By Foluso Ajibulu

Nigeria is one of the highest donor countries to the Rotary International (RI) polio fund, according to the RI president, Rotarian Kalyan Banerjee.

Banerjee, who spoke during a reception organised by District 9110 to mark his visit to Nigeria, explained that the country has been a generous donor to the move to eradicate polio.

Consequently, the Rotary chief stated that should Nigeria be in need of the RI support to deal with the problems affecting children, the club would contact  the World Health Organisation (WHO), and the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on her behalf.

‘’ If Nigeria needs  our support to get WHO, UNICEF in, we will be there and support their programme. We must finish up with  polio before the year 2012. Nigeria must finish up with polio and we have to work hard,” he stated.

The RI  president said he would  initiative moves to free  Nigeria and India from  polio.

He  was sad that in spite of the country’s contributions to the RI, Somalia believed to have alarming rate of polio cases, did not have a Rotary Club to champion the cause of eradication of the scourge.

His words” It is difficult to approach the Somalia government on the issue as we desire to eradicate this disease from the whole world by the year 2012.”

Banerjee, who was accompanied by his wife, Binota, on the visit to Nigeria arrived Abuja on Monday before showing up in Lagos for the reception by the District 9110 at the Rotary Centre, Ikeja.

Earlier, Rotarian Kennedy Ejakpomewhe, District Governor, 9110, comprising Lagos and Ogun States, in company of a host of past DGs, had conducted the visiting RI  president round the district centre.