COVID-19 Vaccine: Don’t Force Workers to get Vaccinated, Persuade Them, NLC Sends Message to FG
- The impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the country is still being felt as the government seeks ways to keep the citizens safe through COVID-19 vaccination
- In recent times, the federal government has called on Nigerians especially civil servants to get vaccinated or risk their jobs, this call has somehow proved abortive as many are yet to get the dose
- In reaction, the NLC has urged the federal government to appeal to workers rather than apply the use of force for them to get vaccinated
Abuja- The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has called on the Federal Government to stop the use of force in the enforcement of workers' vaccination.
The president of NLC, in a statement released on its official Facebook page and sent to Legit.ng on Monday, October 25, Ayuba Wabba made this call while also appealing to civil servants to get vaccinated.
Wabba who emphasized on the need for workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine, insists the FG should employ the use of persuasion and conviction rather than force.
Source: Facebook
The statement read thus:
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"The COVID-19 pandemic has brought some of the biggest strains, stress and squeeze to the workplace. Thousands of workers died. Many of the dead from the global workforce were frontline workers. As at the third week of October 2021, more than 180,000 health workers world over had lost their lives to COVID-19.
"The high rate of fatality is unfortunate but also highlights the sacrifice that workers have made in combating and containing this deadly virus. Many more workers have their jobs and means of livelihood to COVID-19.
"The biggest lesson of the pandemic is that amidst the worst crisis, the human race can rise to the challenge with great resourcefulness and resilience. Apart from accelerated scientific efforts at understanding the epidemiology of the virus, science has raised the bar a little higher with the breakthrough discovery of vaccine for COVID-19 which has helped reduce death rate and hospital admissions.
"A study conducted by the United States Centre for Disease Control at the eng of May 2021 shows that there was about 63% drop in hospital visitations after the introduction of the COVID-19 Vacing There was also a 63% drop in hospital admissions Poy vaccination and 66% drop in mortality for those aged 18 - 49 after the vaccination.
"I understand some people prefer to view COVID.19 vaccination with caution. Yes, it is important to proceed on issues of public health with great caution. Yet, it would be foolhardy to elevate caution above scientific evidence ang facts from public health records.
"The truth is that despite being imperfect, the COVID-19 Vaccine has given all of us a better chance of fighting the virus and staying alive.
"I urge workers all over the world to take advantage of the COVID-19 vaccines and keep themselves, their families and their colleagues at work safe and free from the morbid threats of the corona pandemic.
"We urge government and other employers of labour to make special arrangement for workers to access the vaccine at the workplace We urge that the tool of persuasion and conviction be used rather than forcé to get workers and the general populace to take the vaccine."
Signed
Comrade Ayuba Wabba
National President, NLC
I’ll Take COVID-19 Vaccine: Pastor Adeboye surprises members, tells them to go for It
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, is not against the COVID-19 vaccine.
Speaking to his congregants at the monthly Holy Ghost Night, the cleric said he never instructed them not to be vaccinated.
He advised RCCG members who are willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine to go ahead and do so. According to him, he will not hesitate to take the vaccine for the sake of Christ.
COVID-19 vaccines administered in Nigeria
In an earlier report by Legit.ng, the federal government debunked claims that the government of the United Kingdom does not recognise various COVID-19 vaccines used in Nigeria.
The executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, said contrary to this claim, the UK government recognises all vaccines administered in Nigeria.
The NPHCDA boss said the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, also known as COVISHIELD that is used in Nigeria was approved by the UK regulatory body (MHRA), other stringent regulatory authorities and the World Health Organisation.
Source: Legit.ng
