Speeches

Flag Off Of The Quarterly Polio Awareness Campaign

Aug 13, 2011 - Dear Lagosians,

In the last few weeks we have taken many far reaching decisions and enunciated many life changing policies to protect the weak and vulnerable members of our society.

One of the most defining of such policies was the passage of "the Law to Establish the Office for Disability Affairs, to safeguard people living with disability and equalize their opportunities in all sphere of living…"

While this is commendable, in my view it is not enough. This is because that law is a reactive policy.

Some of the disabilities for which that law now seeks to make amends, such as deformities arising from infection with the wild polio virus, were clearly avoidable.

This is why I address you today, so that you can all join me and my brother Governors in the 35 (Thirty Five) other States in Nigeria to pursue a proactive policy of advocacy, and immunization that will help us eradicate the wild polio virus from Nigeria.

Although for the past 2 (Two) consecutive years there has been no reported outbreak of the virus in Lagos State, other parts of Nigeria have reported cases of the virus and this is why it will require a community of action across the Federation to eliminate the virus in our country, because immigration is the easiest way to carry it from place to place.

Across the world today, only 4 (Four) countries are left where the wild polio virus is still infecting people. These countries are Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nigeria. The first letters of the names of each of these countries have been used to create the acronym P.A.I.N, and literally we are the 4 (Four) remaining countries causing the rest of the world pain with the virus.

The Governors' Forum of Nigeria, the association of the 36 (thirty Six) Governors in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, have resolved that Nigeria must leave this club of PAIN and we have decided to champion the advocacy and immunization for the polio vaccine in order to eradicate it.

I will be going out to flag off the immunization today in Lagos State and this exercise will continue in the State to ensure that every child is vaccinated.

The vaccination is free and harmless to the children and it provides the necessary immunity to ensure that they do not end up with deformities. I enjoin all of us to participate by bringing our children for immunization, urging our mothers and wives to take the children out and become ambassadors for the eradication of polio in Lagos and Nigeria.

I urge all of our health workers, Local Government Chairmen and officers, traditional and religious leaders, market men and women, various unions to lend their support to the final onslaught against polio.

I will be monitoring the progress of immunization and getting monthly reports from the Honourable Commissioner for Health and will be leading quarterly campaigns such as today's campaign to sustain the sensitization until victory is attained and polio is eradicated from our land.

Please join me and other stakeholders to fight this battle. I am sure, with your support the victory we seek will be delivered and the next generation of Nigerian children will thank us for a brighter and rewarding future that is polio free and not encumbered with disabilities.

I thank you for listening.

God bless you all.

Eko o ni baje o!

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State