Wednesday 1st December 2021: The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has asked the Federal Government to extend till March next year, today’s (Wednesday) deadline for the compulsory vaccination of civil servants.
The General Secretary of the ASCSN, Alade Lawal, who stated this in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday, said the extension was necessary to enable all civil servants to take the vaccine and avoid a stampede at the vaccination centres.
 Labour union and the PSC had earlier disagreed on the deadline, however, federal civil servants across the country on Tuesday thronged vaccination centres to get vaccinated.
 Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, had in October said that federal workers without proof of COVID-19 vaccination or test results done within 72 hours would be denied access to their offices starting from December 1 (today).
He said the directive would be applicable in all locations in Nigeria and missions abroad.
Lawal assured that his union would make a strong appeal to the Federal Government not to enforce the directive till next year to enable more civil servants to take the vaccine.
According to him, the letter on the demand would get to the government today (Wednesday) adding that while the ASCSN supported the vaccination mandate being enforced by the Federal Government, there was a need to give the people adequate time to get vaccinated.
He stated, “We agree that we must vaccinate in view of the combative nature of the virus. At the same time, they should give us time because of the number of people involved so that they can extend the deadline. That’s our appeal to the government, a strong appeal.“We would make the appeal through a letter. The letter will get to them latest tomorrow (today) morning. We want them to extend it till the end of March next year.
“It would be better. I know that the gap between the first jab and second jab for the Moderna vaccine is about a month or six weeks. Peradventure, somebody that has not taken as we speak now and wants to take by next week, you are talking of next year.
“In this kind of thing, you must be able to arrange something so you don’t start arranging again so that all and sundry would know that the government has tried. It should not be too compact so that there would be no room for manoeuvres.”