The Senate has introduced its own Infectious Disease Control Bill under a new name. The Bill titled: “National Health Emergency Bill” sponsored by the
The Senate has introduced its own Infectious Disease Control Bill under a new name. The Bill titled: “National Health Emergency Bill” sponsored by the Chairman Senate Committee on Communicable Diseases and Primary Healthcare, Senator Chukwuka Utazi (Enugu North) scaled first reading on Tuesday.
Recall that a Bill titled: “Control of Infection Diseases Bill 2020” sponsored by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, was passed for both first and reading in the House of Representatives last week Tuesday. The House Bill has however generated a lot of controversy as critics say that some of the provisions in the bill appear “draconian” and therefore “not tenable in a democratic setting.”
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) alleged that lawmakers had been offered $10million to pass the Bill, while Senator Dino Melaye has filed an action at the Federal High Court Abuja, seeking to stop further consideration of the Bill by the House. Some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are said to be mobilising to shoot down the Bill. Many senators appear not to be in support of the bill.
However, after the Bill was read for the first time in the Senate, former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, demanded for a gazetted copy of the Bill as the Bill is already generating controversies in the House of Representatives. He insisted that as a senator, he has the privilege of going through the Bill before being read for the second time.
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan directed the Secretariat of the Senate to make copies of the Bill available to all Senators. He ruled that the second reading of the Infectious Disease Bill will take place next week after Senators must have the Bill.
