Nigeria’s north-central.
Over 50 persons have been said to have lost their lives
to a strange illness in Olamaboro Local Government area of Kogi
State.
It was reliably gathered that the disease which is still unknown
comes with symptoms such as headache, red eye, loss of
appetite, inability to urinate or defecate, convulsion, and finally
death.
The lawmaker representing Olamaboro Constituency in the Kogi
State House of Assembly, Honourable Ujah Anthony Alewo who
disclosed this in a motion of urgent public importance presented at
the floor of the house on Tuesday said it was sad and quite
disturbing that the residents of Etteh Community in Olamaboro Local
Government Area of Kogi State were thrown into confusion by the
outbreak of an epidemic alien to them.
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Although the lawmaker maintained that the causes of the disease
are still unknown, he noted that the infected patient dies within
one week of contracting the disease.
According to him, “more worrisome, all efforts to get solutions
using the local herbs and treatment at local health centres with
referrals to neighboring clinics and hospitals at Ogugu and Okpo in
Olamaboro respectively was not successful.
“The reports reaching my constituency office from the community
leaders confirmed that over 50 people within the economic and
productive age of 25 to 40 years died from September to date.
“Thereby stalling agricultural, social, and economic activities
which directly affect the food security of the agrarian and artisan
Etteh people.”
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He prayed that the house should mandate its Committee on Health
and Social Services for an on-the-spot assessment of damage to
lives and properties to the people of Etteh Community.
The lawmaker added that the House does write a strongly worded
resolution mandating the Honourable Commissioner for Health to
direct medical experts to the affected area to unravel the cause of
the epidemic and treat accordingly.
Alewo, in his prayers, urged the house to do a passionate appeal
to the State Government to send palliatives to the affected areas
to cushion the huge loss incurred by Etteh Community.
Seconding the motion, the lawmaker representing Dekina Biraidu
Moses Ododo stressed that, the lives of people in the community
need to be urgently saved as it will adversely affect the economic
input of the agrarian community to the State.
The Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Mohammed, in his submissions hinted
that the Community shares boundary with Enugu State, and as such
there is a need for urgent action to avert further loss of
lives.
He suggested an additional prayer that the State Government
should construct a Hospital in Etteh Community to avert and tackle
the future occurrence of such an epidemic.
Ruling on the motion, the Speaker, Mathew Kolawole, asked for a
minute’s silence for the lives lost due to the attack of this
epidemic, adding that, the House should write to Federal Medical
Centre, Lokoja for support.
Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/11/18/strange-disease-kills-over-50-in-kogi-state/