by Rachel Ogbu

The Federal Government has planned to sanction Wazobia FM after two of its on air personalities were accused of provoking people against polio immunization calling it a Western conspiracy to cause infertility which led to the recent killing of seven health workers and three others in Kano State.

Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, during the State House correspondents briefing on the outcome of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting said he had already written to the Minister of Information on the need for the regulatory body in charge of broadcast media in the country to take possible the station.

“Investigations are ongoing on the killing of health workers in Kano. It is true that there are people, through communication in mass media, who actually instigated the public against accepting polio immunisation.

“Both the Federal Government and the Kano State Government are doing something on it.

“Take the issue of people using the mass media. The mass media is regulated. Broadcast media is under the control of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission.

“Not only has Kano State Government written to that commission, the Minister of Health has written to the Minister of Information.

“We think that station ought to be sanctioned. The NBC should do its work. Mass media platforms are not supposed to be used to air seditious materials.

“For the individuals concerned, the security agencies are working. Of course, they have to go according to the laws of the country but I can assure you that action is being taken,” he said.

The Punch reports:

Chukwu added that his ministry was working with security agencies to see how security could be provided for, not only the health workers, but also for those who come to receive immunisation.

He said while 122 new cases of polio were recorded in the country last year, no single case has so far been recorded in 2013.

He said the ministry also succeeded in reducing the counterfeit and fake drugs prevalent rate to 18.2 per cent by December 2012.

He added that the ministry had succeeded in achieving 7.5 per cent health insurance cover for Nigerians during the period under review.

On maternal and child health, he said, the ministry achieved 26 per cent increase in terms of total antenatal attendance.

He identified the challenges faced by the ministry in 2012 to include those of tropical diseases comprising river blindness and leprosy among others.