COVID-19 vaccine card racketeers risk jail – FG


The federal government has decried the reported attempt of selling COVID-19 vaccination cards to clients who would rather put themselves and others at risk than seek protection (vaccinate) against the disease.
The government warned  that it will not in any way  condone the crimnal and sabotaging act from anyone. 
The Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib, disclosed this during the South-South zonal town hall meeting on COVID-19 vaccination in Nigeria.
Dignitaries at the meeting included the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the Chief of Staff to Governor Godwin Obaseki,  Mr. Osaigbovo Iyoha, representatives of religious bodies amongst others. 
Faisal said: “We have put together a Joint Task Force on COVID-19 vaccine Monitoring and Accountability to detect and bring offenders to the limelight.
“We must all understand that vaccine card racketeering, or any other related offence, is a crime that can land any convicted person in jail.” 
According to him,  4,680,000 eligible Nigerians have been vaccinated  against COVID-19 as at September 24, 2021 – with 1,865,127 of the figures  fully vaccinated with two doses”.

Faisal said: “We are not only fighting COVID-19 pandemic, but we are also fighting large scale misinformation and disinformation which has led to significant vaccination hesitancy.
“If we allow the health risks associated with COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy to persist, we would not only have undermined our responsibility to the people we are leading, but we will end up promoting the great social and economic set-back.”