The Kaduna State Commissioner of Local Government Affairs, Kabiru Mato, said the state government has approved a monthly allowance of N10,000 for 17,139 ward heads to fight polio across the 23 local government areas.
Mr Mato said the monthly allowance was an effort to strengthen routine immunisation against killer diseases in the state.
Addressing reporters in the company of the Commissioner for Health, Paul Dogo and others, Mr Mato said the ward heads are from the 34 chiefdoms of the state.
The commissioner explained that with the initiative, the state government will spend over N170 million monthly.
The incentive, he said, is to encourage them (ward heads) to sustain their roles against polio eradication in the state.
Mr Mato said the success of the health initiatives for children at the grassroots depends on the active involvement of village and ward heads.
“For these roles, the state government has decided to pay a monthly allowance of N10,000 to 17,139 ward and village heads. This allowance represents a token of appreciation for their roles in complementing formal government efforts to deliver public goods in the health and security sectors.
“These layers of traditional rulership know the residents of their communities, including the infants and other vulnerable persons,” he said.
He added that the repeated immunisation campaigns have continued to be conducted to protect young children against polio and other diseases.
He said the governor has led by example, making his children available for thee vaccination campaigns.
Mr Mato added that their unique location makes village and ward heads “such valuable partners”.
“They can mobilise communities to participate in immunisation, and to register births and deaths,” he said.
In his remarks, Mr Dogo said the last time the state recorded a polio victim was in 2012.
He explained that since then, Kaduna has maintained a polio free status.
