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Exclusive :Seven Women Rejected My Marriage Proposal – Polio Survivor

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Even though he grew up knowing himself as a polio survivor – the predicament he has been managing for 48 years – Mr Bashir Idris isn’t deterred from reflecting on his unpleasant experience at every slight opportunity.

Born hale and hearty five decades ago, Idris’ dream of becoming a Soldier was cut short when he contacted the polio disease at the tender age of two.

“I was told I contacted polio when I was just two years old, now I’m 50 years old, meaning I have been battling with this condition for 48 years, how I wish there was an awareness campaign about polio immunization like this then, I love to be a Soldier or medical Doctor, now I am a Carpenter, but in everything we give thanks to almighty Allah”, Idris explained.

Sitting on bare floor and smiling beckoningly to get the attention of crowd who came to catch a glimpse of the just concluded rally of polio immunization plus days at Agadasawa, Yola and Madatai settlements in Kano Municipal Area Council, members of Journalist Against Polio (JAP) observed the 50 years old Idris’ conspicuous enthusiasm to share his experience so as to serve as deterrent to other parents.

When approached for comment, Idris energetically narrated how his several attempts to marry a Woman of his choice without polio disease hit a brick wall as seven women rejected his marriage proposal due to the polio stigmatization and their belief that the disease is hereditary, hence they were skeptical about giving the green light to his proposal.

“I attempted to marry a woman without polio disease on several occasions, about seven ladies ran away because of stigmatization. Then, they believed if they marry a polio survivor, there is the possibility of them giving birth to a child with polio disease (smiling), now we thank God that such myth is fading away, but that doesn’t change the fact that polio did not allow me to marry a woman of my choice” he spoke further.

Idris is however urging Parents and Guardians in Kano to release their wards of less than five years for Polio Immunization so as to spare them of such avoidable lifetime bitter experience.

We Don’t Want Our Members to Increase Anymore – Chairman Polio Survivors

Meanwhile, the dream of most organizations is to increase their membership base, but on the flip side, the reverse is the case for the Polio Survivors Association as its mandate is to get rid of new members to avoid the spread of the highly tasking and challenging virus.

“We decided to join this rally to tell the general public about the challenges we are facing and the need for them to embrace polio vaccine for their wards so that they will not end up like us, enough is enough, we don’t want our members to increase anymore” Yahaya A Yahaya, Chairman of Polio Survivors Association in Kano Municipal posited.

Yahaya lamented how his members are being segregated and marginalized even when they are qualified for a certain position in the society due to their difficulty.

“I was a three years old when I got polio disease, how I wish they gave me polio vaccine then because being a cripple person is not easy in Nigeria, we are being marginalized anywhere we go, no equal opportunity, you know contacting polio disease is a lifetime experience that you wouldn’t wish your enemy” he stated.

Speaking with JAP Correspondents at the rally conducted simultaneously in four zones including Bichi, Gwale, Tofa and Nasarawa, the Nasarawa Zonal Health Educator, Haladu Muhammed said the essence of the campaign was to draw the residents’ attention to the importance of the polio immunization considering the fact that some settlements in the affected zones experienced a pocket of noncompliance during the last Immunization Plus Days (IPDs) which was conducted in this year January.

Nigeria Must Not Relax Despite Polio Free Status – Official

On his part, a Local Immunization Officer of Nasarawa Local Government Area, Sani Abdul Sani Mai Nagge described the turn out of the exercise as very impressive. He assured that the targeted population of 165,085 in the LGA will be immunized during the four days campaign.

“Of course, the immunization of the target population is achievable because before the implementation of this house to house, we had conducted 2 days DOPV, going from one street to another, for example, motor parks, markets, busy streets, we used to visit them before this four days campaign and during the period, we immunized over 50, 000 children and we have over 237 teams going from one house to another and there are 108 special teams visiting markets, schools and other strategic places, so we can easily cover the targeted population”

Nigeria was certified polio free in July 2020, asked why the need for the continued polio immunization exercise after attaining the feat, Sani Mai Nagge however said “after the declaration of polio free in Nigeria, even you yourself, can you tell me how many children were born from that time to now and how many were supposed to be vaccinated? We must not relax just like that and allow the virus to resurface again in the country”

Kano State Government is targeting over three million under five years old children for special immunization this month, with over 3.9 million doses of polio vaccines, the move aimed at ensuring that every child in the State is safe against the virus.

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Kano State Hosts 8th Annual Audit Forum to Enhance Transparency and Accountability

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The 8th Annual Audit Forum, organized by the Office of the Auditor General of Kano State, was held recently, focusing on strengthening transparency and accountability in public financial management. .

Isma’ila Musa, the Auditor General of Kano State, welcomed the participants and highlighted the constitutional and legal mandates that guide the auditing process. “Sections 125(2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and 36(i) of the Kano State Audit Law, 2021 (as amended) mandate the Office of the Auditor General to audit the accounts and financial statements of the State Government and all Offices and Courts,” he stated.

Musa expressed immense gratitude to His Excellency, Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Governor of Kano State, for his support in making the event possible. “It is very important to note that a strengthened fiscal transparency will help build trust in governance,” he emphasized. He added that the Audit Forum is a reform intended to reduce opportunities for corruption and abuse of public resources, thereby increasing the efficiency of public expenditures.

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The Auditor General also acknowledged the contributions of various officials, including the Hon. Commissioner Ministry of Planning and Budget, the Accountant General, the Executive Chairman of Kano Internal Revenue Services, and former Auditors General, among others. “My sincere appreciation to all the invitees here present for honoring our invitation. I wish us a successful 8th Kano State Annual Audit Forum,” Musa concluded.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Honorable Tukur Fagge, praised the exercise for its potential to enhance resource management and ensure the success of the tasks at hand. “This exercise will enhance resources management and will realize the success of the task,” Fagge stated.

Sarkin Shanon Kano, Shehu Muhammad Dankadai, who served as the royal father of the day, also graced the event, adding to the significance of the occasion.

The forum underscored the commitment of the Kano State Government to upholding transparency and accountability, reflecting the administration’s dedication to effective and efficient service delivery.

 

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Breaking: Former Secretary of Federal Electoral Commission, FEDECO, Ahmadu Kurfi Passes On at 93

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Late Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi

 

A former secretary of the Federal Electoral Commission, Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi, has passed away.

A family source, Jafar Yakubu, informed NIGERIAN TRACKER about the death of the pioneer secretary of the Federal Electoral Commission, who supervised the 1979 general election.

 

Jafar Yakubu said Alhaji Ahmadu Kurfi died at the age of 93 and his Janaza funeral prayers will take place by 2:30 PM at Kurfi in KATSINA state .

 

Dr. Amadu Kurfi, OFR, was born in 1931. He was a former chairman of the then Marketing Board, former Federal Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Defence, and the first person to acquire a BSc degree in the whole of Katsina State, at University College London in 1957.

 

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President Tinubu Sacks UNIZIK Vice-Chancellor, Registrar

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The governing council of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University has been dissolved by President Bola Tinubu.

The president dissolved the council and approved the removal of the institution’s vice-chancellor Bernard Odoh and the university registrar, Rosemary Nwokike.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to the president on information and strategy said the action by Tinubu follows allegations of procedural violations in the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor.

He also said that the council led by Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe and including five other members—Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin was accused of bypassing due process to appoint an unqualified candidate, prompting federal intervention.

Onanuga said, “The sacking of the governing council and officials followed reports that the council illegally appointed an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process.

He added that following the controversial appointment, the Federal Government stepped in to address the rivalry between the university’s Senate and the governing council of the institution.

“The government expressed concern over the council’s apparent disregard for the university’s governing laws in its selection process”, Onanuga added.

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