The district field coordinators engaged with polio sensitisation programme hailing from various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal region, have threatened to start agitation campaign, hunger strike, and stage sit-in outside Unicef office in Peshawar, if the programme was not restored along with clearing of dues within next three days.
Speaking at a press conference here at press club, Abdullah Madani, Field Co-ordinator from Dir Lower, informed that the program was launched by the National Research and Development Foundation (NRDF) with financial support of Unicef, meant to create awareness about significance of polio drops among parents with the help of a large group of eminent Ulema in the province.
He further added that the programme initially launched in Mohmand, Bajuar agencies, Swat and Buner in April, 2009, which was extended to other tribal agencies and FR regions, under the different phases after getting desired objectives. Under the programme, he said that around 7,000 Ulema and 37 field coordinators engaged to convince parents for immunise polio drops to their children. He claimed that more than 15,000 refusal cases had been addressed through the program, with support of Ulema in different tribal agencies and settled areas of the province.
Despite security challenges and other obstacles, he said that they had continued their duties and organised different polio awareness activities. He, however, said that project was closed down within any unspecified reasons in November, last year. He said they had also not paid salaries and other dues for last six months, which was created great unrest among the field coordinators from different districts of KP and tribal agencies.
Flanked by field coordinators from various districts and tribal agencies, Inamullah, Mohamamd Zubair, Abdur Rehman, Mohammad Tufail, Shahab, he said they had negotiated with authorities, for amicable addressal of their issues, but not to avail. Our services had been recognised by EDO health, DCO and health authorities, he informed. Despite the acknowledgement, he said it was totally unjustified to wind up the project in the province.
The field coordinators have also expressed concern over lavishly spending of funds on non-awareness activities of the high regional officials of Unicef, demanded for immediate probe in the huge misuse of funds. They sought the authorities to explain any specific reason for closure of the much effective polio awareness project. They demanded for immediate revive the project, and disbursement of six month salaries and other dues.
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