The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said the administration is not forcing staff to compulsorily take the COVID-19 vaccination, they either come with COVID-19 negative result test, or prove of vaccination.
The FCT Minister Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikaro Attah gave this hint on Tuesday in continuation of the enforcement exercise.
He said , visits to FCTA
Departments and Agencies showed 70 percent compliance, saying, the turnout of individuals who had took their jab since it began was impressive.
According to him, “Like yesterday, we have massive turn out of staff that are fully vaccinated, we have gone to FCT departments and agencies and have seen that the staff are fully vaccinated. What we will continue to insist is that the vaccination is not by force, we are not forcing people to take the job or vaccine. We are only telling people to come with either COVID-19 negative result test, or prove of vaccination.
“We are happy that there is high level of compliance, as of today the enforcement hit 70%, with the impressive turn up and the ongoing vaccination we are almost there” .
While speaking on staff that stay away from their offices, Attah said that the permanent secretary (FCTA), Mr Olusade Adesola said such staff will be treated as someone who stay away from work.
According to him, “The FCT permanent secretary is clear about that, anyone who stays away from the office will be treated as someone who is on the run, and the civil service rule is clear about it. The Permanent Secretary with Director Human Resource Management, Mallam Bashir Muhammed have made it very clear that if you decide to stay at home because you don’t have evidence of vaccination, or COVID-19 negative result test, you will be treated in line with the civil service rule”
Attah stated that COVID-19 vaccination centres are all over the city, thus people are advised to go for their jab, saying the exercise was for no fee.
Ebikun Adekunle, one of the staff who spoke with our correspondent, said “I’m a Staff here , and I got to know that I won’t entre the office without collecting the vaccine or showing proof negative status. This is the main reason I collected the vaccine”.
He attributed his hesitancy to rumours and conspiracy theories surrounding the vaccine especially in the social media.
Similarly, Ebi Blessing, who was on a visit to the FCTA, seen receiving her COVID-19 vaccine jab at the Mobile COVID-19 Vaccination Centre in Area 11, said she had no other option than to accept the vaccine, in order to gain access to the government facility.
They wouldn’t allow us to gain access the FCTA premises, except we get vaccinated or present negative COVID-19 test result. So I was not willing but compelled to do so, she said.
