

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has said the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill 2020 to a public hearing.
Gbajabiamila, while speaking at Tuesday’s plenary, described controversy trailing tthe proposed legislation since its first and second reading in the House last week as unnecessary.
The House last Tuesday resolved to give the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill a speedy passage.
After the bill passed through first and second reading within minutes, the deputy, Idris Wase, who presided over the debate referred to the Committee of the Whole, side-stepping a public hearing. The decision did not go down well with those opposed to the bill both within and outside the House, with many insinuating that the parliament has something to hide as it concerns the bill.
Regardless, Gbajabiamila said “the bill has been assailed as a sinister attempt to turn Nigerians into guinea pigs for medical research while taking away their fundamental human rights.
“Suffice it 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. As we have thus far shown by our conduct, the resolutions and actions we take in this 9th House of Representatives will always be in the best interests of the Nigerian people who elected us, and no one else.
“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 of the whole.
It is from the accumulation of these myriad views, suggestions and good faith critiques from within and outside the House that we will arrive at final legislation that meets the present and future needs of our country, and which we all can support in good conscience.”
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