Issues at stake, as FG’s Dec. 1 deadline for mandatory vaccination of civil servants kicks in

[By VICTOR NZE]

Against the backdrop of the issues of card racketeering, organised labour’s opposition, lack of framework of enforcement, deliberate misinformation, it becomes intriguing the capacity of the Federal Government to enforce the mandatory vaccination of civil servants in the country, as the December 1 deadline kicks in.

Federal Government through the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee (PSC), Mr. Boss Mustapha, had announced during the National Joint Media briefing on COVID-19 in Abuja, Wednesday, October 13, that all public workers under its employment have till December 1, this year to submit themselves to the Covid-19 vaccination programme or risk gaining access to their offices, saying there was no exception to the vaccine.

“With effect from 1st December 2021, Federal Government employees shall be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result done within 72 hours, to gain access to their offices, in all locations within Nigeria and our Missions. An appropriate service-wide advisory/circular will be issued to guide the process,” Mustapha said.

With 24 hours to the deadline, the Federal Government through the National Primary Health-care Development Agency (NPHCDA) insisted that there was no going back on the vaccination deadline for Civil servants across the Federation.

Executive Director, NPHCDA, Dr Shu’aib Faisal stated this at the National Media briefing in Abuja, on Tuesday, said that starting from December 1, 2021, adding that all Federal Civil servants would be required to show evidence of being vaccinated against COVID-19, or a negative PCR result done within 72 hours before being allowed into their offices.

“To further ease access to COVID-19 vaccines by Government employees, we have also commenced office-to-office vaccination in Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). What this simply means is that employees who are yet to be vaccinated will find a vaccination site around their offices to register and get vaccinated. This will help in preventing the excuse of having to leave their place of employment to a distant vaccination site.

“We would like to also state that, from time to time, civil servants will be picked at random to check or assess their COVID-19 antibody title to detect persons who may have fraudulently acquired the vaccination cards without vaccination. Anyone who has been found to have fraudulently obtained the vaccination card without vaccination would be handed over to the law enforcement authorities. The vaccines are free and are available at sites close to you,” he said.

“We have also engaged and are collaborating with the Nigerian Military, Police and Para-Military institutions for the establishment of mass vaccination sites in their locations around the country. We will also be assisting with the deployment of our vaccination teams to all sites identified by these institutions” he added.

“This is a clarion call to those who are yet to be vaccinated to hurry up and take advantage of our mass vaccination campaign to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Those who have received their first dose should also endeavour to go and get their second dose on their due dates, for full protection” Dr Shu’aib said.

However, as the December 1 deadline kicks in, Wednesday, many see the absence of a proper and well-coordinated framework of enforcement, the opposition of the organized labour union, and others as major obstacles to achieving the much-desired ramp up in the number of vaccinated people in the country.

As at early November, this year, the NPHCDA disclosed that it had vaccinated 5,770,899 persons with the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 3,146,885 persons have received the second dose (fully vaccinated).

Speaking at the Ministerial Press Briefing, an update on COVID-19 Response and Development in the Health Sector, in Abuja, Director Planning Research and Statistics, NPHCDA, Dr. Abdullahi Bulama Garba, said that the figures on number of vaccinated persons were as at November 7, 2021, in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Garba noted that there were over eight million doses of vaccines in the country at the moment, but the country was still expecting more doses.

He also said that to achieve herd immunity against the infection, Nigeria had set an ambitious goal of vaccinating 40 per cent of its over 200 million population before the end of 2021, and 70 per cent by the end of 2022.

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) disclosed that as at November 29, this year, a total of 21, 4113 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in the country, 20, 7292 cases discharged and 2, 976 deaths recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The figure is relatively on the positive side in comparison with other countries in terms of casualties registered at the hands of the virus.

On its part, NPHCDA said that as at November ending, more than six million Nigerians have received the first dose of the vaccine while more than 3 million have been fully vaccinated.

On its motive for directing mandatory vaccination for its workers, as a way to boost acceptance of the programme, NPHCDA had noted unvaccinated civil servants portend a high risk to others who have undergone the process of immunizing against the Covid-19.

NPHCDA explained that the government’s COVID-19 advisory for Federal workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or show proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours prior, before they can access their offices by 1st December 2021 seeks to make the workplace safe for everyone.

According to the NPHCDA, the directive will help to get civil servants to get vaccinated, and the achievement for herd immunity.

“A lot of Federal Government employees that are not taking the vaccine continue to pose a risk to their colleagues. These are people that need to be sure that they are negative before they can have to access through offices.

“There is a need to emphasise the fact that there is an option for people who do not wish to get vaccinated, therefore people are not being forced to take the vaccine as they have the option of showing a negative COVID-19 test result every 72 hours.

“This policy is in the interest of public safety and to fast track the community’s achievement of herd immunity,” the agency said.

According to the NPHCDA, Federal Government had said the aim of the directive was geared towards achieving a 70 per cent herd immunity by the end of 2022.

However, upon announcement of the directive for mandatory vaccination, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in October cautioned against forcing workers to take the COVID-19 vaccination.

President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba who sounded the warning during a briefing on COVID-19 Vaccination Advisory for Federal Civil Servants in Abuja, in October, noted that the government should employ the use of persuasion and conviction rather than force.

“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 that the tool of persuasion and conviction be used rather than force to get workers and the general populace to take the vaccine,“ Wabba said.

Many also posit that the directive on mandatory vaccination may fall into the hands of vaccination card racketeers who have making brisk business already in states mandatory vaccination is being enforced, like Bauchi, Edo states, where failure to show the card means being barred from accessing public offices.

It is believed that if the government insists on enforcing the regime of mandatory vaccination many of its workers may engage the services of these card racketeers.

Admitting to the existence of the unwholesome practice, government in October said it has set up a joint Task Force on vaccine racketeering to curb misses, as the Director Planning Research and Statistics, NPHCDA, Dr. Abdullahi Bulama Garba, noted that vaccines availability is not the issue in Nigeria.

He said that there is a two billion dollars arrangement for vaccine provision on ground that will cover Nigeria for the next seven years.

The allegation on card racketeering was made by a civil rights group in the country, the Resource Center for Human Rights and Civic Education which had in September raised alarm over the alleged involvement of some officials of the NPHCDA who it said, now demand N5,000 from unvaccinated individuals in order to issue them with the COVID-19 vaccination cards, saying it should be probed.

This allegation was made by the Executive Director of CHRICED, Dr. Ibrahim Zikirullahi, in a letter to the Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, titled, ‘Open letter on alleged fraudulent activities, specifically with respect to sale of COVID-19 vaccination cards by unscrupulous NPHCDA officials: Call for urgent investigation and action’.

“As a frontline organisation working to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we write to draw your attention to reports from credible media platforms detailing how some unscrupulous, and unpatriotic officials of the NPHCDA have been engaging in the corrupt and utterly reprehensible practice of collecting N5000 to issue COVID-19 vaccination cards, without the collectors taking the vaccines.

“According to one of such reports by the Media West Africa Foundation, several vaccine sceptics who are objecting to taking the vaccines but need the cards for the purpose of travelling are being made to pay N5000 for the vaccination card, without taking the vaccine.

“To say the least, these allegations are disturbing. The serious infractions which have been detailed in these investigative reports are capable of undermining the entire purpose of the vaccination process, to which the Federal Government of Nigeria and the entire community have committed enormous resources.

“CHRICED is also worried that these sharp practices, reprehensible and unbridled acts of petty corruption, if not checked and nipped in the bud, would undermine the valiant national and global efforts being put into the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Nigeria and around the world.

“It is equally pertinent to note that with such embarrassing attempts to corrupt the vaccination process, the credibility of Nigeria in the comity of nations, would be severely dented. If these acts of alleged official malfeasance are not investigated, and the perpetrators prosecuted, the credibility and acceptance of Nigerian vaccination cards on the global stage would be seriously affected,” Zikirullahi said.

Beyond mandatory vaccination, Federal Government also disclosed of plans to prosecute unvaccinated Nigerians, as a statement issued by the COVID-19 Taskforce on Tuesday, August 31, quoted Dr Faisal Shuaib, as saying that government may ‘apply the basic rule of law’ against such people because they are endangering the lives of other people.

“If some individuals refuse to take the COVID-19 vaccine, hence, endangering those who have or those who could not due to medical exemptions, then we have to apply the basic rule of law which stipulates that your human right stops where mine begins.

“So, you have a right to refuse vaccines, but you do not have the right to endanger the health of others.

“The Presidential Steering Committee and the Federal Ministry of Health is exploring ways of making vaccines more available to all Nigerians including federal civil servants and corporate entities.

“Once these vaccines are made equitably available to all Nigerians, then we would need to have a frank discussion about justice, fairness, and liberty that exist around vaccine hesitancy.”

On the issue of misinformation which has become a major stumbling block to the vaccination programme, Shuaib, said his agency will not join issues ‘with individuals who would rather concoct misinformation that could negatively affect the health of citizens.’

“This is because even acknowledging some of these falsehoods elevates and adds fuel to a raging flame that benefits only the perpetrator.

“This process can sometimes get things right, but it can also get things wrong, thereby producing rumours that turn out to be false. As Nigerians, when we hear or read information, we must always verify the credibility of the source, whether the information is internally consistent, and whether there is supporting evidence.

“Nigerians are encouraged to always reflect on the veracity of the claims they encounter. People need to understand that misinformation is fundamentally exploitative, it tries to use our religion, our patriotism, and our desire for justice to outrage us and dupe us into faulty reasoning.

“The false claims currently disseminated that Covid-19 vaccines are intended for genetic manipulations were similar to the claims that polio vaccines were intended to kill Muslims, but today, thanks to our resilience, solidarity and collective will, we have cause to celebrate our hard-won victory over wild polio virus in Nigeria,” Shuaib said.

According to him, vaccine was a reliable and proven tool for prevention and control of infectious diseases such as Covid-19.

“A vaccine works by stimulating the immune system to induce immune cells and proteins, called antibodies that confer immunity or protection against the disease.

“The mRNA technology used to develop the new Coronavirus vaccines has been in development for almost two decades.

“Scientists developed the technology to help respond quickly to pandemics such as Covid-19. It is therefore ridiculous when the anti-vaccination campaigners claim that Covid-19 alters the human DNA or that people will die in two weeks or two years after vaccination.

“Similar claims that polio vaccines were intended to cause infertility and kill our children, were made in the past but today, many of the children who received polio vaccine have grown to adulthood, become parents and are fulfilling their various dreams.

“No child in the country died of polio vaccination. It is therefore critically important for us all to always seek correct and accurate information about Covid-19 vaccines from reliable sources, so that we can be rightly guided to dispel fake news and misinformation from individuals or groups driven by mischief,” he added.

As the December 1 deadline kicks in, therefore, Nigerians wait to see the level of enforcement of the mandatory vaccination regime, as they also posit that that is what will drive the populace to embrace the programme in the larger society.

“If the Federal Government fails to enforce this directive on its workers, many people outside will not take serious the vaccination programme anymore. Government has to start from its own people for those on the outside to see them as serious and brace up for stricter measures.

“Let me also point out that other foreign countries are watching us. If they see Nigeria as not serious, then its hard times for those us intending to travel out because that our vaccination card will not carry any weight,” said Mr Chike Anyanwu, a travel and tours operator based in Lagos.