The wife of the Inspector-General of Police and President, Police Officers Wives Association, POWA, Hajara Baba, on Thursday, inaugurated a three-day cancer screening in Lagos State.
The screening came up 24 hours after IGP Usman Baba, ordered the immediate distribution of recently procured uniforms, accoutrements and kits to the Nigeria Police Force rank and file personnel nationwide.
According to the Force spokesman, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, the exercise is in furtherance of the ongoing efforts by the IGP to engender reforms and evolve a new people-friendly Police Force.
The issuance of uniforms and other accouterments to members of the Inspectorate, Non-Commissioned Officers, NCOs, and Constable cadres in the police force will be on a quarterly basis.
The IGP’s wife said that the cancer screening was part of her efforts to prioritise the health of police officers’ wives because women in Nigeria bear the highest cancer burden, Nigeria being one of the top nations with high burden of cancer.
According to her, breast, cervical and ovarian cancers are common among women.
She pointed out that her administration had set out a well-defined agenda which includes health, welfare and education, for the betterment of police officers’ wives in the nation.
The POWA president advised women to take the issue of their health serious, because “health was wealth”.
She said: “We are exceedingly grateful for this worthy partnership set out by Monitor Healthcare and Sebeccly Cancer Care, in partnership with POWA.
“This is a well-intended and deliberate step taken to alleviate the burden of cancer in Nigeria.
“As you grant kindness to 400 members of POWA in this free but unique exercise today, which shall be running through the four days scheduled for it, let me assure you that posterity does not forget in a hurry these act of kindness.
“We urge other development partners to follow suit.
“As a responsive and proactive organisation, POWA, under my leadership is ever willing and ready to partner with you in the fight to defeat this monster called cancer.”
Mrs Baba assured that more sensitisation, responsiveness, and care for the victims of cancer would be carried out.
She urged POWA members in Lagos State not to relent in the fight against breast and cervical cancer while urging the partners to replicate same gesture across the zones of police formations.
According to her, it is a sure way to reduce the unfortunate rise in statistics of cancer, through the provision of cancer prevention services, early detection of cancer and prompt treatment.
“My advice for everyone is to listen to the physicians here today, it’s for your own good.
“It took us months to organise this event; it is true that some of you may be able to afford it, but some women can’t afford it and prevention is better than cure,” she counselled.
Earlier, the wife of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Tosin Alabi, who welcomed the I-GP’s wife to the state for the exercise, commended the organisers for the laudable initiative.
A medical practitioner, Dr Femi Ogunremi, also encouraged the women to constantly check themselves to in case there were changes in their body, stressing that periodic screening was important.
The doctor noted that the ratio of women suffering from cancer in developed countries was higher than that of Africa, but that there were more survivours because they get screened regularly.
“Our story in Nigeria is that some ladies will have health problems which they are unaware of, or the causes.
“Instead of going to the hospital, they will be praying. Cancer cells are wicked cells, and while it’s undetected, the lumps keep growing till they become uncontrollable.
“Other countries have many survivours because they do screening routinely. Here, we are afraid of cancer because we do not know what to do and end up doing the wrong thing.
“Women should always examine their breasts periodically and monitor their health,” Mrs Ogunremi said.
NAN
