The Malaria epidemic in the Zongo community in the Seme district of Lagos State’s Badagry West Local Council Development Area has prompted the House of Representatives to demand for immediate action.
This came after a motion of urgent public concern, presented by Lagos lawmaker Sesi Whingan, was considered and adopted during Wednesday’s plenary.
Whingan lamented the rising death toll, particularly among women and children, who have been exposed to contaminated water sources due to years of poor sanitation and the lack of functional healthcare facilities.
“The heart-wrenching reality is that our people are dying because they lack access to clean water, medical care, and even electricity to power essential health systems,” the lawmaker said.
He said the situation has been exacerbated by a four-year-long power outage in the village that has severely damaged medical services, vaccine storage, and water supply system.
He added that this crisis has been further worsened by the relocation of the Nigerian Air Force Mother and Child Care Hospital, which previously served as a vital health facility in the area.
The lawmaker warned that failure to urgently intervene could lead to the spread of the waterborne disease beyond the shores of Lagos, saying, “If we continue to ignore this crisis, we become complicit in the possible spread of this deadly disease across Nigeria.”
He also condemned what he described as a violation of Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandates the government to lay emphasis on the welfare and security of Nigerian citizens wherever they are.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to deploy surveillance teams, medical supplies, and launch public health awareness campaigns in Badagry West.
It also called on the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development to coordinate the immediate delivery of clean water, sanitation equipment, and other relief materials.
The National Emergency Management Agency was also instructed by the House to supply sanitary kits, disinfectants, and tablets for purifying water to the affected residents.
It also mandated the Federal Ministry of Power and the Rural Electrification Agency to urgently restore electricity in Badagry West LCDA to support essential services.
This is just as it mandated its Committees on Healthcare Services, Power, Rural Electrification, and Emergency Preparedness to visit the affected areas, assess the situation, and report back within three weeks for further legislative action.
