‘Abaji Threatening Polio Eradication In Abuja’

The leadership of Abaji Area Council, under the chairmanship of Yahaya Mohammad has been fingered as threatening the successful eradication of polio in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following its constant refusal to release funds for polio immunisation programmes.

Executive Secretary, FCT Primary Health Care Development Board, Dr. Rilwan Mohammad who stated this yesterday while speaking with journalists during the monitoring of the 2013 Immunisation Plus Days (IPDs) in the FCT, said several pleas to the area council authority to support the programme as required has been met with no positive result.

“The only local government we are not happy with is Abaji area council. He refused to release money and we have written several reminder letters but the Abaji chairman refused to release money for at least logistics for the staff but he remained adamant. The other councils all released funds for activities and I am very happy with them.

“The chairman promised to give out money by Monday but it is already late because we have only four days for immunisation. So they will do the immunisation from Monday if he gives them the money. The vaccinators refused to move out because they have not been paid for previous exercises. So this time around they want to see that there is money before they go out. Even the logistics, the money they will use for transportation has not been given to them. We are pleading with the local government chairman to know that we have to protect our children,” he said.

Speaking about the exercise, which will last from February 2 to 5, he said the board has received about 900 doses of vaccines from the National Primary Health Care Development Board and had distributed it just as it trained all the health care workers and deployed monitors and supervisors to ensure a successful IPDs exercise.

Mohammed expressed happiness that people are accepting immunisation in the FCT, noting that one infected child has potential to infect about 200 children, which underscores the need for parents to ensure that their children are immunised.

“And I must say that churches are accepting the polio vaccine. The area where we have problem are the Muslim community. We want our religious leaders to talk to the people to accept polio so that we can kick polio out of this country. Nigeria remains the only country with 96 per cent burden of polio in the world so it is something we all must work together to eradicate,” he stressed.

At the ECWA Church Garki Village, the pastor in charge, Rev Samuel Zaki said the church will continue to create awareness among its members to accept the vaccine because the church accepts it and understands the importance, adding that “we will be appreciative even if the vaccinators come to immunise our children every day.”

“We want to thank the government for considering the situation and availing us free immunisation so that our children will grow without this disease. And i advice those who don’t understand the importance f immunisation to please consider that children are the leaders of tomorrow and their future must be secured,” he added.