Mixed reactions trail Nigeria compulsory workers vaccination

Mixed reactions have continued to trail the recent announcement by Authorities in Nigeria over mandatory Covid-19 vaccination.

According to the announcement, Civil servants in Nigeria will not be allowed into their offices from December 1, 2021 unless they can prove they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 or show a negative test for the disease.

Many say the rule is uncivil and unacceptable, some civil servants in the capital, Abuja say they have been stopped 2-3 times from entering into their work place since December 1, and would not mind staying at home if it continues.

“I don’t care if it affects my salary that is why I said, if they enforce it, I am happy to go but they should be ready to pay my money instantly and there will be no problem,” said Nina Agodobada, a civil servant.

“Well it is a very good decision taken, but with the nature of human beings, when you push them into doing things, they actually revoke, so I would prefer a more friendly approach than this,” said Adullahi sheun, another civil servant.

Many federal workers have been visiting vaccination centers to get vaccinated since the enforcement began.

However, the Association of Senior Civil servant of Nigeria has requested that the government gives them till march next year to enable most workers get the jab

A legal practitioner, Mwansat Hirse, says workers have limited options on the issue and have the duty of supporting the community where they reside as stated in the constitution.

“I think it is right for the government to make policies in order to regulate that. So, it is not out of place that the government has taken measures to restrict entrance into public places, one of which is government offices,” he added.

According to Hirse, citizens should support the government in trying to overcome the current global health challenge.

“We must not ignore the fact that there is indeed a pandemic, we have passed through it, we have been under a lockdown. There is indeed a pandemic and we must be careful to conduct ourselves in a way that we don’t increase the chances of others being infected,” he noted.

A female employee at the Federal Secretariat, Olayiwola Precious says she got vaccinated because she wanted to set a standard for most Nigerians and encourage others to get vaccinated.

“Yes I am encouraging them, it is very easy, it is not painful, it is not even as painful like other vaccines,” she added.

Nigeria joins a growing number of countries around the world whose governments are mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for civil servants.

There are several countries that have adopted mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for their workforce even as others are implementing other restrictions for the unvaccinated.

However, while some public health experts say although such policy cannot be proven scientifically it is necessary to protect more Nigerians from infection, others insist that such mandatory policy must take into consideration the World Health Organisation’s recommendation that it is always better if health interventions are accepted without coercion.