Court stops Obaseki from enforcing compulsory COVID-19 vaccination

The directive issued last Friday by Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, making COVID-19 vaccination compulsory in the state, suffered a setback on Tuesday as a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital granted an injunction, restraining the governor and the agents of Edo State Government, from enforcing the directive.

The restraining order is a fallout of a suit with reference number: FHC/PH/FHR/266/202, dated August 30, 2021, filed by one Charles Osaretin, against the Governor and five others, which sought the order of the court asked all parties to maintain status quo 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.

Governor Obaseki had on Friday, announced that, in a bid to stem the spread of the COVID-191 virus in the state, all residents who had not taken COVID-19 vaccines would be prevented from accessing churches, mosques, banks, event centres and other public places from the middle of September.

Announcing the directive, the governor said that beginning from September 15, 2021, all residents of the state, who would want to access the aforementioned places, would be requested to present, at least, the certificate of the first jab of the vaccination.

Obaseki added the state government would push for vaccination to build immunity against COVID-19, stressing that the target was to vaccinate 60 per cent of our population in 2022.

While arguing the motions in the applicant’s lead counsel, Echezona Etiaba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), urged the court to ask all parties to maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice, for the enforcement of the applicant’s fundamental human rights, in addition to granting the leave of court to serve the respondents by publishing the court’s processes in a national daily newspaper circulating in Nigeria.

The Vacation Judge, Justice A. T Mohammed, ordered as prayed and subsequently adjourned the matter till September 10 for the hearing of the substantive motion.

(Nigerian Tribune)