The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, turned back unvaccinated staff from accessing its headquarters.
The exercise, which started at about 7am, saw staff of the anti-graft agency without COVID-19 vaccine cards or evidence of being vaccinated being turned back home, while the ones with evidence of vaccination allowed into the office.
Addressing journalists on the reason for the enforcement, Secretary of the Commission, Dr. George Ekpungu, said “the exercise is to enforce COVID-19 protocol. The executive chairman of the EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, felt that as the leading anti-corruption agency, we need to also lead the part in the enforcement of this new directive and compliance.
“You will agree with me that the cases of COVID-19 os increasing and we must be on the look out in order to forestall major problems.
“Unfortunately for us, the chairman is out of the country but he left a directive that we must implement the vaccine mandate for all civil servants and staff should take the vaccine and show evidence before they come to work.”
Speaking on any reported case of COVID-19 in the agency presently, the EFCC secretary said: “we have been enforcing the COVID-19 vaccination within the Commission and we thought it wise that do a thorough check so as to know who has taken or not.
“Cases of Omicron virant is on the increase and there is the need to ensure that the staff are safe. EFCC should not only be leading in anti-corruption fight but also show signs of ensuring that the staff are safe. We have been doing it internally and we thought that the world should know and copy from us that we are enforcing this. It is for our good, the good of the country and the good of Nigeria as a whole.”
On what becomes the fate of those who have refused to take the vaccine, the EFCC scribe said the chairman and the management of the Commission will seat and take a decision on that.
According to him, “we have done a lot of education and we will continue to do more. The COVID-19 protocols were not instituted by the EFCC. They are international and national protocols.
“For those who said they will not take the vaccine, they will continue to stay lucked out until they take a decision. We are taking staff register of those who are present and those who have taken and not taken.
“We also have vaccine at our clinic here for those who are interested. Our staff are enjoyed to take their vaccines as they are safe. For those who are not interested, when the chairman comes back, we will take a decision on that.”
SOURCE; https://leadership.ng/covid-19-efcc-turns-back-unvaccinated-staff/