The Federal Government has disclosed on Thursday that it would soon make COVID-19 vaccination compulsory for all federal civil servants in Nigeria.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman, Presidential Steering Committee, Mr. Boss Mustapha, who was speaking at the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum meeting in Abuja, also disclosed that federal civil servants are representatives of the government and could be assigned to represent the government sometimes and hence they need to be vaccinated.
He however disclosed that the government will make the vaccine available before imposing the mandate.
He said, “The world is gravitating towards that direction. I can tell you by the time Western world vaccinates its people, you can’t get into any of the western countries without the vaccine certificate”.
The SGF, who also said that the government was building oxygen plants across Nigeria, urged the commissioners to provide extensive leadership in their states.
He disclosed that Nigeria has been experiencing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases but assured that Nigeria will successfully curb the tide of the third wave of COVID-19.
He said, “It is time to cease the opportunity of COVID-19 to reposition the health sector because after COVID-19, the sector will not get the attention it is getting”.
He further appealed to striking doctors to sheath their swords and return back to work for the sake of Nigerians.
The SGF said, “ I’ll continue to appeal to them. In the mist of a pandemic, any form of strike is unnecessary”.
On his part, the Executive Secretary, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Mohammed Sambo, appealed to the President to accelerate the process of assenting to a bill that had already been passed by NASS which, he noted would help the scheme.
Dr. Jeremie Zoungrana, Country Director for Nigeria at Gate Foundation Africa, noted that the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic had shown that the country had put health at the forefront of its development objective.
Zoungrana added that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation would continue to support the country in strengthening the health system.
Dr. Olumide Okunola, Senior Health Specialist at the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group, said that all the State commissioners of health have gathered at the event to make sense of all the complexities around the country health sector.
In her remarks, Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu, who spoke on behalf of that Commissioners for Health Forum, said that they were at the event to discuss the way forward for the health sector at the state level.
Edu added that they would not see changes in the Nigerians health indices if the states were not actively involved.
