Via ThisDayLive.com: Sultan: No Going Back on Polio Immunisation. Excerpt:
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar, yesterday said there was no going back on the fight to eradicate polio in the North.
He also called on the Federal Ministry of Health, to organize a national summit of stakeholders to draft a road map for the health sector.
The monarch made the remark when the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, paid him a courtesy call in his palace in Sokoto.
He maintained that the traditional leaders in the North would continue to support the fight against polio, in spite of the setback occasioned by the murder of health workers in Kano State.
The Sultan stressed that the traditional leaders would not be deterred by the recent killing of such health workers, saying they were determined to work towards bringing an end to polio scourge in the region.
"There is no going back in our quest to see the eradication of polio in the North. So, no matter the setback, we will continue to support the polio programme.
"We really care about the welfare of our people and we are committed to helping our people achieve total health care," he said.
He noted that the Northern Traditional Leaders Council on Polio had achieved success in controlling polio outbreak since it was set up two years ago.
Earlier, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, described the murder of health workers in Kano State as sad and unacceptable.
He stated that the murder of health workers was not religious but was perpetrated by unscrupulous elements to thwart government efforts.
Chukwu urged traditional leaders in the North not to be discouraged by the dastardly act, saying their efforts would not end in vain.
