Breaking: Kogi refuses to take COVID-19 vaccine after 35 other states receive AstraZeneca
- Federal government has distributed the COVID-19 vaccine to 35 states including FCT
- The government of the Kogi state is yet to take delivery of its vaccine
- This was disclosed on Thursday, March 18, by the director of NPHCDA, Faisal Shuaib
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A report by TheCable indicates that Kogi state is yet to take delivery of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine after other states of the federation received theirs.
Legit.ng gathered that the executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, made the development known on Thursday, March 18.
Shuaib said Kogi state was yet to receive “due to the non-repair of their cold-chain store coupled with the state’s concerns around the contradictory information about the vaccines.”
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Yahaya Bello, Kogi governor, had recently said COVID-19 is not an issue in his state, noting that he will not subject the people to vaccination.
The NPHCDA executive director spoke on the vaccine roll-out after the national economic council (NEC) meeting.
Daily Trust reports that Shuaib said the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) “had been co-opted to support the PTF on Vaccine Accountability to ensure the safekeeping of the vaccines”.
He also stressed the need for tight security around the vaccines in the states to avoid being vandalised by hoodlums.
The NPHCDA executive director assured that Nigeria will receive the second tranche of vaccines before the second dose intake is concluded.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the federal government reacted to the decision of Governor Yahaya Bello to reject the COVID-19 vaccines in the country.
It was reported that while speaking on behalf of the government, the minister of state for health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, said the government won’t force any state to accept COVID-19 vaccines.
Mamora made the comment on Tuesday, March 9 during an interview with The Punch newspaper.
In a related report, Governor Bello had declared that he won’t receive the COVID-19 vaccine because he does not need it, adding that he does not have any medical condition that requires him to take the vaccine.
The Kogi state governor further stated that he will not allow the people of Kogi to be used as guinea pigs, noting that people who wish to take the COVID-19 vaccine in the state will be allowed to do so, but his government would not make it mandatory.
Bello pointed out that he will not allow the people of Kogi state to be used as guinea pigs.
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He explained that people who wish to take the COVID-19 vaccine in Kogi state would be allowed to do so, but the state government will not make it mandatory.
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Wale Akinola is a passionate journalist and researcher. He works as a senior political/current affairs editor at Legit.ng. He holds both B.A and Master’s degree in Communications and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan. He also holds a Diploma Certificate in Peace Journalism. He has over 15 years of work experience in both print and online media. He derives joy in keeping the public abreast of current happenings locally and internationally through his writings.
Source: Legit.ng
