Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
Six people have reportedly lost their lives to cholera outbreak, while 40 have so far been hospitalised in Jukun community, Didango, in Karim Lamido Local Government of Taraba state.
Chairman of the Local Government, Hon. Sunday Danjos disclosed this on Sunday, while speaking with newsmen in Jalingo.
“I want to call on my people to exercise patient with the current happening, particularly in Jukun, Didango of Karim Lamido Local Government.
“The pandemic that has just break in a couple of days ago that claim the lives of Six people and about Fourty on admission in the hospital.
“We have been doing our best to ensure that their health is restored.
“The pandemic is cholera, this is because of the bad water people drink. They drink it together with animals, so this has cause problem to their health, for they are purging and vomiting.
He said that he going to see the Commissioner, Ministry of Health for necessary action to be taken.
“I am going now to see the Commissioner of Health to report to him what is happening in my local government, so that he will take it to the higher authority for necessary action.
On the regular crisis in the local government, he said,
“By the grace of God, whom just brought me here, his finger is here. Before I went to Karim Lamido, after my swearing in, a lot of stories were told that it will not be possible for me to go to Karim Lamido, because I will be kill duo to the crisis there, but by the grace of God, nothing happened.
“Even those that were suspected to attack me, it was them that welcome me, so I don’t have any tribal problem with anybody.
He describe himself as the messiah sent to the local government to be peace ambassador by bringing together people of the area for peace to rain.
“We thank God, for he has been doing his best for us, so we thank him for that.
“I call on all those that left Karim Lamido Local Government to return back, for there is peace now in the area.
“Apart from some minor issues which you can’t stop such, but definitely, there is peace in the local government – he said.
He appreciated the state government for its support to him.
“The State Government has supported me and I have deployed Thirty security personnel to the affected areas and we have been talking care of them.
“I and the stakeholders of the Local Government are putting heads together to provide the security personnel with Accomodation so as to have their services adequately – he added.
The outbreak according to the locals started on Thursday when the people from the area, especially children, started passing watery stool massively without control.
The Commissioner for Health Taraba State, Hon. Bodiya Buma, also confirmed the incident when contacted. She said the state government was aware of the incident and is working tirelessly to control the matter.
The Director of Primary Health Care of Karim Lamido Local Government, Mr Fredrick Nyanganji, who confirmed the incident, said the outbreak occurred on the 14th December, 2023.
“We received report that adults and children were said to be passing watery stool and extreme vomiting suspected to be cholera,” he told our correspondent on phone.
He said about 40 children and adults were admitted on Thursday at the Primary Health Care in the area and six Children died in the process.