Olanrewaju Lawal,Birnin-Kebbi

The European Union has urged the Kebbi State Government to increase its budgetary allocation to health and education sectors in order to build the future of the Youths and reduce the maternal mortality in the state.

Minister Counselor and the Head of Cooperation of European, Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Kurt Cornelis stated this, on Tuesday, at the interactive session with the state government and the stakeholders on health sectors which was held at the Presidential lodge Birnin-Kebbi.

The aimed of the interaction was to assess the performance of the government intervention in the state.

Kurt was on an assessment tour alongside  other donor agencies such as WHO, UNICEF and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Abuja.

S[peaking with newsmen, Kurt urged the Kebbi State Government to increase the health and education budget  to meet- up with the challenges facing the two sectors.

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Said he, “I commended the effort of the Kebbi State Government for utilising the intervention money given to them by the EU.l urge them to do more by improving on the commitment towards achieving the same goals” he added.

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In his the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the head of RMNCH cluster Dr. Andrew  Mbewe, said they are in Kebbi State to see how far the state has gone on the implementation of the funds released to them.

He also explained further that WHO has being on the assistance to Kebbi State Government most especially on the areas of malaria, nutrition, polio and other related health cases which had show a good positive results.

Chief of Health on UNICEF, Dr. Sanjana Bhardwaj, also commended the state government for utilities the funds given to them on health sectors adding that they are ready to partner with kebbi state as they have achieved a lot on the healthcare system.

Also in her speech, the representative of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and Director Department of Community Health Services Abuja Dr. Nneka U. Onwu, also assured the state government of the federal and EU support on health and other institutions in the state.

She urged the state government to review the issue of man power,  “The only challenges I saw was lack of staff which is the one of the key factors on health” she added.

While responding, Governor Abubakar Bagudu, who was represented by the Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Umar Kambaza, thank the EU for their support.

He assured them of more commitments on the health sector in the state.