The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, on Wednesday, said COVID-19 vaccine is optional for Nigerians and not compulsory.
Abubakar who is the President-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, spoke during the sensitisation programme on COVID-19 vaccine for Muslim Scholars and Imams in Nigeria, facilitated by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency on Wednesday evening in Abuja.
Abubakar said, “I believe that we cannot force people to take vaccine. There are myths, people talk of conspiracy theories.
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“I am not giving an answer to anything. If the vaccine is meant to kill us, will anybody wait for this COVID-19 vaccines before killing us? If anybody wants to kill us, there are millions and one ways to kill us. But I am not giving an answer to anything that the COVID-19 vaccine is this or that. The vaccines are free, we are not paying for the vaccine, it is your choice to take the vaccine.”
The Sultan, therefore urged participants at the programme to ask questions on storage capacity when the vaccine eventually comes into Nigeria.
At the event, the Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, assured that Nigeria would rather not have vaccine than to bring in bad vaccine.
Giving the assurance, he informed that no vaccine would be brought into the country unless certified safe for use.
