Governor Yahaya Bello says he will not allow Covid-19 vaccines to be administered in Kogi State

GOVERNOR Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has said that he will not allow any coronavirus vaccines to be administered across the state because he does not believe that combating the virus is important and will therefore not allow his people to be used as guinea pigs.

Earlier this week, Nigeria received 4m doses of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine and the federal government is currently working on his to distribute them across Nigeria's 36 states. Governor Bello has, however ruled out Kogi State receiving any doses of the vaccine, saying he would not allow the people of the state to be used as guinea pigs.

Highly ambitious with plans to run for president in 2023, Governor Bello has been known for his controversial views on the Covid-19 matter, once dismissing the whole pandemic as a ruse. At one stage, he even said there were no infections whatsoever in Kogi State until Nigeria Centre for Disease Control officials visited the state and carried out testing where they uncovered incidences.

Governor Bello said: “Coronavirus is not our business in Kogi State as we have more pertinent issues that need to be attended to. Covid-19 is just a minute aspect of what we are treating or handling in Kogi State as there have been outbreaks of lassa fever and yellow fever and those were handled without making noise about it.

“As far as I am concerned, I as a person do not need to take vaccines as there is nothing wrong with me. I am hale and hearty, I am 100 percent healthy and I won’t take any vaccines.

“President Buhari is the leader of this country. I respect him, all of us respect him so much, we love him and he is leading by example. If he needs to take the Covid-19 vaccine and he takes it, it is a welcome development but I will not make my people guinea pigs.”

President Muhammadu Buhari and vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo will take the vaccines later at a public event in Abuja. They have decided to take the vaccine publicly to help allay any fears anyone might have regarding the vaccine and to dispel rumours spread by certain religious leaders that it was occult and satanic.