Stories by Ajuma Edwina Ogiri Abuja
Th e Federal Government and the Government of Germany, have signed a 10 million Euros aid agreement to eradicate polio in Nigeria. Th e agreement was signed between Foreign Aff airs Minister, Geoff rey Onyeama, and the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Bernhard Schlagheck, yesterday in Abuja. Onyeama said that the 10 million Euros grant would facilitate Nigeria’s quest to totally eradicate polio in the country.
He noted that government’s eff orts had some setbacks, due to the activities of terrorism in the North Eastern part of the country. He said: “I just have to take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude to the government of Germany for this support. “As you know we have come very close to eradicating polio in the world, but you know there are still one or two issues.
“Th e problem we have in the north east has exacerbate the situation and made it more diffi cult to eradicate.” Th e German ambassador expressed optimism that the grant would go a long way in achieving the desired goal. Schlagheck said: “We have engaged with the government of Nigeria for some time, mostly under the assistance of the WHO, and we want to continue with our engagement.
“Together with government of Nigeria, we had achieve some remarkable successes here in Nigeria, on some outstanding issues. “We want to increase and consolidate our engagement and that is actually what we just did. I hope very much that polio will be removed from the country.”
Th e ceremony was witnessed by representative of National Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA). Th e Director of Logistics, PHCDA, Iyabo Dara Dara, in her remarks expressed the belief that Nigeria would soon be declared polio free. She said: “I think in the next two to three years we should be polio free because we are spending almost one year now without any case of polio again. “I think this will go a long way in helping in activities that we have planned.”
