By SANI DUTSINMA
The Emir of Gwandu and Chairman Council of Chiefs, Kebbi state, Alhaji Muhammad Illiyasu Bashar has vowed to mobilizes all the traditional rulers in the state to wage war against any disease affecting children.
Alhaji Iliyasu Bashar stated this while hosting members of Rotary Health Communities Challenge (RHCC) at his palace on advocacy visit to the State.
The Emir, represented by the District Head of Bunza, Dr. Aminu Haliru Bunza, the Focal Person of the Traditional Council, for local government areas on health activities, received the team, led by Past District Governor, Sagab Sani at Bunza.
Dr Aminu Bunza said, the Emirates are in support of anything that would improve the lives of their children, and they would not hesitate to do with all sense of seriousness adding that, it is high time to utilise the opportunities given to them and assured that, they would do everything possible to ensure that no stone would be left unturned.
The Emir disclosed that the village Heads and Ward Leaders have taken the responsibilities of advocacy in their domains especially on malaria and polio vaccination, as anybody resists the vaccination have been dealing with even before the reviewing meeting day.
Earlier, the team leader of RHCC, Mr. Sagab Sani informed the Emir that they were in his palace to solicit his support to protect the lives and futures of the children as preventable childhood killer diseases-specifically malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea-are cutting short the lives of our children under the age of five.
According to him, to fight this, the RHCC project is working directly at the grassroots, and we have recruited, trained, and equipped trusted sons and daughters of your own communities as health volunteers.
He added that, these volunteers are moving from house to house, providing completely free testing, diagnostic services, and life saving treatments right at the doorsteps of families who live too far from the nearest clinic, and solicit the support of the royal highness as no government policy, no international partner can succeed without the sacred blessing, trust, and cultural authority of the Palace.
The team leader, however commended the royal father for hosting the team with Village Heads, stressing that, the RHCC would forever be grateful for the opportunity provided to table their advocacy.
It could be recalled that, the RHCC is implementing a three-year intervention program of Rotary International and PATH, targets the three leading causes of death among children under five in Nigeria: malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea.
