Story Written By Nasiru Malali and Edited by Godwin Duru
United Nations Children Fund UNICEF has urged the Sokoto State Government to join other states in appointing Statistician General that would fastrack data collections, preservation and dissemination in line with global best practices.
Sokoto state UNICEF’s Chief Field Office Mr Micheal Juma, made the appealed during a quarterly policy makers meeting held in the state.
Radio Nigeria in Sokoto report that the meeting which was organized by UNICEF in collaboration with the Sokoto State Government was aimed at discussing, successes and challenges with a view to providing effective modalities that could yield desired results.
Juma, who was represented by Officer in Charge of Field Office, Mr Abraham Mahama urged concerned community members and stakeholders in healthcare sector to intensify vigilance against diversion of prepared nutritional supplements in Sokoto state.
He noted that the prepared supplements were provided by donors and other development partners to the healthcare centres in different communities , aimed at enhancing the lives of malnourished children.
According to him, some bad elements in the system connived with traders to divert the supplements to unintended persons.
He stressed that the supplement were openly sold at markets, while some UNICEF designated stores were stocked with stones and other objects to cover up their nefarious acts.
Me. Michael Juma highlighted that most of the key indicators in the state portrayed very poor indices such as anti natal care, immunization, skill birth child delivery, mortality rates, and social behavioral change.
According to him, the indices revealed that healthcare infrastructures, power and water supply as well as competent healthcare are not encouraging in the state.
In his presentation, the UNICEF Social Protection Specialist, Mr Isa Ibrahim, said there were some areas in the Sokoto State’s 2024 Budget performances sheet that need alignments such as nutritional sector among others which has zero allocation.
Ibrahim also echoed Juma’s call on the appointment of substantive Statistician General in the state to harness data prudence and accessibility using standard systems, stressing that the absence of Statistician General is affecting the development of the healthcare sector in the state.
Speaking at the meeting, the state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idris Muhammad Gobir, assured government maximum support to all donor agencies. describing the presentations as wakeup call to government officials to reverse the anomalies.
NASIR MALALI
