TheCable

Dino Melaye, former senator, says the Kogi government must take COVID-19 vaccine since the state collected palliatives and money from the federal government to ease the effect of the lockdown on its residents.

Yahaya Bello, the state governor, has repeatedly refused to acknowledge the severity of the infection.

He has played down its complications, refusing to wear a face mask except when meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) had said all states and the FCT have received supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine except Kogi.

According to the agency, the state was yet to receive “due to the non-repair of their cold-chain store coupled with the state’s concerns around the contradictory information about the vaccines”.

Bello also recently said COVID-19 is not an issue in his state, adding that he will not subject the people to vaccination.

Reacting in a tweet late Sunday evening, Melaye asked why the state government collected palliatives for a disease it said was non-existent in the state.

“Kogi Government collected covid 19 money and palliative from Federal Government and still have the guts to say no covid in Kogi State,” Melaye wrote.

“Since you collected money and palliative…una must collect vaccine tooo. Oyinara”

Kogi Government collected covid 19 money and palliative from Federal Government and still have the guts to say no covid in Kogi State. Since you collected money and palliative…una must collect vaccine tooo. Oyinara

— Senator Dino Melaye. (SDM) (@dino_melaye) March 21, 2021

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Smart Adeyemi, leader of the Kogi lawmakers’ forum in the national assembly, said lawmakers from the state have not reached a decision on whether to take the vaccine or not.