COVID-19 Vaccination: Count Me Out – Gov Yahaya Bello Insists
Says Kogi people are not guinea pigs
BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI – Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi is not letting off in his skepticism about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, insisting that he will not be available to receive the vaccine.
According to him, being medically fit and healthy, he was not ready to allow anyone to use him and the people of Kogi State as “guinea pigs” for the so-called COVID-19 vaccine.
“As far as I am concerned, I don’t need to take the vaccine. There is nothing wrong with me, I am hale and hearty. I am 100 per cent healthy…I won’t take any vaccine”, the governor said.
Bello’s reaction is against the backdrop that President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osibanjo as well as his colleague governors are scheduled to receive the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccines in the coming days.
Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme, Governor Bello said; “COVID-19 is not our business in Kogi State. We have more pertinent issues and more pertinent matters that we are attending to in Kogi State.
“Insecurity we met, we’ve tackled it and several others. Disunity we met on ground and we have united Kogi State today not COVID-19.
“COVID-19 is just a minute aspect of what we are treating or handling in Kogi State; there have been outbreaks of Lassa fever and Yellow Fever and those were handled without making noise about it.”
The governor further explained thus; “The last Yellow Fever (outbreak), we vaccinated our people against Yellow Fever, we encouraged them, we educated them and they felt the impact…
“If the Federal Government is gracious enough and give us COVID-19 vaccines, we will equally sensitise our people, people who wish to come and take can come and take but I am not going to subject the people of Kogi State to vaccines or vaccination and I will not make them the guinea pigs.”
Expressing confidence in the leadership of President Buhari, the Kogi Chief Executive said; “Mr President is the leader of this country. I respect him so high; all of us respect him so much.
“We love him and he is leading by example. If he needs to take the vaccine and he takes it, it is a welcome development.”
With issues around the virus’ vaccine taking the centre stage globally, about four million doses of AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine have so far been received by the Federal government through the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja.
Meanwhile, the first Nigerian to get a shot of the vaccine in Nigeria, Dr Cyprian Ngong of the National Hospital, Abuja, and some health workers took shots of the vaccines when Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, flagged of the exercise in Abuja on Friday.
However, moving to clear lingering doubts about the vaccine among Nigerians, the President; Vice-President Osinbajo and some governors will be taking shots of the vaccines on Saturday, March 6, 2021.
