By joshua 
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
The Benin Solidarity Movement (BSM) Worldwid, a Socio Cultural organization have frown at the recent announcement from the Edo State Ministry of Education signed by the Permanent Secretary, Stella Maris Imasuen, insisting that “teachers are to be compulsorily vaccinated against the Covid-19 in the state.
The group in a statement made available to pressmen in Benin City , and signed by the President, Elder Comrade Curtis Eghosa Ugbo, said,
people should not be forced to take the vaccine against their wish?
He querried , ” what use is the vaccine which doesn’t guarantee any cure or stop the usage of the facemask?
Edo state government has directed that all teachers should be vaccinated as soon as they resume on the 10th of May 2021.
BSM, said, ” we reject such draconian directives from the Edo State Government; Definitely something is wrong with this government announcement which sound very authoritarian.
“We thought that the Covid-19 vaccine can only be administered on people who wanted it.
“Why Should people be forced to take the vaccine against their wish? Of what use is the vaccine which doesn’t guarantee any cure or stop the usage of the facemask?
“This notice is against the rights of the civil servant and the people of Edo State. Edo State Government should have a rethink to avoid a backlash which could include litigations by some people or violent confrontation by others.
They querried, “Why was the covid -19 palliatives of 2020 which included food, materials and even stipends not forced on Edo State people even when the food stuffs got spoilt where they were hidden faraway from people’s reach?
Adding that,” Edo State Government should act with a lot of wisdom. The government is the government of the people and should respect the rights of Edo State citizens not like what this notice seem to portray”.End.