BY PETER DURU

MAKURDI—Two persons were feared dead in a fresh outbreak of cholera at Otukpo town, in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

The outbreak of the disease in the ancient city, where the Senate President, David Mark, hails from is coming few months after the Chinese contractor handling the Otobi Water Works, shut down the plant and left the town.
Confirming the development, the lawmaker representing Otukpo constituency at the state House of Assembly, Mr. Baba Ode described it as unfortunate.

He said: “As I speak with you, we have recorded two deaths as a result of an outbreak of cholera in Otukpo.”

When contacted, the Director of Public Health at the state Ministry of Health, Dr. Joseph Kumba said: “We are actually hearing rumours of an outbreak of the disease but it has not been confirmed.

”Meanwhile the epidemiological centre is already liaising with the relevant officers in Otukpo to check any outbreak of the disease in the town.’’

Also, in his reaction, the Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Dr. Innocent Onuh, said on the telephone that he was away on an official assignment but added, “it is very possible that cholera has broken out in Otukpo.

”For sometime now, the only source of portable water supply to Otukpo town and its environs has not been functional, the people have been forced to source water from the available ponds, shallow wells, streams and other unhealthy sources, so an out break of the disease will not be a surprise.”

Vanguard gathered that the water plant which was expanded and refurbished last years by the state government at the cost of N2.6 billion was shut down few months ago by the contractors handling the project following the failure of the Federal Government to fulfil its financial obligation to the state government over water projects in the state.