The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has begun the vaccination of members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Chapter, aiming to inspire public confidence in the vaccine.
The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, who spoke at the NUJ Secretariat in Utako, said the administration considered it necessary to vaccinate journalists because they are in their rights frontline workers.
Represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Strategic Communications, Malam Abubakar Sani, the minister said journalists taking the vaccine would inspire public confidence and clear doubts about the exercise which has been flagged off in the FCT in the past three weeks.
“We considered it necessary to initiate this process of vaccinating members of the fourth estate of the realm because journalists are indeed frontline workers.
“The FCT Administration consider the relationship between the NUJ and the administration as a very productive and strong relationship.
“It is in the realisation of the fact that journalists who reports day-to-day activities that are happening in the society are exposed to the dangers of COVID-19.
“Some of them even go to the COVID-19 Treatment and Isolation centres to get testimonies from people infected with the COVID-19 virus,” Bello added.
The Acting Secretary, FCTA Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr Kawu Mohammed, noted that partnership with media professionals was a collaboration that every service provider required.
Responding, the FCT NUJ Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Ogbeche, said vaccination of journalists would speak more than any advocacy carried out by the government before.
“Because journalists will attest if the vaccine has any side effects, understand what the issues are and give feedback to the public,” he said.
