NPHCDA Partners ICPC On Vaccine Safety

Towards safety and accountability in the deployment and administration of COVID-19 vaccines in Nigeria, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, has partnered with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.

Disclosing this in Abuja on Monday, the Executive Director/CEO of the agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib, said the collaborative effort is founded on ICPC’s three-fold mandate ‘of enforcement, prevention, and public education and enlightenment to prohibit corrupt practices and other related offences. Shuaib stated that the collaboration will ensure all appropriate anti-corruption, accountability, and transparency measures are established and sustained throughout the four phases of the COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. His words: “These measures are imperative, as any form of corruption in the COVID-19 vaccination effort of the Federal Government will inevitably undermine the response to the pandemic, deprive citizens of their right to vaccination, and ultimately derail the goal of achieving herd immunity.

“The ICPC will track and monitor the deployment and use of COVID-19 vaccines across the country, with a focus on four critical areas – theft and embezzlement; service provision; vaccine availability; and advisory.” According to Shuaib: “The NPHCDA, therefore, assures the public that those with intentions of perpetrating any unlawful acts in this regard, such as extortion, diversion of vaccines and/or funds meant for the vaccination exercise, will be apprehended and would face the full wrath of the law. “The general public is therefore encouraged to report any act of corruption in the vaccination process to NPHCDA or ICPC,” he asserted.

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