Plateau Gov. Simon Lalong has given residents 72 hours to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test result in order to gain access to public offices.
Lalong issued the directive on Monday at the start of the COVID-19 mass vaccination campaign in Jos.
“From now on, all citizens aged 18 and up will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 PCR test result obtained within 72 hours in order to gain access to any public office.”
“This will also go hand in hand with adhering to all COVID-19 safety protocols in schools, markets, banks, weddings, churches, mosques, and other places,” he added.
The governor went on to say that the directive was necessary to ensure public safety, especially after the Omicron variant of the virus was discovered in Nigeria.
He urged residents to take advantage of the mass vaccination campaign and get vaccinated.
The governor also stated that his previous order to arrest and prosecute those who discouraged others from getting the vaccine was still in effect.
Lalong tasked local government chairmen with replicating the mass campaign in their respective areas.
He also charged religious, traditional, community, and political leaders with informing the public about the importance of immunization.
Dr Williams Wadzingi, the state’s WHO coordinator, stated at the event that up to 50% of the state’s residents had not been immunized against COVID-19.
He urged the state government and other stakeholders to work together to address vaccine apprehension in the state.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Gov. Lalong also inaugurated the state’s task force on integrated immunization, which is led by the deputy governor, Prof. Sonni Tyoden.
It is in charge of ensuring intensive sensitisation and the consolidation of vaccination gains.