From Rashidat AbdulRahman, Minna
The Niger State House of Assembly has urged the executive branch of government to take urgent preventive and curative measures to stop the anthrax disease from spreading throughout the state and county at large.
The member representing Suleja Constituency at the assembly, Hon Murtala Adamu Badaru made the call when he moved the motion to prevent the spread of the disease under matters of public importance.
Badaru recalled that on July 14, 2023, a report from the federal government’s office of the chief veterinary officer alerted the public to reports of animals exhibiting symptoms of the suspected disease anthrax, which had been confirmed at an animal farm in Gajiri village, Suleja Local Government Area ( LGA) of the .
He said the deadly anthrax disease spread between animals and later animals to humans and aggravating from humans to humans at this stage makes it an epidemic.
The legislator who expressed worry that first case of anthrax in Nigeria was recorded in Suleja Local Government Area of the state, stressed the need for the state government to curtail the spread of the disease .
Other lawmakers who supported the motion, urged the state government to constitute a special committee of multidisciplinary experts to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the outbreak of anthrax disease in the farm located at Gajiri area of Suleja LGA.
They also direct the executive chairman of Suleja LGA to convene an emergency meeting with relevant stakeholders and heighten surveillance at Suleja abattoir to ensure strict compliance with laid down rules and regulations on anthrax disease, preventive and curative control mechanism.
