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SENATE PASSES MOTIONS ON OUTBREAK OF GASTROENTERITIS EPIDEMIC & THE NEED TO PROSECUTE BUILDING LAWS VIOLATORS

SENATE PASSES MOTIONS ON OUTBREAK OF GASTROENTERITIS EPIDEMIC & THE NEED TO PROSECUTE BUILDING LAWS VIOLATORS
The Senate Chamber on Tuesday, April, 26, 2016 deliberated upon and passed two Motions after an exhaustive debate by Senators presided over by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki. The Motions that got the nod of the Upper Legislative Chamber include:
1) Outbreak of Gastroenteritis Epidemic in Ohafia and some parts of Umunneochi Local Government Areas of Abia North,sponsored by Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa (Abia North).

Leading the debate, Sen. Ohuabunwa expressed that in a bid to improve the healthcare of his constituents and Nigerians, including those in the rural areas through the provision of adequate basic healthcare facilities and maintenance of robust preventive primary healthcare policies as provided by the National Health Act 2004; noted with serious concern, a ticking health time bomb, in the epidemic of gastroenteritis. He added that the disease is spreading across Ohafia communities of Elu, Ebem, and Amaekpu as well as in some parts of Umenneochi Local Government Areas; especially around the Hausa communities of Lopanta, Lopaukwu and Leru. 

The law-maker attributed the cause of the epidemic to deplorable and inhuman sanitary conditions, open toilet defecations and the growing avalanche of overflowing and unmanaged human waste which rapidly produce bacteria toxins and viral infections that affect the residents. The Motion sailed through with four prayers below:
a) Call on the Centre for Disease Control and Primary Health Care Development Agency to urgently provide the necessary healthcare facilities to ameliorate the spread of the epidemic as well as provide better public toilet facilities for all.
b) Urge NEMA to as a matter of urgency, provide relief materials to incapacitated residents of the affected areas.
c) To direct the Senate Committee on Primary Health Care and Communicable Diseases to embark on the spot assessment of the affected communities and report back to the Senate.
d) Urge the Abai State and the affected Local Government Areas to take urgent step to ameliorate the plight of affected people.

2) The Need to Prosecute Building Laws Violators, sponsored by Sen. Nelson Effiong (Akwa Ibom South).
Sen. Effiong noted with great concern the recurring problem of building collapse in the country due lack of strict enforcement of building codes by the authorities which he hinged on corruption and low rate of prosecution of offenders. The Motion scaled through with three resolution below:
a) Mandate the Senate Committee on Land and Housing to invite all Agencies saddled with the responsibility of enforcing building codes compliance to brief it on the state of investigation into building collapse in the country and action taken within the past five years.
b) Urge the Federal Government to prosecute corrupt building regulation officials found to be culpable in any building collapse.
c) Urge the Federal Government to direct professional bodies to withdraw licenses of their counterparts who are culpable in any building collapse.

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