By Mudiaga Affe
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has granted an order restraining Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo and the state government from enforcing a directive that all residents who have not taken COVID-19 vaccines will be prevented from accessing churches, mosques, banks, event centres and other public places from mid-September.

Following the spike in the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in Edo, Governor Obaseki had during a press briefing in Benin City on August 26 declared the state government would push for compulsory vaccination to build immunity against COVID-19.

Obaseki said people would not be allowed into worship centres (churches and mosques), event centres, and receptions without showing proof of the vaccination cards, adding that the target was to vaccinate 60 per cent of our population in 2022.

But in the motions in the suit with reference number: FHC/PH/FHR/266/2021 filed by Charles Osaretin, against the governor and five others dated August 30, 2021, the applicant’s lead counsel, Echezona Etiaba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged the court to order parties to maintain status quo.

The order is 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 orders, as prayed, were granted by the vacation Judge at the FHC, Port Harcourt, Justice A.T Mohammed.
The court subsequently adjourned till September 10 for a hearing of the substantive motion.

Meanwhile, some civil servants were in a happy mood when the court injunction surfaced on social media.

A circular had surfaced late Monday which indicated that the state government through the HOS has mandated civil servants across the state to either take the vaccines or stay from office.
Civil Servants in the Edo Ministry of Health were on Monday given a seven-day ultimatum to get vaccinated against the COVID-19.

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This was contained in a memo dated August 30 with reference No. HA.429/1/16 and by on behalf of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Mr Frederick Irabor.

According to the memo, “I am directed to refer to the above subject and to notify all Staff of Ministry of health to get vaccinated against the deadly COVID-19 within the Week.
“I am further directed to inform all that from Monday 6, September 2021, any staff who has not taken the COVID-19 vaccine will not be allowed into the office premises.”