Follow Us on Google
Fred Itua, Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
One week after the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, sponsored a controversial bill tagged “National Health Emergency Bill,” the Senate has commenced work on the legislation.
The Senate bill is sponsored by Senator Chukwuka Utazi, representing Enugu North. Utazi is also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Primary Health and Communicable Disease.
Utazi, at a press conference, said the controversial aspect in the House of Representatives’ bill that recommended compulsory vaccination for Nigerians was not a part of the Senate bill.
Item 47(a) of the proposed bill in the House, reads: “In an outbreak or a suspected outbreak of any infectious disease in any area in Nigeria, the director-general may by order direct any person or class of persons not protected or vaccinated against the disease to undergo vaccination or other prophylaxis.”
The bill, which passed first reading on the floor of the upper legislative chamber yesterday, was opposed by a former deputy president of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu.
Ekweremadu, who relied on Order 41 of the Senate Standing Rule, said the bill had been generating controversies in the House of Representatives and demanded that copies be given to senators to comprehend the contents before its second reading.
“As a senator, I am entitled to know the details of this bill. We want to have the gazetted copies. There is controversy over the same bill in the House of Representatives,” Ekweremadu said.
President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who presided over the session, said copies would be given to members even as he announced that the second reading would be taken next week. The Senate also directed the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Communication, to halt the planned deployment of 5G network in Nigeria, until a proper investigation on the technology.
The decision followed the consideration of a motion sponsored by Lilian Ekwunife, tagged: “The Present Status of 5th Generation (5G) Network in Nigeria.”
Senators who made their contributions said, since experts in the communications sector were yet to conclude that its deployment would pose a health challenge, it should be suspended. The Senate mandated a joint committee on communication, science and technology, ICT and cybercrime to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the status of 5G network in Nigeria and its technological impact on Nigerian citizens and report back within four weeks.
Meanwhile, the Senate has initiated moves to confirm the chairman and members of the Federal Character Commission, nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari, despite growing opposition by a cross-section of Nigerians.
The move did not come without strong opposition from the Minority Leader of the Senate, Enyinnaya Abaribe, who called on the Senate to adhere to Federal Character principles, in line with the 1999 Constitution, as amended. He noted that, already, the secretary of the commission hailed from the North and queried why the chairman should again be ceded to the same region.
Abaribe had earlier submitted a petition from the Abia State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) urging the Senate to halt the confirmation of the nominees.
In a subtle disagreement with Abaribe, President of the Senate, Lawan, while referring the matter to the Committee on Federal Character, urged members to adhere to what the law says.
“The committee should do their job in line with what the law says. That’s the only thing they will rely on. Nothing else,” Lawan said.
Gbajabiamila promises public hearing
The House of Representatives has bowed to pressure to subject the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill 2020 to a public hearing.
Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, in his opening remarks at yesterday’s plenary, said, contrary to speculations, the intention of the House was to enact a law that would strengthen the fight against infectious diseases in the country.
Gbajabiamila decried the public uproar that trailed the proposed legislation since its first and second readings in the Green Chamber last Tuesday.
This is coming as members of the House denied reports in section of the media that they were financially induced by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to pass the contentious bill.
The decision of the House to skip public hearing on the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill, as well as give the bill expedited passage had caused public uproar, amid allegations that the sponsors had ulterior motives.
Critical stakeholders had equally faulted certain provisions of the bill, espcially the administration of vaccines on citizens and other clauses considered to be draconian.
However, Gbajabiamila, who denied allegations that the House had sinister motives, noted that the parliament would never do anything that would affect Nigerians negatively.
According to him, “Suffice it to say that none of these allegations are true. Unfortunately, we now live in a time when conspiracy theories have gained such currency that genuine endeavours in the public interest can quickly become mischaracterised and misconstrued to raise the spectre of sinister intent and ominous possibility.
“This House of Representatives will never take any action that purposes to bring harm to any Nigerian here at home or abroad. As we have thus far shown by our conduct, the resolutions and actions we take in this 9th House of Representatives will always be in the best interests of the Nigerian people who elected us, and no one else.
“In the recent uproar, certain fundamental truths have been lost and are worth remembering. Our current framework for the prevention and management of infectious diseases is obsolete and no longer fit for purpose. The current law severely constrains the ability of the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to take proactive action to prevent the entry into Nigeria of infectious diseases and the management of public health emergencies when they occur.”
On his part, the deputy speaker, Idris Wase, speaking under personal explanation, said it is not true that members of the House were induced financially to pass the bill.
Consequently, the House resolved to institute legal action against those behind the allegation that members were induced to pass the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill.
The lawmakers said the move was necessary to protect the integrity of the House and to serve as deterrent to purveyors of fake news.
PTF seeks legislative framework for future outbreak of diseases
Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha, has urged the House of Representatives to create a legal framework to address future outbreak of diseases in the country.
Mustapha made the call while addressing members of the House on the activities of the task force at plenary yesterday. He said there was also a need for a legislative framework for economic growth through local manufacturing. He said there was need to deepen the legislative oversight during this pandemic and beyond for effectiveness and accountability.
Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), called on the House to pass legislations that would further ease the ability of the executive arm of government to cushion the economic impact on the citizens.
“President Muhammadu Buhari exercised his powers under sections 3 and 4 of the Quarantine Act, to restrict movement of persons and goods in Lagos, Ogun and FCT. This intervention generated heated debate in legal circles, with insinuations that it may be in direct conflict with Section 44(1) of the Constitution and article 14 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (ratification and enforcement) Act, the legal basis of the intervention is not debatable. However, the act needs to be adaptable to the changing nature of human behaviour and interaction,’’ he said.
According to Mustapha, Nigeria is at war against a very dangerous, unseen and ubiquitous enemy and all hands must be on deck to successfully prosecute the war.
