Cancer Not Death Sentence – Former First Lady Amosun

A former Ogun State First Lady, Olufunso Amosun, has urged women not to see cancer as a death sentence, stressing that early detection and prompt treatment can save lives.
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Mrs Amosun made the call on Wednesday at the flag-off of the 2026 free breast and cervical cancer screening organised at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta.

She said the annual screening exercise was more than a routine medical check, describing it as an opportunity to provide life-saving interventions and ensure that women have timely access to healthcare.

Mrs Amosun, while highlighting the growing burden of cancer in Nigeria, said breast cancer incidence in the country had risen by nearly 300 per cent over the past three decades.

Citing data from the Global Cancer Observatory 2022, she said Nigeria recorded 32,278 new breast cancer cases and 16,332 deaths, giving the country the highest burden on the African continent.

She, however, emphasised that early detection remained one of the most effective ways of reducing cancer-related deaths.

According to her, survival rates for patients diagnosed at an early stage could exceed 90 per cent, compared with less than 30 per cent for those diagnosed at an advanced stage.

Reflecting on the 2025 edition of the programme, the former first lady said more than 600 women benefited from the screening, while 22 women were found to have breast-related concerns.

“Out of these, 11 women diagnosed with suspicious breast lumps underwent free lumpectomy surgeries and post-operative care funded entirely by the foundation in November 2025.

Amosun encouraged women participating in the 2026 exercise to make preventive healthcare a priority, urging them not to allow fear to delay them from seeking medical attention.

She also called on the beneficiaries to become advocates for cancer awareness by sharing the message of early screening with their families, friends and communities.

Her message was simple: cancer may be a serious health challenge, but with awareness, early detection and timely treatment, it does not have to be a death sentence.

In his remarks, a Medical Consultant and Surgeon at the Federal Medical Centre, Ebenezer Nkom, de-emphasised the efficacy of native remedial measures, stating that early clinical detection will prevent mortality.

The medical expert also warned against narratives that sucking a human breast may cure breast cancer, appealing to Nigerians to pay attention to themselves.

He added that women should do away with fears of losing their breast; practitioners can reconstruct another artificial breast for the concerned.

Cancer Is Death Sentence

“You shouldn’t be afraid of losing your breast; it is when you are alive that you can talk of the beauty of your husband. Some of you even thought that when a man sucks your breast, you will be healed of cancer; that is not true. Go through screening and whenever you notice anything, meet a doctor immediately.”

According to the National Cancer Institute, Cancer is a disease where abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues or spread to other parts of the body.
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Nigeria Customs Commissions Healthcare Rehabilitated Facility to Boost Community Development in Rivers

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has commissioned the rehabilitated Ebubu Primary Healthcare Centre in Eleme, Rivers State, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, known as ‘Customs Cares’, aimed at supporting communities and contributing to their social development.
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The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, who spoke on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, during the commissioning of the facility, said the intervention reflected the Service’s responsibility to contribute to the wellbeing of communities beyond its statutory mandates of revenue collection, trade facilitation and border security.

CGC Adeniyi, who recalled how NCS officially launched the CSR Programme in March 2025, said “School renovations, scholarships, medical outreaches, healthcare facility rehabilitation, food distribution, agricultural initiatives, skills acquisition, solar-powered lighting, borehole projects and other community infrastructure as areas where Customs Cares had made interventions.”

He said the Ebubu project was particularly significant because healthcare was fundamental to human dignity, productivity and community development, noting that the condition of the centre before the intervention had affected the delivery of quality primary healthcare services to residents and surrounding communities, adding that, “What we have achieved here is therefore more than physical rehabilitation. We have invested in access, dignity and hope.”

He, however, stressed that the rehabilitation of the facility would only achieve its purpose if the centre were properly managed and maintained, adding that its sustainability would require adequate staffing, regular maintenance and continued support from relevant government institutions and the community.

The CGC also appreciated the traditional rulers, community leaders, Rivers State Government, Rivers State Primary Health Care Board, Eleme Local Government Council, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders who contributed to the project’s success.

The Customs Area Controller, Port Harcourt II Area Command, Onne, Comptroller Aliyu Alkali, said the Service’s impact should not be measured only by revenue figures or enforcement statistics, but also by the positive difference its presence makes in the communities where it operates.

Nigeria Customs

Also speaking, the Comptroller in charge of the Corporate Social Responsibility Unit, Comptroller Patience Ibrahim, said the initiative reflected the Service’s belief that its responsibility to Nigerians extended beyond revenue collection to making a meaningful difference in the communities it serves.

Meanwhile, dignitaries who attended the function said the rehabilitated centre would bring quality healthcare closer to residents, while urging the community and other stakeholders to take ownership of the facility and ensure its continued usefulness.
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Eno Inaugurates Model Primary Health Centre in Akwa Ibom Community, Pledges More Rural Healthcare Projects

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has inaugurated a Model Primary Health Centre at Ikot Ekpe in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area as part of his administration’s efforts to expand access to quality and affordable healthcare in rural communities.
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The facility, inaugurated on Monday, September 14, 2026, is designed to provide comprehensive primary healthcare services to residents of Ikot Ekpe and neighbouring communities.
Represented at the commissioning by the Commissioner for Works, Prof. Eno Ibanga, Governor Eno said the project was a fulfilment of his promise to the people of Mkpat Enin and a practical demonstration of the healthcare component of his administration’s ARISE Agenda.

The Governor also disclosed that he would soon return to the local government area to commission the 10.8-kilometre Mkpat Enin–Efa Road, which connects Mkpat Enin with Etinan Local Government Area.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Chairman of Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, Engr. Emmanuel Inyang, expressed appreciation to Governor Eno for the health facility, describing it as a significant intervention for the people of the area.

Inyang assured the Governor of the continued support of the people of Mkpat Enin, saying the local government would reciprocate the administration’s development efforts during the next election cycle.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem John, who gave an overview of the project, said the Model Primary Health Centre was equipped with modern facilities and adequately staffed to provide essential healthcare services to residents of Ikot Ekpe and its environs.

According to him, the facility would reduce the need for residents, particularly pregnant women and children, to travel long distances in search of basic medical services.

In their separate goodwill messages, the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Obong Stephen Ntukekpo; Member representing Mkpat Enin State Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Uwem-Imoh Ita; former Transition Chairman of Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, Lady Ekaette Usip; and President of the Eket Senatorial District Women’s Forum, Dr. Idara Ephraim Akpan, commended Governor Eno for his development initiatives in the area.

The stakeholders described the health centre as a modern facility built to World Health Organization standards and expressed optimism that it would contribute to reducing morbidity and mortality in the area.

They also commended the Governor for translating the ARISE Agenda into tangible projects and programmes across sectors, including road infrastructure, Model Schools, Compassionate Homes and healthcare.
Delivering the vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Patrick Eshiet, who hails from Ikot Ekpe, commended Governor Eno for constructing and equipping the health centre and integrating it into the state’s healthcare system.

Umo Eno

Eshiet also praised the administration for sustaining the Akwa Ibom State Health Insurance Scheme and recruiting thousands of healthcare personnel across health facilities in the state.
He described the initiatives as measures aimed at bringing quality healthcare services closer to residents, especially those in rural communities.

The Permanent Secretary further commended the people of Ikot Ekpe for protecting the facility throughout its construction and urged them to continue safeguarding it while ensuring its proper use for the benefit of the community.
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