Rotary tasks Nigerians on polio elimination

Two years without a case of polio notwithstanding, Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metropolitan, Lagos, has urged Nigerians to be unrelenting till the country is officially declared polio free.

Specifically, the club called on corporate organisations to donate their resources towards stamping out polio as well as ensure that Nigeria gets the World Health Organisation’s polio – free certification by 2017.

Speaking in at the investiture of its president and inauguration of board of directors for the new rotary year, the club vowed to do everything within its power to ensure that Nigeria sustained the progress recorded so far against the deadly disease.

Chairperson of Rotary Foundation, Ify Rita Ejezie, said the club could not have achieved such feat, but for the voluntary donations from people across the world to further halts the spread of the disease.

Ejezie noted that millions of children across the globe, especially in Africa and Asia, had been dealt with by the disease, which prompted the non-governmental organisation to kick-start, the campaign through sensitisation and vaccination.

She added that it was not yet time to celebrate until Nigeria is given a clean bill of health by the world health organisation.

The new President of Rotary Club of Ikoyi Metropolitan, Florence Fayikemi Ayoola-Egbeyemi, pledged to continue to give the fight against polio a priority in the N25 million worth of project to be executive during her tenure.

Ayoola-Egbeyemi said that one didn’t need to be a millionaire to give a helping hand to the needy.

According to her, a widow’s mite could go a long way in bringing succour to the downtrodden.

She said: “Rotary is determined to make the world a better place through voluntary donations. Our focus is to provide quality services in the areas of health care and education. We can do it better together.”

Ayoola-Egbeyemi recalled how the Club, few months ago, rehabilitated dilapidated equipment at Obalende Primary Health Centre, and a school where eight children sit on a chair meant for two pupils, reaffirming that such humanitarian services was what Rotary was known for.