Nigeria’s House of Representatives has summoned Health Minister, Professor Isaac Adewole to explain measures taken by the Federal Government to tackle the outbreak of the Monkeypox in some states in the country.

At the Tuesday’s plenary presided over by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, lawmakers lamented that the country’s Health Ministry was helpless without relying on the World Health Organisation to stop the spread of the virus.

The lawmakers also expressed concern that a country as big as Nigeria did not have a laboratory to respond to the health emergency without first sending specimen to Dakar, Senegal, for investigations.

Also on Tuesday, the Senate urged the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Health, states and local governments as well as community based organisations to be proactive in containing and preventing the spread of Monkey Pox disease from where it was reported to have occurred.

The members also called for aggressive enlightenment of the citizens about measures that can be taken to mitigate risk factor of exposure to the virus, through sustained public health messages via the conventional media and the social media platforms.

Following the reported outbreak of the virus in some parts of the country including rivers state, Senator Ali Wakili, representing Bauchi South, moved a motion on the need for proactive steps to nip the outbreak of the disease in the bud.

The motion was supported by all lawmakers present at the plenary on Tuesday.

In the motion, Wakili expressed worries that there were no specific treatments or availability of vaccine for monkey pox infections.

‎The Senate also, as part of its resolutions, called for proper liaison by the federal government with the WHO and other relevant donor agencies for contingencies against eventualities.

Thirty-one cases of the monkey pox disease have already been recorded in Bayelsa, Rivers, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Rivers and Lagos states.

Meanwhile, Ogun State government has denied report credited the Centre for Disease Control that the State is among states affected by the virus.

•Additional reports by TVC.

Update news