Why Nigerians Are Against Infectious Disease Bill

By Chuks Ekpeneru

Nigerians are alarmed at the sneaky manner the House of Representatives led by  Femi Gbajabiamila wanted to handle the Infectious Disease Bill submitted by the speaker himself.

The anger is that the draft bill is a duplicate of Singapore’s Infectious Disease Act of 1977 which may not have taken cognisance of our local issues.

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and individuals have risen up to condemn the bill saying it is intended to stifle the rights of Nigerian citizens as contained in the 1999 Constitution.

That the bill will make vaccinations compulsory for all Nigerians is another issue which has caused tension.

If passed into law, this provision would empower the DG to make any form of vaccination (if believed to treat any infectious disease) compulsory for all Nigerians, in any area of the country, at any given time.

The section also makes it compulsory for every child in the country to be vaccinated against infectious diseases and their parents must ensure adherence.

It also requires a notice for vaccination to be issued for newborns right after their birth.

Nigerians anger spur from lack of integrity exhibited by some in leadership who over time have put personal above national interest.

This is as rumour went viral that the lower house has been compromised by Western interest to pass the bill.

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) even said the leadership of the House collected bribe from foreign producers of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines.

When Nigeria started the fight against the ravaging Coronavirus pandemic, many believe it will serve as a source of enrichment for our leaders. Some say this is already playing out at the different tiers of government.

Meanwhile bowing to public opinion, Gbajabiamila on Tuesday, announced that the proposed Infectious Disease Bill will now be subject to public hearing.

The Public Hearing will enable Nigerians to know if the Reps are being pushed by patriotic zeal or attempt to profit from the situation which has led to the death of almost 100 citizens.

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