Following the recent outbreak of yellow fever which claimed more than 50 lives within some communities in Igbo eze North Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu state, youths and stakeholders of Ette community have called Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to extend his stewardship to them to forstall future occurrences.
According to Comrade Dannis Ewaoche Ufene, convener Ette youth advocacy for change, it can’t be logical or excusable reason why the community has experienced decades of government neglect and with the recent death of young people which the State Ministry of health has confirmed to be Yellow Fever infection.
Ufene said this community was yet to receive enough attention from federal, state and local government on any functional government facility, and this has left the people in a hopeless and backward situation.
He said, “How do you explain a situation where all neighboring communities surrounding Ette are having well-equippped medical centres with adequate personnel to respond to cases of health emergency, schools, police station, road, water and at least a functional modern market that will boast the socio-economic well-being of the community? but that responsibility of government at all levels stops at the boundary of Ette from Umoupu, a neighboring community.
“At the moment, scores of people have died in Ette due to an outbreak of yellow fever illness, according to a press release by the Enugu state ministry of health.
“We thank the Enugu state government for their prompt response and will want to advocate that an urgent measure be put in place to prevent more infections and deaths.
“One cannot turn a blind eye to the laudable strides of the current government of Enugu state under the able leadership of His excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration. Ette community is by virtue of its location under Igboeze north LGA of Enugu state – even though it shares boundary with Kogi state and predominantly has idoma, Igala and Igbo speaking population, we want to appeal to the governor to extend his good plans to the people of Ette.
“If Enugu state is in God’s hands, then Ette must benefit in the Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration’s achievements, the speedy completion of the road project that stops at Umoupu will positively impact on the wellbeing of our people and restore confidence that Ette people were not neglected.
“The community should also benefit from the distribution of Africa inputs to 2,000 vulnerable farmers which was flagged up on November 6 2020.
“The security of life and property of Ette people should also be considered at this time, because at the moment there isn’t any police post in Ette.
“In this 21st century, a community like Ette still depend on rain water which will be stored in a reservoir from season to season.
You need to see Ette centre when is raining. No drainage system to channel all the water that is coming from other communities, how can you prevent mosquitos in such kind of an environment and the Local government has not seen the need to do something about it.”
