The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Oyo State, Comrade Kayode Martins has called on the state government to regulate the public health, safety, and welfare of its people by ensuring that they are mobilized to submit themselves for testing and also get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The NLC Chairman also charged other employers of labour to take measures to minimize the risk of transmission of the virus among the workers, visitors, contractors and all others within the workplace.
Comrade Martins gave the charge at the COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Sensitization Campaign held at the High Court of Justice, Oyo State, Ibadan during the week.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Oyo State Council organized a two-day free COVID-19 testing and vaccination for all workers and members of the public in the state. The programme was held at the state Secretariat of the Union at Agodi Gate, Ibadan.
In his address, the state labour leader and Chairman of the Judiciary Staff Union of Oyo State (JUSUN) said that the project, which is under the supervision of the National Agency for the control of Aids (NACA), is to ensure that NLC engage in massive mobilization and sensitization of the workers and their employers to embrace testing for and vaccination against Covid-19 in order to improve the level of productivity.
According to him, “The pandemic has threatened and caused economic and social disruptions for businesses and individuals around the world. Work places were closed down, with many workers thrown out of employment because the employers could not maintain the pre-Covid-19 pay and incentives for them. COVID-19, when it came, changed the social and economic aspects of our lives. It also transformed the work environment, dictating how, where and when work is done.
“It was in light of this development that the NLC sought the support of the Global Fund to undertake the project, “Social Mobilization for Covid-19 Testing and Vaccination in the Workplace” to complement the efforts of the government on public health management in Nigeria.”
Comrade Martins stated further that the project, which was slated between January 2021 and 31st December, 2023, intended for implementation in the 12 high burdened Covid-19 states in Nigeria including Lagos, Rivers, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, Edo, Ogun, Delta, Ondo, Kano, Kwara States and the FCT.
Emphasizing on the importance of the programme, Comrade Martins said, “Comrades, ladies and gentlemen, there may be skeptics and skepticism about Covid-19 with many tempted to ask, where is the Covid-19 that labour is disturbing people? The project, Sensitization and Social Mobilization for Uptake of Covid-19 Testing and Vaccination, aside from sensitizing and mobilizing the workers to go for testing and vaccination against Covid-19, provides the trade unions with the opportunity to test run our readiness for emergency situations. Trade unions as organizations servicing their members are not only to be reactive but also need to pre-empt situations.
“So, we are using the Sensitization and Social Mobilization for Uptake of Covid-19 Testing and Vaccination as veritable leverage to put ourselves in a very good stead to test runs our preparedness on how to manage future emergencies like the Coronavirus pandemic or outbreak of epidemics in the country.
“The programme is also being used to mobilize and organize the workforce in preparation for recruitment of the broader working people to embrace and keep pace with what the trade unions are doing to safeguard the interests of the working people and the downtrodden masses. The progamme also aims to bring working people together, to organize workers to address whatever their priorities are in their work environment and in the society. The programme focuses on listening to the workplace community to build trust and respect among the workers and the masses to take responsibility of ownership of their fate to fight for what is right in the workplace and in the society.
“The project also focuses on getting the workers to work among themselves to concentrate on steps to take to get something done or get them to act to get good results in their favour on issues of concern to them,” Comrade Kayode Martins said.
The state Coordinator, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Mr. Steve Akinrinade, said that there is need for a continuous awareness campaign against the Covid-19 for the people to guide against it.
He said that the virus is very much around contrary to the notion in some quarters that there is no more Covid-19.
Mr. Akinrinade charged the market, religious and traditional leaders to keep informing the people in the market, worship centers and communities about the importance of getting tested and taking vaccines against the virus.
State Immunization Officer, Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, Mrs. Adeoye Adetoro explained that the test and vaccination are free and available at various designated places across the state.
Mr. Dayo Adigun, who is the vocal person of the Oyo State Public Health Emergency Centre, charged the people who want to take the vaccine to know their health status.
He said that the Emergency Centre has tested about 91,271 so far since emergence of the virus, while only six cases have been reported so far in the year 2023.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
