The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila (APC: Lagos) has stated that a public hearing will hold on a Bill that seeks to repeal the Quarantine Act and enact a Control of Infectious Disease Bill, 2020 following criticisms that the House was fast tracking the passage of the Bill without stakeholder consultation at its second reading on Tuesday, 28th April 2020.
Speaking on the criticisms and allegations by the public at the plenary session of Tuesday, 5 May 2020, the Speaker expressed dismay over insinuations by some members of the public that the Bill was a bi-product of inducement by foreign interests and lawmakers in a bid to use Nigerians as experiments for medical research on COVID-19. He also dismissed the allegations as false noting that the resolutions and actions of the 9th National Assembly have always been directed at serving the best interest of citizens.
Hon. Gbajabiamila added that following the outbreak of the COVID-19 disease in Nigeria, a repeal of the Quarantine Act, 1926 was imperative as the law is obsolete and had constrained the Federal Government and the National Centre for Disease Control(NCDC) from taking proactive measures to prevent and manage infectious diseases and public health emergencies.
He further elaborated on some of the benefits of the proposed public hearing as availing stakeholders with the opportunity to make contributions on provisions of the Bill before final review and debate by lawmakers. However, he noted that the existing standards and guidelines for the conduct of public hearings would be modified to suit current rules on social distancing. Thus, alternative options and platforms for citizens to articulate their concerns and make recommendations would be explored by the House of Representatives.
The Speaker also mentioned that the House of Representatives would commence legal action against persons who have accused lawmakers for receiving financial inducement for the passage of the Bill. Mr. Patrick Giwa, Clerk of the House of Representatives was mandated to liaise with the Legal Department of the National Assembly to ensure subsequent enforcement of the said resolution.
