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Six States Oppose FG’s Plan To Impose COVID-19 Vaccine On Nigerians

COVID-19 Vaccine

As the reluctance of Nigerians to take the COVID-19 vaccine and be part of the country’s vaccination programme continues to grow, the Federal Government has continued to grow frustrated. This is coupled with the new Delta variant of the coronavirus which has been reported in the country and the rising numbers of infected persons across the nation.

This has moved the FG to suggest a compulsory vaccination programme for its citizens, saying it would hesitate to “apply the basic rule of law” against people who refused the COVID-19 vaccine because they would be endangering the lives of others.

This was made known on August 31, 2021, by the Executive Director, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Faisal Shuaib. He said:

“The Presidential Steering Committee and the Federal Ministry of Health are exploring ways of making vaccines more available to all Nigerians, including federal civil servants and corporate entities. Once these vaccines are made equitably available to all Nigerians, then we will need to have a frank discussion about justice, fairness and liberty that exist around vaccine hesitancy.

“If some individuals refuse to take the vaccine, hence endangering those who have or those who could not due to medical exemptions, then we have to apply the basic rule of law, which stipulates that your human right stops where mine begins. So, you have a right to refuse vaccines, but you do not have the right to endanger the health of others.”

However, six states have said they will not force anyone to be part of the vaccination programme against their wish. They insist on continuing their appeal to their residents to see the need to accept the programme rather than force it on them.  The six states include Abia, Bauchi, Cross River, Enugu, Ogun, and Taraba.

The Abia State Executive Director of the State Primary Healthcare Agency, Dr Chinagorom Adindu, said the residents of the state would take it as enlightenment campaign was ongoing.

“At the moment, we have not considered that (making the vaccination programme mandatory). Abians are highly literate and are willingly taking it. However, the state government has embarked on mass enlightenment to convince more residents to take the vaccine.”

COVID-19 Vaccine

COVID-19 Vaccine Programme

Read Also: COVID-19 Vaccine: There Will Be No COVID Vaccination For Under 18s – FG

The Bauchi State  Chairman of Contact and Surveillance Sub-Committee of the Task Force on COVID-19 and Executive Chairman of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Rilwan Mohammed, said the state had no plan to restrict people that had not been vaccinated from public facilities.

“There is no plan on that; we have yet to discuss that at the committee level. My Chairman is the deputy governor and he has not said anything on that and we have not discussed it.”

The Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Betta Edu, said residents were already taking the vaccine, thus there would be no need to force them to take it.

“We have asked people to take the vaccine and Cross Riverians are taking it. In the first phase, Cross River was the highest for covering the target population. We had over 117 per cent. We even exhausted our vaccine and could not get the vaccine to give people the second dose for eight weeks.

“So, there is no need to force them. As we speak now, over 60,000 Cross Riverians have taken the new vaccine brought to us and more are still taking it. In fact, we will soon exhaust what we have and we will need more. So, making it compulsory is not necessary.”

The Enugu State Commissioner for Information and spokesperson for the state Action Committee on COVID-19, Mr Chidi Aroh, revealed that the state would respect the fundamental rights of every resident of the state.

“I know that in Enugu State, we encourage people to take vaccine but rest assured that in encouraging people to take the vaccine, Enugu is a state that is guided by the law. We are going to respect the fundamental rights of everybody as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“So, in all we do, we will be guided by the process of the law and the administration will do everything within the extant laws. However, we say that it is proper for people to go and get vaccinated but we will not do what is illegal to get people vaccinated.”

The Taraba State Commissioner for Health and Chairman of the State Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Innocent Vakkai, appealed to the residents to take the vaccine to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Though Edo State has made vaccination cards compulsory for entry into public places, for us in Taraba, we are appealing to residents to come out and get vaccinated. We received 60,000 doses of Moderna vaccine last week and I want to appeal to residents to come out and get vaccinated to avoid the spread of the virus.”

The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, ruled out the option of barring persons who had not been vaccinated from its facilities.

“Ogun State has experienced cooperation from residents who have engaged the vaccination campaign wholeheartedly. We are vaccinating over 7,000 individuals daily, so the situation in Ogun State does not require such restrictions.

“What I would like to encourage people to do is to wear their masks properly in public as this is still the most effective way of curtailing the spread of the virus while we continue the vaccination campaign which is planned to continue until the fourth quarter of next year.”

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One Half Of The Estranged Duo P-Square Declares Nov 30 as his new birthday

Mr P has officially moved his birthday celebration from November 18 to November 30, adding a new layer to the ongoing P-Square family feud. What began as a social media declaration has now been formalised. A few hours after announcing his intention to change his birthday date, Peter Okoye, known professionally as Mr P, has issued an open letter confirming that November 18, the date he has shared with his twin brother Paul Okoye since birth in 1981, is no longer his day of celebration.

“Dear Family, Friends, and Fans,” the post read. “I’m making it official. November 18th is no longer my birthday celebration date. Please note that I will not be accepting any messages or gifts on that day. My birthday will now be celebrated on November 30th. This is a personal decision, and I truly appreciate your understanding.”

The message is brief, but its implications are quite clear. November 18 has long been one of the last remaining public symbols of a shared identity between two brothers whose professional and personal relationship has deteriorated sharply over the past several years.

By formally reassigning the date, Peter is drawing a line that goes beyond creative differences or business disputes.

The reaction from Nigerians online has been largely sceptical.

Many have questioned the necessity of the gesture, with a significant number describing it as petty and unnecessary given the more substantive issues that have defined the brothers’ current estrangement.

The consensus among critics is that changing a birthday date does little to resolve any of the actual grievances and serves mainly as a public statement of severance.

The feud between Peter and Paul Okoye has now spanned multiple years, two official splits, a brief reunion, and a growing list of public accusations on both sides. November 30 is still months away. To see if the gesture will land as true liberation or just pettiness may depend entirely on where things stand by then.

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I Took Over From Myself’: Tinubu’s Claims that He and Buhari Are ‘One’

President Bola Tinubu addressed supporters on Wednesday night in a video that was equal parts pep talk and provocation, but it was one particular line that cut through everything else and set social media alight.

Speaking to the leadership and coordinators of his Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Tinubu pushed back against the criticism that his administration inherited and worsened an already broken economy.

His defence took an unexpected turn. “This economy, I didn’t have to look back because the truth is, I took over from myself,” he said. “The late Buhari is me, he was a partner, if I took over from him, is that not from myself? So, it’s wrong? Fine. Live with it, correct it, move on.

Nigerians online did not move on, at least not immediately. The comment, which appeared to collapse the distinction between his administration and Muhammadu Buhari’s, drew a flood of reactions ranging from genuine bewilderment to sharp mockery.

For critics who have spent two years arguing that Tinubu’s government is a continuation of the same policies that drove Nigeria into economic hardship, the president had essentially handed them their argument in his own words.

The broader address, shared to his official page at 10:38 pm alongside a roughly ten-minute video, was deliberately combative.

Tinubu took aim at the opposition, dismissing the recently held ADC convention as “a street convention” and its energy as mere “rascality.”

He warned that his government would not yield to noise or disobedience of court orders, while also promising supporters that standing with him would not be a decision they would regret.

At one point, he told the ambassadors, “That is why we have told you to renew their hope”, drawing laughter from the audience. He added that for those unwilling to embrace the hope on offer, they would simply provide “eyeglasses.” It was the kind of line that plays well in a room full of loyalists and poorly everywhere else.

The overall message he tried to convey was that he would not be retreating, would not be apologising, and was not particularly interested in critics.

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S.A Opposition leader Julius Malema sentenced to five years in prison over gun incident

A South African court has sentenced opposition leader Julius Malema to five years in prison after finding him guilty of illegally firing a rifle during a political rally, a ruling that could shake the country’s opposition politics.

Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), was convicted on several firearm-related charges linked to a 2018 party rally in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape, where he was filmed firing a semi-automatic rifle into the air in front of thousands of supporters.

The court found him guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, discharging a firearm in a built-up area, and reckless endangerment, offences that prosecutors argued posed a serious public safety risk.

During sentencing, the magistrate emphasised that public figures must respect the law and warned that celebratory gunfire could endanger lives. Prosecutors had pushed for a maximum 15-year sentence, arguing that leniency would set a dangerous precedent given Malema’s influence as a national political figure.

Malema’s legal team, however, argued that the act was symbolic and caused no harm, urging the court to impose a fine instead of prison time.

The outspoken politician has already vowed to appeal both the conviction and the sentence, insisting the case is politically motivated. If the sentence is upheld, the ruling could have major political consequences. Under South African law, a prison sentence exceeding 12 months without the option of a fine can disqualify a lawmaker from holding a parliamentary seat, potentially forcing Malema out of the National Assembly.

Malema, a former youth leader of the African National Congress before founding the EFF in 2013, has built a reputation as one of South Africa’s most controversial political figures. His party campaigns for radical economic reforms, including land redistribution without compensation and nationalisation of key industries.

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