By Margaret Oraza
Benue State Special Adviser, Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barr Kenneth Achabo, has called on the people of the state to present themselves to be vaccinated against the dreaded COVID-19 virus as a step towards curbing its spread.
Barr Achabo who made this call recently, shortly after taking the first jab of the Astra Zeneca vaccine at the premises of the bureau, alongside his Housing and Urban Development counterpart, Mr Eric Adokwu and a High Court Judge in the State, Justice W.I Ikpochi and other top management officials of the bureau, commended the state Governor, Samuel Ortom through the state Ministry of Health and Human Services, for acquiring the doses of the vaccine for the first phase of the vaccination, noting that with the availability of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the state, the end of the pandemic was near.
Earlier, Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Board (SPHCB), Dr Ben Ageda, who monitored the exercise, assured the people of the state of the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. He added that more of the doses would be obtained by the state government and appealed to council chairmen to adequately sensitise and mobilise their people to avail themselves of the opportunity to be protected from the dreaded virus, through vaccination.
In a closing remark, Permanent Secretary of the Bureau, Mr Elvis Attah, while commending the Governor Ortom led administration for acting promptly to acquire the vaccine for the good of the people of the state, assured of the bureau’s sustained support to the SPHCB to enable them discharge their duties efficiently.