*The leadership of the Senate expresses strong lack of confidence in the preparedness of Federal Government to implement COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the country

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

For want of the essential and appropriate storage facilities for the medication in the country, the Nigerian Senate has expressed its concern about the ability of the Federal Ministry of Ministry of Health to import COVID-19 vaccines to immunise the citizenry against the ravaging disease.

ConsumerConnect reports the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly (NASS) is also worried at the inability of officials of the Health Ministry to provide “appropriate storage facilities” for the medication, especially in the southern part of the country.

The Red Chamber of NASS disclosed this position in Abuja, FCT, following a presentation by Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Honourable Minister for Minister of Health, on the readiness of the Federal Government to protect Nigerians from the novel Coronavirus disease.

It was gathered Dr. Ahmad Lawan, President of the Senate, as well expressed strong lack of confidence in the preparedness of the government to implement COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the country.

Lawan said: “I have not been convinced with your presentation that we are ready blabla. You have to do much more to convince me that we are ready.

“This is a matter of life and death. In fact, I am a doubting Ahmad.”

Pronto, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy President of the Senate, also joined in saying,  “I am a doubting Omo Agege.”

Omo-Agege also expressed strong worry that the government so far has made preparations for only four cold chains for the vaccines in Abuja, Kano, Enugu and Lagos, but the entire South-South region of the country is not included in the vaccine storage plan.

The Deputy Senate President, who noted that the vaccines may lose efficacy on transit to the South-South, charged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to be sure citizens, especially from the zone, do not end up being inoculated with bad vaccines that may do more harm than good.