Lagos — The Governors' Forum has thrown its weight behind the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health in the control of malaria and eradication of polio in the country.

Rising from its meeting in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, Monday, the Forum, after deliberating on a variety of issues of national importance, resolved to back the Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, in the implementation of a vector control programme designed to eradicate malaria.

The governors, who agreed to support efforts to source for funds from local stakeholders for the programme, also commended the success of the polio eradication campaign, noting that the polio distribution in 2008 and 2009 have significantly improved.

According to a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the Forum also expressed support for the Federal Government's Midwives Service Scheme (MSS) under the primary healthcare sector, which is designed to address maternal and infant mortality through the distribution of midwives at primary healthcare centres across the country.

The communique stated that after listening to the presentation of the Minister of Defence as well as the comments by the South - South governors, the Forum resolved to commend the Federal Government and the governors of the South-South states for the amnesty initiative.

While noting that the historic movement towards peace and reconciliation by the Federal Government has resulted in the disarmament and demobilisation of restive militants, the governors called for support for the next phase of the amnesty process which is rehabilitation and reintegration.

The Forum also called on the Federal Government to treat kidnapping with the same level of seriousness it deserves just as it agreed that it would give support to efforts by the National Assembly to pass extra budgetary provision to help ex-militants in their efforts to be rehabilitated and re-integrated.

The governors noted the clarifications made by the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and agreed that the way forward is for every state to put in place an action plan, a counterpart funding and a functional board, following which the states can access their funds within 24 hours.

The Forum commended the progress made by the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government as it expressed belief that the strike would be called off before the end of the week.

It also noted that states were still discussing the Teachers' Salary Scheme (TSS) and hoped that before the end of the year, all the states would begin to implement the TSS.