Nigeria

Court did not stop the passage of infectious disease bill - House of Reps

Sunday, May 17, 2020 at 1:35 PM by Oluwatobi Bolashodun

- The Nigerian House of Representatives is setting the record straight on a court halting the controversial infectious disease bill

- The lower chamber in a statement noted that the court did not stop the passage of the controversial bill

- Reports had gone viral that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered the House of Reps to stop the passage of the bill

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The House of Representatives has reacted to reports that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered the lower chamber to stop the passage of the controversial infectious disease bill.

The green chamber stated that the consideration of the bill has not been halted by the court as reported in some quarters.

Benjamin Okezie Kalu, the official spokesperson House of Representatives, disclosed this in a statement that was shared on the official Twitter page of the House on Sunday, May 17.

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Kalu noted that though there is an application seeking to suspend the bill, the court declined to grant the relief sought by the applicant until the respondents appeared before the judge and enter a defence.

The bill titled an Act to repeal the Quarantine Act, and enact the Control of Infectious Diseases bill, was sponsored by the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila. But ever since its contents became public knowledge the bill has become controversial.

The bill which has passed second reading in the House of Reps seeks to empower the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and make it more proactive.

Recall that the speaker of the House of Representatives reacted to the controversies generated by the proposed bill.

There has been a social media outrage where some Nigerians are calling for an outright rejection of the bill, saying it is against democratic principles.

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However, in his remarks on the floor of the house on Tuesday, May 5, Gbajabiamila said the bill is still a proposal subject to consideration, amendment, and improvement.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Nigerian governors have called for the stepping down of the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill.

The bill which was sponsored by the speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has become controversial since its contents became public knowledge.

The governors disclosed this in a statement by the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state. According to him, the bill lacks proper “consultation” of governors and should be “stepped down”

Similarly, a former senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Dino Melaye dragged the speaker of Nigeria's House of Representatives to court over a bill on control of infectious diseases which recommends compulsory vaccination in the country.