Cleric Faults Takeover Of Institutions By Govt

Makinde made this known during an address by the Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Mohammed Ali Pate, to the Methodist Bishop Conference in Kaduna. Pate had sought partnership with the church towards enhancing the health of the Nigerian child.

The Prelate said: “Government has taken over our schools and medical institutions and have destroyed them. It is very painful that what our fathers and mothers worked hard for have become carcasses. You will weep if you go to Wesley Guard, Etubag and Amachara hospitals.

“When we find somebody who has come to talk to us about primary healthcare, we are interested because if the health of our people is bad, the health of the church is bad. A healthy people make a healthy church. That is why the partnership of the church and the state is important.”

Pate said his visit was to forge ties with the church in eliminating childhood killer diseases. He urged cooperation with the church to enable them work closely with the Christian Health Associations of Nigeria (CHAN), saying it had a network of facilities, not only for care, but also in immunisation and prevention of polio.

“In addition to CHAN, we hope that the Bishop’s Council will help sensitise all levels of the church to take part in this routine immunisation and speak about it, just as they would malaria and HIV,” he said.

Pate asked the clergy to organise special prayers in various churches for the health of the Nigerian child.