By Stephen Adeleye.
Bishop John Ibenu, the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kogi State chapter, on Thursday urged Christians to accept and take the COVID-19 vaccines in the state, saying it was safe.
Ibenu gave the advice in Lokoja when officials from Kogi State Ministry of Health and Kogi Primary Health Care Development Agency (KSPHCDA), paid an advocacy visit to him towards the preparation to receiving COVID-19 vaccines in the state.
According to Ibenu, the National CAN led by its President, His Eminence Dr Ayokunle Samson, had a stakeholders meeting with Minister of Health, the SGF, the Executive Director of NPHCDA, NAFDAC and other stakeholders.
The Bishop said that at the end of the meeting, they all came to a conclusion that COVID-19 was real and it affected people and that the vaccine should be accepted and taken by Christians and Nigerians.
“We listened to many presentation by professionals and we carried out our own investigation and concluded that the vaccine is beneficial to mankind and that every Christian should accept the vaccine.
“CAN is satisfied that all Christians should accept and take the vaccines,” Ibenu said.
He assured the Christian brothers and sisters and Nigerians that CAN would be the number one body to stand against anything that could harm anyone.
He stressed that it was against international standard and health practice to introduce anything that would be harmful to humanity, saying, ”CAN will never be part of anything that will be harmful to humanity.”
“The COVID-19 vaccine is safe; there is no trick in it, there is no Antichrist or 666 number in it. Please let us not be left behind. I am appealing to everyone of us to accept the vaccine when it comes; I assure you it is necessary and beneficial to everyone of us, it is for the safety ourselves, family and the total population at large.”
He, however, noted that the vaccine was not compulsory and not by force that those who wanted to take should take, and anybody who chose not to take it can stay away.
“But it is for the benefit of humanity and we certified it to be okay for everybody,” Ibenu said.
The cleric thanked Kogi state government under the leadership of Governor Yahaya Bello for all they had done to save lives in the state since inception of COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bishop commended the ministry of health and the Governor in particular for being very open and practical in handling the issue of COVID-19 from the onset in the state.
“As far as COVID-19 is concerned, the Kogi government has taken the most pragmatic approach in addressing the situation from day one of the virus,” Ibenu said.
He added: “I want to use this occasion to thank Kogi State Government and NPHCDA, Commissioner for Health and the general populace and all other stakeholders for their commitment in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.
“Government operations is to save lives and we as Christians and religious leaders are also there to save lives; we don’t want to lose anybody, not even one.
“On this note, I will like to assure everyone that whatever the government is doing right now is for the safety of Nigerians.
“The reason for vaccination is to create health immunity. All the international safety measures have been put in place and we assure you that the side effects are very minimal just like several other vaccines,” he said.
He noted that millions of people have been vaccinated across the world including Nigeria’s President, Vice President, many Governors among others.
Earlier, Alhaji Acheku Yusuf, Kogi State Health Promotion Officer, said the visit was on the mandate of Kogi Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Audu; and the Executive Director of KSPHCDA, Dr Abubakar Yakubu, to seek CAN support on COVID-19 vaccination in the state.
He said that Kogi was expected to receive COVID-19 vaccines very soon, and CAN would be needed as one of the critical stakeholders to educate the Christian body.
”We want to solicit your support in educating our Christian brothers and sisters in Kogi to accept the vaccines, but we must not force anybody to take it,” Yusuf said.
In her vote of thanks, Mrs Abo Amodu, the State Social Mobilisation Focal Person, KSPHCDA, thanked the CAN chairman for his commitment, support and understanding.
