Ogun State Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele has called on stakeholders, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and individuals to support the fight against Polio, a disease more prominent in some parts of Africa.
Engr. Salako-Oyedele, who made this known while hosting members of Rotary International, District 9111, who were on a courtesy visit to her office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, noted that many people were still complacent with the childhood killer-disease.
She informed that though Nigeria was declared world Polio-free country in 2020, there were still some cases of polio variance, underscoring the need for all stakeholders and organisations to support government towards total elimination.
“The Ogun State government is working very hard with all stakeholders in the immunisation space to make sure that our children in various communities in the state get immunised because this was the best we can do for them, as prevention is better than cure.
“When our people in various communities are in good health, it would make such communities to be vibrant and economic impactive. So, we must work together towards improving the wellbeing of our people”, she said.
While commending members of the club for their hard work, tenacity and campaign on Polio eradication, the deputy governor charged them not to relent towards making Nigeria a Polio-free country.
Earlier, Rotary District 9111 Governor, Dr. Oluwole Kukoyi, said their visit was to intimate the deputy governor on their advocacy on World Polio Day, revealing that Rotary International had been in the fight against Polio since 1979, when it was first tested in the Philippines.
He recalled that when it was discovered that immunisation was vital in the fight against Polio, Rotary International took over in 1985 and became its policy that the world is Polio-free, saying till date, Rotary International had spent over two billion dollars in the fight against the disease.