NCDC Advices House of Representatives to Delay the Passage of Infectious Disease Control Bill
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control’s Director-General Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, has asked the lawmakers to postpone passage of the infectious disease control bill till end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sponsored by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, the bill scaled second reading and had been generating controversy on social media.
It was alleged that the bill was a plagiarized piece of Singapore’s infectious disease control act of 1977.
Dr. Ihekweazu during media briefing by the COVID-19 taskforce, expressed reservation on the bill and called for more consultation in drafting such a bill.
He noted that a bill should not be drafted in the middle of a crisis.
“To be honest, I saw the bill just like everyone else, circulating on social media. I take it in a good way. I think the members of the House of Reps and everybody is concerned about the situation and what we have found ourselves in. They are doing their very best to come up with the only solution they can come up with which is creating new laws.
“I take it positively but the bill requires more consultations. I’m personally not in favour of drafting a bill in the middle of a crisis. I think we need to get over the crisis and use the momentum to engage with all stakeholders to come up with a bill that will really serve this country.
“We must think through step carefully and come up with a bill fit for purpose and serves us now and into the future,” he said.
