Governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, has confirmed that he will not be taking the COVID19 vaccine. 

After receiving 3.92 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID19 Vaccines on Tuesday, March 2, Nigeria unveiled the COVID19 vaccination program on Friday, March 5. 

Governor Bello, who has never concealed his disbelief in Nigeria’s COVID19 pandemic, has confirmed that he will not be taking any action.

He said:

‘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.

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 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.

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 said