The degree of concern state governors have for the health and welfare of the electorate that voted them into power was demonstrated a few days ago as only seven states were adjudged to have performed well in the immunisation campaign against polio sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation of the United States of America.

The foreign assistance is coming at a time that some state governors, politicians and medics, especially in the northern parts of the country have launched an orchestrated campaign against immunisation to prevent seven deadly child killer diseases, including polio.  Indeed, nine polio vaccinators were slaughtered by terrorists who believed ignorantly on the lies fed by irresponsible leaders that polio vaccine contained substances that cause infertility in girls and HIV disease.

The seven of the 36 states that passed the responsibility and care test are one each from the nation’s geopolitical zones: Ondo, Cross River, Borno, Zamfara, Niger, Anambra and Kogi.  The anchor of the grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) chaired by the Rotimi Amaechi, the Rivers State Governor, whose state failed the test.  The Governors’ Immunisation Leadership Challenge Fund Management rewards each highest performing state on polio immunisation with individual grant of $250,000 or N40 million.

The foreign project is expected to span 20 months (October 2012 to June 2014) using 12 key performance indicators.  Mr. A.B. Okauru, Director General, Nigeria Governors’ Forum said “Nigeria made great progress in 2010, reducing polio by 95%, but that the pressure was not sustained in 2011, and as a result the polio virus was able to make a comeback. Nigeria will need to redouble its efforts to finally get rid of this devastating disease”.

It is tragic that Nigerian governors have to be mobilized by a benevolent foreign foundation to take care of the citizens they vowed to protect their interest during electioneering.  Without foreign assistance, it seems governments at all levels lack the motivation or inspiration to appropriately fund health related issues bordering on embarrassing epidemics, AIDS and malaria, but are quick to spend billions of naira on dubious security votes and other grandiose but irrelevant projects.

The widespread rejection of vaccination against communicable diseases especially in the north prompted the Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar and the Minister of State for Health Dr Mohammed Ali Pate to warn against the danger of misinformation by prominent northern politicians and scientists who claim the ongoing anti-polio immunisation drive is hurtful.  Addressing Muslim leaders at the Jama’atu Nasril Islam annual council meeting in Kaduna recently, Abubakar urged Muslim leaders to stop propagating falsehood about polio virus immunisation.  “We must never propagate falsehood if we don’t know as Muslims the authenticity or otherwise of the drug.  This issue of polio is disturbing us.  Polio has been eradicated elsewhere except in Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan and we want to be out of the group by the grace of God”.

Former Health Minister Pate had regretted that 98 per cent of polio victims bear Muslim names and therefore urged those ignorantly refusing immunisation to change heart.  More distressing is that it is not only the north that the governors showed less care.

It seems some religious bigots were not satisfied after being defeated by the force of reason in 2003 over their claims that polio vaccines were laced with substances that cause infertility and HIV virus.  The result is an embarrassing legion of the lame, blind, deaf and dump polio victims beggars in different parts of the country.  Nigeria still romances the virus and exports it to other countries, the reason for the global concern.

All tiers of government must design a comprehensive public enlightenment campaign, and fund immunisation against all child killer communicable diseases.  The Bill and Melinda gates Foundation is commended for the concern for humanity welfare while the governors of the states that failed the test should cover their faces in shame.