The General Secretary of the ASCSN, Alade Lawal, who stated this in an interview with The PUNCH on Tuesday, said the extension was necessary to enable all civil servants to take the jab and avoid a stampede at the vaccination centres.

But the Technical Lead of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Dr Muktar Muhammed, told one of our correspondents that the deadline would not be extended.

As labour union and the PSC disagreed on the deadline, federal civil servants across the country on Tuesday thronged vaccination centres to get vaccinated.

The PSC led by the 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).

Mustapha said the directive would be applicable in all locations in Nigeria and missions abroad.

But commenting on the development, Lawal stated 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 jab. According to him, the letter on the demand would get to government today (Wednesday). He added 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 end of March next year.

“It would be better. I know that the gap between the first jab and second jab for 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.”

But the Secretary-General, Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies, Dr Ayo Olorunfemi, dismissed the moves to compel workers to take the vaccines, noting that the government should rather focus on building the economy and developing the infrastructure.

He stated, “Why are they forcing people to take the vaccines? They should focus on building the economy and other important things. You know some people are enriching themselves through these vaccines. What is going on shows that this government has lost focus. They don’t know what they are doing. We have an unserious government that takes delight in pursuing shadows.”

When one of our correspondents reached out to the Technical lead of the PSC, Muhammed, on the possible extension of the deadline, he said, “We are not contemplating any extension of the December 1 deadline. People who acquired the cards will be apprehended, how we do that we keep it to our chest.”

Meanwhile, federal civil servants on Tuesday stormed vaccination sites ahead of today’s deadline.

The workers thronged designated centres such as the Federal Staff Clinic, Federal Secretariat complex, phase 1; Federal Ministry of Works and Housing Clinic, Mabushi; Federal Ministry of Finance Staff clinic and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Staff Clinic.

It was also observed that in a bid to contain the increase in the number of civil servants who came out to vaccination, makeshift centres were also created adjacent the federal ministries of health and education

Our correspondents observed that civil servants, who came at 12pm were told to write down their names and come back later due to the influx of civil servants waiting to be vaccinated.

Some civil servants, who spoke to The PUNCH on condition of anonymity as a result of public service rules, said they delayed their vaccination due to fear of the unknown.

Meanwhile, security operatives have started barring civil servants and visitors who fail to use facemasks from government buildings in Abuja.

The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria warned that any attempt to reduce workers’ pay would be suicidal.

According to them, if the government is desirous of reducing its bloated payroll, it should slash the fat remuneration and allowances of  political office holders  “who do very little but collect so much.’’

the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, in a statement on Wednesday, titled, ‘We have no more blood to bleed: Organised labour in Nigeria condemns and rejects plans to slash the salaries of Nigerian workers,’ berated Ahmed.

He urged the government to respond to the demands by Labour for an upward review of salaries of all workers.

He stated, “It is almost unthinkable that government would be contemplating to unilaterally slash the salaries of Nigerian workers at this time. The question to ask is ‘which salary is the government planning to slash?’ It certainly cannot be the meagre national minimum wage of N30,000 which right now cannot even buy a bag of rice. The proposed slash in salaries is certainly not targeted at the minimum wage and consequential adjustment in salaries that some callous state governors are still dragging their feet to pay. It is public knowledge that the multiple devaluations of the Naira in a very short time and the prevailing high inflation rate in Nigeria have knocked out the salaries earned by Nigerian workers across the board. Nigerian workers are only surviving by hair’s breadth. Indeed, Nigerian workers are miracles strutting on two legs. It is, therefore, extremely horrendous for a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pronounce a salary slash for Nigerian workers at this time. This call for salary slash by Mrs Zainab Ahmed is tantamount to a “mass suicide” wish for Nigerian workers. It is most uncharitable, most insensitive, most dehumanizing and most barbaric. Nigerian workers demand an immediate retraction and apology by the minister of finance.”

In his reaction, the ASCSN president, Dr Tommy Etim admonished the government to cut salaries of political office holders, adding that National Assembly members should sit on a part-time basis.

He said, “The government should reduce the pay of political office holders, the pay cut should begin with the political officeholders. Not only that, but let them also come up with a law that will make National Assembly be on a part-time basis. Their sitting should be on a part-time basis because the chunk of money goes to them. So, it would be better if the government looks in that direction and leaves the civil service alone. A civil servant is responsible for more than five family members by African tradition extended family system. So, how do you expect them to survive on N30,000 minimum wage? Some states are not even paying. I mean, it is absurd for any government to contemplate pay cut for workers at this point.’’