It would have been a complete disaster and a total destruction of a people and and their community had the Mayor of Mbutu, Evang (Engr) Leo Obi Nwigwe, PhD, not raised an alarm about the outbreak of the deadly diphtheria disease that reared its ugly head in some communities in Imo State.
A very careful and observant person, Obi Nwigwe, in his capacity as the Mayor of Mbutu, quickly alerted the government and other relevant agencies the moment he got wind of the disease.
According to him, “When the news of the pandemic got to me, I immediately raised an alarm and notified all the relevant authorities for immediate medical assistance.
I really appreciated the rapid response from all the persons and institutions I earlier contacted. My timely alarm and their swift response produced a positive response from the government that brought about the amelioration of the epidemic from escalating and spreading”.
The Mayor explained how he pointedly went about fighting the disease. He said, “As I stated, it was a collective effort. When the news of outbreak filtered through, I quickly alerted all the traditional rulers in Mbutu, all the presidents general in the four autonomous communities in Mbutu, all the village heads and their respective chairmen, the honorable councilor of Mbutu Ward as well as the chairman of Aboh Mbaise LGA, Bar Ihekwumere Henry Alaribe for his prompt action. Also, the the matron at the Mbutu Health Centre was of great help.
“All these men joined hands and got across to the state government, World Health Organization (WHO) representive in this area as well as other local health agencies who immediately went into action and the hitherto dangerous situation was brought under control”.
He called on all mothers whose children have yet to be inoculated with the vaccine to do so without delay.
Indeed, the Mayor’s efforts yielded positive results just as the action of those relevant bodies and institutions he contacted also helped matters.
It will be recalled that the former governor of Imo State, The Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha, had commended the good work of all involved in the battle against the spread of diphtheria in some Imo communities, and the Mayor of Mbutu was among such persons.
