[b]
Emmanuel Nzomiwu

      Enugu — Chairperson, FIDA, Imo State, Mrs. Ine Nnadi (second left); wife of Imo State Governor, Mrs. Chioma Ohakim; lawyers, Mrs. A. Chide; and Mrs. Oby Anyikude, from Imo State at the 54th session of the UN Commission on Status of Women (UNCSW) in New York, recently.

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South-East zone, has raised alarm over possible outbreak of cerebral meningitis in the country if people fail to always sleep under well-ventilated houses.

Speaking to journalists in Enugu, Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Dr Abdullahi Onimode, described Cerebrospinal Meningitis as a deadly disease that kills faster than the dreaded Human Immune Virus Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS).

Onimode, who blamed the hot weather in the country presently on global warming, however, disclosed that well ventilated houses could be used to prevent meningitis, the way mosquito nets are used to prevent malaria.

His words: "At this period of the year when the environment is very hot and the temperature is very high, we usually battle against Cerebrospinal Meningitis and as you are aware, the disease is deadly.

"In NEMA, we see it as a potential killer. Last year alone, 26 states of Nigeria including the five states in the South East were affected. This year, we are particularly concerned about states that border other states in the North including Anambra and Enugu states.

"In Anambra, you have traders who come in and go out. It is possible for these traders to be incubating the disease."

As the rainy season approaches, the zonal coordinator urged Nigerians, especially inhabitants of Enugu Metropolis to clear their gutters and open up long drainages to avoid flooding that could contaminate good water.

He explained that the rain would soon come and the people would be faced with a scourge of flood everywhere especially in the sloppy Enugu Metropolis, and appealed to the public to clear their gutters, adding that those who want to build houses should not build on flooded places.

Onimode added that people should also desist from throwing refuse into running water, which is capable of causing epidemic, just as he appealed to people of the South East to clear their drainages.

He listed some causes of flood disasters to include dam breakage, rivers overflowing their banks, seasonal changes that may cause increased down pour and perennial flood planes.

Others are building on flood planes, poor urban planning, disposal of refuse into running waters, blocking of drainages and water channels with solid waste.


Commenting on the renewed Ezza/Ezeilo communal clash in Ishielu local government area of Ebonyi State, which has claimed scores of lives, the NEMA official, regretted that personnel of his agency has not been able to carry out need analysis and assessment in the area since the crisis started owing to the sophisticated nature of the war, but expressed the hope that the federal government agency would embark on the assessment exercise when ever peace returns to the crisis ridden communities.

"When it happened two years ago, we did an on-the-spot assessment and even visited various camps to preach peace. We also distributed relieve materials in the presence of the local government chairman. Unfortunately, three weeks ago, we got information that the war had started again, as usual, we are suppose to carry out an assessment to determine the level of assistance that we will give but with the kind of sophistication of arms and ammunition, we want to be sure that we are safe first before we go for an assessment," he said.[/b]

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGdGZ7FNdLHHsAg9BXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyajBwbzQ4BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMwRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkA0g0NjVfNzk-/SIG=135qgk0u5/EXP=1272473083/**http%3a//independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx%3fid=10519%26print=1