President, Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama, Rotn. Dinah Achele Akuh, has appealed to Nigerians to rally round Poliomyelitis survivors in the country.
Akuh made the plea during the presentation of N500,000 empowerment grants to some polio survivors at Karon Majigi in Abuja, for trades and small-scale business.
She said: “Poliomyelitis is not a death sentence. Now that Nigeria is polio-free, we should take care of the survivors and sustain our preventive measures. This is why members of the Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama have decided to empower some survivors with N500, 000 capital for trades and small-scale business. We believe the survivors have a right to life too.
‘‘Having satisfied that they have acquired some skills, they need little capital for start-up. We are hopeful that they will succeed in their various trades. In fact, one of the survivors, Kabiru Bello has a welding workshop with some apprentices. He is determined to break even and we have given him enough to buy some tools and materials.
She said the club would soon embark on the next phase of the empowerment of another batch of polio survivors.
Similarly, a past assistant governor, Rotn. Winny Fonaka, said the club was fulfilling one of the seven areas of focus of Rotary International with the empowerment.