Ruby Rabiu
28 July 2008
Six Muslim clerics in Suleja, Niger State yesterday disrupted the polio immunisation exercise, demanding for social amenities in their communities.
The clerics arrived Millatu Ibrahima Hanifah Koranic School, Madallah I, the immunization venue, stopping children from vaccination, saying that the greatest priority of the community was social amenities and not immunization.
They said that the immunisation did not follow due process before commencement. They also said there was no need to immunize the children since the government has failed to cater for their needs.
But the Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Adelekan-Koleoso Titilola, who was at the scene, intervened and tried to intimate the clerics on the importance of the exercise.
She was monitoring the last phase of the Immunisation Plus Days (IPDs) exercise in the area.
Mallam Aliyu Yakub, one of the clerics, who spoke on behalf of the group, said he has lost faith in the government because of the failure of successive governments to fulfil their promises to the people.
"Since 1960 when we had our independence, there are five things that government always talk about-water, light, housing, food and health-but up till today, we are still in the same problem.
"Every government that comes will promise us that they will solve these problems but none of them has been able to do anything meaningful. Our children keep dying without considering that these are the things that make them to die. But when you come into my environment and give my children some injection, the first thing that register to me is that when my children grow old, he will not be all that strong to give birth," he said.
"Even if Yar'adua is here I will say my mind. So basically anything that will be given to my child, I have to understand that thing. I have to have a forensic analysis of that thing that is being given to my child. It is not as if we don't want government to help us but the area we expect them to help us they are not doing it," Yakub said.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the incidence, the primary health care agency boss said a lot of advocacy work needs to be done to educate members of the community on the importance of the vaccine.
She lamented that though a lot of efforts have been put in by the agency to ensure a total eradication of the virus, such resistance from communities constitute a major problem.
She added that most communities believe that the gency), in addition to providing the vaccine, must provide social amenities which she agreed the communities are in dire need of.
She observed that sanitation also needs to be taken seriously, as dirty environment also contributes to the spread of the virus.
Adelekan-Koleoso and her team monitored the exercise at the Salihu Madallah Model Primary Healthcare Centre oppo-site the Islamic School.
Immunisation officials at the health facility reported that over one thousand children were immunised, but said several children were still not vaccinated.
She called on religious leaders, faith based organizations and the media to help in the crusade in order to save Nigerian children from the diseases.
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