A Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, on Tuesday restrained Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki and the state government from enforcing a directive that all residents who have not received the COVID-19 vaccines will be prevented from accessing churches, mosques, banks, event centres and other public places from the middle of September.
This happened as the state government announced Tuesday that Edo is recording an increase in the number of deaths of persons who have not been inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccines, as the state recorded another COVID-19-related death, bringing the total number of fatalities to 12.
The orders was given by the Vacation Judge at the FHC, Port Harcourt, Justice Stephen Dalyop Pam., in a ruling on a suit with reference number: FHC/PH/FHR/266/2021 filed by Charles Osaretin, against Obaseki and five others on August 30, 2021.
Echezona Etiaba (SAN), who is counsel to the applicant, urged the court to order parties to maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice, for the enforcement of the applicant’s fundamental human rights and for the leave of court to serve the respondents by publishing the court’s processes in a national daily newspaper circulating in Nigeria.
The court subsequently adjourned till September 10 for a hearing of the substantive motion.
Governor Obaseki had issued on order saying that: “From the second week of September 2021, large gatherings will only be accessed by those who have at least taken one dose/jab of the vaccine”.
“From the second week of September 2021, people will not be allowed into worship centres (churches and mosques), event centres, and receptions without showing proof of the vaccination cards.
“From the middle of September 2021, you can no longer access the banking services, if you have not been vaccinated.”
Obaseki declared the State Government would push for vaccination to build immunity against COVID-19 while indicating the target was to vaccinate 60 per cent of our population in 2022.
On Tuesday, the State COVID-19 Incident Manager, Dr. Andrew Obi, disclosed this after the daily virtual meeting of the State COVID-19 Taskforce, chaired by the State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.
The Incident Manager, who reiterated the need for all residents to get vaccinated against the deadly virus, urged Edo citizens to leverage the opportunity of the second phase vaccination to get full protection against the COVID-19 virus.
“Edo State, in the last 24 hours, recorded one more COVID-19-related death and 61 new confirmed cases, with a case positivity rate of 15.1 percent,” he said.
“The death recorded is that of a 76-year-old unvaccinated male at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital. The death brings the total number of fatalities recorded in the third wave of the pandemic to 12.”
Stating the need for all residents to get vaccinated, Obi said: “All persons who have died from the virus in the third wave were unvaccinated, while over 96 percent of confirmed cases are those who were never vaccinated. This necessitates the need for everyone to get inoculated in order to remain healthy and alive.
“We urge all citizens to leverage the opportunity of the ongoing second phase vaccination exercise and present themselves at the nearest vaccination centre within their communities to get vaccinated, as it is the safest way to defeat this common enemy of mankind.”