Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has kicked against the vaccination of Nigerians against Covid-19, saying he is “hale and hearty”.
Governor Bello said his state is dealing with more serious issues, not Covid-19.
Speaking this evening on a Channels Television programme monitored by our reporter, Bello declared that he would neither take any vaccine nor compel any one in the state to do so.
He said if the Federal Government is gracious enough to send the vaccine to the state, the government would accept it and ask anyone willing to take it to come forward.
Bello’s remarks follows the commencement of vaccination in Abuja today, with the Federal Government urging Nigerians to participate.
However, Bello said, “COVID-19 is not our business in Kogi State. We are dealing with more serious issues in Kogi State, not COVID-19. COVID-19 is just the minutest aspect of what we are treating in Kogi State”.
He added, “There has been an outbreak of Lassa Fever, Yellow Fever and those were handled without making noise. On the last Yellow Fever outbreak, we vaccinated our people against it, we encouraged them, we educated them and they felt the impact because it ravaged some communities in Kogi State.
“They came up and we vaccinated them. So if the Federal Government is gracious enough to give us COVID-19 vaccines, we are only going to sensitize our people, whoever wishes to come and take should come forward and take the vaccination but I am not going to subject the people of Kogi State to vaccination. I will not make them the guinea pigs.”
Asked if he would join President Muhammadu Buhari to take the vaccine on live TV, he said, “Mr. President is the leader of this country. I respect him so much. 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. As far as I am concerned. I, as a person, don’t need to take a vaccine. Nothing is wrong with me, I am hale, hearty, 100 percent healthy. I can give you my health report anytime you desire it.”
