The December edition of the District Rotaract Representative (DRR)'s Newsletter of Rotaract District 9125 Nigeria displays a captivating 2 in 1 attractive messages giving us a reflect on the events that dominated the last month in the calendar and opening our mind to the Family month in the Rotary calendar with the blockbusting opening message of the DRR. All information contained in the newsletter are true as at the time of this publication and all errors are of the hand and either of the head or of the heart. Dear reader, please take your time to please enjoy s we celebrate Rotary/Rotaract family together in this month.

1. District 9125, Nigeria
DRR’s News Letter Issue No. 6, December 2012
Pointers:  DRR’s Message  Article  Info-bytes  Pictures
DRR'S MESSAGE: DECEMBER 2012
TIME FOR FAMILY!
Our lord! Suffer not our heart to deviate after
that which You have guided us to and bestow on
us from Your presence mercy. Surely, it is You
Who are the bestower!
Dear family members, how much I care about and think of you this very
As we ushered in the traditional start of the holiday joyous time of the year. We wish you and your
season by celebrating all the wonderful blessings in family a very happy and healthy holiday season!
our lives, we roll into December and Family Month, God bless you all!
a time when we pay special attention to our Family Other News from the District Rotaract
of Rotary, both our individual families and our Rotary "families" worldwide - Representative
 December is Family month and I propose that
Rotaractors, Interactors, Rotarians etc. We have given thanks, not only for our
we do things that address family. At zone/club
family and friends, but for the opportunity to serve in an organization that, for
level you should/could hold an event this month
over 107 years, has done so much to touch those less fortunate at home and
that demonstrate our commitment to families in
abroad by providing: clean water and sanitation, food for the hungry, medical
Rotaract.
care for the sick and poor, vaccine to eradicate polio, education and job training
 Thank you again to District Newsletter Editorials
to combat illiteracy, and so much more.
for your diligent efforts in putting together this
Your generosity and support have reached, and will continue to reach, so many
newsletter each month so that all of you can
individuals whose lives are blessed by what you do to make a difference. But if
enjoy the news of the District.
we focused all our attention on nothing but that life-saving and life-altering
work, then that work would eventually come to an end. Rotary/Rotaract would MAY ROTARACTORS CELEBRATE
CHRISTMAS AND WELCOME THE NEW
die out in a generation if we did not also pay attention to the health of our own
YEAR IN THE SPIRIT AND ACTION OF
clubs and members. Since almost everything we do as we make "Peace through SERVICE ABOVE SELF. AND MAKE PEACE
THROUGH OUR SERVICE
Service," and since almost all of our strength is derived from our family, we
must make sure that we also continue to take care of the immediate families of Yours in service,
Rtr. SHITTU, D. Abdulwasi’u
our local Rotaractors. District Rotaract Representative
2012/2013 Rotary Year
As we gather in our respective family (zones) or other settings for the various
08091185017,
holiday celebrations, let us remember that the holidays are more than fried rice shittu87@gmail.com
and chickens. Let us also remember, particularly in these trying time, that some
of the greatest gifts in our lives are those that don't cost a thing, like spending
time with family and friends, and participating in family traditions. We have
many personal gifts to give - our time, knowledge and experience are just as
important as the monetary gifts. Our families can benefit every bit as much from
those gifts as those in need throughout our communities, so give generously to
your families during this holiday season!
I want to take this opportunity to let each of you know how thankful I am to all
the Rotaractors in our beloved District for all your service and support for the
six months journey so far! I consider you all "spirit friends", and I wish that
I had more time to spend with each and every one of you. Please know
1
An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind

2. District 9125, Nigeria
Polio As It Stands In Nigeria as at World Polio Day 2012 as
Reported by Nigerian Guardian
Despite a $60 million (N9.6 billion) commitment from President Goodluck Jonathan for polio eradication
efforts in 2012 and 2013, and the setting up of a Presidential Task Force on Polio Eradication in March
2012, Nigeria is the only country in the world that recorded an upsurge in polio cases from 62 cases in
2011 to 97 in 2012.
Call for THE world yesterday on the occasion of the World Polio Day, celebrated a 63 per cent decline in the
Advert
number of new cases of the Wild Polio Virus (WPV), from 467 at this time last year to 171 this year.
Polio cases have decreased by over 99 per cent since 1988, from an estimated 350,000 cases in more
than 125 endemic countries then, to 650 reported cases in 2011. In 2012, only parts of three countries in
the world remain endemic for the disease – the smallest geographic area in history – and case numbers of
WPV Type 3 (WPV3) are down to lowest-ever levels.
However, the situation in Nigeria is different. Nigeria is the only country out of the three remaining polio
Based on the directive of the DRR, the
endemic countries to record increase in cases with 36 per cent, that is from 62 cases this time last year to
closing date of the submission of
97 cases today.
articles and entries for the district
magazine has been extended to the Afghanistan and Pakistan are the two other countries alongside Nigeria that have remained endemic to
second week of December, fellow polio, and have not been able to stop the transmission of the virus.
Rotaractors, please let us maximize his
According to the latest edition of Weekly Polio Update published by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
opportunity.
(GPEI), Afghanistan recorded 37.5 per cent case-decline, from 40 cases in 2011 to 25 in 2012; and
RATES OF PUBLICATIONS IN Pakistan, a 62.7 per cent decline, from 118 cases in 2011 to 44 cases today.
THE DISTRICT MAGAZINE The GPEI noted: “The four new Type 1 WPV (WPV1) were recorded last week in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina,
ADVERTS and Sokoto states.
 Back page N 50,000 “The most recent case was the one from Kaduna State, with onset of paralysis on September 22, bringing
the total number of cases for 2012 to 97. A second-round immunisation campaign, in response to the
 Inner back page N 40,000 recent Taraba WPV3 case, is ongoing.”
 Inner pages N 30,000 But the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Ado Gana
Mohammed, told The Guardian that despite the security challenges the country has made progress in
 Half page N 15,000 improving population immunity and the quality of the immunisation campaigns.
 Who is who in Rotaract D9125 N1,000 Defending Nigeria despite the upsurge,
 Shout out and goodwill messages box Mohammed said: “I will say that Nigeria is committed to the global eradication efforts and we have shown
N 1,000 that. What we are seeing is a continued transmission from last year. We found out that over the years a lot
of children have not been vaccinated. Last year a lot of children were not immunised.”
 Reports, articles, information etc Free
But the NPHCDA has been conducting immunisation campaigns? “What we noticed is the quality of the
NB: vaccinators reaching the children were very poor. Routine immunisation was not functioning and there was
 Only clubs in good standing will be security challenges which made it impossible to reach a lot of areas. What we are doing is to reposition
allowed to submit reports ourselves in such a way that we can overcome these challenges,” he said.
 Reports should be submitted with Mohammed added: “The population immunity is on the increase as well as the quality of the campaigns.
photographs The population immunity is now between 60 and 70 per cent and we have reached 80 per cent
immunisation coverage, which was confirmed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
 Who is who: Brief profile of
“Last week, Mr. President had a meeting with governors of the polio endemic states. We have reviewed
Rotaractors: Name, call name, club,
our micro-plan. We discovered that there were 287 settlements that were not on the polio eradication map.
designation, classification, phone
In addition we have increased our surveillance. The surveillance this year has been excellent, that is why
number, email address and a
we cannot miss any new case.”
photograph
He promised: “We are working very hard. We will be able to stop the transmission of the polio virus by the
 Shout out and goodwill messages end of next year.”
shall be a 3 x 3 box message
According to the WHO Fact Sheet, polio (poliomyelitis) mainly affects children under five years of age.
 All articles, info, messages, reports Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total
and other entries should be sent to paralysis in a matter of hours. The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine.
either: tundenmerry@yahoo.com or Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs.
fikayobenson01@yahoo.com
One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those paralysed, five per cent to 10 per cent
Rtr. Tunde Oluwasimirin die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.
District Editor. Continue from page 5
2
Don’t gain the world & lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold

3. District 9125, Nigeria
Born mostly without a silver spoon, grow through the thicks and thins of life, fed with the , he went to a bookshop and out of his
unimaginable and drank from the same river where his clothes are washed, loaded with savings, he bought a copy of the
different mentalities that has no correlations, living so disturbed but with the hope of a Nigerian constitution to find out what is
the portion of youths in the national cake
bright future. Launched into the journey; started a primary school with no uniform, trekking and discovered that the only place where
a 5km distance on daily basis in pursuance of the dream bare footed, attended classes with youth was mentioned in the 400page
empty stomach and sometimes if lucky, eat the remnant of the previous night, came back to book is the stage he just left; NYSC,
what a pathetic Nigeria that has no plan
resume on the chores for the day leaving no time to rest, sleep so late after a long wait for
for the youths of her land and want to
the dinner, yet on a tattered mat passing the night with irregular dreams and at times, grow.
nightmares, woke up the following morning to continue the cycle, hmmm, the Nigerian
It is more heart breaking when they say
child. the youths of today are the leaders of
tomorrow when the said leaders of the
Growing in this nature, got admitted into the secondary school and started seeing hope and yester years think of nothing than to be
the reality of the dreams getting closer even amidst the harsh realities of the present recycling themselves in the corridor of
situation, stayed at home most times for school fees as he had to pay for himself, feed power and before they become feeble,
bring in their children into the system to
himself, buy books and so many other things, most times give to the struggling parents replace them, hmmm! No wonder the
from the meager he could realise from the ups and downs, through the pains and smiles, he wealth they gathered are most times
graduated from the secondary school making his first attempt of his final examination but being scattered by the frustrated youths.
gone are those days in the land that such brilliant effort like his will earn you automatic Though, the energetic guy had luck ran
scholarship to study in the tertiary institution, now the whistle for the kickoff of the his way one day and got a good job from
a multinational company and now
problem has just been blown. soothing away the pains of the old,
feeble, weak and grey parents he left in
Travelled to the town to source for a means to make ends meet, after several years of
the village. No effort is wasted especially
preparing for the tertiary institution funding, he gained admission into one of the prestigious when invested on education.
universities in the country to study a course of choice for four years but plus X (4yrs + X),
Finally, I take the second stanza of the
the X been Nigerian factors of ASUU strike, NLC down tool, internal problems among National anthem:
others. Struggling with the purchase of handout after paying the throat cutting tuition fee Oh God of creation
imposed by leaders who started with the Awolowo free education and ended with the
Direct our noble course,
scholarship scheme of the state now became a tuition fee sucking demon, this coupled with
Guide our leaders right
the problem he’s facing with a lecturer who wants the back of the only girl he has loved on
his (lecturer) bed or else, toying with his graduation, battling with this and still thinking of Help our youths the truth to know
the way forward when the news of the new policy of no class without laptops came and he In love and honesty to grow
completely became devastated. Like the Yoruba adage; “elede a de Oyo, ariwo e lapo”, And live in just and truth
“the pig will get to Oyo town its the noise that will be much” , after struggling and battling
Great lofty height attain,
and battling with the university headaches for years, here comes the convocation day,
To build a nation where peace and justice
forced himself to dine and wine with the people – mates, friends, colleagues etc, the NYSC
shall reign.
posting list is pasted just shortly after and the boy is posted to Maiduguri, having just two
Written by
days to report in camp when he got the letter a day before the first day, needed to put some Icon Tunde Oluwasimirin
things in place and had to travel another 21 hours with a challenging transport fare after the
subsidy on PMS was removed by the so called leaders, going through the pains and
surviving on the monthly 19,700 + 3,000 of the state government for the state government,
he went for the POP, looking closer than ever to the fulfillment of dreams , got back home,
Info bytes:
rested a bit and went to book with a vendor for daily reading of newspapers for job The DRR official visitation to zone L and
advertisement, funny enough, he sees vacancies every day, but Nigerian companies will K comes up during the zonal Family of
Rotary for the two zones on the 6th and
always demand for 5 years post NYSC experience, and for the young man who just passed 13th respectively:
out of the scheme could not meet the said requirements, after a while
3
YOU ARE ALL INVITED
Whenever you are confronted with an opponent. Conquer him with love

4. District 9125, Nigeria
defense. Guide them far enough down the what is an unseen count for nothing.
The pencil maker took the pencil aside wrong path, envelop them in enough Never let yourself get lost in the crowd,
smoke, and by the time they realize your then, or buried in oblivion. Stand out. Be
just before putting the pencil into the box,
intentions, it will be too late. conspicuous, at all cost. Make yourself a
he said: there are five (5) things you need
to know before I send you to the world, magnet of attention by appearing larger,
LAW 3
he told the pencil, always remember them NEVER PUT TOO MUCH TRUST IN more colorful, and more mysterious than
and you will become the best of pencil FRIENDS, LEARN HOW TO USE the bland and timid masses.
you can be. ENEMIES
Be wary of friends they will betray you LAW 7
 Everything you do will always leave a more quickly, for they are easily aroused to
GET OTHERS TO DO THE WORK
MARK envy. They also become spoiled and FOR YOU, BUT ALWAYS TAKE THE
tyrannical. But hire a former enemy and he CREDIT
 You can always CORRECT the
will be more loyal than a friend, because Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork
MISTAKES you have made
he has more to prove. In fact, you have of other people to further your own cause.
 The most important part of you will more to fear from friends than from Not only will such assistance save you
always be what is INSIDE OF YOU enemies. If you have no enemies, find a valuable time and energy, it will give you
way to make them. a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In
 In life, you will undergo PAINFUL
the end your helpers will be forgotten and
SHARPENING which will make you LAW 4 you will be remembered. Never do
a BETTER PENCIL ALWAYS SAY LESS THAN yourself what others can do for you.
 To be the best pencil you can be, you NECESSARY
must allow yourself to be HELD and When you are trying to impress people LAW 8
GUIDED by the hands that hold you. with words, the more you say, the more MAKE OTHER PEOPLE COME TO
common you appear, and the less in YOUUSE BAIT IF NECESSARY
WE ARE NOTHING BUT PENCILS IN control. Even if you are saying something When you force the other person to act,
THE HAND OF THE CREATOR
banal, it will seem original if you make it you are the one in control. It is always
Written by
Merry Olu Escort. vague, open-ended, and sphinxlike. better to make your opponent
Powerful people impress and intimidate by come to you, abandoning his own plans in
saying less. The more you say, the more the process. Lure him with fabulous gains
likely you are to say something foolish. then attack. You hold the cards.
LAW 5 LAW 9
SO MUCH DEPENDS ON WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS,
REPUTATIONGUARD IT WITH NEVER THROUGH ARGUMENT
LAW 1
NEVER OUTSHINE THE MASTER YOUR LIFE Any momentary triumph you think you
Always make those above you feel Reputation is the cornerstone of power. have gained through argument is really a
comfortably superior. In your desire to Through reputation alone you can Pyrrhic
please or impress them, do not go too far intimidate and win; once it slips, however,
in displaying your talents or you might you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on LAW 10
accomplish the opposite inspire fear and all sides. Make your reputation
INFECTION: AVOID THE UNHAPPY
insecurity. Make your masters appear unassailable. Always be alert to potential AND UNLUCKY
more brilliant than they are and you will attacks and thwart them before they You can die from someone else's misery
attain the heights of power. happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your
emotional states are as infectious as
enemies by opening holes in their own
reputations. Then stand aside and let public diseases. You may feel you are helping the
LAW 2
CONCEAL YOUR INTENTIONS opinion hang them. drowning man but you are only
Keep people off-balance and in the dark precipitating your own disaster. The
by never revealing the purpose behind LAW 6 unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on
your actions. If they have no clue what COURT ATTENTION AT ALL COST themselves; they will also draw it on you.
you are up to, they cannot prepare a Everything is judged by its appearance; Associate with the happy and fortunate
instead.
Tunde Oluwasinmirin Fikayo Benson Jide Ajao Rtn Kola Oderinu Dr Buchi Akpeh
District Editor Deputy District Editor Media Consultant Chief Correspondent Chief Correspondent
(Internal Affairs) (External Affairs)
Akintayo Orimadegun Balogun Ajibola Ayoola adedolapo
Senior Correspondent Zone L Senior Correspondent Zone K Correspondent J
4
Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without

5. District 9125, Nigeria
Blessed with the best human and natural Continued from page 2
resources The GPEI was launched in 1988 when the 41st
Although we may be born with certain wrong
Had her glorious days and time of World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted a
inclination, violent behavior is usually learned.
celebrations resolution for the worldwide eradication of polio.
The same is true of peacefulness. The question is It is spearheaded by national governments,
who can teach us the ways of true peace? Surely,
With outstanding achievements in various WHO, Rotary International, the United States
the most authoritative person would be our
fields Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
Creator, whose wisdom is unsurpassed. Consider
the following five points. (CDC), United Nations Children‟s Fund
Education, sports, culture, tourism, even
(UNICEF), and supported by key partners
 DO NOT BECOME ENVIOUS OF THE governance, 13 years of uninterrupted including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
MAN OF VIOLENCE. democratic rule, This followed the certification of the eradication
 CHOOSE YOUR ASSOCIATES WISELY. Though all these are not without the of smallpox in 1980, progress during the 1980s
turbulence of time test, towards elimination of the poliovirus in the
 CULTIVATE TRUE LOVE FOR
Americas, and Rotary International‟s
OTHERS.
The pre-colonial days slave trade commitment to raise funds to protect all children
 TRUST GOD TO DEAL WITH THE from the disease.
WICKED. The cultural killing of twin children
In 1994, the WHO Region of the Americas was
 LOOK TO GOD'S KINGDOM TO BRING The independence chaos,
certified polio-free, followed by the WHO
TRUE PEACE TO THE EARTH.
The post-independence military coup Western Pacific Region in 2000 and the WHO
These point teachings have help millions of d’état at various times, European Region in June 2002. Of the three
people - including some with a violent types of WPV1, 2, and 3, WPV2 transmission
disposition-to become lovers of peace. Consider The 3 years civil war that took the country has been successfully stopped (since 1999).
the point and let SERVE THROUGH PEACE. through a memorial,
According to the WHO, more than 10 million
Rtr. Oladimeji Jubril A. The post electoral violence of 1983 that people are today walking, who would otherwise
(RAC. Ikirun C.B)
saw the nation through the return to have been paralysed. About 1.5 million
military rule childhood deaths have been prevented, through
THE LAND The era that involved the days of the
the systematic administration of Vitamin A during
polio immunisation activities.
CALLED master dribbler; Nigerian Maradona
Polio eradication partners around the world are
The dictatorship years of Gen. Sanni
NIGERIA Abacha,
marking the first WPD since India was removed
from the list of countries with active transmission
The June 12, 1993 annulment that ended of WPV.
The most populous black nation, with assassination of innocent souls, A statement from the GPEI on the WPD states:
Never an understatement to be called the The beginning of the murder of social “This development opened up a historic
giant of Africa, opportunity to complete polio eradication in the
justice in the land,
remaining endemic countries, powered by the
Or how else do you describe a country
The return to democracy and the WHA declaration of an „emergency for global
like Nigeria,
beginning of another era public health‟ and implemented through national
When a universal maxim says that: emergency programmes run by the governments
The electoral frauds and corruption that of Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.
“the success of a man is not quantified nearly became a legal business,
by the level of his wealth but by the “In all but three countries of the world,
number of problems he overcame in the The kidnapping that arose from the governments supported by the GPEI have
course of succeeding” militant of the south, stopped transmission of this crippling virus. This
Then you will agree with me that a The present day insurgency of the Boko year, fewer children (171) have been paralyzed
country with by polio, in fewer parts of the world than ever
Haram sect that has claimed so many
before.
One Federal Capital Territory and the lives,
fastest growing city in the continent, “Since the launch of the GPEI‟s Emergency
But the good news of the story is that the
36 States across the 6 geo political zones, Action Plan in May 2010, India – long thought to
beautiful ones are born,
be the hardest place from which to eradicate
Over 250 ethnic nationalities and tribes polio – has stopped polio transmission. Polio
Even though the ugly ones refuse to die but
divided to 774 local governments
then... now survives among the most marginalised
Covering over 900, 000 square kilometer communities of just three countries: Afghanistan,
Amidst all odds, the country still exist as
in land mass Nigeria and Pakistan.
one, then I think I’m justified for calling
With over 150 million people the nation the giant of Africa.
representing more than half of the total
God Bless Nigeria and God bless us all.
population of West Africa To be Continue d
Became a sovereign entity 52 years ago
5
There is no ‘way to peace,’ there is only ‘peace’

6. District 9125, Nigeria
6
How can we play war and not peace?