“THE labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain”. How much importance do we, the government and people of Nigeria, really attach to this line in our national anthem? Shouldn’t the inspiring words of our national anthem which we recite at the beginning of formal and public events be so deeply etched in our hearts and consciousness as to reflect in our routine behaviours and attitudes, especially towards one another?
Just 11 years ago, Miss Gloria Kemasuode, the Bayelsa State-born sprinter who represented Nigeria at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China in the 400 by 100 metres relay (along with Halimat Ismaila, Oludamola Osayomi and Franca Idoko), is today wandering the streets of Yenagoa, according to credible media reports. Gloria, who is reportedly a staff of the Bayelsa State Sports Council, is said to be suffering from a mental disorder.
In Nigeria and most parts of sub-Saharan Africa people react to mental illness with automatic stigmatisation and…
Source: Vanguard Newspaper
