By Bashir Rabe Mani
Sokoto – The Sokoto State Government has said that it is targeting to immunise 1.8 million children, aged zero to five years, against polio, across the state.
The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu, made the disclosure in Gidan-Dilo village, Sokoto South Local Government on Sunday.
Aliyu spoke during a community dialogue convened by the Taskforce on polio immunisation, which he chairs.
He said that the dialogue was conducted to stem the tide of the few cases of rejection of the polio vaccines by some parents in the state.
Aliyu said, “the five-day, statewide exercise was organised as a response exercise to the recent outbreaks of polio in Borno.
”Parents in the state should therefore allow their children to be immunised against polio and other child killer diseases.
”This is the responsibility of every parent and we are assuring that the polio vaccine is safe.”
The deputy governor commended traditional rulers and other stakeholders to continue to do their best to ensure the total eradication of polio.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Balarabe Kakale, expressed happiness that no polio case has been recorded in the state in the last three years.
”The state government, sultanate council of sokoto and all the stakeholders would not be complacent in sustaining the happy tempo,” Kakale, promised.
The Chairman of Sokoto South Local Government, Alhaji Aminu Liman, District Head of Gagi, Alhaji Sani Umar and the village Head of Gidan-Dilo,Alhaji Amiru Abdullahi,all pledged to work tirelessly to ensure the success of the exercise.
Separate sessions of the community dialogue were conducted in Rijiya, Gidan-Dilo and Gagalawa villages of Sokoto South Local Government as well as Tudun-Yola in Sokoto North Local Government.
Aliyu and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, had on Saturday inaugurated the five-day exercise.
