Gov Bello shuns COVID-19 vaccine

As Nigeria commences its AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine rollout, with President Muhammadu Buhari and state governors willing to take their shots in the arms as an example for the rest of the population that the vaccines are safe, one state governor has made it clear he won't be a part of it all.

Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has maintained that the novel coronavirus is a hoax.

Now, he's gone one better by stating that he and his people won't be used as guinea pigs by vaccine manufacturers.

“COVID-19 is not our business in Kogi State," Bello said on ChannelsTV. "We have more pertinent issues and more pertinent matters that we are attending to in Kogi State. Insecurity we met, we’ve tackled it and several others. Disunity we met on ground and we have united Kogi State today not COVID-19.

“COVID-19 is just a minute aspect of what we are treating or handling in Kogi State; there have been outbreaks of Lassa Fever and Yellow Fever and those were handled without making noise about it.

“The last Yellow Fever (outbreak), we vaccinated our people against Yellow Fever, we encouraged them, we educated them and they felt the impact…If the federal government is gracious enough and gives us COVID-19 vaccines, we will equally sensitise our people, people who wish to come and take can come and take but I am not going to subject the people of Kogi State to vaccines or vaccination and I will not make them the guinea pigs."

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state. [PM News] Pulse Nigeria

Bello restated that he doesn't need to take the vaccine because nothing is medically wrong with him.

“Mr. President is the leader of this country. I respect him so high; all of us respect him so much. We love him and he is leading by example. If he needs to take the vaccine and he takes it, it is a welcome development.

“As far as I am concerned, I don’t need to take the vaccine. There is nothing wrong with me, I am hale and hearty. I am 100 per cent healthy…I won’t take any vaccine," he vowed.

Dr. Cyprian Ngong became the first recipient of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Nigeria when he took the jab during a launch ceremony at the National Hospital, Abuja on Friday, March 5, 2021.