By Daniel Abia

Rivers State government and the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC are throwing banters at each other over the authenticity of the outbreak of deadly cholera disease in the oil producing community of Soku in Akuku Toru local government area of the state.

A few days ago, NDDC despatched a team of medical experts with medications and other necessities to the community after desperate calls and messages from the leadership of the affected community for immediate intervention by the Commission.

Speaking during a courtesy call to the Royal Highness of Soku Community, the Chairman of Soku Council of Chiefs, Chief Omubo Omoni Alasia expressed shock that the state government could say that there was no cholera outbreak in the oil rich community which claimed several lives

Chief Alasia posited that himself and three of his children, the Royal Highness of the Community and so many other persons were victims of the cholera outbreak just last week and are yet to fully recover from the disease.

“In 1971 when cholera first entered Nigeria, five people died in Soku community including our king. My children and I were all affected by this recent one until the timely intervention of NDDC”, he said.

Addressing the Soku people at a Town Hall meeting, Rivers State Representative on the board of the NDDC, Chief Tony Okocha emphasized that the NDDC was not a subsidiary of the Rivers State government and therefore does not need the permission of the Commissioner for Health before responding to save the lives of the people of Soku Community.

Okocha highlighted that the series of SOS messages he received

from the indigenes of Soku Community forced him to escalate the situation to the NDDC Governing Board during the last NDDC Board meeting in Akwa Ibom State, to which the Board swiftly and graciously gave approval.

He thanked the Chairman of the NDDC Board, Barr. Chiedu Ebie, the MD/CEO, Chief Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, and other Distinguished Members of the 7th Governing Board of the NDDC for making the welfare and well-being of the good people of the Niger Delta a topmost priority.

He assured the people of Soku Community that the Commission will do everything possible to ameliorate the plight of the community by ensuring the provision of solar-powered drinking water, modern toilet facilities, solar streetlights, food, and other relief materials.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State government through the Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Oreh, said public health teams sent to investigate the outbreak and alleged cases of deaths confirmed that there was neither an outbreak nor deaths as a result of cholera in Soku community.

Dr Oreh stated that the ongoing medical outreach by the NDDC, in Soku community was not related to any outbreak of cholera.

“The Rivers State Ministry of Health has received numerous inquiries from the press regarding an alleged outbreak of cholera in Soku community in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area.

“Public Health teams dispatched to investigate these alleged cases and deaths have so far received no confirmation of such.

“The ongoing outreach in Soku community is in no way related to any outbreak of cholera.

“Outreaches have always been a way of getting accessible health care services to underserved and vulnerable populations.

“However, all such outreach activities in the state must be conducted with approval from and in collaboration with the state Ministry of Health.

“And as such, no entity should be conducting health outreaches outside the coordination of the ministry.”

Doctor Oreh further called on the general public to disregard the rumors of the outbreak of cholera and the death of some persons in Soku community, noting that the information is unfounded and capable of causing panic amongst citizens and residents.

“All infectious diseases of this nature are to be reported, managed, and escalated by the Rivers State Ministry of Health.

“Any such activities found to be carried out without the knowledge and clearance of the state Ministry of Health will be fully investigated and dealt with to ensure the protection of the lives of Rivers people.