PDP Calls For Public Hearing On NCDC Bill

 

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to subject the Infectious Disease Control Bill to public hearing.

The opposition party made the call in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Saturday in Abuja.

According to the party’s spokesperson, lawmakers the should not pass the bill until laid down procedure of public hearing are followed — to allow Nigerians participate in the process of law-making.

He said, “This is especially as the bill seeks to prescribe clauses on critical issues, particularly that of vaccination, which has become globally controversial in the face of raging conspiracy theories on the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“The PDP is alarmed that such approach is already worsening public mistrust in the polity,” he said.

“The PDP insists that Nigerians must be carried along in the decision-making process of such critical legislation, which seeks to make provisions that will directly affect their health as well as overall individual and collective safety and well-being.

“The party stresses that anything short of that would be counterproductive and capable of breeding an avoidable public resistance, especially given the deepening fear and anxiety in the polity over the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.