Gov. Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa has commended the immense commitment and support by stakeholders, especially Local Council Chairmen, and State Primary Healthcare Development Agency for the state’s occupation of the second position in vaccine coverage in the country.
In a statement in Dutse, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Print Media, Mr Ahmad Danyaro, said Badaru noted the efforts of the state government in massive investment in the health sector and creating awareness on the COVID-19 mass vaccinations which resulted in the state recording a great milestone with one of its local government areas — Roni — achieving a 95 per cent in vaccine coverage, which is the best among the 774 Local Governments of the country.
Danyaro added that the Governor, represented by his deputy, Mallam Umar Namadi, disclosed at an elaborate ceremony to award the best three performing LGAs of Roni, Kazaure and Guri, saying they have been proactive in taking all the necessary measures for prompt containment of the virus, including the implementation of sundry programmes designed to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic on the people of the state.
According to him, the Governor added that the government also carried out comprehensive upgrade and conception of the health systems and challenged the local government chairmen to see the awards as a motivation for more hard work.
In their separate remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Jigawa State Ministry of Health, Dr Salisu Muazu, and the Executive Secretary Jigawa State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Kabiru Ibrahim, stressed that mass vaccination is a global and nationwide measure adjudged by both global health bodies and National Primary Health Care Development Agency to effectively combat the obviously rampaging pandemic.
“They noted that so far 617,000 people have been vaccinated and the ministry and agency have received deserved commendations from both the NPHCDA for total determination in maintaining its pace since the commencement of the exercise in Nigeria.
“They further appealed to residents of the state who have not been vaccinated to get immunised against the rampaging pandemic.”
According to him, while responding on behalf of the awardees, the Chairman of Kazaure Local Government, Arch Mohammed Muktar, appreciated the Governor for providing uncommon leadership in the success of the exercise, urging his colleagues to work assiduously with stakeholders in ensuring that the target mass vaccination is achieved in the next few weeks.