Federal civil servants are in a last-minute rush to get vaccinated ahead of December 1 deadline by the Federal Government.
The Federal Government had last month set the deadline for civil servants to take the Covid-19 vaccine.
Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, announced this at a briefing in Abuja.
“With effect from 1st December 2021, Federal Government employees shall be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, or present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result done within 72 hours to gain access to their offices in all locations within Nigeria and our Missions.
“An appropriate service-wide advisory/circular will be issued to guide the process,” the SGF said.
It was initially thought that the order would affect only senior workers from grade level 12 and above.
However, the directive last week to civil servants from level 12 and below to resume tomorrow has created panic of some sort.
According to a circular signed by the head of service of the federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, beginning December 1, all federal government workers are requested “to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result done within 72 hours.”
It was gathered that hundreds of civil servants are in a race to get the jab as many centres recorded a high influx yesterday.
But the Director Communication, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHoCSF), Malam Abdulganiyu Aminu, said they could not be specific on the actual number of civil servants vaccinated, especially for the fact that the exercise was ongoing.
He said, “But reports reaching us from the various vaccination centres are encouraging. Many civil servants are responding to the call to get vaccinated.”
The Executive Director of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaibu, had said that as of November 26, a total of 6,242,224 Nigerians had received the first dose of Covid-19.
He also said 3,487,298 Nigerians had received their second dose and therefore fully vaccinated.
This meant only 1.7 per cent of the total population target of 111,776,503 has been vaccinated.
