Mr. Samuel Ogbukum, has described cancer as the deadly killer scourge ravaging the people of the Niger Delta region, which must be addressed with the required attention.
Ogbukum is the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
He revealed this during this year’s World Cancer Day awareness walk on Sunday in Port Harcourt.
The Managing Director was represented by Mr Theophilus Alagoa, the commission Director in Rivers State.
According to him:“We have the directorates of health and services in the NDDC whose duty is to watch out for the lives of our people in the Niger Delta region.
“We have identified cancer as the silent killer of our people. And our people have not been able to identify that it is cancer. So we must be sensitised.
“My presence here has opened my eyes to the fact that beyond this World Cancer Day, we must take urgent steps to save the lives of our people and put money in sentisation programmes more than the once a year World Cancer Day.”
A consultant gynecologist at the Rivers State University, Dr George Eli who also speak during the walk called for an end to illegal oil bunkering in the region.
In his words:“Individuals have to take their health seriously. Anyone who notices changes in the way his/ her system is functioning and in whatsoever part of the body, should seek proper medical care in the right places; hospitals, health centres and teaching hospital.
“Those are the places where diagnosis can be made and relevance care given. Cancer is real and it is very much presence in our society,” Dr Eli stated.
Representative of Brace Hull Nig Ltd, Atonye Alagoa, the organiser of the cancer awareness walk, said consistent awareness creation is key.
