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African Cancer Centre: Fashola Calls On Federal Govt To Sponsor Project For West African Sub-Region

Feb 8, 2012 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) Wednesday urged the Federal Government to take over the responsibility of constructing the African Cancer Centre (ACC) as the nation's contribution to healthcare delivery in the West-African sub-region.

Governor Fashola, who spoke as Chief Host at the African Cancer Centre's first Annual Lecture titled "Cancerous Life-Styles: Between Dogmatism and Fatalism", to commemorate the Cancer Awareness Week 2012, at the Agip Hall of Muson Centre, Onikan, said the nation's legislators should make budget appropriation to off-set the cost of the project which he put at N13 billion.

Pointing out that it is a way of providing leadership in the sub-region, Governor Fashola declared, "The Federal Government should lead from the front to provide leadership in this direction. In that way, I think that the Government will be able to say that it has done something positive for the sub-region".

The Governor, who described the statistics of cancer cases in the country as alarming, said the danger lay in the fact that awareness was still very low among the people adding that the deadly disease was often discovered at very advanced stages when medical attention could probably provide only palliatives.

"The statistics are out there and alarming – cervical cancer, thoracic cancer, breast cancer – I do not want to delve into that", the Governor said adding that those present at the occasion may have come for different reason, either that they have a relation or acquaintance who has the disease or a relation who died of the disease.

Expressing dismay that those attending the occasion were mainly elderly people instead of the younger generation who are more prone to the disease, Governor Fashola declared, "Beyond that, I ask myself, is a diagnosis of Cancer a death certificate? Certainly, the experts tell us no".

Governor Fashola said at the State Government level, his administration has made and is continuing with efforts to strengthen advocacy in order to try and protect life adding "Of course in government, our primary responsibility is to protect life and property of citizens".

"But as we pursue advocacy, screening and lifestyle changes that may decrease the possibility of cancer, the question I ask is what happens after detection?", the Governor asked adding that his administration was also pursuing initiatives that would encourage investors to invest in the provision of medical facilities in the State.

The Governor commended the State's Ministry of Health for its tremendous efforts in the area of cancer awareness and screening recalling that a few days ago, the screening exercise was taken to Oshodi Market where he and his wife, Dame Emmanuella Fashola, watched alongside the Health Commissioner, Dr. Jide Idris, as the team screened market women and others "who, ordinarily were not informed enough to even come out for screening".

"And this has been a continuing initiative and tempo since the time of my predecessor who, incidentally is here represented by his own Commissioner, Dr. Leke Pitan. My own Commissioner, Dr. Jide Idris, is here and two of them have played very significant roles in the existence and life of the African Cancer Centre and they continue to do so", the Governor said.

Governor Fashola commended founder of the Centre, Professor Femi Williams pointing out that from the first day he passed by the project, he got the impression that "with or without government, this is a project he is committed to delivering", adding, "When I saw him this morning and the others who are here to lend their support to this project, I know it will become a reality sooner than later".

Earlier in his welcome address, Chairman of the occasion, Chief Olu Akinkugbe, said the founder and force behind the Centre, Professor Femi Williams, started the project in line with other international groups in the United Kingdom, America and other areas pointing out that the Centre was essentially for research on the dreaded disease.

According to the Chairman, research in the centre has been on in the last 15 years adding that although the disease is much dreaded it has existed in antiquity. "Although Hippocrates talked about it, he was not the first to notice it", he said adding that it has been there for many years.

He said the disease affects practically all parts of the body and listed some of the causes to include, smoking, drinking and other peculiar lifestyles adding that although the Guest Lecturer and Nobel Laureate, Proffessor Wole Soyinka is not a medical person, he would undoubtedly do justice to the topic of the lecture.

According to the Centre's information brochure, the African Cancer Centre will be a vital tool for enabling research into the environmental and genetic causes of cancer adding that the research would be vital in generating awareness of those environmental factors to be avoided.

The Centre will physically consist of a 50-100 bed adult male, 50-100 bed unit for the females, pediatric ward and an out-patient department for day cases services included in the centre will consist of the screening, treatment and awareness of those factors that are significant in predisposing one to cancer, according to the information.

Also present at the occasion were former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Minister of Health, Dr. Julius Adelusi Adeluyi, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris among other members of the State Executive Council and top government functionaries as well as captains of industry.