17 January 2007 - On November 12, 2006, District Head of Nahuche (Kekun Nahuche), witnessed the ward training of vaccination teams and participated in a mobilization training for ward heads and traditional birth attendants for the November Immunization Plus Days (IPDs). He was fully involved in the re-orientation of members of the Save Mothers and Children (SMAC), an NGO he presides over. At the end of the meetings, he personally served food to his visitors.

The district head discovered early in his reign that people were not interested in immunization. His curiosity and the enlightenment he got from various health personnel, encouraged him to get interested in immunization activities. That earned him the title of “polio Eradication District Head” from some of his colleagues, a title which has come to symbolize a life of service.

Since 2003 when he became district head of Nahuche in the Bungudu Local Government Area, he has regularly fed, accommodated and gave transport allowance to members of vaccination teams deployed to his domain. During the pilot IPDs in April, he paid supplementary allowances for 42 vaccinators, recorders and supervisors, donated 20 cartons of paracetamol as pluses, and recruited and trained eight women mobilizers to resolve non-compliance.

Kekun is increasing the number of people he supports and goods he donates voluntarily each round. His donation of 100 cartons of paracetamol (6000 bottles) as pluses for the November IPDs was done to the State government, under the auspices of his rapidly growing SMAC.

These activities have attracted for Kekun invitation to national immunization campaigns debriefing in Gusau, Kano, Bauchi; and the Integrated Measles Campaign in Ondo State held from October 6-9, 2006. He specially remembers the Bauchi experience where the acting governor on learning of his contributions offered him three executive rooms in Zaranda Hotel. The Ondo experience was special as he was acknowledged for his personal endeavors during the national flag-off, even though there were more senior traditional rulers there. The Chairman of the NPI Board, Alhaji Halilu Bala Usman, its National Coordinator/Chief Executive, Dr (Mrs) Edugie Abebe and the WHO/EPI Team Leader, Dr. Alex Gasasira, have all come to see him.

While Kekun’s devotion to polio eradication and other immunization activities is winning converts among his peers and people, he is devoting significant attention to SMAC, promoting it as a grassroots mobilization outfit spreading its tentacles to all parts of Zamfara State.

His elder brother, Comrade Sani Mohammed Nahuche, Secretary, Health Committee, Zamfara State House of Assembly, best captures the many glowing testimonies of the polio ambassador: “As far as I am concerned, he is a very good brother…If I got the position of district head, I doubt if I’ll be able to do what he is doing now.”

That is vintage Kekun, energetic, humble, friendly, and a man of the people. His love for humanity, especially children and women, has attracted attention to him and his domain.

- By Nosa Owens-Ibie