From Timothy Olanrewaju Maiduguri
The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai El-Kanemi and Chairman, Borno State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Mohammed Naga, have urged the people of the state to take COVID-19 vaccine whenever vaccination commences in the state.
Both leaders spoke to journalists in Maiduguri ahead of the COVID-19 vaccination scheduled to start this week in the state.
‘Coronavirus is a very dangerous disease. It is a killer disease. I urge the people of Borno to take this vaccine,’ the Shehu told journalists during an interaction at his palace in Maiduguri on Monday.
The royal said he was ready to take the vaccine and also mobilize all members of the Borno Emirate council to take the vaccine. ‘I will take it, all district heads, village and ward heads will take it,” he declared.
He said he was hopeful the vaccine would help in curtailing the spread of COVID-19 as previous vaccines like the one for yellow fever, polio and guinea worms, have done in the past.
CAN Chairman Bishop Naga while giving his endorsement in an interview with Daily Sun called the Christian community in the state to accept the vaccination scheduled to commence this week.
‘I urge the entire Christian community to accept this vaccine. We believe our governmemt will not bring something that will defy or bring anything bad to the community,’ he said.
He maintained that the coronavirus was real and dangerous and asked people to avail themselves of the vaccine. Like the Shehu, he maintained the vaccine was not harmful judging from comments from medical experts and those that have taken it.
He described as satanic any negative comment from any pastor concerning the vaccine. He said such comment could be motivated by lack of concern about the tragedy COVID-19 has brought on the world. ‘Take the vaccine and let’s hope God in His infinite mercy will end this pandemic in the world,’ he said.
Daily Sun has learned that medical and health experts from the state Primary a Health Care Development Agency, Unicef, WHO and other development partners, along with the military, are already mapping out plans to conduct the vaccination exercise amid the security challenge in the state.