The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Saraki has congratulated Nigerians for maintaining a 365 days free of poliomyelitis (Polio) in the country.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki
Dr. Saraki said the successes recorded in Nigeria in Polio eradication in the past 365 days without a single case of the virus was as a result of the relentless hard work of partners, religious, community leaders, and health workers.
He expressed how pleased he is with the successes in Polio eradication that has a case study of 801 wide cases of polio reported in 21 states in 2005 with 62 wild cases and 34 circulating vaccine-derived cases (cVDPV) that had an endemic transmission rate in 2011 coupled with 122 wild cases and 8 circulating vaccine-derived cases.
The Senate President who is a Medical Doctor further expressed his happiness in the containment of Polio in the country because the transmission rate in 2012 was endemic with reported 53 wild cases and three circulating vaccine-derived cases which were recorded as transmission endemic in 2013 to now having no documented case of poliomyelitis in 365 days.
Senator Saraki disclosed how he undertook a bipartisan approach as the chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) by leading yuhis colleagues, public-spirited groups and companies in private sector to partner with Federal Government and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a better and more extensive polio immunization in Nigeria.
He credited the successes recorded in the eradication of the virus to the introduction of the immunization Leadership Challenge.
He explained that the challenge, which was designed in partnership with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to reward states in Nigeria that made significant improvements in polio and routine immunization coverage was to fast track achievement of the global milestone of interrupting further transmission of polio virus in Nigeria.
Senator Saraki urges Nigerians not to relent in this fight against polio which has been responsible for significant number of mortality and morbidity mostly in children under 5 years of age stressing that as long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries are at risk of contracting the virus.
The Senate President emphasizes the imperative need to continue the good work towards eliminating this crippling and potentially fatal virus until the World Health Organization (WHO) certifies that Nigeria is a polio free come 2017 and take Nigeria off the list of countries where the disease is endemic and for Nigeria as a nation to adopt this approach to tackle other diseases currently prevailing in the country.
Meanwhile, Saraki has also congratulated the newly elected President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alh. Waheed Odusile and urged him to take seriously the task of eliminating quacks and fake journalists who give the profession a bad name.
Saraki described the election of Odusile as well deserved going by his track record of professionalism as a journalist but noted that the union under the new leadership must devise means of ensuring that some individuals who harass people at public functions while claiming to be journalists are dealt with according to the law so as to stop them from creating a bad image for the profession.
“The new executives under Odusile should take the issue of enforcement of compliance with professional ethics as a priority. Journalists of today should be ready to abide by the code of ethics of the profession and they should be more professional because their role in sustaining democracy and on-going development in the country cannot be emphasised.
“No doubt that you have what it takes to lead a critical body like the NUJ at this juncture in our democratic journey. I am particularly pleased that your election was based on your popularity and wide acceptance by your colleagues from all over the country,” he said.
He enjoined the new NUJ boss to use his new position to better the lots of both journalists in the country and the journalism profession because the contribution of the media will go a long way to boost the efforts of the present administration to revamp the nation’s economy.
He said he is looking forward to a robust partnership with the media and their elected representatives in the task of making legislations that will lead to improved standard of living in the country.
He enjoined the new NUJ boss to use his new position to better the lots of both journalists in the country and the journalism profession because the contribution of the media will go a long way to boost the efforts of the present administration to revamp the nation’s economy.
He said he is looking forward to a robust partnership with the media and their elected representatives in the task of making legislations that will lead to improved standard of living in the country.
Recently, Saraki decried what he called the unnecessary loss of precious human lives as witnessed in the petroleum pipeline fire incident at Arepo, Ogun state.
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