By Capital Watch Media
Sokoto State has issued a strong warning to parents refusing polio immunisation for their children, stressing that such actions will not be tolerated as the state intensifies efforts to eradicate the disease.
Deputy Governor Idris Gobir delivered the warning during a meeting with United Nations representatives on Wednesday at the Command Guest Inn in Sokoto.
He emphasised that officials had been directed to report any cases of parents obstructing vaccination campaigns.
“We already have a standing committee and sub-committees at the local and ward levels focused on tackling resistance to polio immunisation,” Gobir stated.
“Our government has the necessary resources, personnel, and capacity to eliminate the virus, but continued non-compliance remains a serious concern.”
The meeting, attended by local government chairmen, religious leaders, and traditional rulers, addressed the challenges in the ongoing fight against polio, including parental resistance and data inaccuracies in immunisation records.
Sokoto State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Faruk Abubakar, highlighted these issues, noting that some parents and vaccinators were involved in fraudulent practices such as fake fingerprint markings to falsely indicate that children had been immunised.
UNICEF’s Country Representative in Nigeria, Mrs Christian Munduate, expressed concern over the rising number of polio cases in Sokoto North and South, warning that these areas had the highest polio infection rates in the country.
“The persistence of polio in Sokoto is alarming. We must strengthen collaboration between government agencies, traditional leaders, and international partners to address these challenges.”
Kabir Alhassan, the District Head of Wurno and representative of the Sultan of Sokoto, also spoke at the meeting, stressing the importance of traditional institutions in encouraging parents to support immunisation efforts.
Chairman of the House of Assembly Committee on Health, Kabir Dauda, pledged legislative support for policies aimed at eradicating polio, adding that the state would intensify awareness campaigns to educate parents on the importance of vaccination.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from all stakeholders to work together in ensuring that every child in Sokoto receives the necessary immunisation to eliminate polio from the state.
