The member representing Ikwo/Ezza South federal constituency of Ebonyi State in the National Assembly, Hon. Chinedu Ogah, has called on the Federal and State governments including foreign donors to render more support to communities in Ebonyi State ravaged by Cholera disease.
Hon. Ogah made the appeal in Inyimagu community, Ikwo local government area of the State while receiving drugs procured by him to assist victims of Cholera outbreak in the community.
The drugs worth millions of Naira, according to the lawmaker, were procured to ensure that victims of the outbreak receive the best of treatment. The lawmaker, therefore, called for concerted effort towards bringing to an end the menace of cholera outbreak in Ebonyi State.
Some of the villages ravaged by the outbreak include Akahufu, Odumowo, Ochokwu, and Akataka Ofenekpe in Inyimagu community.
Hon. Ogah, who expressed concern over the devastation caused by the outbreak in the area, wondered why the outbreak would occur when the community enjoys potable water supply as provided through his constituency project.
He maintained that the procurement of the drugs was carried out in partnership with the Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT) led by Dr. John Omogo.
The lawmaker noted that since assumption inception of office as the Member representing Ikwo/Ezza federal constituency, he has sank several boreholes in the two local government areas of the federal constituency he represents, adding that several others would still be sank to ensure that the people continuously enjoy good drinking water.
“We decided to procure the drugs to assist our people that are victims of cholera outbreak. As their representative, it is part of our responsibility to come to their aid and that’s exactly what we have done.
“The drugs, I believe, will go a long way to ensure that those who might still be in the hospital are adequately taken care of. We expect that with the arrival of the drugs, every hitches that would hinder their being attended to has been resolved and we are expecting good result from the venture.
“We are in dry season when people experience scarcity of water which most times result in cholera outbreaks. In that regard, we have done so much in sinking several boreholes both in Ikwo and Ezza South local government areas to ensure the people have access to good and portable water.
“We can’t do it alone, we need more of the support of the Federal Government, the State and foreign donor agencies to help our people. President Muhammadu Buhari has done so much in Ebonyi State even in the area of water and we expect that with the coming on board of the new administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the issue of water scarcity will be a thing of the past,” Ogah said.
The lawmaker commended the Ebonyi State Ministry of Health for its usual prompt responses in attending to issues of cholera outbreaks and urged them to also make more contribution towards eradicating cholera in most parts of Ikwo.
Distributing the drugs at the different MDGs Centers in Akahufu and Udumowo Inyimagu, the village Chairman, Mr. Chijioke Ekoyo, and Pastor Sunday Nwizu, said the cholera outbreak was the least they expected in the villages, adding that the community enjoys portable water.
They commended Hon. Ogah for his quick intervention and called on the government to assist them to fight the outbreak.