Unvaccinated civil servants have been refused access into their offices until they receive the COVID-19 vaccine
The Nigerian government has commenced enforcing the compulsory COVID-19 vaccine for civil servants who wish to retain their jobs.
The government had announced December 1 as the deadline for workers in the government’s employment to show evidence that they have taken the vaccine or been locked out of their offices.
This morning, December 1, civil servants without proof of vaccination and negative PCR were barred from entering the Federal Secretariat
A large number of civil servants who could not show proof of vaccination and negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests, were locked out of the secretariat.
RELATED
Scientists detect new COVID-19 variant resistant to vaccine
Many Nigerians have been reluctant in taking the vaccine for a number of reasons, fueled mostly by fake news. Some say it has side effects that undermine the health of the person who takes it. Others falsely accuse the Western world of using it to depopulate Africa even when the head of the World Health Organisation is an African.
There is also the challenge of not having enough vaccines.
The December deadline has led to a rush by the civil servants to get their shots, which has not been readily available.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria had however asked the Federal Government to extend till March next year, the deadline for the compulsory vaccination of civil servants.