Ex-Senator, Dino Melaye has sued the speaker of the House of Representatives and the entire chamber for an attempt to pass a bill on Infectious Disease Control that will mandate compulsory vaccination.
The lawmakers who introduced the bill during plenary last week, said it was designed to prevent the spread or possible outbreak of infectious diseases.
The bill which is being sponsored by Gbajabiamila, seeks amongst other things, to empower the Minister of Health to convert any building into an Isolation center during a pandemic or health crisis while the police would be able to arrest any individual suffering from an infectious disease without a warrant.
Section 15 (1) of the bill reads,
Subsection 2 reads,
Subsection 3 reads,
The bill also proposes for a polie officer to have the power to arrest, quarantine violators without warrant
Subsection 4 reads,
Subsection 6 reads
While subsection 7 reads
The bill also prescribe a six months jail term for violators of NCDC's quarantine order.
Section 79 (3) prescribes a N500,000 fine and six-month jail term for persons who violate the quarantine restriction or refuse to take vaccinations in case of an outbreak or a suspected outbreak of an infectious disease in Nigeria such as the ravaging COVID-19.
Section 13 of the bill also sought to give the NCDC Director-General the power to order the isolation of people having or suspected to have an infectious disease for a period of time subject to the discretion of the DG. It added that such persons, including those who have recently recovered or being treated for such a disease, remain in isolation or be treated in their own dwelling place.
Section 17, under Abatement of Overcrowding, the bill prescribes that if in the opinion of the NCDC DG, a building is so overcrowded as to expose the occupants to the risk of infection by an infectious disease, the DG may by written notice direct the owner or occupier of the building to abate the overcrowding or to close the building or part thereof within the time specified in the notice.
The bill listed no fewer than 45 diseases. They include Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Avian Influenza, Campylobacteriosis, Chikungunya, Fever, Cholera, Dengue Fever, Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever, Diphtheria, Encephalitis, Viral Haemophilus Influenzae Type b Disease, Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, Hepatitis, Viral Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection, Legionellosis, Leprosy, Malaria, Measles, Melioidosis, Meningococcal Disease, Mumps, Nipah Virus Infection, Paratyphoid, Pertussis, Plague, Pneumococcal Disease (Invasive), Poliomyelitis, Rubella, Salmonellosis and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
Others include Swine Influenza, Typhoid, Tuberculosis, Yellow Fever, segxwally Transmitted Infections such as Chlamydia Genital Infection; Genital Herpes, Gonorrhea; Non-Gonococcal Urethritis; and Syphilis.
The second schedule of diseases include; Dangerous Infectious Diseases, Plague, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Yellow Fever, Coronavirus disease, Diphtheria, Measles, Polio, and Meningitis.
Melaye has joined many other Nigerians to condemn the bill which has been widely described as Colonial and Draconian. In his reaction, Melaye said the bill is against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and an outright abuse of the human rights of Nigerians. He pointed out that the bill amongst other things encourages forceful vaccination of persons against their wish.
On Monday morning, he approached the Federal High Court Abuja to file a lawsuit against the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila. Others joined in the suit include the Clerk of the National Assembly, Clerk of the House of Representatives, Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police.
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