Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control
(NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, has said the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill
gives him excessive powers.
He said: “The NCDC feels the Bill, as drafted, gives
excessive powers to the Director General of the organisation.”
Ihekweazu re-echoed the observations of other health
stakeholders that the Bill does not meet human rights stipulations enshrined in
the Constitution.
“The Control of Infectious Diseases Bill is the first
concrete effort by the legislature to address these problems and is, therefore,
a step in the right direction.
“The Bill is laudable for recognising the need to rapidly
strengthen the existing system for managing public health emergences,” he said.
Also, the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) and Health
Minister Dr. Osagie Ehanire, differed on Thursday on the Bill.
The minister and the council expressed their observations
during the concluding part of the public hearing on the Bill at the National
Assembly.
The two-day hearing on the contentious Bill was held by the
Joint Committees of Justice, Health Services and Health Institutions.
While NIREC supported the egislation, saying there are gaps
in the laws on infectious diseases in the country, Ehanire noted that another
law was unnecessary.
The minister said he would prefer the Bill to be subsumed in
the NCDC Amendment Act and the Quarantine Amendment Act.
In a presentation by its Executive Secretary, Prof.
Cornelius Omonokhua, NIREC said: “We observed that there are provisions in the
Bill which are likely to affect religious activities or sensitivities. One of
provisions is that of Section 12 of the Bill which deals with disposal of dead
bodies.
“Another such provision is that of Section 19 of the Bill
which deals with prohibition or restriction of meetings and gatherings. The
National Assembly should avoid inserting provisions that do not take religious
sensibilities or federal structure of the country into cognisance.”
Christian Association Of Nigeria (CAN) on Thursday urged
Nigerians to reject the passing into law the proposed Bill.
It described the Bill as a conspiracy to destroy civil and
human rights of Nigerians.
CAN National Secretary Joseph Daramola addressed reporters
at the Ecumenical Centre in Abuja after speaking before the Committee on Health
Control of Infectious Diseases Bill 2020 during a public hearing of the House
of Representatives Committee on Healthcare Services.
He said: “CAN has reviewed the Control of Infectious
Diseases Control Bill 2020 (HB 836). We have studied the Bill (in-depth) and
observed that if passed for implementation, it shall trigger anarchy, disorder
and insecurity. It is ‘superfluous’ but undermines every other authority in the
Federal Republic of Nigeria (The President, state governors and the likes). It
will make the Legislature that enacted the law become irrelevant towards
implementation and control.”
“If passed into law, it will violate the supremacy of 1999
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, with multiple
ultra vires contraventions, vide Section 1(1) and (3) of the Constitution. The
Bill is gross infringement and multiple violations of Citizens’ Fundamental
Human Rights making it supra-constitutional entity.”
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