THUR, JUN 11 2020-theG&BJournal-The House of Representatives members continued their second day of Public Hearing on the Control of Infectious Disease Bill today, with majority of stakeholders rejecting the Bill.
The Amnesty International Nigeria in their presentation insisted that adequate and meaningful consultation takes place as the ‘’current draft contains overly broad provisions and powers that would be used to restrict people’s human rights, contrary to the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights obligations.’’
Amnesty said the bill fails three fundamental issues: compelling and forcing people to take vaccines, excessive powers and violates multiple rights- liberty, movement, life, property, peacfeful association and expression among others.
‘’The current bill is repressive and falls short of Nigeria’s constitutional Human rights.’’
The Association of Nigerian Pathologists called for the Bill to be stepped down because it does not state who should pay for medical investigations being contained in it. Their argument is that medical treatment can be compelled by fiat.
Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria asks that the Bill be rejected also because it is unconstitutional, and the issues it seeks to address is already addressed in the NCDC Act.
The National Human Rights Commission predicated their rejection of the bill on the issues of the use of force, loss of privacy and medical rights, and stigmatising terminologies and concludes that the Bill will affect the enjoyment of Human Rights by Nigerians.
The representative of the Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association of Nigeria whose role is left out in the Bill said they should have been included in the Bill as they have indigenous knowledge on treatment for diseases.
He reminded the House that the majority of Nigerians patronise traditional medicine practitioners, and as such, their recommendations on remedies should be taken seriously.
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