FCTA Bars Unvaccinated Staff From Offices
The Federal Capital Territory Administration on Monday barred workers and visitors without proof of vaccination or negative PCR test done within 72 hours from assessing its offices.
This, however, led to outrage as some workers accused the FCTA of not respecting their rights.
The administration had penultimate week notified workers and visitors that unvaccinated persons and those without negative PCR test would be barred from entering its offices.
On Monday, a team of FCTA officials enforced the directive.
Our correspondent observed that workers without vaccination cards returned home, while others were seen loitering around.
Speaking with our correspondent, one of the staff members lamented that she was not being allowed despite showing the soft copy of her card.
She said, “I do not want to misplace my vaccination card. That was why I snapped it on my phone, the name on the card matched with my identity card. I see no reason I should be denied access.
“I am not the only one that did that. I did not forge my card; they can log into their website and see for themselves. It is insensitive of them to have done this to me.”
Another civil servant said, “This is annoying. You are asking us not to enter our offices because you want us to get vaccinated? This is unfortunate. The administration should rather step up its advocacy and not flex muscle by deploying security operatives here. Their services are more needed in other places within the territory.”
Addressing newsmen, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah, said the enforcement would be sustained to ensure maximum compliance.
He said, “We will be following up seriously on this and we have also warned people not to snap their card on the phone as we want to see the original card, don’t show us vaccination card on the phone.
“We will be asking for identity cards and we will match the cards with your COVID-19 vaccination card so that you don’t bring someone else’s card as your own.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law, Monday Ubani, has dragged the Federal Government to court over its insistence on vaccine mandate.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN; and the Federal Government are respondents in the suit.
According to the suit filed before the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Ubani asked for a perpetual injunction restraining the SGF from implementing or furthering the directive given to the civil servants.
He described the directive as unconstitutional, adding that it violated the constitutional rights of civil servants to life, dignity, privacy, freedom from discrimination, freedom of thought, conscience and religion as guaranteed by Sections 34, 37 and 38 of the 1999 Constitution.
