The Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on Covid-19, may have induced the Federal Government to insist on imposition of vaccine mandate on federal civil servants in Nigeria, setting enforcement commencement date of December 1, 2021. The federal government, accordingly, compelled civil servants on Grade Level 12 and below to present proof of Covid-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test result done within 72 hours, while complying with the order to resume work on Wednesday, December 1.
Some stakeholders in the country accused the SGF of inducing the federal government into coercive enforcement of the controversial vaccine mandate widely opposed across the world. The SGF is perceived to be using his position in the federal government to accomplish his vaccine mission as head of the controve4sial Presidential Steering Committee on Covid-19, using government structures to threaten and intimidate Nigerian citizens into accepting the vaccine mandate.
Apparently, the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, on Friday issued a circular on the Vaccine Mandate Policy of the government for all federal staff, titled “Resumption of duties by Officers on GL 12 and below” with reference number HCSF/3065/VOL.I/107. The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, predicated the circular on the decision of the Presidential Steering Committee on Covid-19 under the chairmanship of Boss Mustapha, Secretary to Government of the Federation.
Yemi-Esan threatened in the circular that workers, on resumption of duty, must show proof of Covid-19 vaccination or present a negative Covid-19 PCR test result done within 72 hours as approved by the government.
The federal government is invariably recalling the federal workers who have been working from home, so as to use government structures to enforce the imposition of vaccine mandate on Nigerians.