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FG Warns That Ongoing Rainfall Could Worsen Cholera Outbreak
The Federal Government has issued a warning that the ongoing rainfall and consequent flooding could exacerbate the spread of cholera in Nigeria. Joseph Terlumun, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, highlighted this concern during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, July 4, 2024. He reported that since the outbreak, there have been 63 deaths and 2,102 suspected cases of cholera.
Recent heavy rains have already caused flooding in various parts of the country. Terlumun emphasized the need for states and local governments to intensify their efforts to prevent flood-related disasters as the peak of the flooding season approaches. He noted that several areas, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have experienced significant flooding, resulting in casualties, displacement of people, and property loss.
The minister clarified that the release of water from dams, a common cause of floods in Nigeria, has not yet occurred this year. He urged Nigerians living near waterways to prepare for river flooding expected to start this month. States likely to be affected by impending floods include Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Adamawa, Benue, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Jigawa, Kogi, Kebbi, Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, Ondo, Ogun, Rivers, Taraba, and the FCT.
Terlumun recommended that states and local governments clear blocked drainage systems and canals, relocate people living along waterways, and desilt river channels to manage runoff water effectively. This advice came two days after Jide Idris, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), listed Lagos, Bayelsa, Abia, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Rivers, and Delta as the top ten states affected by the cholera outbreak.
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
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