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Oluwasina Phillip
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, has again urged Nigerians to get vaccinated, stating that in no distant time, proof of vaccination will be required from anyone who wishes to visit other countries.
Speaking at the flag-off of the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination program in Abuja, the SGF urged state governments to intensify effort to ensure that more citizens get vaccinated.
According to him, Nigeria Government has responded very effectively to COVID-19 pandemic, as it has been rated fourth in the world by the Global Normalcy Index.
He said, “Vaccination for now is our only hope of getting out of this pandemic, hence we need to fight vaccine hesitancy and make sure everyone gets vaccinated.
“You will not be able to travel around the world except you prove that you have been vaccinated.”
The SGF assured that with the government’s continued investment in vaccines, Nigerians will have unfettered access to vaccines.
Commenting on resident doctors strike, Mustapha appealed that doctors should respond to the government’s invitation of negotiation and discussions in order to bring an end to the ongoing strike.
He further urged Nigerians to minimise non-essential travels to countries with high rate of infection, adding that travellers who flaunt the guidelines upon arrival into the country, will be sanctioned accordingly.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe, in his remark called on the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to embrace every opportunity presented on the way forward towards addressing their grievances so as to return to the hospitals as quickly as possible.
He noted that Nigeria may not have a successful administration of the vaccine in this second phase without the participation of the striking doctors.
“As we speak today, we have some sections of health workers who are not working. For ethical delivery of vaccines, we need health workers.
“Human resource is a huge challenge in our country. I want to call on our colleagues, who are on strike, to please avail themselves of all opportunities of negotiations that government has given.
“The resources they’re asking for have already been provided and are being processed, so I want to ask the resident doctors to please go back to work.
“I want to assure all Nigerians that the National Assembly is working collaboratively with the Executive Arm and other stakeholders to resolve these human resource challenges in Nigeria.
“It is a huge issue because if you have the money, if you have the materials, we need men to get healthcare delivered, and we assure Nigerians that we shall handle this,” he said.
