Imposition of COVID-19 vaccination on workers by the FG is constitutional – lawyer

Mr Jubril Mohammed, a legal practitioner, has described the Federal Government’s directive that all employees receive the COVID-19 vaccination as constitutional.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Federal Government has given its employees until December 1 to get the COVID-19 vaccination or face being denied entry into their offices.

In response to the Federal Government’s ban on workers without proof of COVID-19 immunization from the workplace, Mohammed stated that the Nigerian constitution provided for exceptional circumstances in which people’ rights might be negated.

The lawyer told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Tuesday that during a pandemic, the government has the constitutional authority to restrict free movement or deny people their freedom or right to assemble.

“It is the constitutional authority of the government to prohibit free movement, particularly if there is any type of communicable disease or epidemic, until a remedy is discovered.”

“In this case, the Federal Government is qualified to issue the directive to its employees because the goal is to reduce the spread of COVID-19, especially since a new variant has emerged.”

“The most appropriate thing for any good government to do is to enforce and encourage people to get vaccinated, especially civil servants.”

“I am aware that there are designated centers where people can get the vaccine, but I am surprised at the slow response,” Mohammed said.

However, Mr Richard Olakulehin, a human rights lawyer, stated that the government should have provided adequate quantities of vaccines at the various centers before issuing the directive.

According to him, the process of administering the COVID-19 vaccines is slow because there are only a limited number of vaccines available to serve millions of Nigerians.

Nonetheless, Olakulehin contended that many workers may have legitimate reasons, such as health or religious beliefs, for refusing to be vaccinated.

“I believe the government should have established temporary vaccination centers at various ministries and agencies to expedite the process.”

“When you go to primary healthcare centers, most of the necessary facilities are not available, and they sometimes don’t have enough vaccines to go around.”

“I believe that the government should only require workers to show vaccination certificates when they have provided enough vaccines for the people,” Olakulehin said.

In August, a similar order by the Edo Government prompted one Charles Osaretin to file a lawsuit against the state government.