Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, and the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Chikwe Ihekweazu, have all agreed that the powers to be given to the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre in the contentious Control of Infectious Disease Bill are overtly enormous.
They stated this at the resumed public hearing on the repeal of the Quarantine Act and the enactment of the Control of Infectious Diseases Act organised by the House of Representatives Joint Committees on Healthcare Services, Health Institutions and Justice. The NCDC Director-General specifically said the Bill is drafted to give excessive powers to the Office of the DG who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre.
Ihekweazu also re-echoed the observation by other stakeholders that the Bill falls short on the issues of human rights as enshrined in the Constitution. He added that the Bill does not establish adequate human rights parameters and that the emphasis on the use of force was inimical to constitutional provisions.
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Though he agreed that the step taken by the lawmakers to enact a new law is a step in the right direction as the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill is the first concrete effort by the Legislature to address problems associated with infections.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
