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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Hundreds of Edo youths, yesterday, defied the rains to protest Governor Godwin Obaseki’s order compelling the people to take COVID-19 vaccine in Benin.
The governor had, last week, threatened that from the second week of September, his administration would restrict people without COVID-19 vaccine certificate from entering public places like banks, worship centres, parties and others.
But the protesters, led by a non-governmental organisation, Equity International Initiatives (EII), pointed out that taking the vaccine cannot be made compulsory by the state government.
Bearing placards with various inscriptions, the protesters took their peaceful protest to the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) secretariat, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat and government house in Benin.
At the NUJ premises, chairman of the council, Roland Osakue, who was represented by the Secretary, Titus Akhigbe, called on government to listen to the voice of the people and urged the protesters to go about the action peacefully.
EII Country Director, Chris Iyama, at the government house where the protesters were received by Governor Obaseki’s Chief of Staff, Osaigbovo Iyoha, said: “The issue of vaccine is a choice, you do not force anybody to take a vaccine, it is a choice, we are not saying people should not take COVID-19 vaccine but I have choices, I have a right to say no; there are people whose faith does not permit them, there are some persons whose faith does not permit them to take blood transfusion, are you going to force them?
“People can take vaccine on their own but you should not compel them, you should not force them. The governor must rescind that decision within seven days. If he has taken the vaccine, so be it, he should not force people to take it.
“We have overzealous security agents that would capitalise on that directive from the governor that security operatives should enforce compliance to abuse peoples’ rights, we do not want that.”
Also, cleric and acting Chairman of Edo State Civil Society Coalition, Osadolor Ochei, said government should focus on securing the lives and property of the people while the issue of vaccination should be left to individuals to decide.
