Abuja — President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has promised to do everything humanly possible to eradicate polio from Nigeria.

President Yar'Adua was speaking at State House, Friday July 24 when Rotary International, led by Mr. Jonathan Majiyagbe, SAN, decorated him with the Polio Eradication Champion Award.

The President said, "the award has given me a great responsibility to do everything humanly possible to ensure that polio is finally and totally eradicated from Nigeria".

He thanked the Nigerian National Polio-Plus Committee of Rotary International for the award.

Before giving the plaque to President Yar'Adua, Mr. Majiyagbe said the award was in recognition of the leadership the President, as then Governor of Katsina State, gave to the effort towards restoring confidence in the national immunization through the oral polio vaccine, as well as the recent appointment of a Task Force and a Technical Committee for Polio Eradication in the country.

He expressed concern at the increasing spread of the disease, and called on the President to commit more funds to the effort, lead the re-launch of the polio eradication campaign, and personally involve all State Governors, especially in areas still affected by polio in the country.