Now is not the right time for the NCDC bill- Ihekweazu

Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu has told the 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.

Clarifying the type of bill, Ihekweazu said it was not an NCDC bill but an infectious disease bill.

"It is not an NCDC bill. The NCDC is established by an act of parliament. This is a new Infectious disease bill," he stressed.

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.

"I can understand where it is coming from. Many people are frustrated with the spread of infectious disease. We were not consulted before the bill was brought up. There is a need to consider a new public health bill. My personal view is that this is not the best time to do this. We need to get out of this first," Ihekweazu explained.