The Speaker of Edo House of Assembly, Mr Marcus Onobun, and his wife, Ehizojie, have received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine jabs.
Onobun and wife received the jabs before newsmen at the new Festival Hall in Government House Benin on Monday.
He told newsmen shortly after receiving the vaccine that he did it publicly “to demonstrate to people that the vaccine is safe.
“I have just taken the vaccine publicly in the presence of the press and as you can see, l feel well and good.
“It is our responsibility as leaders to show example and demonstrate to the people that the vaccine is safe.
“The virus is with us and we have to look out for opportunities to get our people vaccinated against the disease so that the pandemic can be a thing of the past.
“So, I have taken mine and I urge Edo people to do the same. This vaccine, according to medical experts, is obviously very safe.
“The governor is doing everything possible to ensure that quite a number of people in the state are able to access the vaccine,” he said.
According to him, all the legislators and workers of the assembly and other members of the public, who are willing to take the vaccine, will be vaccinated.
In a remark, the speaker’s wife said she was glad and delighted to be part of the exercise.
“We all know how the pandemic has dealt with the world so the importance of this exercise today is very great.
“I am hoping that the vaccine will help reduce the spread of the virus,” Ehizojie said.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Health, Dr Osamwonyi Irowa, said that Edo had been in the forefront of the fight against the pandemic in the country.
Irowa said: “We have been following due process and COVID-19 preventive measures seriously to curb the spread of the virus in the state.
“Now we have reached the high point of our COVID-19 response by way of introducing the vaccine brought into the state a week ago.
“The vaccine is known to be safe. It stimulates antibodies that protect you from contracting the virus.
“We are here to demonstrate that the vaccine is good enough for Edo people,” Irowa said.
According to him, we are using this ceremony to show that the leadership of the state and other key players have made themselves available for the vaccine to show the people that the vaccine is safe.