Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has appealed to leaders, particularly the Church and traditional rulers, to be part of efforts by government and development partners to ensure vaccination of citizens against the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Oguwike Nwachuku, the governor challenged the leaders to organise town hall meetings to get their subjects and parishioners to buy into the campaign on COVID-19 vaccination.

Addressing Imo State COVID-19 Stakeholders Engagement Meeting at the Sam Mbakwe Chamber, Government House Owerri, yesterday, the governor explained that COVID-19 vaccination had been tested all over the world and that “most prominent persons have successfully taken the vaccine, proving that it is safe and to our advantage.”

Uzodimma appealed to the people to come out and be vaccinated to “save their lives, that of their family, community, state and nation at large.”

The Executive Secretary, Imo State Primary Healthcare, Rev. (Dr.) Maria-Joannes Uzoma, said: “With the launch of the community vaccination healthcare programme, the state has been able to record a higher percentage of the COVID-19 vaccination in the 27 local councils.”

IN another development, the governor had, on Tuesday, inaugurated steering committee on the pilot scheme of Sustainable Urban and Rural water Supply Scheme and Hygiene (SUR-WASH), charging the 15 members to ensure safely-managed WASH in the state by 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At the event, which took place in the Government House, Owerri, the governor urged the committee members to apply their wealth of experience and skills in discharging their duties, in line with the National Action Plan on the task.