The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) Tuesday celebrated Nigeria’s polio- free status.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had in August certified Nigeria a polio–free country, after three consecutive years of not recording any outbreak.
The celebration which took place at Ayuba Wabba House , MHWUN complex , plot 803, Cadasral Zone, Durumi , Abuja, witnessed presentation of awards to distinguished Nigerians who worked hard for the attainment of polio-free certification.
Those honoured included Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who was conferred with Outstanding Leader of the Nigerian Child; Chairman, Governing Board of Nigerian Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Alhaji Salihu Aliero, Custodian of the Nigerian Child; CEO/ED of NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, Guardian of the Nigerian Child; and Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, Defender of the Nigerian Child.
An elated chairman of MHWUN-NPHCDA, Comrade Kingsley Gaiya, said the union decided to honour distinguished Nigerians because of their contributions to the eradication of polio in Nigeria.
He said the president of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Dr. Ayuba Wabba was conferred with Outstanding Friend of the Nigerian Child while 13 living and dead Nigerians were conferred with Pillar of the Nigerian Child and two people were named Friends of the Nigerian Child.
Chairman of the occasion, Senator Oloriegbe remarked that there was need for Nigeria to nurture its health institutions so that the same spirit with which Nigerians defeated polio would be used to defeat COVID-19.
He also stated that health workers who went round villages to immunise Nigerian children are heroes. He said: “That Nigerian can be declared polio- free means that all field workers are award winners because they are the people who went to the grass roots.”
Dr. Shuaib expressed gratitude to the unions and all health workers saying Nigeria’s polio free status is a collective achievement.
