It is Dangerous for a Muslim to marry one Wife – Sheik Muyideen Bello

                                  

Popular Islamic scholar and preacher, Sheik Muyideen Bello has said it is dangerous for a Muslim to marry one wife.

In his words; “Allah said a man should marry any kind of woman he likes. As a man, if you want to marry a fair-complexioned or dark woman, marry her. Allah said we should start from two women. I know women will not like to hear this. If you have to marry, start with two women, which is what the Quran says. The Yorubas have a saying that a man with one woman isn’t a real man. For instance if you are married to one wife and she over-salts your food, you have just one wife. You don’t have a choice than to eat the food or buy food outside.

“I have received so many messages from people that why should I encourage polygamy. I tell them, is it me encouraging polygamy? Allah said you should marry two, three, four. Allah said if as a man you know you can’t take care of them, then marry one. Then if you are a me and my wife kind of man, the implications are too many. As Muslims, four women is the maximum a man can have, have two living with you then if you have two houses outside, you put the other two there. The implications in marrying just one wife are too many.”

BREAKING NEWS:Nigeria At Risk of Zika

                            

With the recent alarm raised by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control that the Zika virus vector is widely circulating in Nigeria, experts are of the opinion that the government must step up measures against the deadly disease.

When Brazil, in June last year experienced an outbreak of Zika virus, a relatively unknown pathogen, not many people referred to it as a public health challenge requiring utmost priority, until it took a new turn and was becoming deadly, forcing the World Health Organisation (WHO) in February 1 this year, to declare it an international health emergency, requiring new and urgent tool to eradicate.

But as Nigerians continue to see it as American and Asian health challenge, recent development suggests Nigeria and other malaria endemic nations are at risk of the deadly virus since its transmitter, the Aedes mosquitois a common strain of the mosquito family known to exist in Nigeria and other countries battling with malaria.

In fact, in a more direct statement by the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Zika virus is already widely circulating in the country. Shockingly, he said there was the absence of continued surveillance or periodic national surveys, with the epidemiology of the virus still poorly understood in the country.

Though an uncommon disease, it is not strange to Nigeria and Africa at large. In 1960, the country experienced the first human case of the virus, according to WHO records; that is 27 years after it was first documented in monkeys in Uganda, an East African country, known to be a breeding region for mosquitoes, just like Nigeria.

But the world did not take the 76 years old virus seriously because its outbreaks were sporadic and tiny, and the disease seemed to do little harm to humans, until recently with its recent manifestation in South America and Asia, starting with birth deformities in newborn, among other clinical features.

The virus is a disease transmitted by the bite of an infected Aedesaegypti mosquito - the same mosquito strain that causes dengue and other tropical diseases. Experts described it as a strain with white markings on its legs and a marking in the form of a lyre on the upper surface of the thorax. The average wing length of female Aedesaegypti mosquitoes varies greatly between 1.67- 3.83 mm in Peruvian habitat.

According to Ihekweazu, "Previous evidence of detection of Zika virus in man, and antibodies to Zika virus in Nigerian populations, together with the presence of the vectors indicate that the virus is widely circulated in Nigeria, adding that the majority of those infected with the virus remain asymptomatic and for those who develop symptoms, such as, fever, rash, conjunctivitis, headaches, muscle and joint pains, it typically start three to six days after infection. "The virus might stay in the body for weeks following infection," he said.

He noted that current epidemiology of Zika in Nigeria has not been well documented or understood due to paucity of recent data, adding that the virus shares a similar vector, the Aedes (Steogmyia) mosquitoes, also responsible for other flavivirus infections recorded in

the country, such as yellow fever and dengue.

"The environmental and human behavioural risk factors in areas with reported Zika outbreaks were similar to those found in Nigeria and would thus favour the circulation of Zika virus," Ihekweazu said.

"Possible cross-reaction with other endemic flaviviruses like yellow fever and dengue; genetic host factors protecting against infection or disease; low vector competence and transmission efficiency; lack of diagnostic testing; and the absence of systematic surveillance are potential limitations to detect on-going transmission of Zika in the country."

Concluding the CEO said all countries with presence of Aedes (Steogmyia) albopictus and Aedes (Steogmyia) aegypti mosquitoes are at risk of sustained transmission and human activity aids the spread of the virus to locations far beyond the normal range for the vector.

He explained that in the light of the review, NCDC plans to initiate surveillance to understand and monitor the epidemiology of the virus in the country for appropriate interventions.

Compiled By Martins Ifijeh