Obaseki tasks Nigerian scientists on local manufacturing of vaccines

Edo enforces restriction on proof of vaccination as COVID- 19 cases soar

EDO

State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, yesterday, said the development of vaccines by Nigerian scientists will enhance their acceptability in the country.

He noted that the hesitancy being recorded in the rollout of COVID- 19 vaccination exercise might be linked to lack of local input in the manufacturing processes.

Obaseki, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, said this while addressing the Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mohammed Abdullahi, who visited the Government House, Benin City.

He pointed out that when everything has to be foreign, there would be issues, adding: “We have all it takes. Nigerians are gifted and we can achieve anything we want to achieve in this country.”

Noting that there was a need for the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to actively promote research and innovation, he said: “Your ministry is a sensitive and important one, especially in the 21st century.

Speaking, Abdullahi said the President Muhammadu Buhari- led administration had given them the mandate to ensure that Nigeria becomes one of the 100 most innovative countries between the next five and 10 years.

Edo State Government has intensified the vaccination of citizens in the 18 councils of the state, urging those who have not been inoculated to get vaccinated to remain healthy and protected against the deadly virus.

Incident Manager of the State COVID- 19 Task Force, Dr. Andrew Obi, disclosed this after its daily virtual meeting presided over by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

He said the state recorded another death of someone who has not been inoculated with the COVID- 19 vaccine, as the state confirmed 63 new cases, adding that the total number of mortalities in the third wave of the pandemic had hit 54.

ALSO, the state government has deployed special teams to government facilities to enforce restriction on access to public places without proof of COVID- 19 vaccination.

The enforcement was monitored by the COVID- 19 Enforcement Team, headed by Yusuf Haruna, who led other members of the team to the Government House, State Secretariat and other government offices in Benin City, among others, to ensure compliance with the directive on vaccination and adherence to non- pharmaceutical interventions against the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.