Reps begin public hearing on ‘Infectious Diseases’ bill

The House of Representatives has begun a two-day public hearing on the proposed bill that seeks to repeal the “Quarantine Act 2004” and replace it with the “Infectious Diseases Control Bill 2020”.

The public hearing is coming after the controversies that trailed the passage of the bill for a second reading by the House.

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Springing from these controversies, a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, had ordered that status quo be maintained on the bill following an exparte application in a suit filed by Senator Dino Melaye.

Melaye had asked the court to declare that the bill constitutes a gross abuse of, and is likely to infringe upon his fundamental rights if eventually passed into law.

But the House had maintained that the order given by the court does not stop the process for the passage of the proposed bill.

Speaking on Wednesday at the opening session of the two-day public hearing, the House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the green chamber had witnessed an unprecedented number of engagements by a cross-section of the Nigerian public since the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill was first brought forward for consideration.

“This is a good thing,” he added.

“What we have here is a critical piece of legislation that deals with matters of public health that affect all of us.

“If we have learned one thing from the last few months, it is that public health issues can drastically change our lives in ways we cannot always predict, and yet must be prepared for,” he said.

The speaker added that the House is grateful and “welcome the enthusiastic participation of our fellow citizens in the legislative process.

“We look forward to producing final legislation that reflects our own best intentions as well as the considered contributions of all people of good conscience.”