The National Orientation Agency in Akwa Ibom State has commenced a sensitisation exercise to educate the people on the prevalence and prevention of Mpox disease in the state.
This is coming as a report from the Ministry of Health indicated that Akwa Ibom State has recorded eight cases of the Mpox outbreak.
The Agency’s Coordinator in the state, Mkpoutom Mkpoutom, stated this while interacting with newsmen on activities of the agency in Uyo, the state capital on Monday.
Mkpoutom stated that the agency’s staff have been dispatched to the affected councils since last week after receiving instructions from the ministry in the state.
“I am sure that you are very much aware that Akwa Ibom is having the highest cases of Mpox right now as we speak. So, my people have been on the field since last week when we had the instruction from the Ministry of Health in partnership with Akwa Ibom State Agency on Health matters.
“Ten local governments are seriously affected, and one of the most affected local government areas are Uyo, Onna, Mkpat Enin, Ikot Ekpene. At least ten for now. The meaning is that in the whole federation, Akwa Ibom ranks high in Mpox disease
“Right now that’s what has been the problem in Akwa Ibom and we want everybody to be aware. For now, according to the Health sector, they don’t have curative for Mpox, they will only go through management and treatment,” he said.
While noting that in Onna LGA alone about six people were affected by the disease in one house, Mkpoutom called on the people of the state to report any such cases to the nearest medical center for treatment.
“We are asking people to please report cases of such. People should not think that it is ordinary rashes (Krokro) it is not. And the thing is easily spread. It is obtained from bush meat. Initially, it was ascribed to have been spread by monkeys but now after having conducted some level of research, we discovered that it is not spread by monkeys alone. It is even the rats that spread it. And when it gets into a man it spreads to the House.
“In Onna LGA, about six people were afflicted in one house and those six people unfortunately had to migrate to Uyo for some reason unknown before the NCDC was able to trace and get down here. I think you can see how the thing spread and Uyo now became the second place affected,” he added.
He disclosed further that the affected persons have been quarantined while contact tracing is still going on in the state.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
