Over 50 persons have lost their lives to a strange illness in Ette community, Olamaboro local government area of Kogi state.
The lawmaker representing Olamaboro Constituency, Anthony Alewo Ujah, made this known in a motion of urgent public importance presented on the floor of the Kogi State House of Assembly on Tuesday.
Ujah explained that victims of the unknown disease suffered from headache, red eye, loss of appetite, inability to urinate or defecate, convulsion before their death, adding that residents of Ette community have been thrown into confusion by the outbreak of an alien epidemic.
The lawmaker, who maintained that the causes of the disease is still unknown, noted that infected patient die within one week of contracting the disease.
“More worrisome, all efforts to seek 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 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 said.
He prayed the House to mandate its Committee on Health and Social Services for an on-the-spot assessment of damages to lives and properties in Ette Community.
“I pray the House do 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.”
Ujah, 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 Ette community.
Seconding the motion, the lawmaker representing Dekina Biraidu, 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 to the State.
Ruling on the motion, the Speaker, Mathew Kolawole asked for a minute 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.
