From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
No fewer than 50 persons have loss their lives to a strange illness in Etteh Community in Olamaboro Local Government area of Kogi State.
The lawmaker representing Olamaboro Constituency in the Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Ujah Anthony Alewo who disclosed this in a motion of urgent public importance presented at the floor of the house on Tuesday, said the strange disease has killed over 50 persons in his constituency.
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.
“It’s 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.” he lamented.
The causes of the disease According to the Lawmaker is still unknown, noting that infected patient die within one week of contacting the disease.
According to him, “It was more worrisome, all efforts to reach out 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”. he added.
He prayed that the house should mandate its Committee on Health and Social Services and the commissioner for health for an on-the-spot assessment of damage to lives and 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 the people of the Etteh Community.
Seconding the motion, the lawmaker representing Dekina Biraidu constituency, Moses Ododo stressed that, the lives of people in the community needs to be urgently saved as it will adversely affect the economic input of the agrarian community in the State.
The Deputy speaker Hon. Ahmed Mohammed in his submissions hinted that the Community shares boundary with Enugu State and stressed the need for urgent action to avert further spread and loss of lives and further prayed that the State Government should construct a Hospital in Etteh Community to avert future occurrence of such epidemic.
In his ruling, the Speaker, Prince Mathew Kolawole requested for a minutes silence for those that loss their lives due to the attack of this epidemic, adding that, the House should write to Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja for support.
