A move by the House of Representatives to repeal the Quarantine Act and enact the Control of Infectious Diseases bill has been a subject of controvers
A move by the House of Representatives to repeal the Quarantine Act and enact the Control of Infectious Diseases bill has been a subject of controversy for the past two days. The bill, which scaled second reading before it was stood down on Tuesday, has 82 sections, PremiumTimes is reporting.
Sponsored by House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, the bill seeks to strengthen the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC and make it more proactive and not just reactive and to also function when there is an outbreak. The bill also seeks to empower the president, the minister of health as well as the director-general of NCDC, and the institutions they head, to make regulations on quarantining, vaccination and prevention of infectious diseases in Nigeria.
Gbajabiamila, while presenting the bill, said the Quarantine Act provides a penalty of N500 for defaulters, but the new bill proposes a penalty of between N200,000 and N5 million as well as jail terms. While some members of the House backed the bill, some called for caution and asked for time before giving it further consideration. Some of the members who opposed the bill said they did so as they had not seen or read it.
Other provisions of the bill include the mandatory possession of the yellow fever for movement for international travellers leaving or arriving in Nigeria. By this, travellers are expected to have undergone vaccination or other prophylaxis against all or any of the diseases as may be prescribed. This means that they are to produce valid international certificates of vaccination or other prophylaxis to authorities before travelling.
However, Nigerians have raised varying concerns about the bill. While some welcomed some provisions of the bill, many others opposed it. Those who oppose the bill see it as draconian as its section 48 proposes that the director-general of the NCDC “may by order” direct unvaccinated persons “to undergo vaccination or other prophylaxis within such period as may be specified in the order.”
Also, sections 55 and 56 of the bill says that the DG of NCDC and the police may at any time without warrant enter, inspect and search any premises or conveyance where a suspected outbreak has taken place. Others noted that the wording of the bill has a striking semblance with Singapore’s Infectious Diseases Act of 1976, which was introduced under the dictatorship of Lee Kuan Yew.
Again, the controversial bill empowers FG to convert private properties to isolation centres
The DG of NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, while commenting on the bill said while he takes the propositions in good faith, he would advise against a rushed legislation during this time of crisis.
To this, Gbajabiamila apologised, but insisted that tough times require tough measures. The bill was later withdrawn. Having been withdrawn, the bill is now up for reintroduction on another legislative day. If it is passed by the House, it will be subject to the Senate’s concurrence as well the president’s assent before it becomes law.
