.
       The investigators noticed that microRNAs – a type of RNA that regulates other genes in the cell – specifically miR 17 and 20, decreased the most when mice were treated with both radiation and calorie restriction. This decrease in turn increased the production of proteins involved in maintaining the extracellular matrix. “Calorie restriction promotes epigenetic changes in the breast tissue that keep the extracellular matrix strong,” says Simone. “A strong matrix creates a sort of cage around the tumor, making it more difficult for cancer cells to escape and spread to new sites in the body.”
    Understanding the link to miR 17 also gives researchers a molecular target for diagnosing cancers that are more likely to metastasize and, potentially, for developing a new drug to treat the cancers. In theory, a drug that decreased miR 17 could have the same effect on the extracellular matrix as calorie restriction. However, targeting a single molecular pathway, such as the miR17 is unlikely to be as effective as calorie restriction, says Dr. Simone. Triple negative breast cancers tend to be quite different genetically from patient to patient. If calorie restriction is as effective in women as it is in animal models, then it would likely change the expression patterns of a large set of genes, hitting multiple targets at once without toxicity.
      In order to test that this hypothesis is true in humans, Dr. Simone is currently enrolling patients in the CaReFOR (Calorie Restriction for Oncology Research) trial. As the first trial like it in the country, women undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer receive nutritional counseling and are guided through their weight loss plan as they undergo their treatment for breast cancer.
“When men have two metabolic syndrome components, their risk of high-grade prostate cancer goes up almost 35 percent,” Vidal said. “With three to four components, their risk goes to almost 94 percent increased.”
       These studies shed more light on connections between diet, lifestyle and prostate cancer that up to now have been “tenuous,” said Dr. Durado Brooks, director of prostate and colorectal cancers for the American Cancer Society.
       “We don’t have as good evidence regarding a link between diet and prostate cancer as we do with colorectal cancer or breast cancer, and there has been some conflicting data in previous studies,” Brooks said.
      The first study focused on a group of 430 veterans at the VA Hospital in Durham, N.C., including 156 men with confirmed prostate cancer. Researchers had the men fill out questionnaires to track the amount of carbohydrates, protein and fat in their daily diets.
      The researchers found that when men received more of their energy from carbohydrates rather than protein or fat, their risk of prostate cancer declined. High fiber intake also appeared to reduce prostate cancer risk.
       Additionally, they found that foods like simple carbohydrates that cause blood sugar to spike appear to increase prostate cancer risk in black men.
       That finding, along with the results of the metabolic syndrome study, seem to indicate there could be an as-yet-unknown connection between blood sugar levels and male hormones like testosterone that increase prostate cancer risk, Vidal said.
       In the second study, doctors reviewed the consumption of dairy products among nearly 3,000 people, including almost 1,900 men with either localized or advanced prostate cancer.
       The investigators found that drinking milk was associated with advanced prostate cancer. However, total dairy consumption was not related to prostate cancer risk, nor were consumption of yogurt, ice cream and cheese.
      The analysis also found that men with low overall calcium intake were at greater risk of prostate cancer when they ate more dairy products, compared with men with average or high levels of calcium in their diet.
      The findings suggest that although calcium intake likely contributes to an increased risk of prostate cancer, “additional components in dairy may contribute to prostate cancer development,” the authors concluded.
     The final study focused on the effects of metabolic syndrome on a man’s chances of prostate cancer, with researchers reviewing data gathered for almost 6,500 men in an unrelated clinical trial.
       Researchers found that men with multiple metabolic syndrome risk factors had a progressively increased risk of prostate cancer. “The more metabolic syndrome components, the more risk for high-grade prostate cancer,” Vidal said.
      The findings are in keeping with previous studies linking one of those risk factors, obesity, to a higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer, Brooks said.
       “The question is whether because of their obesity these men are less likely to have their cancer identified and biopsied at an earlier stage,” he said. “These researchers feel there’s more than just delayed diagnosis, that there’s something about these risk factors that contributes to prostate cancer.”
         Findings from these studies were presented Tuesday at the American Urological Association’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. Results from studies presented at meetings are generally considered preliminary until they’ve been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
        A study carried out in 2006 at Washington University discovered men infected with trichomoniasis have a 40 per cent greater chance of developing prostate cancer. The STI is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection, affecting around 275million people across the world each year
         Scientists have been working to identify genes that may increase the risk of prostate cancer. In 2008, Cancer Research UK scientists discovered seven gene changes that increase a man’s risk of developing the disease.
       Some studies have found a link between an increased risk of prostate cancer in men who have had colon cancer.
       Siobhan Sutcliffe, who led the research, urged caution at the time, adding the link she found was ‘not conclusive’ comparing the science to the early connections drawn between smoking and lung cancer.
         Speaking at the time, she said: “It’s still in a really exploratory phase.”
A subsequent study found no connection between the STI and prostate cancer, while another at Havard University found an even greater likelihood of cancer in infected men than the 2006 study.
           Research in 2009 discovered a quarter of men with prostate cancer showed signs of having been infected with the STI, and were also found to have more advanced tumours.
       The new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, now suggests the infection might make men more vulnerable to developing prostate cancer, though does not provide proof of the link.
        The team has called for more research to build on their work, to work towards proving the link.

Fighting breast, prostate cancers with dietary changes

• Written by Chukwuma Muanya with agency reports

• Eating high-fibre carbs, drinking less milk, others may help cut risk
• Infection makes men more vulnerable to disease
CALORIE restriction, a kind of dieting in which food intake is decreased by a certain percentage, has been touted as way to help people live longer.
          New research suggests that there may be other benefits, including improving outcomes for women in breast cancer. According to a study published May 26, 2014 in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, the triple negative subtype of breast cancer – one of the most aggressive forms – is less likely to spread, or metastasize, to new sites in the body when mice were fed a restricted diet.
        “The diet turned on a epigenetic program that protected mice from metastatic disease,” says senior author Dr. Nicole Simone, an associate professor in the department of Radiation Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University. Indeed, when mouse models of triple negative cancer were fed 30 percent less than what they ate when given free access to food, the cancer cells decreased their production of microRNAs 17 and 20 (miR 17/20). Researchers have found that this group of miRs is often increased in triple negative cancers that metastasize.
      Breast cancer patients are often treated with hormonal therapy to block tumor growth, and steroids to counteract the side effects of chemotherapy. However, both treatments can cause a patient to have altered metabolism, which can lead to weight gain.
        In fact, women gain an average of 10 pounds in their first year of treatment. Recent studies have shown that too much weight makes standard treatments for breast cancer less effective, and those who gain weight during treatment have worse cancer outcomes. “That’s why it’s important to look at metabolism when treating women with cancer,” says Simone.
         Also, diet and lifestyle can play a role in lowering a man’s risk of prostate cancer, according to a trio of new studies.
        A diet rich in complex carbohydrates and lower in protein and fat is associated with a 60 percent to 70 percent reduced risk of prostate cancer, said Adriana Vidal, a co-author of two of the studies and an assistant professor at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina (N.C.), United States.
     In addition, a fiber-filled diet reduced the risk of aggressive prostate cancer by 70 percent to 80 percent, according to Vidal.
     “Good carbs, high-quality carbs, and high fiber are definitely protective against prostate cancer,” Vidal said.
          The two other studies found that:
*Drinking lots of milk could increase a man’s risk of advanced prostate cancer.
*Men suffering from two or more health problems linked to metabolic syndrome also have an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer.
*Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that increase a person’s risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
         They include obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels, elevated levels of triglycerides (blood fats) and reduced levels of “good” High Density Lipo-protein (HDL) cholesterol.
         Also, scientists have said that prostate cancer could be a sexually transmitted disease caused by an infection passed on during intercourse.
         According to the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of California discovered a sexually transmitted infection called trichomoniasis helps the growth of cancer cells in human prostate cells, when grown in a laboratory.
        But the team behind the discovery say more research is now needed to confirm the link.
        Researchers at the University of California have discovered that men infected with the sexually transmitted infection trichomoniasis are more susceptible to developing prostate cancer.
         And experts at Cancer Research United Kingdom (UK) told the BBC that more clinical studies are needed before the disease can be added to the list of cancers caused by Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).
            Trichomoniasis is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection, affecting around 275 million people across the world. Many people suffering the effects of the infection will have no symptoms.
 For those that do, they develop after around a month and for women cause soreness and itching around the vagina as well as a change in vaginal discharge.
Infected men may feel itching or irritation in the penis, pain during urination as well as a white discharge from the penis.
          In the new study, Professor Patricia Johnson found the parasite that causes trichomoniasis - Trichomonas vaginalis - secretes a protein that causes inflammation and increased growth and invasion of benign and cancerous prostate cells.
        Meanwhile, in earlier studies, Simone and colleagues had shown that calorie restriction boosted the tumor-killing effects of radiation therapy. This study aimed to examine which molecular pathways were involved in this cooperative effect.
       The investigators noticed that microRNAs – a type of RNA that regulates other genes in the cell – specifically miR 17 and 20, decreased the most when mice were treated with both radiation and calorie restriction. This decrease in turn increased the production of proteins involved in maintaining the extracellular matrix. “Calorie restriction promotes epigenetic changes in the breast tissue that keep the extracellular matrix strong,” says Simone. “A strong matrix creates a sort of cage around the tumor, making it more difficult for cancer cells to escape and spread to new sites in the body.”
    Understanding the link to miR 17 also gives researchers a molecular target for diagnosing cancers that are more likely to metastasize and, potentially, for developing a new drug to treat the cancers. In theory, a drug that decreased miR 17 could have the same effect on the extracellular matrix as calorie restriction. However, targeting a single molecular pathway, such as the miR17 is unlikely to be as effective as calorie restriction, says Dr. Simone. Triple negative breast cancers tend to be quite different genetically from patient to patient. If calorie restriction is as effective in women as it is in animal models, then it would likely change the expression patterns of a large set of genes, hitting multiple targets at once without toxicity.
      In order to test that this hypothesis is true in humans, Dr. Simone is currently enrolling patients in the CaReFOR (Calorie Restriction for Oncology Research) trial. As the first trial like it in the country, women undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer receive nutritional counseling and are guided through their weight loss plan as they undergo their treatment for breast cancer.
“When men have two metabolic syndrome components, their risk of high-grade prostate cancer goes up almost 35 percent,” Vidal said. “With three to four components, their risk goes to almost 94 percent increased.”
       These studies shed more light on connections between diet, lifestyle and prostate cancer that up to now have been “tenuous,” said Dr. Durado Brooks, director of prostate and colorectal cancers for the American Cancer Society.
       “We don’t have as good evidence regarding a link between diet and prostate cancer as we do with colorectal cancer or breast cancer, and there has been some conflicting data in previous studies,” Brooks said.
      The first study focused on a group of 430 veterans at the VA Hospital in Durham, N.C., including 156 men with confirmed prostate cancer. Researchers had the men fill out questionnaires to track the amount of carbohydrates, protein and fat in their daily diets.
      The researchers found that when men received more of their energy from carbohydrates rather than protein or fat, their risk of prostate cancer declined. High fiber intake also appeared to reduce prostate cancer risk.
       Additionally, they found that foods like simple carbohydrates that cause blood sugar to spike appear to increase prostate cancer risk in black men.
       That finding, along with the results of the metabolic syndrome study, seem to indicate there could be an as-yet-unknown connection between blood sugar levels and male hormones like testosterone that increase prostate cancer risk, Vidal said.
       In the second study, doctors reviewed the consumption of dairy products among nearly 3,000 people, including almost 1,900 men with either localized or advanced prostate cancer.
       The investigators found that drinking milk was associated with advanced prostate cancer. However, total dairy consumption was not related to prostate cancer risk, nor were consumption of yogurt, ice cream and cheese.
      The analysis also found that men with low overall calcium intake were at greater risk of prostate cancer when they ate more dairy products, compared with men with average or high levels of calcium in their diet.
      The findings suggest that although calcium intake likely contributes to an increased risk of prostate cancer, “additional components in dairy may contribute to prostate cancer development,” the authors concluded.
     The final study focused on the effects of metabolic syndrome on a man’s chances of prostate cancer, with researchers reviewing data gathered for almost 6,500 men in an unrelated clinical trial.
       Researchers found that men with multiple metabolic syndrome risk factors had a progressively increased risk of prostate cancer. “The more metabolic syndrome components, the more risk for high-grade prostate cancer,” Vidal said.
      The findings are in keeping with previous studies linking one of those risk factors, obesity, to a higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer, Brooks said.
       “The question is whether because of their obesity these men are less likely to have their cancer identified and biopsied at an earlier stage,” he said. “These researchers feel there’s more than just delayed diagnosis, that there’s something about these risk factors that contributes to prostate cancer.”
         Findings from these studies were presented Tuesday at the American Urological Association’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. Results from studies presented at meetings are generally considered preliminary until they’ve been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
        A study carried out in 2006 at Washington University discovered men infected with trichomoniasis have a 40 per cent greater chance of developing prostate cancer. The STI is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection, affecting around 275million people across the world each year
         Scientists have been working to identify genes that may increase the risk of prostate cancer. In 2008, Cancer Research UK scientists discovered seven gene changes that increase a man’s risk of developing the disease.
       Some studies have found a link between an increased risk of prostate cancer in men who have had colon cancer.
       Siobhan Sutcliffe, who led the research, urged caution at the time, adding the link she found was ‘not conclusive’ comparing the science to the early connections drawn between smoking and lung cancer.
         Speaking at the time, she said: “It’s still in a really exploratory phase.”
A subsequent study found no connection between the STI and prostate cancer, while another at Havard University found an even greater likelihood of cancer in infected men than the 2006 study.
           Research in 2009 discovered a quarter of men with prostate cancer showed signs of having been infected with the STI, and were also found to have more advanced tumours.
       The new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, now suggests the infection might make men more vulnerable to developing prostate cancer, though does not provide proof of the link.
        The team has called for more research to build on their work, to work towards proving the link.

Tunic tops

TUNIC tops for their flexibility and glamour should be part of any fashion conscious lady’s wardrobe. Made with fabrics like hosiery material, cotton, georgette and synthetic fabrics and African prints, these fashionable attire, which most times come in sleeveless V shape neck tops look good when complemented with tights, leggings, slacks, skinny jeans or pencil skirt.
  Embellished with beads and sequins, tunic tops made with hosiery and cotton come handy as casual wears, while the georgette fabric designed type could be worn to formal events or even as work cloth.
  To get that sophisticated look, pair your tunic top with a nice pair of wedge sandals or pumps. For that casual yet trendy look, complement it with a lovely pair of ballet flats or gladiator sandals.

Tunic tops

TUNIC tops for their flexibility and glamour should be part of any fashion conscious lady’s wardrobe. Made with fabrics like hosiery material, cotton, georgette and synthetic fabrics and African prints, these fashionable attire, which most times come in sleeveless V shape neck tops look good when complemented with tights, leggings, slacks, skinny jeans or pencil skirt.
  Embellished with beads and sequins, tunic tops made with hosiery and cotton come handy as casual wears, while the georgette fabric designed type could be worn to formal events or even as work cloth.
  To get that sophisticated look, pair your tunic top with a nice pair of wedge sandals or pumps. For that casual yet trendy look, complement it with a lovely pair of ballet flats or gladiator sandals.

In The Lord’s Temple (1)

AUSTIN Adelanwa was a very determined young man with a passion for the things of God. He belonged to God’s Heart Ministries. Something mysterious and disheartening happened to this young man that made him question the existence of God and His love for His servants. By dint of hard work, within a period of two years, Austin became the head of the pastoral team of his church. His peers at the church became envious of his amazing success. He had a young and beautiful wife by name Hannah who was a devoted and loyal wife. She loved Austin with her whole heart. They got married a year after they met. It was a relationship which had the divine hand of God.
   As the years progressed, Austin established a private school to further add to his stock of success. The school, ‘Adelanwa International Nursery and Primary School’ began to grow steadily. Things were working out as he planned. The school continued to grow at an amazing pace. Within two years, he bought a bus to transport the students. He thanked his stars for making him a success story. His pastoral calling too continued to blossom; he became the head of his provincial church. Then suddenly, the devil struck! He started having problems with his school business. The bus he was using to transport his students to school developed technical problems that even skilled mechanics couldn’t handle or solve. He thought it was a joke but sincerely, it was as real as the lines on the palm of his hand. Before he knew what was happening, some parents had started withdrawing their children or wards. What further infuriated the parents was the fact that his teachers and other staff were becoming really rude and nasty towards them.
They couldn’t stomach the unruly behavior of his staff, and in protest they started withdrawing their wards. Austin started running from pillar to post trying to figure out what must have gone wrong. “Am I not prayerful enough?,” he questioned himself. “Where is your face Almighty God,?” he thought again. The following month Austin started using commercial motorcycle a.k.a Okada to transport his pupils to school. He was between the devil and the deep blue sea. He wondered aloud what actually went wrong. One Monday morning, in a heavy rain, the devil threw its wicked spanner into the wheels of progress of the embattled and confused young man – he had an accident with his motorcycle. The unfortunate incident happened when Austin was riding his motorcycle towards a pupil’s house. He was hit by a fast moving commuter bus. The accident almost claimed Austin’s life.
Sympathizers rushed towards him and took him to a nearby hospital for treatment. Austin was in the pool of his own blood. He suffered a broken arm and a fracture on his back. He was hospitalized for three months; the hospital bill was paid by a sympathizer who was at the scene of the accident and who took pity on the man of God.
Austin’s wife, Hannah, was always by the side of her husband during his three-month stay at Sacred Soul Hospital in Surulere, Lagos. She cried and cried, praying to God to come their rescue and she wondered why these heaps of problems and untold hardship kept cascading on her gentle, loving and loyal husband. When Austin was discharged from the hospital, he was a shadow of his former self. He that was formally handsome and tall, and always cheerful now looked thin and really emaciated. He was on crutches. And a Plaster of Paris (POP) was on his arm. A painful tear dropped from the corner of his eyes as his wife opened the door leading to his apartment. As if his travails were not enough, his landlord gave him quit notice the following week.
“What’s happening to my world Hannah?” he asked his beloved wife. “Where do we go from here? How can a servant of God go through these avalanche of problems?,” he shook his head sorrowfully.
“Just let’s pray over it Austin,” Hannah pleaded, “and endure a little more. God has reasons for our present situation. Perseverance is the right word. Hope is not lost. Don’t let us blame God,” she concluded philosophically.
 “Hannah, tomorrow I’ll go and see my old friend, Dr. Rotimi, to discuss my problems with him. He’s a very successful and rich doctor who has a number of hospitals to his credit.”
“That’s a good idea,” his wife responded. “I hope he’ll give you ideas on how to wriggle out of our present predicament. A problem shared is half-solved, my dear.”
The following morning, Austin was with his old friend, Dr. Rotimi. Dr Rotimi was dark-skinned, short and robust.
“Rotimi, I have come to see you about my personal problems… problems that are beyond my understanding.” Austin said with tears gathering in his eyes. “I know you can help me out. I have prayed over it severally as a minister of God but it seems God is not ready to solve these mounting problems for me. So, as the last resort, I decided to see you for assistance. Please, put a smile on my face. My world is crumbling. I don’t know what I did wrong to deserve these untold punishment and hardship.”
“My good friend, Austin, to be sincere with you, the solution to your problems will go away and disappear like the morning dew if only you can keep the secret and do whatever I tell you.” The young and ebullient doctor was smiling and fiddling with his stethoscope while talking.
“Please, tell me the secret, I won’t tell anybody…I’ll do anything that can change my life for the better… just tell me the secret, Rotimi,” Austin pleaded.
“This is the secret of my success and wealth, the key to making big money! Do you want me to tell you?” Rotimi asked for the umpteenth time.
 “Please, go ahead and tell me Rotimi, I am all ears,” Austin said once again. Then Rotimi began:
“Money-making ritual. That’s the secret of my wealth. I’ll take you to a great diviner and medicine man tomorrow. You’ll be initiated and later perform some money-making rituals at midnight. You’ll buy three black he-goats and three yards of plain red cloth. The three he-goats will be slaughtered and buried with the red cloth at 12 midnight in the forest. After this ritual, you’ll be surprised at the turn of events. Money will come your way like a torrential downpour.”
“Money-making ritual!” Austin exclaimed. “Thank you very much my friend, I’ll see you tomorrow so that we can go and see the great diviner.”
“See you then, Austin. Make sure you’re here around 7a.m. tomorrow. The diviner lives very far on the outskirts of Lagos. We’ll spend two days in his abode. Bye-bye,” Dr. Rotimi replied waving to his friend.
As Austin left the premises of his doctor, sweat beads covered his forehead. He was confused and shocked. “What sort of thing is this?” he questioned himself. “How can me, a minister of Almighty God, indulge in such fetish money-making rituals? I’d rather die than do this kind of thing. It’s an insult unto God. I can’t taint the Holy Spirit with dirt. I’ll tell Hannah when I get home… this is really terrible.”
He made up his mind to disclose what had transpired that day to his beloved wife, not minding consequences that might arise. His mind was heavy with grief and melancholy as he hurried home. He wondered what his wife would say in reaction to this unwholesome development. It was something strange to his ears and disposition. All his life, he had never looked back with regards to worshipping God in truth and honesty.
 “Hannah, Hannah,” he called as he entered his apartment, “I have strange news for you!”
To be concluded tomorrow
Stay tuned

In The Lord’s Temple (1)

AUSTIN Adelanwa was a very determined young man with a passion for the things of God. He belonged to God’s Heart Ministries. Something mysterious and disheartening happened to this young man that made him question the existence of God and His love for His servants. By dint of hard work, within a period of two years, Austin became the head of the pastoral team of his church. His peers at the church became envious of his amazing success. He had a young and beautiful wife by name Hannah who was a devoted and loyal wife. She loved Austin with her whole heart. They got married a year after they met. It was a relationship which had the divine hand of God.
   As the years progressed, Austin established a private school to further add to his stock of success. The school, ‘Adelanwa International Nursery and Primary School’ began to grow steadily. Things were working out as he planned. The school continued to grow at an amazing pace. Within two years, he bought a bus to transport the students. He thanked his stars for making him a success story. His pastoral calling too continued to blossom; he became the head of his provincial church. Then suddenly, the devil struck! He started having problems with his school business. The bus he was using to transport his students to school developed technical problems that even skilled mechanics couldn’t handle or solve. He thought it was a joke but sincerely, it was as real as the lines on the palm of his hand. Before he knew what was happening, some parents had started withdrawing their children or wards. What further infuriated the parents was the fact that his teachers and other staff were becoming really rude and nasty towards them.
They couldn’t stomach the unruly behavior of his staff, and in protest they started withdrawing their wards. Austin started running from pillar to post trying to figure out what must have gone wrong. “Am I not prayerful enough?,” he questioned himself. “Where is your face Almighty God,?” he thought again. The following month Austin started using commercial motorcycle a.k.a Okada to transport his pupils to school. He was between the devil and the deep blue sea. He wondered aloud what actually went wrong. One Monday morning, in a heavy rain, the devil threw its wicked spanner into the wheels of progress of the embattled and confused young man – he had an accident with his motorcycle. The unfortunate incident happened when Austin was riding his motorcycle towards a pupil’s house. He was hit by a fast moving commuter bus. The accident almost claimed Austin’s life.
Sympathizers rushed towards him and took him to a nearby hospital for treatment. Austin was in the pool of his own blood. He suffered a broken arm and a fracture on his back. He was hospitalized for three months; the hospital bill was paid by a sympathizer who was at the scene of the accident and who took pity on the man of God.
Austin’s wife, Hannah, was always by the side of her husband during his three-month stay at Sacred Soul Hospital in Surulere, Lagos. She cried and cried, praying to God to come their rescue and she wondered why these heaps of problems and untold hardship kept cascading on her gentle, loving and loyal husband. When Austin was discharged from the hospital, he was a shadow of his former self. He that was formally handsome and tall, and always cheerful now looked thin and really emaciated. He was on crutches. And a Plaster of Paris (POP) was on his arm. A painful tear dropped from the corner of his eyes as his wife opened the door leading to his apartment. As if his travails were not enough, his landlord gave him quit notice the following week.
“What’s happening to my world Hannah?” he asked his beloved wife. “Where do we go from here? How can a servant of God go through these avalanche of problems?,” he shook his head sorrowfully.
“Just let’s pray over it Austin,” Hannah pleaded, “and endure a little more. God has reasons for our present situation. Perseverance is the right word. Hope is not lost. Don’t let us blame God,” she concluded philosophically.
 “Hannah, tomorrow I’ll go and see my old friend, Dr. Rotimi, to discuss my problems with him. He’s a very successful and rich doctor who has a number of hospitals to his credit.”
“That’s a good idea,” his wife responded. “I hope he’ll give you ideas on how to wriggle out of our present predicament. A problem shared is half-solved, my dear.”
The following morning, Austin was with his old friend, Dr. Rotimi. Dr Rotimi was dark-skinned, short and robust.
“Rotimi, I have come to see you about my personal problems… problems that are beyond my understanding.” Austin said with tears gathering in his eyes. “I know you can help me out. I have prayed over it severally as a minister of God but it seems God is not ready to solve these mounting problems for me. So, as the last resort, I decided to see you for assistance. Please, put a smile on my face. My world is crumbling. I don’t know what I did wrong to deserve these untold punishment and hardship.”
“My good friend, Austin, to be sincere with you, the solution to your problems will go away and disappear like the morning dew if only you can keep the secret and do whatever I tell you.” The young and ebullient doctor was smiling and fiddling with his stethoscope while talking.
“Please, tell me the secret, I won’t tell anybody…I’ll do anything that can change my life for the better… just tell me the secret, Rotimi,” Austin pleaded.
“This is the secret of my success and wealth, the key to making big money! Do you want me to tell you?” Rotimi asked for the umpteenth time.
 “Please, go ahead and tell me Rotimi, I am all ears,” Austin said once again. Then Rotimi began:
“Money-making ritual. That’s the secret of my wealth. I’ll take you to a great diviner and medicine man tomorrow. You’ll be initiated and later perform some money-making rituals at midnight. You’ll buy three black he-goats and three yards of plain red cloth. The three he-goats will be slaughtered and buried with the red cloth at 12 midnight in the forest. After this ritual, you’ll be surprised at the turn of events. Money will come your way like a torrential downpour.”
“Money-making ritual!” Austin exclaimed. “Thank you very much my friend, I’ll see you tomorrow so that we can go and see the great diviner.”
“See you then, Austin. Make sure you’re here around 7a.m. tomorrow. The diviner lives very far on the outskirts of Lagos. We’ll spend two days in his abode. Bye-bye,” Dr. Rotimi replied waving to his friend.
As Austin left the premises of his doctor, sweat beads covered his forehead. He was confused and shocked. “What sort of thing is this?” he questioned himself. “How can me, a minister of Almighty God, indulge in such fetish money-making rituals? I’d rather die than do this kind of thing. It’s an insult unto God. I can’t taint the Holy Spirit with dirt. I’ll tell Hannah when I get home… this is really terrible.”
He made up his mind to disclose what had transpired that day to his beloved wife, not minding consequences that might arise. His mind was heavy with grief and melancholy as he hurried home. He wondered what his wife would say in reaction to this unwholesome development. It was something strange to his ears and disposition. All his life, he had never looked back with regards to worshipping God in truth and honesty.
 “Hannah, Hannah,” he called as he entered his apartment, “I have strange news for you!”
To be concluded tomorrow
Stay tuned

Sweet nails

WHEN going to work or on a social outing, always wear good nails. Adding colour to the nails is one way of making it good. This can be achieved by using the right polish that will give it that glowing and classy look.
 Coming in different colours, to pick the nail polish that will blend properly with what you are putting on, the following tips are essential:
• Check your skin tone and hair colour. If you are dark skinned, it will be nice to go for bright colours to give you that bold look, while fair complexion ladies should opt for pale shade.
• Go for quality polish if you want it to last long on your nails. This is because cheaper ones might not last longer. Quality polish will give you a good run for your money.
• One of the best ways of buying a good polish is to try some samples, as this will enable you see the texture on your fingernail and will also make you pick the colour that will match your skin tone.
• Though there are lots of nail polish in the market, ladies are always advised to go for colours that they are comfortable in.

Sweet nails

WHEN going to work or on a social outing, always wear good nails. Adding colour to the nails is one way of making it good. This can be achieved by using the right polish that will give it that glowing and classy look.
 Coming in different colours, to pick the nail polish that will blend properly with what you are putting on, the following tips are essential:
• Check your skin tone and hair colour. If you are dark skinned, it will be nice to go for bright colours to give you that bold look, while fair complexion ladies should opt for pale shade.
• Go for quality polish if you want it to last long on your nails. This is because cheaper ones might not last longer. Quality polish will give you a good run for your money.
• One of the best ways of buying a good polish is to try some samples, as this will enable you see the texture on your fingernail and will also make you pick the colour that will match your skin tone.
• Though there are lots of nail polish in the market, ladies are always advised to go for colours that they are comfortable in.

EU to grant 35m Euros for Nigeria's anti-corruption crusade

MR. Alan Munday, the Head, Political, Governance and Democracy, EU Delegation to Nigeria on Monday said the EU would provide 35 million Euros to build the capacity of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies.
Munday said this at a roundtable on Draft Sentencing Guideline for Corruption-related Offences 2014 to Judges of the Federal High Courts, organised by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Abuja.
The guidelines are aimed at assisting courts in Nigeria to as much as possible achieve uniformity in sentencing during corruption trial.
The theme of the roundtable meeting is ``Support to anti-corruption in Nigeria”.
He said that the EU would build on the success of the anti-corruption agencies by committing funds to the value of 35 million Euros.
He said that the move became necessary in order to build the capacity of anti-corruption agencies and support the Nigerian civil society to enhance their role as watchdog.
Munday explained that the EU would provide civil society with skills that would help them to hold the government accountable and ensure that corruption did not remain business as usual.
According to him, the EU in recent years provided financial and technical support to anti-corruption agencies in the country for a five-year project from 2005 to 2010.
He said that this was to support the Nigerian government to the value of 27.5 million Euros, adding that the project was locally driven and aimed at strengthening evidenced-based policy making.
Other aims of the project include people-oriented service delivery, culture of transparency and accountability.
Munday said that the project also contributed to the conduct of technically sound and politically credible anti-corruption policy in the country.
``Since corruption has proven to be transitional, it is important that transitional response by way of ensuring that individuals who commit corrupt acts can be extradited to face charges,’’ he said.
He said that there were many unresolved problems in Nigeria, but the issue of corruption was particularly troubling.
``One important factor that has placed the fight against corruption high on the political agenda is an increasing awareness of its effects on the economic growth and political development of the country.
``Others are the huge impact corruption has on the lives of ordinary citizens,” he said.
Mr Bala Sanga, the Project Coordinator, EU in Nigeria said that the programme was to bring speed to the issue of corruption cases in the country.
He said that the challenge faced by Nigeria was corruption which had led to the spate of insecurity.
Justice Ibrahim Auta, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, said that corruption was disturbing the country, adding that drug offences, financial crime and terrorism, among other ills cut across tribe, colour and ethnicity.
He blamed some prosecutors for poor handling of cases, saying that agencies like the EFCC, ICPC and NDLEA should know what they want to charge the accused for.
``The prosecuting agencies must do their home work because at the end, people come to blame the judge if you charge somebody under the Penal Code, the judge will not rule above that,” he said. (NAN)

EU to grant 35m Euros for Nigeria's anti-corruption crusade

MR. Alan Munday, the Head, Political, Governance and Democracy, EU Delegation to Nigeria on Monday said the EU would provide 35 million Euros to build the capacity of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies.
Munday said this at a roundtable on Draft Sentencing Guideline for Corruption-related Offences 2014 to Judges of the Federal High Courts, organised by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Abuja.
The guidelines are aimed at assisting courts in Nigeria to as much as possible achieve uniformity in sentencing during corruption trial.
The theme of the roundtable meeting is ``Support to anti-corruption in Nigeria”.
He said that the EU would build on the success of the anti-corruption agencies by committing funds to the value of 35 million Euros.
He said that the move became necessary in order to build the capacity of anti-corruption agencies and support the Nigerian civil society to enhance their role as watchdog.
Munday explained that the EU would provide civil society with skills that would help them to hold the government accountable and ensure that corruption did not remain business as usual.
According to him, the EU in recent years provided financial and technical support to anti-corruption agencies in the country for a five-year project from 2005 to 2010.
He said that this was to support the Nigerian government to the value of 27.5 million Euros, adding that the project was locally driven and aimed at strengthening evidenced-based policy making.
Other aims of the project include people-oriented service delivery, culture of transparency and accountability.
Munday said that the project also contributed to the conduct of technically sound and politically credible anti-corruption policy in the country.
``Since corruption has proven to be transitional, it is important that transitional response by way of ensuring that individuals who commit corrupt acts can be extradited to face charges,’’ he said.
He said that there were many unresolved problems in Nigeria, but the issue of corruption was particularly troubling.
``One important factor that has placed the fight against corruption high on the political agenda is an increasing awareness of its effects on the economic growth and political development of the country.
``Others are the huge impact corruption has on the lives of ordinary citizens,” he said.
Mr Bala Sanga, the Project Coordinator, EU in Nigeria said that the programme was to bring speed to the issue of corruption cases in the country.
He said that the challenge faced by Nigeria was corruption which had led to the spate of insecurity.
Justice Ibrahim Auta, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja, said that corruption was disturbing the country, adding that drug offences, financial crime and terrorism, among other ills cut across tribe, colour and ethnicity.
He blamed some prosecutors for poor handling of cases, saying that agencies like the EFCC, ICPC and NDLEA should know what they want to charge the accused for.
``The prosecuting agencies must do their home work because at the end, people come to blame the judge if you charge somebody under the Penal Code, the judge will not rule above that,” he said. (NAN)

Military arrest 14 Boko Haram suspects, as gunmen kill 15 in fresh Borno attack

BARELY a week after foiling multiple attacks on Bitta and other villages in Borno state, troops of 7 Division of Nigerian Army  in Maiduguri, has  arrested 14 Boko Haram terror suspects, following “intelligence reports” from residents on the infiltration of terror suspects into the metropolis from Gwoza and Damboa that were recently attacked by insurgents.
The arrest, according to military sources in Maiduguri, was made at the weekend on Baga road when a commercial tricycle driver was stopped at the timber shed, near NNPC mega station; after an alarm was raised by one of the passengers that; “a Boko Haram suspect is among us in this tricycle. This man participated in the serial border attacks in Gwoza East, where many people were killed last week.”
On raising the alarm it attracted the attention of soldiers at one of the military post who quickly intervened.
The identified suspect, according to one of the passengers, disguised in a long robe with a black polythene bag held in his hand before surrendering to the military.
The Guardian also learnt that after the suspect was taken away by soldiers in their patrol vehicle to hideouts of fleeing suspects, six others were arrested, while the leader of the group, who identified himself as Ibrahim Tom, led the soldiers to arrest seven others in three undisclosed locations in Maiduguri.

GUNMEN suspected of Boko Haram members attacked Daggu village in Askira/Uba council area of state; and shot dead 15 people with the torching of Assembly of God Church and houses on Sunday.
The insurgents, according to a resident, Thlama Apagu, dressed in military uniform with their heads tied with handkerchiefs, before shooting sporadically at traders at the market square that attempted to flee into nearby bushes and farmlands.
“The gunmen burst into the village market by 1pm yesterday; and started pursuing us and other neighbours on motorcycles with sporadic gunshots, while others were chased on foot and fell, before some of us were gunned down with others injured and taken to Lassa General Hospital for treatment,” said Apagu
He said while pursuing villagers and traders on motorcycles, the ward head, Bulus Audu was also gunned down along with 10 other villagers, after torching our local church and several houses and shops near the market square.
Speaking on how the villagers were slain, he said: “immediately they burst into the village and market square that afternoon, they pursue fleeing villagers on motorcycles to kill; and if you escape and tried to return to the village, they pursue you, until you’re shot dead. Their aim was to kill and destroy other structures that the people rely for their survival. I saw over dozen bodies at the market square, including the ones in nearby bushes that are yet to be picked up by surviving volunteers for burial on Monday morning.”
The Guardian also learnt that the village was attacked last October by suspected Boko Haram gunmen, who also killed the ward head and six other people.
The Borno State Police Commissioner, Tanko Lawal also confirmed the incident.

Military arrest 14 Boko Haram suspects, as gunmen kill 15 in fresh Borno attack

BARELY a week after foiling multiple attacks on Bitta and other villages in Borno state, troops of 7 Division of Nigerian Army  in Maiduguri, has  arrested 14 Boko Haram terror suspects, following “intelligence reports” from residents on the infiltration of terror suspects into the metropolis from Gwoza and Damboa that were recently attacked by insurgents.
The arrest, according to military sources in Maiduguri, was made at the weekend on Baga road when a commercial tricycle driver was stopped at the timber shed, near NNPC mega station; after an alarm was raised by one of the passengers that; “a Boko Haram suspect is among us in this tricycle. This man participated in the serial border attacks in Gwoza East, where many people were killed last week.”
On raising the alarm it attracted the attention of soldiers at one of the military post who quickly intervened.
The identified suspect, according to one of the passengers, disguised in a long robe with a black polythene bag held in his hand before surrendering to the military.
The Guardian also learnt that after the suspect was taken away by soldiers in their patrol vehicle to hideouts of fleeing suspects, six others were arrested, while the leader of the group, who identified himself as Ibrahim Tom, led the soldiers to arrest seven others in three undisclosed locations in Maiduguri.

GUNMEN suspected of Boko Haram members attacked Daggu village in Askira/Uba council area of state; and shot dead 15 people with the torching of Assembly of God Church and houses on Sunday.
The insurgents, according to a resident, Thlama Apagu, dressed in military uniform with their heads tied with handkerchiefs, before shooting sporadically at traders at the market square that attempted to flee into nearby bushes and farmlands.
“The gunmen burst into the village market by 1pm yesterday; and started pursuing us and other neighbours on motorcycles with sporadic gunshots, while others were chased on foot and fell, before some of us were gunned down with others injured and taken to Lassa General Hospital for treatment,” said Apagu
He said while pursuing villagers and traders on motorcycles, the ward head, Bulus Audu was also gunned down along with 10 other villagers, after torching our local church and several houses and shops near the market square.
Speaking on how the villagers were slain, he said: “immediately they burst into the village and market square that afternoon, they pursue fleeing villagers on motorcycles to kill; and if you escape and tried to return to the village, they pursue you, until you’re shot dead. Their aim was to kill and destroy other structures that the people rely for their survival. I saw over dozen bodies at the market square, including the ones in nearby bushes that are yet to be picked up by surviving volunteers for burial on Monday morning.”
The Guardian also learnt that the village was attacked last October by suspected Boko Haram gunmen, who also killed the ward head and six other people.
The Borno State Police Commissioner, Tanko Lawal also confirmed the incident.

Brent oil rises above $113 amid Iraqi insurgency

BRENT crude rose above 113 dollars per barrel on Monday as Sunni insurgents advanced in Iraq which intensifies concerns over a potential disruption to oil exports from the second-largest OPEC producer.
The sudden eruption of violence in Iraq led to a sharp spike in prices last week with both Brent and U.S. crude gaining over four per cent.
"It's a bit calmer now because people realise the militants are not just going to just roll right into Baghdad.
``It looks like the country is headed to civil war, which will mean… higher …oil prices," said Tony Nunan, oil risk manager at Mitsubishi Corp in Tokyo.
"This may not mean a stop to Iraqi exports immediately, but it probably will affect the Iraq's ability to increase their production rate," he said.
Brent crude for August delivery rose 61 cents to 113.07 dollars a barrel.
The July contract, which expired on Friday, settled 39 cents higher at 113.41 dollars per barrel, the highest since Sept. 9.
U.S. oil climbed 44 cents to 107.35 dollars per barrel.
On Friday, it rose as high as 107.68 dollars before settling up 38 cents at 106.91 dollars per barrel, the highest level since Sept. 18.
Sunni insurgents on Sunday seized a mainly ethnic Turkmen city in northwestern Iraq on Sunday after heavy fighting, solidifying their grip on the north.
Yet for the moment threat to Iraq's oil supplies remains limited, analysts and consultants say.
Northern exports have run at a trickle for months, and few had expected a rapid recovery.
President Barack Obama said on Friday he needed several days to determine how the United States would help Iraq deal with the Islamists' stunning advance.
In Libya, its western El Feel oil field has resumed production after security guards ended a protest that lasted more than two months, oil ministry officials said.
However, many oil fields and ports remain blocked.
Production at El Feel will reach 80,000 barrels a day within 24 hours, an official said on Sunday.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will have to produce a million barrels per day more oil in the second half of 2014 to balance the global market.
The market will see a steep seasonal spike in demand, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.
The IEA said in its monthly report it had raised its estimate of the demand for OPEC crude oil in the second half of this year by 150,000 bpd.
Its forecast last month was an average of 30.9 million bpd. (Reuters/NAN)

Brent oil rises above $113 amid Iraqi insurgency

BRENT crude rose above 113 dollars per barrel on Monday as Sunni insurgents advanced in Iraq which intensifies concerns over a potential disruption to oil exports from the second-largest OPEC producer.
The sudden eruption of violence in Iraq led to a sharp spike in prices last week with both Brent and U.S. crude gaining over four per cent.
"It's a bit calmer now because people realise the militants are not just going to just roll right into Baghdad.
``It looks like the country is headed to civil war, which will mean… higher …oil prices," said Tony Nunan, oil risk manager at Mitsubishi Corp in Tokyo.
"This may not mean a stop to Iraqi exports immediately, but it probably will affect the Iraq's ability to increase their production rate," he said.
Brent crude for August delivery rose 61 cents to 113.07 dollars a barrel.
The July contract, which expired on Friday, settled 39 cents higher at 113.41 dollars per barrel, the highest since Sept. 9.
U.S. oil climbed 44 cents to 107.35 dollars per barrel.
On Friday, it rose as high as 107.68 dollars before settling up 38 cents at 106.91 dollars per barrel, the highest level since Sept. 18.
Sunni insurgents on Sunday seized a mainly ethnic Turkmen city in northwestern Iraq on Sunday after heavy fighting, solidifying their grip on the north.
Yet for the moment threat to Iraq's oil supplies remains limited, analysts and consultants say.
Northern exports have run at a trickle for months, and few had expected a rapid recovery.
President Barack Obama said on Friday he needed several days to determine how the United States would help Iraq deal with the Islamists' stunning advance.
In Libya, its western El Feel oil field has resumed production after security guards ended a protest that lasted more than two months, oil ministry officials said.
However, many oil fields and ports remain blocked.
Production at El Feel will reach 80,000 barrels a day within 24 hours, an official said on Sunday.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will have to produce a million barrels per day more oil in the second half of 2014 to balance the global market.
The market will see a steep seasonal spike in demand, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said.
The IEA said in its monthly report it had raised its estimate of the demand for OPEC crude oil in the second half of this year by 150,000 bpd.
Its forecast last month was an average of 30.9 million bpd. (Reuters/NAN)

RMAFC assures robust funding for solid mineral sector

THE Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) on Monday promised to provide more funding for the development of the solid minerals sub sector.
This is contained in a statement signed by the commission's Head of Public Relations, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, in Abuja.
The statement quoted the Chairman of the commission, Elias Mbam, as making the pledge when he received the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Musa Sada.
Mbam stressed the importance of developing the solid minerals sub sector to make it more viable and serve as alternative source of revenue for the nation.
He said that for the sector to perform optimally in line with global best practices, it required more funding windows in form of long term financing.
According to him, this will go a long way to reducing over reliance on the annual budgetary provisions and increase the quantum of revenue into the Federation Account.
``Under the current Revenue Allocation Formula, the Solid Minerals Sector is a beneficiary of the 1.6 per cent of all distributable revenue from the Federation Account as provided in the Natural Resources Development Fund.
``The commission is committed to attracting more funding for the sector in view of its overriding importance as a revenue earner.
``Solid minerals deserves to be enthroned with a viable fiscal policy regime that will place the sector at par with other revenue generating agencies like the Customs and the FIRS which collect seven per cent and four per cent respectively from total revenues collected," he said.
Earlier, the minister decried the poor revenue-generating capacity of the solid minerals sector.
He said that at the moment, Federal Government was not collecting up to 20 per cent from the sector due to the series of weaknesses inherent in the sector.
Sada said that the moribund sector would soon be restored to its past glory since government had identified the sector as one of the very strong and strategic tool of its transformation agenda.
He said that the sector had the ability to improve local content, value addition and import substitution for required raw materials to improve the nation's economy.
The minister said the ongoing reforms in the sector had attracted the attention of the World Bank which was currently helping to reform the sector to involve the private sector.
``The World Bank has comprehensively carried out institutional reforms which include strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks and fiscal governance to enhance the revenue generation capacity and governance of mining institutions in Nigeria.
``Nigeria is blessed with huge limestone deposit producing only two million metric tonnes of cement.
``But with reforms, the production figure has risen to 30 million metric tonnes making the country an exporter of cement," he said.
The minister was accompanied by Dauda Kigbu, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry and other directors. (NAN)