From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Hundreds of Edo youths, yesterday morning, defied the rains in Benin City to protest Governor Godwin Obaseki’s order compelling the people of the state to take COVID-19 vaccine.
Recall that the governor had last week threatened that from the second week of September, his administration would begin restricting people without COVID-19 vaccine certificate from entering public places like banks, worship centres, parties and others.
But the protesters led by a non-governmental organization, Equity International Initiatives pointed out that taking the vaccine cannot be made compulsory by the state government.
Bearing placards with various inscriptions, the protesters took their peaceful protest to the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Secretariat, Edo State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat and Government House in Benin City.
At the premises of the Edo NUJ, the chairman of the Council, Sir Roland Osakue, who was represented by the Secretary, Comrade Titus Akhigbe, called on the government to listen to the voice of the people and urged the protesters to go about the action peacefully.
In Government House where the protesters were received by the Chief of Staff to Obaseki, Hon Osaigbovo Iyoha, Country Director of EII, Chris Iyama, said “The governor of Edo State made a statement saying from the second week of September that Edo citizens will not be allowed to access public space if they do not show their vaccine certificate. He specifically said Christians will not be allowed to access their churches if they do not show evidence of being vaccinated, he equally said you can no longer go to the banks if you are not vaccinated, you can no longer go to the market; he equally said you cannot access public schools.
“The issue of vaccine is a choice, you do not force anybody to take a vaccine, it is a choice, we are not saying that people should not take COVID-19 vaccine but I have choices, I have a right to say no; there are people whose faith does not permit them, there are some persons whose faith does not permit them to take blood transfusion, are you going to force them? People can take vaccine on their own but you should not compel them, you should not force them. The governor must rescind that decision within seven days. If he has taken the vaccine, so be it, he should not force people to take it.
“We have overzealous security agents that would capitalize on that directive from the governor that security operatives should enforce compliance to abuse peoples’ rights, we do not want that”, Iyama added.
Also speaking, Bishop Osadolor Ochei, a cleric and acting chairman of Edo State Civil Society Coalition, said government should focus on securing the lives and properties of the people while “The issue of vaccination should be left to individuals to decide. The Minster of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire has said that he signed an indemnification certificate on behalf of Nigerians to exempt the producers of the vaccine that if anything happens to us as a people, the manufacturer of the vaccine will not be held accountable”.
Receiving the position paper of the protesters, Iyoha commended them for the peaceful protest and promised to convey their demands to the governor.