Snakebite Tragedy: Senate Orders Mandatory Stocking of Antidote Nationwide

• Lawmakers hold another secret marathon session

•Senate moves to boost federal share of national revenue

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Senate yesterday moved to close what it described as deadly gaps in Nigeria’s emergency healthcare system, calling for the mandatory stocking of life-saving antidotes and emergency medicines in all public and private hospitals across the country.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule (APC, Lagos West), amid growing concern over rising cases of snakebites, poisoning, drug overdoses and similar medical emergencies.

In a solemn moment that underscored the urgency of the debate, the Senate observed a minute of silence in honour of Miss Ifunanya Nwangene, who reportedly died after a snakebite in Abuja.

Lawmakers said her death was avoidable and highlighted systemic failures in emergency preparedness and the availability of critical antidotes.

Contributing to the debate, Senator Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West) described the incident as “needless.” He insisted that no Nigerian should die from a condition for which treatment exists.

“That shouldn’t happen in our country because we are supposed to have antidotes. We have to be proactive as a government. I don’t see why medical centres should not have antidotes,” he said.

Senator Ekong Sampson (APC, Akwa Ibom) said the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for decisive policy action. According to him, Nigeria must move beyond reactive responses to fatalities.

He said: “We must put in place clear healthcare policies and drive them. We don’t have to wait until there’s a fatality through snakebites. This is a lesson that we must take healthcare very seriously. My heart bleeds for the family of the deceased noting that the loss was avoidable.”

Leading the debate, Adebule stressed that emergencies such as snakebites, scorpion stings and poisoning require immediate access to specific antidotes, particularly within the critical “golden hour.”

She warned that delays often result in preventable deaths or irreversible complications. Adebule said, “The tragic death of Miss Ifunanya Nwangene exposes the grave consequences of inadequate emergency preparedness in both public and private hospitals.

“No Nigerian should lose their life simply because a hospital lacks basic, life-saving antidotes,” she added.

She recalled that the World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies snakebite envenoming as a neglected tropical disease and has repeatedly emphasised the need for timely access to safe and effective antivenoms, especially in countries like Nigeria where such incidents remain prevalent.

The lawmaker also cited Sections 14(2)(b) and 17(3)(d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which place a duty on government at all levels to prioritise citizens’ welfare and ensure access to adequate medical facilities.

According to her, many hospitals either do not stock essential antidotes such as antivenoms and anti-toxins or keep them in grossly insufficient quantities, forcing patients to shuttle between facilities in emergency situations.

“This practice is unacceptable and deadly. It increases mortality rates and erodes public confidence in our healthcare system,” she said.

Adopting the motion, the Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to develop and enforce national guidelines prescribing minimum stock levels of essential antidotes and emergency medicines for designated public and private hospitals.

It also called on the Ministry, in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to ensure the procurement, quality assurance, proper storage and nationwide availability of safe, effective and affordable antivenoms, with priority attention given to high-risk regions.

Lawmakers further urged state governments to immediately audit hospitals within their jurisdictions to assess compliance with approved antidote-stocking and emergency preparedness standards, while relevant professional and regulatory bodies were asked to strengthen emergency response protocols and ensure periodic training of healthcare workers.

In addition, the Senate called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and state governments to establish coordinated emergency referral systems linking public and private hospitals to guarantee timely access to life-saving medicines.

The resolutions also directed that the availability of essential antidotes should become a mandatory condition for licensing and renewal of accreditation for private hospitals, while adequate budgetary provisions should be made to sustain supplies in public health facilities.

In a related move, the Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to strengthen building regulations by making the installation of Non-Return Valves mandatory under the National Building Code to prevent rodents and snakes from entering buildings through drainage systems.

Presiding, Senate President, Godswill, Akpabio described Miss Nwangene as a promising Nigerian whose death was a great loss to the nation and her family. He said the resolutions reflected the Senate’s resolve to protect lives. “The welfare of Nigerians must remain paramount. No life should be lost because of avoidable lapses in our healthcare system,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday again retreated into a prolonged closed-door session over the much-anticipated Electoral Act Amendment Bill, ending the day without any public disclosure on the fate of the legislation, despite spending over four hours behind closed doors.

Lawmakers commenced the executive session at about 1:06pm after the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, moved a motion for the continuation of the deferred clause-by-clause consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, chaired by Senator Simon Lalong.  The session lasted until about 5:30pm.

However, when plenary resumed, the Red Chamber offered no clarity on the outcome of the deliberations, further deepening uncertainty around the bill, which is widely regarded as critical to strengthening Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of future polls.

In his brief remarks after the closed session, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, merely noted that senators had deliberated on “matters concerning the Senate in particular and the nation in general.”

He then asked lawmakers if what he said reflected what transpired during the Committee of the Whole, to which they responded in the affirmative. Akpabio subsequently struck the gavel, effectively closing discussions on the bill without further explanation.

Shortly after,  Bamidele moved a motion for the adjournment of plenary till Wednesday (today)  which was adopted. The development marked the second occasion the Senate has met in secrecy on the Electoral Act amendment without taking a clear decision in open session.

The action of the senators is raising concerns among stakeholders about delays and lack of transparency surrounding the legislative process.

The Electoral Act Amendment Bill, among others, seeks to address several contentious and far-reaching issues central to electoral credibility. Chief among them is the proposal to make real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IREV) mandatory.

The bill also introduces tougher penalties to curb recurring electoral offences, including result manipulation and ballot box snatching, while recommending additional safeguards to strengthen the integrity of elections.

As part of the proposed reforms, the committee introduced a new subsection (2) to Section 77, which criminalises the failure of presiding officers to sign and stamp ballot papers as well as officially announce results, a practice that has previously generated disputes and litigation.

In a move to align the law with existing electoral technology, the bill amends Sections 47(2) and (3) by replacing references to the “smart card reader” with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which is currently deployed by INEC.

To protect vulnerable voters, an amendment to Section 54(1) seeks to prohibit political party agents, candidates or their officials from accompanying visually impaired or incapacitated voters into voting cubicles, a practice often exploited for undue influence.

The committee further proposed stiffer sanctions to deter vote trading, recommending an increase in the fine for buying and selling Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) under Section 22 from N500,000 to N5 million.

Despite the sweeping nature of the proposed reforms, yesterday’s inconclusive session has left the future of the bill uncertain, with Nigerians once again waiting for clarity from the upper chamber.

Also, the Senate on Tuesday initiated moves to amend the 1999 Constitution to increase the federal government’s share of national revenue, citing mounting fiscal pressures, decaying infrastructure and escalating security challenges across the country.

The move followed the first reading of a constitutional amendment bill sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West), which seeks an upward review of the revenue allocation formula in favour of the Federal Government.

Under the existing formula, the federal government receives 52.68 per cent of federally collected revenue, while the 36 states get 26.72 per cent and the 774 local government councils share 20.60 per cent.

Despite taking the largest portion, the Senate argues that the Federal Government’s allocation no longer matches the scale of its constitutional responsibilities.

Speaking with journalists after the plenary, Karimi said the bill was designed to rescue the Federal Government from what he described as “grossly inadequate revenue” that has left it struggling to meet nationwide obligations.

According to him, the current revenue-sharing arrangement is outdated and unsustainable, especially in the face of worsening infrastructure decay and persistent insecurity across Nigeria.

Karimi said, “The proposed alteration seeks to increase the Federal Government’s revenue allocation to address mounting financial obligations and national responsibilities.

“The present formula places excessive financial pressure on the Federal Government, even as demands on it continue to grow.”

He stressed that federal infrastructure, particularly roads, has deteriorated significantly due to years of underfunding, while huge resources are being deployed to confront security threats such as banditry, terrorism and other forms of violent crime.

“The responsibilities borne by the Federal Government, especially the construction and maintenance of federal roads across the country, have become overwhelming under the existing revenue formula. This is in addition to enormous responsibilities relating to internal security.”

Karimi argued that without a review of the allocation formula, the Federal Government would continue to struggle to adequately fund critical sectors, including defence and security.

He added that inadequate funding has constrained the military’s operations against terrorism and insurgency, a challenge he said could be mitigated by increasing the Federal Government’s share of national revenue.

“There is a clear need for adjustment in the revenue allocation coming to the Federal Government so that it can better meet its responsibilities to Nigerians,” he said.

The proposed constitutional amendment is expected to spark debate among stakeholders, particularly state and local governments, who may resist any reduction in their current shares.

If passed, the bill would mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s fiscal federalism and the balance of resources among the three tiers of government.