By Gbenga Abulude (Politics and General Desk)
A strange illness has claimed more than 50 people in the Olamaboro local government area of Kogi State.
Hon Anthony Ujah Alewo, the lawmaker representing Olamaboro Constituency in the state Assembly, made this known in a motion of urgent public importance presented on the floor of the house on Tuesday.
He said the disease comes with symptoms such as headache, red eyes, loss of appetite, inability to urinate, convulsion.
The lawmaker said it was sad and disturbing that the residents of Etteh community in Olamaboro LGA were thrown into hopelessness and confusion by the outbreak of an epidemic alien to them.
Alewo added that the cause of the disease is still unknown, and that infected persons die within a week of contracting it.
According to him: “More worrisome is that all efforts to seek our 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 did not yield results.
“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.”
He called on the House to mandate its Committee on Health and Social Services to embark on an on-the-spot assessment of loss of lives.
The lawmaker representing Dekina Biraidu, Hon Moses Ododo seconded stressing 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, Hon Ahmed Mohammed noted that the community shares boundary with Enugu State and this calls for urgent action to avert further loss of lives.
The Speaker, Prince Mathew Kolawole called for a minute silence in memory of the dead and directed that the house should write to Federal Medical Centre in Lokoja for required support.
