Saraki lauds Jonathan over Zamfara’s kids
SENATOR Abubakar Bukola Saraki has lauded President Goodluck Jonathan’s approval to release funds for the remediation of Bagega Community in Zamfara State, saving the lives of up to 1,500 children in the area.
As Chairman of Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Saraki Sunday visited the Bagega community, to review how best to enable relevant agencies including the Ministry of Environment and the Federal Government to deal with the environmental challenge of lead poisoning currently ravaging Bagega.
Saraki was accompanied on his trip to Bagega by the state Commissioner for Environment.
Speaking during the visit yesterday, Country Director for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Ivan Gaydon, a non-governmental body, thanked Saraki for meeting with them in Abuja just few weeks ago and keeping to his promise to immediately open communications with the Federal Government on the matter. He said he was highly impressed by the fact that the committee chairman did not just stop at bringing the issue back on the front burner with the Federal Government but followed it up with this visit to a very difficult terrain to see things for himself.
In early December 2012, the Saraki-led committee received a delegation from the MSF that came to brief the committee on the state of affairs in the area and the need to take immediate action to avert further death of children. Their report suggested that over 400 children have died already and another 1,500 are at risk of death due to the effects of lead poisoning.
