Expressing concern over financial misappropriation in the polio-eradication funds in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ulema engaged in this campaign, demanded to conduct inquiry against the health officials allegedly involved in misuse of funds.
Speaking at a press conference here at Peshawar Press Club, the former provincial co-ordinator, National Research and Development Foundation (NRDF), Maulana Jehanzeb alleged that health officials worked under the anti-polio programme funded by the Unicef, had failed to eliminate the polio, while the funds were not using appropriately on this campaign in the province.
Flanked by Maulana Abdul Malak, Maulana Mohammad Tariq, Maulana Baseer Khan, he said Ulema had played vital role in redressal of polio refusal cases with creation of awareness among masses through religious sermons. Despite the fact that, he informed the programme was discontinued for the last six months, due to hypocrisy of the health officials working under Unicef in the province. He levelled the allegations against Ulema by the Unicef health officials, for taking Rs 5,000 per sermon to create awareness among masses.
He, however, said the amount wasn't given to them according to the agreement with the NRDF. Maulana Jehanzeb said that presently more than 1,200 workers, including high officials of Unicef, were engaged in the anti-polio drive, but the campaign was remained fruitless over the past six months due to discontinuation of the masses awareness drive through Ulema and religious scholars in the province.
"We demand to conduct inquiry about the misappropriation into the polio-eradication funds allegedly involved the health officials engaged with Unicef", he alleged. The polio refusal had come down to very marginal ratio with the efforts of Ulema, he said. He, however, expressed great regret over the current performance, which might be again raised polio cases in this part of the region.
The health officials worked under the Unicef programme, were not willingness to eliminate polio from the province, because they are used the funds for personal advantages and deeds, he alleged. He demanded of the government, Unicef high officials, and other relevant bodies to take immediate notice against the health officials, who allegedly made corruption in the funds and to carry out an independent inquiry in this regard.