Chidiebere Nwachukwu, executive chairman Umuahia North L.G.A. of Abia State, has flagged off ‘End Polio Plus’ campaign of the Rotary Club District 9142 Nigeria in the council area.
The event was on the sidelines of an occasion organised to honour the Council boss as Polio Ambassador Award by the District.
Speaking during the occasion which took place at Umuahia North Council, the President, Rotary Club of Umuahia North District 9142 Nigeria, Ezekwem Nnabuihe Odigbo said the club decided to create awareness first before carrying out the immunization exercise which is expected to start in few days.
He hinted that the Club had earlier planned to carry out the immunization campaign within the district but the recent rumoured military medical outreach in the South-East caused people to run away, adding that his members tried their best to let the beneficiaries know that they are not from the military but Rotary Club.
He said: “We are going to start immunizing house to house, that is why we kicked off this awareness campaign. Within that period of the rumour, we were nearly mobbed but we were saved by the traditional ruler of the community who came to address them.
“Rotary Club is single-handedly paying for the whole vaccines used to eradicate polio and we thank God in Nigeria we have dropped it to zero but we want to drop it to zero infinity so that we won’t have any other case of polio.
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“Yes, we don’t have it in the South-East and the South-South. We only have it in the North. That is where we have many polio affected persons, but we are striving to drop it to zero”.
According to him, “We are supposed to be at Awka, Anambra State but my Club decided that we must do it in our community. That is what Rotary is all about, that is what ending polio programme is all about. You don’t need to go far, do it in your community so that people around will know what the Club is doing in their area.
“That is why I am happy because we have at least done a big project today. It is a very big project in Rotary for you to kick polio out and we are poised to throw it away so that polio will cease to be in existence in Nigeria and the world at large”.
Also speaking during the occasion, the immediate past president of the Club, Onugu Okechukwu Mba said the communities would gain a lot “because we will move in to see that we immunize children between the ages of zero to five years to eradicate polio in the system”.
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He advised parents and caregivers to bring their children out for the immunization and also appealed to pregnant women to always go for immunization so as not to contract diseases.
The Chairperson End Polio Now, Onuora Geraldine pointed out that polio eradication had recorded a huge success in Nigeria, adding, “At least, we are heading to zero polio now”.
She, however, lamented that nonchalant attitude of parents in bringing out their children for immunization, inadequate awareness campaign, fund and other logistics posed a hitch to the End Polio campaign.
She said that despite all odds, the Club has been advocating for people to bring out their children for immunization and passionately appealed to good spirited individuals to bring out the charity that will help in kicking polio out of Nigeria.
Speaking shortly after receiving the Polio Ambassador Award, Nwachukwu described Rotary Club as a wonderful club to join and enjoined those who are yet to join not to hesitate to do so.
UDOKA AGWU, UMUAHIA
