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General News of Tuesday, 5 May 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

NCDC bill is not sponsored by Bill Gates, Gbajabiamila says

Gbajabiamila Gbajabiamila

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has said the Infectious Disease Bill, commonly termed the "NCDC bill" is not a product of inducement by foreign interests.

The Speaker also said the bill, which is under consideration does not attempt to turn Nigerians into guinea pigs.

This reaction is coming after several conspiracy theories have alluded the bill to Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, with several Nigerians bitterly disagreeing with the contents of the bill which many believe is totalitarian in nature.

Clearing those allegations, Gbajabiamila said, " Suffice to say that none of these allegations are true. Unfortunately, we now live in a time when conspiracy theories have gained such currency that genuine endeavours in the public interest can quickly become mischaracterised and misconstrued to raise the spectre of sinister intent and ominous possibility. This House of Representatives will never, take any action that purposes to bring harm to any Nigerian here at home or abroad."

Nonetheless, the Speaker stressed that Nigeria's current framework for the prevention and management of infectious diseases is obsolete and no longer fit for our current realities.

Choosing to disagree with the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu, the lawmaker countered that the NCDC powers are very low.

Decrying the escape of people from isolation centres, and the stubbornness of people to travel interstate just to spread the virus, Gbajabiamila said he was not backing down on fronting the bill.

The Speaker said the House of Reps will never take any action that purposes to bring harm to any Nigerian at home or abroad. He promised that the resolutions and actions taken in the 9th House will always be in the best interests of the people.

"The control of Infectious Diseases Bill will be put forward to a public hearing where stakeholder contributions will be sought to make improvements to the bill before it is reviewed and debated by the committee as a whole," Gbajabiamila suggested.

Expressing his unhappiness with the social distancing, he stressed that it was not tenable even for lawmakers. Nonetheless, he promised that if it is successful, the house would consider it as well.

Concluding his address, the Speakers said he wanted to entertain factual arguments regarding the bill and urged lawmakers to give informed positions and not divisive comments so that they can move forward in the matter.



In a recent MyNigeria.com report, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu begged lawmakers to relax the passage of the Infectious disease bill.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television, the NCDC boss said now was not the right time.

Expressing his thoughts over the bill, the NCDC DG said now was not the right time to do so. He also highlighted the part where public health professionals needed to go through the bill and consult over it. He thanked the legislature for the move but appealed for more time to pass the bill.