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…claims and counter-claims by proponents and opponents
The stage is set as members of the most vibrant Green Chamber in Africa set to pass a Bill on Quarantine designed to help check infectious diseases in Nigeria on Tuesday.
This whole drama started last Tuesday when the House moved to repeal the Quarantine Act 2004.
Thereafter, a petition which has gone viral mounted the centre stage in the sicial media tearing the Bill into shreds and asking Nigerians to pass a death sentence on it.
Some top ranking members in the House of Representatives that spoke to thenewsguru.com, (TNG) vowed that the Bill unarguably the most talked about Bill in recent time would be exhaustively discussed and properly thrashed.
One of such lawmakers from the North Central geo-political zone who spoke to TNG under the condition of anonymity declared that”we’ve allowed too many wrong things to go the wrong way.
“This time around we’ll bare our fangs and open the underbelly of the Bill for all to see because you can’t imprison us in the name of a law and disease control.
Another Lawmaker from the South South geo-political zone simply said I will stoutly stand on the side of truth if I am allowed to speak because some of us have been named enemies of leadership.
A Lawmaker from the North East geo-political zone said” I will speak against all the anti-Nigerian aspect of the Bill if the presiding officer gives me the nod.
“You know some of us here are tagged internally displaced parliamentarians despite the fact that we are ranked but adequately relegated to serve new lawmakers that are chairmen of committees.
“But we fervently pray and hope that it will be a free level playing chamber when we resume.
The last Lawmaker that bared his mind without fear or favour is Rep Uzoma Nkem-Abonta who told TNG that there’s “no going back untill we expunge all the satanic contents of the controversial Bill.
“We won’t migrate into error by speedily considering such a Bill without public hearing as Nigerians will never forgive us and our generations yet unborn.
Proponents for the Bill:
Those clamouring for its passage argued that no Nigerian will be arrested or forcefully made to take any vaccine without his consent.
They claimed that there’s nothing like plagiarism in the legislative parlance so re-producing the Singoporean of 1976 law is not out of place.
Various reasons were given which were hinged on the covid 19 pandemic stating that if it was in place travelers into the country could have been controlled by the NCDC.
Nigeria would have been saved from the embarrassing situation it found herself today.
But the opponents of the Bill argued that no if there’s is no hidden intent why the speedy approach to ensure its immediate passage.
They submitted that the Bill as it is cannot fly as it has too many defects.
The Bill if passed into law will concentrate too much powers in the NCDC and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
They equally emphasised that they may move it into the exclusive list.
However, how the Bill would be shaped or unshaped legislatively would be unfolded on Tuesday.