Infectious Diseases Bill may not be passed - Senator Ekweremadu

Abiodun OBA

The controversial “Infectious Diseases Bill” currently before the National Assembly may not be passed.

The former Deputy President of the Senate representing Enugu West Constituency in the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has said this while featuring on a radio programme, Political Voices.

According to Ekweremadu, the provisions of the bill are inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution.

Ekweremadu said, “Now, looking at that bill which is intended to deal with dangerous or other infectious diseases, it appears to me that the bill itself is more dangerous than even the infectious disease itself.

“If you look at some of the provisions, it says if you have any problem with the order or the action of the DG of the agency, then you have to appeal to the minister and whatever the minister says is final.

“That is not in tandem with the provisions of our Constitution, especially Section 4, 8 of our constitution. That is Section 4, subsection 8 that deals with the issue of courts and court jurisdictions. Section 4 sub-section 8 says that ‘no attempt should be made by either the National Assembly or any state Assembly to make a law that purports or in effect houses the jurisdiction of the court.

“You must have access to go to court if you have any issue that demands that; so to that extent, that bill is null and void, it is unacceptable, it is unconstitutional.”