JUST IN: Gov Bello advises Nigerian govt against ‘wasting’ N540bn on COVID-19 vaccines

Governor Yahaya Bello has advised the Nigerian government against wasting N540 billion in its planned procurement of Covid-19 vaccines.

He spoke while making guest appearance on Channel Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily.

Bello described current efforts at procuring vaccines as unnecessary, noting that he was not on the same page with the Presidential Task Force(PTF) on COVID-19.

He said: “These are all gimmicks, antics, and merchandising of foreign products. I am not on the same page with them. PTF should not go that route. All this brouhaha, we don’t deserve it. Buhari’s aides should advise him with the fear of God. Let the people be free.”

Asked to share his thoughts on government’s response to the second wave of the corona virus pandemic, Bello, who earlier asked to be excused from discussing the issue, later said he was not about to shift his position on COVID-19.

“I am not about to shift my position. We have no COVID-19 in Kogi State. After one month of working with the Kogi Incidence Management Team, not one single person was confirmed positive. We refused to lock down. Kogi is safer even though bordered by 10 states.”

Ripples Nigeria had reported how Gov Bello turned down N1 billion set aside for Kogi State by the Nigerian government on the grounds that it would be immoral to do so having denied the existence of COVID-19 in the state.