President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Hajiya Salamatu Ahmed as the new Executive Secretary of the Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board (FGSHLB).

Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

In the statement made available to newsmen by Muhammed Ahmed, Director, Communications, HOCSF office, Yemi-Esan also handed over appointment letter to the new Executive Secretary.

She said Ahmed’s appointment was sequel to terminal leave embarked upon by the former Executive Secretary, Alhaji Ibrahim Mairiga, ahead of the expiration of his four-year tenure in September.

While congratulating the new appointee, the HOCSF charged her to leverage on the wealth of experience garnered over the years, towards ensuring the full realisation of the Board’s core mandate.

Before her new appointment, Hajiya Ahmed was the Board’s Director of Operations of the FGSHLB.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says it registered 63 deaths and 2102 suspected cases in the ongoing cholera epidemic across the  country.

The Director-General of the centre, Dr Jide Idris, said this during a news conference on the cholera situation on Tuesday in Abuja.

cholera is a severe diarrheal illness caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, and has remained a significant health challenge, especially in regions with inadequate sanitation and clean water.

It is, therefore, advisable to understand the disease transmission mechanism so as to curb its spread.

 Idris said that as at June 30, Nigeria recorded 2,102 suspected cholera cases and 63 deaths across 33 states and 122 local government areas, with a case fatality rate of 3.0 per cent

The NCDC boss said that the top 10 affected states are Lagos, Bayelsa, Abia, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Rivers, and Delta, with seven of these being in the south.

He said that the  National Cholera Multisectoral Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), activated for this crisis, comprised subject matter experts who coordinate the response, ensuring effective resource mobilisation, surveillance, case management, and community engagement.

He said that the measures aim to enhance diagnostic capacity, treatment, and public awareness.

According to him, there are key  prevention and response activities initiated by the agency.

“Such activities include assessments in 22 hotspot states, distribution of medical supplies, technical support, training programmes and public health advisories,” he said.

The NCDC boss said that in spite of strong political support and efforts, challenges like open defecation, inadequate toilet facilities, poor water and sanitation, waste management issues, and weak regulatory practices persisted.

He added said that the impact of climate change and flooding exacerbated the cholera situation in the country.

He said that there were efforts to continue to combat the outbreak, with a focus on improving hygiene practices, enforcing public health laws, and enhancing healthcare workers’ capacity at state and local levels.

“Only 123 (16 per cent) of 774 LGAs in Nigeria are open defeacation free. With Jigawa as the only open defeacation free state in Nigeria. More than 48 million Nigerians practice open defecation.

“Inadequate toilet facilities and existing ones even in many government facilities not well maintained. Inadequate Safe water and poor sanitation,” he said.

According to him, 11 per cent of schools, six per cent of health facilities, four  per cent of motor parks and markets, have access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene services.

He listed its causes to include poor waste management practices, poor food, environmental and personal hygiene practices., capacity gap among health care workers at the state and LGA levels.

“Weak regulation on construction of soak away and bore holes (some sunk close to water source and bore holes sunk in wrong location).

“Inadequate Implementation and enforcement of public nuisance law and other relevant public health laws.

“Inadequate capacity at State level – delayed disease reporting and response action. Capacity gap among health care workers at the state and LGA levels.

“Also,  poor regulation of food vendor and commercial water supply on hygiene, weak regulation on sighting of boreholes and well, which are close to sewage or toilets pathways,” he said.

He said that low knowledge and practice of basic hygiene such as hand washing and effect of climate change and flood was also a major cause of cholera.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako,  said that the cholera outbreak in the country came as a stark reminder that when the country failed to prioritise environmental sanitation,  public health would be jeopardised and economy would be affected.

“Nigeria is experiencing the adverse impact of climate change as evidenced by the shift in seasons, rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heat waves with undeniable health consequences,” Salako said.

According to him, the combination of climate change and poor sanitation, without doubt, poses a double jeopardy to the health of the planet and all creatures on it.

NAN recalls that public health experts have suggested comprehensive strategy to combat the cholera outbreak.

The experts also called for improved sanitation, access to safe water, proper hygiene, and better living conditions to address this recurrent and predictable loss of lives.

They advocated for the classification of cholera as a neglected tropical disease.

Cholera, a virulent but treatable disease, causes 2.9 million cases and 95,000 deaths annually worldwide.

Proper management keeps mortality under one percent, but it can rise to 60 percent if untreated.

Historically, cholera has shaped public health, from John Snow’s 1854 London outbreak response to the development of life-saving oral rehydration therapy by Hemendra Nath Chatterjee in 1953.

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has commenced building emergency shelters across the nine Niger Delta states to aid flood victims.

The states are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers.

Dr Samual Ogbuku, the Managing Director of NDDC, disclosed this at a one-day workshop in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, focusing on implementing a regional flood disaster emergency response strategy.

He said that the Niger Delta was faced with an existential threat due to climate change, which could potentially devastate the region and have an enormous social-economic impact.

“Hence, the commission is currently building multi-purpose emergency shelters across the Niger Delta to provide assistance to flood victims.

“These emergency shelters, designed to accommodate over 1,000 people, will serve as a temporary refuge during flood emergencies,” he said.

Ogbuku disclosed that the facility in each of the states would be equipped with essential amenities such as school, hospital, cafeteria, police post, and recreation centre.

“When completed, these emergency shelters will provide temporary accommodation and necessary services to communities during emergencies.

“We realised that displaced people often seek refuge in school buildings during floods, forcing schools to suspend academic activities at great cost,” he stressed.

The managing director said that the workshop, focused on enhancing resilience in mitigating flood disasters in the region, underscored NDDC’s commitment to addressing the challenge.

According to him, the flood mitigation was crucial, given the region’s topography and proximity to water bodies that made it susceptible to frequent flooding.

“Coastal and riverine communities, situated in low-lying areas, are at significant risk, with data showing over 100 fatalities between January 2021 and April 2023 due to flooding.

“As we approach the peak of the rainy season, urgent measures are necessary to minimise flood impact, with collaboration among organisations and communities essential in this effort,” he said.

Ogbuku urged for partnership with the local communities, state governments, non-governmental organisations and international partners to tackle the disaster.

Mr Onuoha Obeka, Director of Environmental Control and Protection at NDDC, said that the workshop served as a platform for sharing knowledge, understanding best practices and adopting innovative strategies.

He emphasised that the adoption of innovative strategies would strengthen emergency response mechanisms for sustainable recovery post-flood disasters.

“Installing water level gauges and sensors strategically around river systems will provide early flood warning.

“These early warning will facilitate the timely evacuation of people before considerable havoc is done,” he said.

On his part, Prof. Andrew Obafemi, former National President of the Nigeria Cartographic Association, stressed the importance of sharing information and data to reduce flooding effects.

He recommenced the Niger Delta Environmental Survey plan as a crucial project to develop a reliable data bank for addressing flooding in the NDDC states.