By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Rotary Club of Bauchi Central has commemorated the 2023 world polio day on Tuesday 24th October, amidst fanfare and pageantry, with polio survivor groups (PSGs) actively participating.
The day started with walk from the Emirs Palace, through Nassarawa, Yakubun Roads and finished at the Government House.
Addressing rotarians, rotractors , polio survivors and other volunteers, Bauchi State Rotary Polio Representative, Rotarian Nonso Nwobi thanked those that participated in the walk.
Rotarian Nwobi reiterated the commitment of Rotary International in ensuring that Nigeria maintain it’s status of Polio free Nation and also stressed on the need to sustain polio vaccination campaign across the Nigeria.
Rotarian Nwobi (a Paul Harris Fellow), then encouraged citizens of Bauchi state to join Rotary Club or donate to the cause of service to humanity which is what Rotary stands for.
Also speaking, Rotarian Pam Dauda, another Paul Harris Fellow and the President, Rotary Club of Bauchi CentraI said that Rotary International had been on the vanguard for polio vaccination campaign and also emphasized on the need for all eligible children to take the vaccine.
On their own part, some of the polio survivors who spoke to our correspondent all said that Poliomyelitis is real and that they are living testimonies of the scourge of polio.
They also disabuse the minds of caregivers who are still skeptical about the polio vaccine, to have a rethink and allow their children to be vaccinated against scourge that turns one into a person with disability, living at the mercy of others.
The PSGs then called on Government to create empowerment programs for them so that they could be self reliant and also contribute their quota for National development.