By Hillary Asemota
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Friday expressed sadness that some people are bent on making the COVID-19 vaccination a political issue in the state.
However, he said his administration will not make the COVID-19 vaccination compulsory, but for now, adding: “It is the best way to protect yourselves and protect the people around you. It is so sad to see people making it a political issue.” He reiterated in a wired statement made available to the media on Friday.
The disclosure emerged when the governor hosted the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Prof. Darlington Obaseki, who was on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Benin City.
While urging on the imperative for residents to get vaccinated and ensure compliance with preventive protocols against the spread of the virus, Obaseki said: “I am saddened when I see people not protecting themselves against COVID-19.
He said: “Go to any of our isolation centres and see what is happening to people,” he worried.
The governor reassured that his government will sustain reforms in the healthcare system to reposition the state as the country’s medical hub.
“Our experience from the outbreak of the pandemic taught us something that the healthcare system in Edo is one. God forbid you fall ill or you have an emergency, it won’t matter where you are treated. At that point you don’t care if it is a federal, state, or religious institution, as long as you get cured,” the governor noted.
In a remark, the CMD, commended the governor for the support which the hospital management had enjoyed under his leadership.
While government’s position no doubt has created an ambivalent scenario in not a few, recall that some few weeks ago Obaseki had reacted to an order by a High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, directing it to maintain the status quo on the purported compulsory vaccination of its citizens with the COVID-19 vaccine.
While the governor vehemently denied the imposition of compulsory vaccination, his media SA, Mr. Crusoe Osagie in a statement while reacting on the matter said: “To the best of government’s knowledge, the order is at best speculative and pre-emptive as the scheduled date for the commencement of the enforcement of the directive by the state government is the second week of September, 2021.
“It must be stated that there is an obvious misconception that the directive issued by government was to make vaccination compulsory for all citizens.
“Although the State Governor, in truth, has the power to make such an order under the gazetted quarantine regulations, this directive is actually only a denial of access to public places of persons who chose not to be vaccinated.
“We believe government’s overriding concern is the safety and health of its citizens.” The statement added.
Obaseki, acknowledged that the state is currently confronted with a situation the Case Positivity Rate (CPR) for COVID-19 hovers between 15% and 25% as deaths are consistently being recorded daily from COVID-19, with unvaccinated persons accounting for 100 percent of deaths in the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
Government, he said therefore, finds it strange that some persons in purported pursuit of their fundamental human rights would embark on litigation tourism outside of our state, seek to become a source of public health danger and put at risk the safety and health of the larger population.
Obaseki, said: “Government owes a sacred duty to the populace to take all actions necessary to protect the health of the majority of the citizens and in this connection, an even greater quantity of vaccines is being secured for the use of the people of Edo State.
“The Edo State Government has, therefore, instructed its Lawyers to vigorously pursue and challenge all such orders in the courts from where they emanate and if necessary, at the appellate level, while affirming its position as a law-abiding government.
“It must be made clear that the government shall continue to pursue all legal and administrative options available for the protection of the best interest of the good people of Edo State.”
