Tordue Salem
11 March 2008
Lagos — The House of Representatives Tuesday rejected a motion to mandate the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and National Emergency Management Agency to intervene in a critical case of 500 indigenes of Cross River State dying of food poisoning.
The Motion sponsored by Rep. Paul Ada (Ogoja/Cross River) sought the House to involve the agencies to rescue from impending death of the victims of the food poisoning resulting from a bean-cake (Moi Moi) meal they had from a local market in Abuochiche in Bekwarra Local Government Area of the State.
The lawmaker, according to victims "developed stomach aches of various degrees and were rushed to the hospital but 15 of them died on the way," according to Rep. Ada
Ada, the Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Information and National Orientation, in his Motion sought a resolution from the House mandating NAFDAC to ban the use of "poisonous chemicals" for the preservation of beans used for the cakes.
But majority of the Lawmakers informed him that the Agency had earlier banned such chemicals, and the prayer was needless.
The Lawmakers also rejected a Motion to urge the Federal Ministry of Health to hasten up the completion of an on-going Model Primary Health Centre in every local government area of the country.
The insisted that rather than engage the government in matters that were still uncertain, it was necessary for the House Committee on Health to substantiate the issue before recommending to members ways of handling it.
Chairman, House Committee on Health, Rep. Ojomo Alaba (Lagos PDP) said the committee had received several complaints in the past, but found them baseless after due investigations were carried out.
Rep. Abolagba Johnson(Edo PDP) also criticized the motion , saying "The complaints were based on assumptions,"
He urged the House to throw it out, until "facts and figures are available to back up the allegations."
Members also threw out a motion by 19 lawmakers seeking investigation into the infiltration of contaminated fuel into the country.
They had asked the House to allow its Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) to probe Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) with a view to ascertaining its role in allegation that contaminated fuel circulated in Lagos .
But the House said there was no need as the government has already withdrawn the fuel said be contaminated, and meted out appropriate sanctions on those behind it.
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