Health
AWDROP announces partnership with Oyo govt. to provide efficient boreholes
THE Association of Waterwell Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners, AWDROP has partnered with Oyo State government to unveil Project dubbed ‘ABIOLA’ – ‘All Boreholes In Oyo Live Again’ .
According to the association, the partnership through office of Sustainable Development Goals, SDG is to rehabilitate, reposition and make all borehole facilities to be more functional, provide new ones and enhance their sustainability.
Addressing newsmen during a press briefing on Monday in Ibadan, AWDROP President, Engr. Michael Ale described the project as a brilliant initiative that will promote sustainable development in provision of potable water for inhabitants in the state.
Ale added that the Project ‘ABIOLA’ is borne out of the association’s program, National Borehole Rejuvenation and Rehabilitation Program (NABORE) which incidentally is in line with the Partnership for Expanded Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, PEWASH program of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
Commending the governor of the state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi for the privilege given to float the initiative noted that the project’s name, ABIOLA is not a sentiment but a coincidence to bring about positive development in the state.
In his words: “Project ABIOLA is an acronym, ‘All Boreholes In Oyo Live Again’, derived from an initiative between Office of Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs Oyo State Chapter and Association of Waterwell Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners, AWDROP.
“The initiative is meant to address many issues and vices that have to do with borehole abandonment in Oyo State. A lot of investments had gone into these abandoned boreholes in the state like designing, fixture and management of boreholes. It has been normal occurrences everywhere that as soon as boreholes are commissioned, they start to develope faults after some while and the issue usually is, lack of management to make these boreholes continually function.
“And to government digged boreholes, people believe that they are less concerned and therefore leave these facilities uncatered for. This project thus allows partnership between the state government and private individuals to enhance its sustainability to further avoid situation where thieves and vandals destroy, cart away and make the facilities go moribund.
“AWDROP learnt a lot of money has been sunk in these moribund projects. This made the association at the national level came up with the idea to partner with SDG’s office of Oyo State Government to bring back these moribund boreholes to life again, to develop new infrastructural facilities and to inculcate habit of maintenance in the beneficiaries. This is to make them know that the project is neither for the state government nor office of the SDG but for them as beneficiaries.
“These boreholes will be in public places like markets, churches, motor parks and other public places where there are so many people. The head of these communities where these facilities are provided will be in charge of these facilities. The community heads will also help in areas of finding suitable locations to provide these facilities and their executions.
“We are also putting sustainable measure by commercializing the facilities through collection of stipends from the consumers. This will be done by attaching toilet facilities. When you are using toilets with water facilities, whoever managing that, will be earning income and therefore creating job for the person and invariably, the facilities will be maintained. Also, we have our numbers on the billboards, in case there are problems. We can be contacted and we will be there to fix the problems. That is why we are partnering with the state government.
“Above all, the project is meant to create employment through these infrastructural facilities. I have examples of infrastructures worth N10m while some worth N2 or N3m. If you give that to somebody, these can solve the person’s problem than to have such money staying idle on moribund projects.
“By all these strategies in place, it tells that our project’s name, ABIOLA is meant to bring back to life all boreholes in Oyo State. The name is not by sentiment but by coincidence and the coincidence is for good purpose”, the AWDROP boss explained.
The Oyo State Ministry of Health has closed two hospitals in Saki West Local Government Area following a suspected outbreak of Lassa fever, which has claimed four lives.
The fatalities, confirmed by the Oyo State Rapid Response Team (RRT), include three males and a 32-year-old female who was preparing for her wedding. The closure of the hospitals aims to contain the spread of the disease and ensure thorough decontamination.
In a press statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, revealed that the RRT was dispatched to Saki following distress calls from residents reporting mysterious deaths.
Findings and Immediate Actions
The RRT, comprising health officials, representatives from WHO and the Red Cross, and local health authorities, conducted a comprehensive investigation into the outbreak.
Preliminary findings suggest that an apprentice at one of the affected hospitals, who had recently returned from Iwajowa Local Government Area, might have introduced the infection.
The team disclosed that the deceased exhibited symptoms consistent with Lassa fever, such as craniofacial bleeding. The hospital owner, who was among the deceased, initially self-medicated with antimalarials and antibiotics before seeking hospital care when his condition worsened.
Containment Measures
Both the hospital where the fatalities occurred and the facility that admitted the hospital owner were shut down for decontamination.
Contact tracing efforts are ongoing, focusing on high-risk individuals who had contact with the deceased during their illness or burial.
Affected health workers were trained on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols, and public awareness campaigns were conducted to educate residents about Lassa fever.
Samples have been collected from a symptomatic individual, pending laboratory confirmation. Line-listing of contacts is underway to identify potential cases and prevent further spread.
Collaborative Efforts
The RRT also paid an advocacy visit to the Okere of Saki’s palace to brief traditional authorities on the situation. Local government officials in Saki West were engaged to coordinate containment strategies.
Reports indicate that while the outbreak initially affected Saki West, it has extended to Iwajowa and Kajola Local Government Areas.
Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs) in the affected LGAs have been instructed to commence preliminary containment measures as the State RRT ramps up its response.
Call for Vigilance
The Ministry of Health has urged residents to remain vigilant, report any symptoms suggestive of Lassa fever, and adhere to preventive measures.
These include proper hygiene practices, avoiding contact with rodents, and seeking medical attention promptly if symptoms arise.
A member representing Ibarapa East/Ido federal constituency of Oyo State at the House of Representatives, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has announced a plan to launch a “Mobile Clinic” programme aimed at providing essential healthcare services directly to rural communities across the constituency.
Scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025, this initiative underscores Oseni’s commitment to expanding healthcare access, particularly for underserved populations.
Speaking on Saturday at the 10th-anniversary celebration of God’s Knot Hospital in Ologuneru, Ibadan, the lawmaker, who also chairs the House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), highlighted the programme’s primary objective: bringing healthcare closer to the people.
“Every community deserves attention; healthcare should never be bound by geographical barriers,” Oseni stated.
He explained that the mobile clinics would deliver essential health check-ups, screenings, and preventive care in remote areas, allowing residents to access quality healthcare without traveling long distances.
As part of his broader healthcare agenda, Oseni informed, through a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, that he has already facilitated the construction of two fully equipped maternity centers within his constituency, both slated for commissioning before December 2024. He also disclosed plans to establish two modern general hospitals in 2025, further strengthening his commitment to building a healthier community.
The lawmaker expressed interest in collaborating with God’s Knot Hospital on the mobile clinic project, calling for partnerships to support sustainable healthcare initiatives that enhance the quality of life for vulnerable populations in the constituency.
“I resonate deeply with the mission of God’s Knot Hospital,” Oseni shared, adding that such partnerships would significantly improve healthcare in Oyo State”.
The anniversary event attracted distinguished guests, including former Ondo State Governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, whom Oseni commended for his contributions to healthcare, particularly through the Mother and Child Hospitals that transformed maternal and child healthcare in Ondo State.
Oseni urged philanthropists, government bodies, and international organizations to support healthcare projects like the upcoming mobile clinics, emphasising that the improvement of healthcare services is a shared responsibility.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered the immediate closure of the Gomboru drug market in Maiduguri following severe flooding that submerged the area and contaminated the drugs sold within the market.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, NAFDAC disclosed that the decision was made after reports surfaced that contaminated drugs, which had been washed and sun-dried for resale, were being sold at the market.
“After the recent flooding in Maiduguri that submerged the Gomboru drug market where contaminated drugs were washed and sun-dried for resale, the @DGatNAFDAC ordered the immediate closure of the market to conduct a thorough shop-to-shop removal of these compromised drugs,” the agency wrote.
The flooding, which ravaged Maiduguri, was triggered by the rupture of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River, located 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the city.
The floodwaters claimed at least 30 lives and displaced 400,000 residents, leaving large parts of the city and surrounding areas in devastation.
NAFDAC’s intervention is aimed at safeguarding public health by preventing the sale and consumption of contaminated drugs.
The agency has mobilized teams to inspect the market and ensure the removal of all compromised pharmaceutical products.
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