Rivers confirms 38 dead, bans consumption of ogogoro

The Rivers State Ministry of Health, RMH, has confirmed 38 people dead across the state as a result of the consumption of the illicit gin also called ogogoro. The health ministry said ten out of eleven persons that took the gin in Obio-Akpor area died, in Bonny area, seventeen out of eighteen died while in Gokhana Local Government Area, eleven out of thirteen persons died. Speaking, yesterday, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Somieari Isaac Harry dismissed rumours that the victim died as a result of dog meat. He Stressed that no case of dog meat was attached in the same incident at Bonny and Gokhana, questioning the rationale behind attributing the Obio-Akpor case to dog meat. Harry said the newly inaugurated Governor is displeased with the incidents that broke out just one week of his being in office. He called on the residents of Port Harcourt to resist from taking illicit gin for the moment, pending when the supply of the bad gin is totally stamped out from the state since there are no measures to differentiate between the original gin from the one produced from etarnor. Meanwhile, the Director of Public Health, Doctor Nnanna Onyekwere said total absence of the gin, Ogogoro, will help the ministry to profer lasting solution to the recent tragedy. He said the officials of the ministry had had meeting with security operatives and drug enforcement agency and have instructed them to ensure full enforcement of the law to stop the consumption and supply of Ogogoro in the state till further notice.