From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to make funds available for cancer treatment for indigent patients.
Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagud stated this while speaking at the 2021 “Walkaway Cancer” awareness campaign held in Abuja.
The Special Adviser to Governor Bagudu, MallamYahyah Sarki, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen in Birnin Kebbi.
According to the statement, the governor said: ‘For the first time in the history of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has recently at the National Assembly provided funds in this direction.
‘President Buhari has already released N735 million under the cancer health fund for the budget year 2020.
‘This is a happy story for all of us and all those critical stakeholders relentlessly engaged in the fight against the dreaded disease,’ he added.
Governor Bagudu explained that, under the presidential package, eligible indigent patients will be assisted in addition to the myriad of cancer treatment centres springing up across Nigeria.
‘These centres are being supported by the federal government and various private local and international initiatives.
‘All these efforts are targeted at routing out the deadly disease from Nigeria, especially as it has remained a formidable health challenge in the country.
‘However, in the last few years, Nigeria and Kebbi State have made significant progress in stamping out the disease. And I am optimistic that, with the current tempo of efforts and commendable trajectory, Nigeria would be placed in a very comfortable position,’ he said.
Earlier before the commencement of the Walkaway Cancer, the organiser of the program and proprietor of Medicaid Cancer Foundation, Dr Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, who is also the wife of Kebbi State Governor, expressed her excitement with the large turnout of people from different works of life and different parts of the country, who came out to support the campaign.
‘Despite the time and challenges that we have, I want to thank you all for coming out to support the cause and create awareness to fight cancer in the country. As we walk today, I want us to stay safe and be responsible,’ she urged.