The Emir of Bwari in FCT, Alhaji Musa Ijakoro, said on Wednesday that the success recorded in polio eradication in the country was based on the contributions of traditional rulers.
Ijakoro, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bwari, said that as an institution closer to the people, it had made it easier to convince parents on the importance of eradicating the disease.
He said the cordial relationship between the traditional rulers and people also made it easier for the rulers to inform and educate the people on policies generally.
Ijakoro said that parents and guardians had been told to present their children for immunisation to ensure that no wild polio virus was found in the area.
“ During the last round of immunisation, I had to send my secretary to some people behind my house who have just relocated to Bwari but had refused to allow their children to be immunised.
“I emir said the negligible number of people that refused to allow their children to be immunised were summoned to the palace where they were persuaded to do so.
He said it had become imperative to make such an order to avoid the spread of the virus in the area.
Ijakoro said that he had to send the police, secretary and some security guards to Dakwa village to enlighten the people about the exercise.
According to him, the people think that the exercise i s for family planning or a programme to make them impotent.
Ijakoro, however, said there had been a great improvement on the programme in the past two years now.
“Before , as a chairman of a committee set up on immunisation, I used to go out with Chief Imam, Alhaji Abdullahi Musa to visit areas like Dei-Dei and Mpape to explain the importance of the exercise.
“We explained to the people to allow their children to be immunised as there was no harm. That has been the reason for having a polio free society here. ’’
He said the people now realised that if their children were not immunised, they would end up as cripples or they have some kinds of deformity which may likely affect their lives.
The emir also warned those who deliberately marked their houses to evade health officers to fear God and do the right thing by allowing the officers to do their job. (NAN)