The House of Representatives on Tuesday expressed readiness to
hold a public hearing on the contentious quarantine Act 2004 to
replace the infectious diseases bill following criticism from the
general public.
This is as the Speaker; Femi Gbajabiamila said the bill was
conceived in the best interests of the Nigerian people.
Gbajabiamila said the allegation that the Bill is a sinister
attempt to turn Nigerians into guinea pigs for medical research
while taking away their fundamental human rights was far from the
truth.
The Bill will now be subjected to a public hearing where
Nigerians from all walks of life would be given the opportunity to
contribute to the draft law, the Speaker said.
The bill was raced through the legislative process last week and
was meant to have been passed into a law without public hearing due
to the “exigencies of the time” according to the Speaker.
But on Tuesday, Gbajabiamila while addressing members at the
resumption of plenary session confessed that since the introduction
of the Bill a week ago, there has been a barrage of criticisms
against it, with allegations of sinister motives.
“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and management of infectious diseases is obsolete and no longer fit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.
“Even now, the government remains vulnerable to claims that some
directives already being implemented to manage the present crisis
do not have the backing of the law and therefore cannot withstand
judicial scrutiny.”
The Speaker said he disagrees with the suggestion that this was
not the proper time for a new law on the infectious diseases and
public health emergency framework in the country.
He said: “the weaknesses of the present system have already
manifested in the inability of the government to hold to proper
account those whose refusal to adhere with Nigeria Centre for
Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines led to the further spread of the
coronavirus in Nigeria. We have had people break out from isolation
centres, and others, who fully aware of their status chose to
travel across state lines on public transport.”
He said as the number of those currently infected by the
coronavirus continues to rise alongside the number of those who
have died, there is no timeline for when the disease will pass,
“and nobody can predict when the next public health crisis will
occur, just as nobody predicted the present predicament.
“It bears restating that we do not have in our country, a
healthcare system or for that matter, a national economy that is
sufficiently robust to withstand the dire consequences of a
sustained infectious disease pandemic. We cannot tie our own hands
in the fight against this disease.”
The Speaker said the world has changed irretrievably, and there
is no ‘normal’ to return to as the pandemic has shown the
fundamental weaknesses in Nigeria’s systems of law and policy “and
left our nation at risk of devastating outcomes on all sides.”
He said the current task as a country is first to survive and
then to set about building a new world.
“Inevitably, these demands that we should be willing to consider
new ideas, explore novel possibilities, rejecting those ancient
shibboleths we have long adhered to without benefit.”
According to Gbajabiamila, citizens may sometimes disagree with
the how and the why of policy proposals, but that the parliament of
the people is not an echo chamber.
His words: “It is a marketplace of ideas where only those
proposals that gain currency with the majority should carry the
day. However, our disagreements must be grounded in a shared
recognition that our present travails demand urgent interventions.
And we must not allow ourselves to become victims of the cynical
assumption that every policy proposal or response is a result of
personal inducement or a grand conspiracy to bring harm to the
people on whose behalf we hold political office.”
Subsequently, the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill will be
put forward to a public hearing where stakeholder contributions
will be sought to make improvements to the Bill before it is
reviewed and debated by the Committee of the whole, he said.
“It is from the accumulation of these myriad views, suggestions
and good faith critiques from within and outside the House that we
will arrive at final legislation that meets the present and future
needs of our country, and which we all can support in good
conscience,” he said.
The Speaker added that the social distancing guidelines that the
House and the whole country operate for the time being would not
allow for a usual format of public hearing, but that “If a socially
distant public hearing becomes workable, we will certainly explore
that option.
“Nonetheless, the House will provide alternative platforms for
all Nigerians who desire to send in written documents that
articulate their concerns, make recommendations on amendments and
perhaps present other formulations for a new framework for managing
infectious diseases in Nigeria.”
He said all the contributions received by the House will be
considered and aggregated to improve the proposed legislation.
The House of Representatives on Tuesday expressed readiness to
hold a public hearing on the contentious quarantine Act 2004 to
replace the infectious diseases bill following criticism from the
general public.
This is as the Speaker; Femi Gbajabiamila said the bill was
conceived in the best interests of the Nigerian people.
Gbajabiamila said the allegation that the Bill is a sinister
attempt to turn Nigerians into guinea pigs for medical research
while taking away their fundamental human rights was far from the
truth.
The Bill will now be subjected to a public hearing where
Nigerians from all walks of life would be given the opportunity to
contribute to the draft law, the Speaker said.
The bill was raced through the legislative process last week and
was meant to have been passed into a law without public hearing due
to the “exigencies of the time” according to the Speaker.
But on Tuesday, Gbajabiamila while addressing members at the
resumption of plenary session confessed that since the introduction
of the Bill a week ago, there has been a barrage of criticisms
against it, with allegations of sinister motives.
“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.
“Even now, the government remains vulnerable to claims that some
directives already being implemented to manage the present crisis
do not have the backing of the law and therefore cannot withstand
judicial scrutiny.”
The Speaker said he disagrees with the suggestion that this was
not the proper time for a new law on the infectious diseases and
public health emergency framework in the country.
He said: “the weaknesses of the present system have already
manifested in the inability of the government to hold to proper
account those whose refusal to adhere with Nigeria Centre for
Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines led to the further spread of the
coronavirus in Nigeria. We have had people break out from isolation
centres, and others, who fully aware of their status chose to
travel across state lines on public transport.”
He said as the number of those currently infected by the
coronavirus continues to rise alongside the number of those who
have died, there is no timeline for when the disease will pass,
“and nobody can predict when the next public health crisis will
occur, just as nobody predicted the present predicament.
“It bears restating that we do not have in our country, a
healthcare system or for that matter, a national economy that is
sufficiently robust to withstand the dire consequences of a
sustained infectious disease pandemic. We cannot tie our own hands
in the fight against this disease.”
The Speaker said the world has changed irretrievably, and there
is no ‘normal’ to return to as the pandemic has shown the
fundamental weaknesses in Nigeria’s systems of law and policy “and
left our nation at risk of devastating outcomes on all sides.”
He said the current task as a country is first to survive and
then to set about building a new world.
“Inevitably, these demands that we should be willing to consider
new ideas, explore novel possibilities, rejecting those ancient
shibboleths we have long adhered to without benefit.”
According to Gbajabiamila, citizens may sometimes disagree with
the how and the why of policy proposals, but that the parliament of
the people is not an echo chamber.
His words: “It is a marketplace of ideas where only those
proposals that gain currency with the majority should carry the
day. However, our disagreements must be grounded in a shared
recognition that our present travails demand urgent interventions.
And we must not allow ourselves to become victims of the cynical
assumption that every policy proposal or response is a result of
personal inducement or a grand conspiracy to bring harm to the
people on whose behalf we hold political office.”
Subsequently, the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill will be
put forward to a public hearing where stakeholder contributions
will be sought to make improvements to the Bill before it is
reviewed and debated by the Committee of the whole, he said.
“It is from the accumulation of these myriad views, suggestions
and good faith critiques from within and outside the House that we
will arrive at final legislation that meets the present and future
needs of our country, and which we all can support in good
conscience,” he said.
The Speaker added that the social distancing guidelines that the
House and the whole country operate for the time being would not
allow for a usual format of public hearing, but that “If a socially
distant public hearing becomes workable, we will certainly explore
that option.
“Nonetheless, the House will provide alternative platforms for
all Nigerians who desire to send in written documents that
articulate their concerns, make recommendations on amendments and
perhaps present other formulations for a new framework for managing
infectious diseases in Nigeria.”
He said all the contributions received by the House will be
considered and aggregated to improve the proposed legislation.