Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello says he would not receive COVID-19 vaccine as Nigeria begins the vaccination.
Governors and their deputies are expected in the coming days to receive shots of the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccines.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Mr Bello also said there was nothing medically wrong with him and he won’t allow the people of the state to be used as “guinea pigs”.
“COVID-19 is not our business in Kogi State. 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,” he said.
“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 out people against Yellow Fever, we encouraged them, we educated them and they felt the impact…If the Federal Government is gracious enough and give 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.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Cyprian Ngong of the National Hospital, Abuja became the first person in Nigeria to receive the vaccine on Friday.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo are expected to receive shots of the vaccines on Saturday to assure the public of its safety.
