By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
The Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development, in collaboration with the Kwara State Government, has tasked traditional leaders from the 16 LGAs to ensure that their respective communities accept the polio vaccination.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the year 2025 is expected to be the deadline for the cessation of funding by donor partners on polio vaccination in Nigeria.
The Emir of Shonga, Dr. Haliru Yahaya, the Chairman of Northern Traditional Leaders Committee, in Kwara stated this on Monday in Ilorin at a One-Day Dissemination Workshop for Traditional Leaders and Primary Healthcare Personnel on Polio Campaign.
He explained that the various traditional leaders in the state must increase efforts in supporting polio vaccinations in their communities.
Yahaya enjoined the community leaders to take ownership of the programme, by ensuring that polio is eradicated from the country.
He advised them to provide dedicated trustworthy volunteer team who will carry out the campaign effectively.
According to him, strategies that were employed earlier, have been unsuccessful as investigation revealed that some volunteer-team throw away the vaccines or drink it and then fill in the tally-sheets of the immunization.
The Emir condemns such actions, while reiterating the need to use every strategy to save the lives of Nigerian children through effective polio vaccinations.
Also speaking, Dr. Abimbola Folorunsho, the Focal Person for the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee for Kwara explained that the programme is to sensitize traditional rulers to be more committed in polio eradication.
The expert disclosed that the polio vaccination campaign will commence on 28th of June to July 1st.
She stated that the community leaders must ensure any candidate they bring must come from their community and expected to show commitment, while also undergoing pre-test and post test for the job.
“We are now running out of time because the partners that are giving us grants for the programme will no longer send funding for polio again.
“We have to do all that is required to ensure no child is missed this time around,” she said.
Folorunsho identified some of the challenges to lack of cooperation from some volunteer-teams, while observing that the community leaders will be able provide better teams who will be more committed to the polio eradication campaign.
She also observed that language barrier is another critical challenges they face, especially communicating with herders in their settlement.
The Administrative Consultant, Traditional Leaders Engagement, Sultan Foundation, Mrs Hyelhirra Mshelia, observed the need to eradicate the Circulating Variant Polio virus in the country.
She pointed out that with wide coverage of the vaccination, herd immunity can be achieved to protect the lives of the Nigerian children and others outside the country.
Also speaking, Mr. Gidado Ridwan, the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) representative in Kwara lamented that people are still largely ignorant of the importance of the polio vaccination.
He noted that people demand monetary compensation or foods donations before they allow their children to get vaccinated.
Ridwan warned that there is already donor fatigue by partners, while enjoining the traditional leaders to take ownership of the life saving campaign.
Speaking on behalf of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Muhammad Nuhu, the Balogun Afin of Ilorin pledged the resolutions of the traditional rulers in showing more commitment on polio eradication.
He stated that any parent or families who refuses their children to get immunised will be required to leave the community.
Nuhu added that henceforth no community will allow un-immumised families to live in their domain.
