By Taofeek LAWAL, Abuja
As part of efforts to restore public confidence in the administration of COVID-19 vaccine on Nigerians, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Thursday commenced the vaccination of members of the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ), FCT chapter. Nigerians and residents of the FCT have remained skeptical about the vaccines since top government functionaries have refused to publicly take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Inaugurating the exercise at the NUJ secretariat in Utako, FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, said the FCTA considered it important to vaccinate journalists who he referred to as frontline workers.
The senior special assistant to the minister on media and strategic communications, Mallam Abubakar Sani, who represented the Bello at the event said vaccinating the journalists would clear any doubt about the COVID-19 vaccination and will also instill confidence on Nigerians to make themselves available for its administration. The minister said the vaccination is a normal routine, that vaccines to help boost the immune system and to protect people from contracting COVID-19 virus.
He said, “We considered it necessary to initiate this process of vaccinating members of the fourth estate of the ream because journalists are indeed frontline workers. The FCT Administration considers the relationship between the NUJ and the administration as a very productive and strong one. It is in the realization of the fact that journalists who report day-to-day activities that are happening in the society are exposed to the dangers of COVID-19. Some of them even go to the COVID-19 Treatment and Isolation centres to get testimonies from people infected with the COVID-19 virus,” the minister said.
The chairman FCT NUJ chapter, Emmanuel Ogbeche, said vaccination of journalists would speak more than any advocacy carried out by the government before.
“Journalists will attest if the vaccine has any side effects, understand what the issues are and give feedback to the public,” Ogbeche said.
Ogbeche added that over 120 journalists in Abuja registered to take the vaccine and added that more journalists will turn out for the exercise. The NUJ boss however expressed his appreciation to the minister for his support while assuring him (the minister) that journalists will continue to report the fight against the pandemic.