House of Reps Declares FCT Health System in Emergency, Moves to Curb Cholera Outbreak in Lagos’ Badagry

📍 Abuja, May 21, 2025 | Naija247news

The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to immediately declare a state of emergency in the healthcare system of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following reports of dangerous overcrowding, infrastructural decay, and acute shortages in medical personnel and hospital capacity.

This decision was reached during plenary on Wednesday in Abuja after the adoption of a motion moved by Rep. Nnamdi Ezechi (PDP–Delta), who decried the alarming collapse of medical services in Abuja’s public health institutions.

Ezechi revealed that government hospitals across the FCT are stretched to breaking point, with patients often turned away due to lack of bed space, while many existing hospitals have remained largely unchanged despite a rapid surge in the city’s population over the last two decades.

“The rising population has outpaced medical infrastructure in the capital,” he warned. “Critical care patients are forced into queues for hours, and others suffer preventable deaths because hospitals are overwhelmed.”

The lawmaker emphasized that medical workers are burnt out and severely understaffed, leading to a sharp drop in the quality of care available to residents.

In response, the House called on the Federal Government to release emergency intervention funds for:

• Upgrading government-owned hospitals across the FCT.

• Recruiting doctors, nurses, and other essential personnel.

• Procuring critical medical equipment.

It also urged the Federal Ministry of Health and the FCT Administration to urgently assess all healthcare facilities in Abuja and prioritize urgent expansion and resource allocation.

The green chamber also resolved to establish an ad-hoc committee to investigate the healthcare crisis in the FCT and submit a detailed report with actionable recommendations within four weeks.

Furthermore, lawmakers encouraged the FCT Administration to partner with private investors and global health agencies to temporarily boost capacity while long-term reforms are developed.

🚨 Cholera Outbreak in Badagry Raises Alarm

In a related development, the House passed a separate resolution to address a deadly cholera outbreak in Zongo community, Seme axis of Badagry West LCDA, Lagos State. The motion, moved by Rep. Sesi Whingan (APC–Lagos), revealed that at least several lives had been lost, with dozens displaying classic cholera symptoms.

According to Whingan, the outbreak is fueled by:

• Contaminated water sources.

• A collapsed sanitation infrastructure.

• The shutdown of the only functioning maternal health facility due to power outages.

• A four-year electricity blackout that has disabled vaccine storage and water treatment systems.

“The suffering is unimaginable,” Whingan said. “The people of Badagry are abandoned to their fate, and this neglect violates their constitutional right to basic welfare.”

To prevent national spread, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to deploy emergency response teams, medical supplies, and begin immediate contact tracing and containment protocols.

In addition:

• NEMA was directed to deliver water purification tablets, disinfectants, and sanitation kits to affected communities.

• The Federal Ministry of Power and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) were tasked with restoring electricity to support water supply and healthcare operations.

The Speaker of the House, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, commended local health workers and volunteers fighting the outbreak under harsh conditions and ordered relevant committees to visit Badagry and file a situation report within three weeks.

The House also observed a minute of silence in honor of the lives lost in the unfolding health crisis.

📌 Calls for Action:

• FG must urgently release intervention funds for FCT hospitals.

• Surveillance and relief operations must be ramped up in Lagos to prevent national public health disaster.

• Cross-ministerial coordination required for long-term health system resilience.

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Reporting by David Okoroafor, News Writer in Lagos, Nigeria.