KOGI: Data Shows Yahaya Bello Was Obstacle To Vaccination As Over 8,566 Receive Jabs In 10 Days

Kogi has vaccinated over 8,566 of its population and interestingly the state had only commenced its inoculation process barely 10 days ago.

The feat which was attained within a short period showed that despite Governor Yahaya Bello’s relentless efforts to discourage Kogi residents from receiving the vaccine, the people, especially health workers, still saw the need to be vaccinated.

It also indicated that Kogi could have vaccinated more people by now if the Bello administration had prepared to receive the state’s share of the AstraZeneca vaccines early enough.

Bello, until the latter week of March, when the state announced its readiness to join other states already participating in vaccination activity, had publicly declared his state a COVID-19 free state.

However, on April 7, not only did the state announce that it had started the inoculation of health workers, pictures of this development flooded the internet and caused mixed reactions among Nigerians.

On Friday, barely 10 days after, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency
(NPHCDA), shared a data report revealing that Kogi vaccinated 8,566 which is 51 per cent of the targeted proportion.

The agency had allocated 16,900 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the state, which was less than half of the number of doses initially earmarked for the state.

Meanwhile, according to the NPHCDA data, Kogi had surpassed the likes of Abia with 8,035 states, Taraba with 8,390 and as of April 16.

The data further showed that residents of the state may have been in desperate need of the vaccine but at the alleged behest of the governor, health workers and eligible residents kept mum.