COVID-19 Enforcement: FCTA insists on no Jab or valid negative test, no entry

Favour Ishember, Abuja

As part of measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the nation’s capital City , Authorities of the FCT Administration has on Monday, bared all staff and visitors from access their work premises as they failed to provide proof of the COVID-19 pandemic vaccination card.

This is in accordance to an earlier federal government circular allowing Staff from grade level 12 and below to resume duty, the same circus have been mandated that all employees show prove of COVID-19 vaccination taken with in 72 hours.

To this end, free vaccination points have been made available at different areas of the Territory to provide opportunity for staff and visitors alike to get vaccinated.

Constantly, the Administration has mandated that all staff, visitors and Clients coming to do business are required to comply with this directive; hence, staff and visitors should also know that persistence refusal or non compliance will be treated in accordance to the due relevant of the public service rule.

The Senior Special Assistance on monitoring, inspection and enforcement in collaboration with security agencies have been mandated to mount surveillance to all entry point to prevent violators from gaining access to the FCTA premises.

Explaining the exercise, The Senior Special Assistance on monitoring, inspection and enforcement, Ikharo Attah who led the enforcement team to all FCTA Secretariats, Departments and Agencies, clarified that while no staff or visitors are being forced to take the vaccines, every individual must present either a vaccination card or a negative COVID-19 test result to gain access to the premises.

In cognizant of the fact that cases of Omicron variant was still surging, stringent measures have to be taken to protect staff and everyone that has anything to do with the administration. He added.

Regrettably , Attah noted that the administration has given staff enough time to choose between any of the options approved, to avoid the stressed of being turned back at the gate.

“We have given a full week for advocacy, and we got a van that went round announcing it. Circulars were also circulated in line with the one earlier issued out by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, that staff who are not vaccinated.

” Those who say they don’t want to be vaccinated, will get a negative test result. So if you bring your vaccination card or the negative test result, any of the two can suffice.

” Even if you feel you should not be vaccinated, then get us a negative test result, not more than 3 days old, and that will get access.

” People thought that we are not serious here, but they have come to let them know that when the Ministers, Malam Muhammad Bello, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu and the Permanent Secretary say something, they mean it”.

In the cause of the enforcement, Areas like the offices of Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Central Area, Social Development Secretariat, Area 10, Garki, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, wuse zone 6 and others were monitored and showed strict compliance.

As an effect, Daily Champion observed that crowd of individuals seeking to be vaccinated, both staff and non staff have increased at all the FCTA approved vaccination centres.