The federal government, Tuesday, engaged royal fathers of South West extraction in its bid to increase the rate of COVID-19 vaccination in the region. At a meeting held with the South West traditional rulers,led by His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the government explained that tasked monarchs in the zone to work more their involvement in COVID-19 vaccination coveragel in the country. Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire , speaking at the Maiden Quarterly Meeting of the Southwest Traditional Leaders Committee on Primary Healthcare Delivery, involving monarchs in COVID-19 vaccination had become imperative.
The minister, who hailed the traditional rulers on their involvement in its vaccination efforts,said:”We are leveraging the respect our people have for tradition and culture and the influence of our traditional leaders, to improve the health and well-being of the people.’
“The federal government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari holds in high esteem our traditional institution, thus this partnership which we are consolidating today is in fulfilment of that high regard and respect”.
“Our traditional institution is pivotal to whatever we do in all sectors, especially in health and government is conscious of the fact that alone, it cannot effectively safeguard the health of the people without the support of our Royal fathers”.
“Traditional rulers across the country have been very supportive of government initiatives in the health sector especially in mobilization, disease surveillance and reporting. Our achievement of a wild polio virus free status in 2020 would not have been possible without the support of traditional leaders across the country,”he added.
