As Senator Monday Okpebholo continues his political junketing in search of godfathers to influence tribunal judges to uphold the electoral heist of September 21, 2024 that brought him into office, Lassa fever continues to ravage the State, claiming several lives in the last few weeks.
The State is currently facing a severe public health crisis, with Lassa fever spreading rapidly across various communities in the State, while the government appears largely unconcerned.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Edo is among the worst-hit States in the latest Lassa fever outbreak, with the country recording 54 new confirmed cases and six casualties in just one week.
The NCDC’s latest situation report for Week 8 of 2025 shows that 95 deaths have been recorded nationwide, and among the hardest-hit States are Edo which accounts for 17 percent of all confirmed Lassa fever cases and deaths, alongside Ondo (32 percent) and Bauchi (24 percent).
The outbreak, according to the NCDC, has spread across 70 local government areas in 12 States in the country.
However, despite the worsening public health situation, Okpebholo appears more preoccupied with his political survival, junketing across the country, from Lagos, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom States, among others in search of political godfathers to help influence tribunal judges to uphold the electoral heist that brought him into office.
Residents are however worried that while the governor is focused on his political survival, diverting the peoples resources to protect his personal interest, the lives of the ordinary Edo citizens hang in the balance, vulnerable to the deadly disease.
A primary school teacher in Idumwebo, in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of the State, Mrs. Blessing Ekhator, who expressed her frustration over the matter said, “The disease has continued to ravage more communities in our local councils but the government seems not to be bothered. No response, no awareness, no proper sanitation measures, nothing! And we say we have a government. This is quite saddening. If the governor can travel around to lobby for his political survival, why can’t he take action to save lives here in Edo?”
The residents are however calling for the government’s immediate intervention, including improved disease surveillance and public awareness campaigns, among others to curb the spread of Lassa fever and protect the lives of the citizenry, which is the primary responsibility of government.
