Rulers Want Basic Infrastructure

A fresh call has been made by traditional rulers in some parts of the state tasking government on the need to provide basic infrastructure at the grassroots.

Making the appeal at one-day sensitisation workshop for traditional rulers in Rivers State on six health priority areas organised by Ministry of Information in collaboration with National Orientation Agency (NOA) on Thursday, in Port Harcourt, the traditional rulers decried the lack of basic facilities to promote health.

A traditional ruler from Emohua, Chief Ezekiel Amiesi, described the poor sewage disposal at the local areas, saying the age-long pit latrine system should be discontinued by enforcing laws on water closet system as obtained in the urban centres.

He observed that lack of portable drinking water has equally encouraged indiscriminate production of sachet water, which most times are not well treated thereby endangering the health of the local people.

Another traditional ruler, Chief Benneth Enoch Samson, from Rumuokude said lack of potable water make the rural people susceptible to numerous diseases that could have been averted if they had access to good treated water.

Chief Samson also said that some religious sects aid in promoting ill health among the rural populace due to their belief system.

He revealed that most times those believes affect health exercise such as immunisation, since those religious bodies urged their members not to get immunised.

The traditional ruler tasked NOA to strive more in educating the rural people on exclusive breast feeding, stressing that rural women are yet to understand the gains of undertaking in such exercise,

Earlier, the State Director of NOA, Chief Andy Nweye, had underscored the importance of traditional institutions in promoting rural health.

He noted that since they are very close to the people, traditional rulers can be effective vehicle in mobilising the local people in adopting good health practices adding, “We should as much as possible try to dialogue with our people so that government projects can be executed without hiccups.”