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Tackling the Cholera epidemic: The Anambra State example
By Paul Nwosu
There is the clear and present danger of cholera epidemic ravaging across the states of Nigeria. Although Anambra State has thus far not been affected, it is crucial to be prepared and thus guard against the danger
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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has put out the information of an increase in the death toll and spread of cholera across 32 states and 115 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria.
The Deputy Director of Surveillance of the NCDC and National Incident Manager for the Centre, Dr. Muntari Hassan, announced that a total of 54 deaths and 1,579 suspected cases have been documented since the beginning of the year.
It is noteworthy that Nigeria has been placed on high risk for increased cholera transmission and impact due to the rainy season. The NCDC reveals through its latest epidemiological report that Nigeria has recorded a case-fatality ratio (CFR) of 1.9 percent as of the beginning of June 2024.
The cholera outbreak has affected 32 states, with Bayelsa State being the most impacted, accounting for 50 percent of all suspected cases. The other affected states include: Lagos, Zamfara, Abia, Bauchi, Cross River, Ebonyi etc.
As things stand, the NCDC continues to monitor and respond to the outbreak through its national multi-sectoral Cholera Technical Working Group, in collaboration with various federal ministries and development partners.
It is on record that cholera outbreaks in Nigeria have been a recurrent issue, with major epidemics recorded in the past. The World Health Organization, Africa region, reveals that every year Nigeria experiences an increase in the number of cholera cases during the rainy season.
Cholera, caused by the bacterium vibrio cholerae, spreads through contaminated water and food, leading to severe dehydration and, in some cases, death, if untreated.
The Anambra State Ministry of Health has been dutifully intensifying efforts to stop the coming and spread of cholera through improving water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices, as well as deploying rapid diagnostic tests and enhancing surveillance.
Everybody must strictly adhere to the standard of hygiene outlined by the Ministry of Health. The measures include using water from reliable safe sources, boiling water before drinking, storing water in properly sealed containers, and ensuring that bottled water is properly sealed before drinking.
Safe food preparation must not be compromised. The mandate is: Wash it, peel it, or cook it. Fruits and vegetables must be washed with clear running water. Fruits need to be peeled before being consumed. Food must be cooked well and covered properly when not immediately consumed.
The hands must be washed frequently with soap and clean running water.
Hands must be washed before and after eating.
It is critical to put a stop to open defecation, indiscriminate refuse dumping, improper disposal of waste and clearing of sewages.
The common symptoms of cholera are watery diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, and dehydration while the severe symptoms are low blood pressure, rapid heart rate, persistent vomiting and muscle cramps.
It is heartening that Anambra State’s emergency response teams are actively conducting surveillance in all 21 LGAs to promptly identify and contain any potential cases. Cholera is highly contagious and must not be allowed to come at all and spread in Anambra State.
Paul Nwosu is the Commissioner for Information, Anambra State
The legal team of suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, say they are ready with factil evidence to defend her in court.
The team received a formal summons in the case filed against her by the Federal Government at the Federal Capital Territory High Court last week.
On Friday, May 16, 2025, the Federal Government filed the suit, marked CR/297/25, over alleged defamatory remarks made during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025.
The government accused the senator of “making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person”, citing Section 391 of the Penal Code, cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990.
Among the witnesses listed to testify during the trial were Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
Others include Asuquo Ekpenyong, a senator; Sandra Duru; Maya Iliya, investigating police officers; and Abdulhafiz Garba, investigating police officers.
However, in a statement issued Friday night by Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN) on behalf of the legal team, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyers confirmed receipt of the formal summons and pledged to prepare all “factual and statutory defences” available to the lawmaker during trial.
“At about 2:30pm on Friday, May 23, 2025, within the premises of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, we received the information filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, containing three counts alleging that our client, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central, made imputations she had reason to believe would harm the reputation of Senator Godswill Akpabio, President of the 10th Senate,” the statement read.
“We received the said information on her behalf through a letter of authority duly issued and filed in the court’s registry.
“The legal team will fully prepare and present all factual and statutory defences available to our client during the trial.”
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will on Tuesday next week begin the take over of 4,794 properties in Abuja, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headquarters, due to unpaid ground rent.
The PDP headquarters, currently under construction in Abuja’s Central Business District, is among the affected properties, having been revoked in March for several years of unpaid ground rent. The FCTA disclosed that 4,794 titles had been revoked for failure to pay ground rent, with some defaults dating back 43 years.
The affected properties are located in various districts, including Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape.
The defaulters owe over N6.96 billion in ground rent. The FCTA had given a 21-day grace period for owners with debts under 10 years, which has now expired.
The FCTA officials announced that the takeover would begin on Monday, May 26, 2025, with the sealing off and restriction of access to the affected properties.
The Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze emphasized that the revocations were carried out under Section 28(5)(a)(b) of the Land Use Act, which empowers the government to reclaim land when the terms of occupancy are violated.
Two people sustained serious injuries when a training aircraft crash-landed at the Ilorin International Airport on Friday.
Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, NSIB, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, who disclosed this in a statement, said the incident occurred at 17:28 local time on May 23, 2025, during a simulated instrument approach on Runway 05 at Ilorin International Airport.
Oladeji said the aircraft veered off the runway and came to a stop on the grass verge, leaving the two occupants on board injured.
She stated: “Both sustained serious injuries and were swiftly evacuated to a medical facility, coordinated by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA.
“In response, the NSIB Go-Team is currently preparing to depart from Abuja to Ilorin to conduct on-site investigations. The team will secure the site, collect physical evidence, interview witnesses, and retrieve operational data to establish the cause and contributing factors of the incident.”
Quoting the Director General of the NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., she said “Our thoughts are with the injured, and we commend the swift medical and emergency response. Now, our focus is on understanding exactly what went wrong. Every investigation is an opportunity to improve safety. We are deploying our team to Ilorin to ensure that no detail is overlooked.”
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