Excerpts from the third Zoom conference in the series: Covid-19: Turning a crisis into opportunities, that took place on Friday, 08/05/20. SEE FULL 3 HOUR VIDEO BELOW
Topic: Covid-19 and the proposed Vaccination Bill: Implications for Nigeria
Panelists:
1. Prof. Maurice Iwu, President Bioresources Development Group, an independent biosciences research and development organization. Director Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc. Chairman of Imo State Taskforce on Covid – 19, and member Anambra State Covid -19 Committee.
2. Honourable Akanni Dolapo-Badru (Lagos Island I Federal Constituency) Chairman House Committee on Industry
3. Daniel H. Bwala, LLM (UK), Special Adviser on Legal and Constitutional Matters to Deputy President of the Senate/Head of the Legal Unit.
4. Professor Joseph Igietseme, Doctor of Immunology & Microbiology from Georgetown University, Chief of Molecular Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Center for Infectious Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA and expert on T cell immunity, immunoregulation & immunopathogenesis.
5. Dubem Okadigbo Moghalu, Esq. (Special Assistant, Research and Public Policy) to the Speaker, House of Representatives.
Host: Maazi Tochukwu Ezeoke
Moderator: Daniel Elombah
The series – Covid-19: Turning a crisis into opportunities is sponsored by the Governance Index – a Social Enterprise dedicated to promoting purposeful leadership around the world and promoted by Elombah Communications / Njenje Media Ltd.
First to be presented at the beginning of the conference is: A comparative analysis of the draft legislation titled Infectious Disease Act, sponsored by Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila and submitted on the floor of the House of Representatives and Singapore’s Infectious Disease Act of 1977.
It was Presented by Marcel Ngogbehei, Sloan Fellow from the London Business School and a Volunteer Analyst for Governance Index.
1. COVID-19: Why we copied from Singapore Act to draft Vaccination Bill – Gbajabiamila
The Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has justified plagiarism of Singaporean law to draft the Vaccination Bill submitted for the consideration in the Lower Chamber.
Gbajabiamila who made this known in Zoom meeting organised by Elombah Communications / Njenje Media Ltd represented by his Special Assistant, Research and Public Policy, Dubem Okadigbo Moghalu, explained that plagiarism is not known in the legislative drafting adding the allegation of plagiarism is intended only to arise certain passion.
The Conference is titled, ” Covid-19 and the proposed Vaccination Bill: Implications for Nigeria.”
He explained that when you want to achieve a particular objective through passage Act Parliament, it is a common norm practice to look for other jurisdiction that has achieved what you intend to achieve.
He said, “I need it to be clear for who are on this platform that at the moment the Language of plagiarism that has been used in relation to this bill is simply incendiary, and it is intended only to arise certain passion. Plagiarism is not known in legislative drafting.
“When you want to achieve a particular objective, the first thing you will need to do is to ask yourself is there any other jurisdiction that has achieved what you intend to achieve, if is yes, the next thing is how did they achieve it in the written text and you will take that written text and take it as a foundation for developing your own legislation and you will make whatever improvement you need to make so that it will be more suites to your local context.
“We are taking what was done in Singapore as foundation for our work and improve and amend it to an extent that will be suited to our local context. It is important to know that there is nothing we have done in thus bill that is not based on existing law in Nigeria.”
He explained that what is in the bill is not alien to the practices in the Nigeria.
In his word, ” we have simply sought to build on what is already in existence to achieve a particular objective of strengthen our health work and the management of our public health. A lot of contentious provisions that people are worried about only apply to our public health emergency, the only person who has power to declare public health emergency is the President. We have not given the Director General, power to act on his own outside of norms, we are simply giving him power that comes into effect subject to declaration of public health emergency by the President.”
He said that the power to arrest without warrant of arrest is already in existing law in the Administration of Criminal Justice adding that there is no difference between the existing law and what is being proposed in the bill.
2. Gbajabiamila Denies involvement of Bill Gates in Vaccination Bill
Speaker of House of Representatives, Rt. Femi Gbajabiamila has denied involvement of Computer Expert, Bill Gates in formulation of Vaccination Bill in the House of Representatives.
Last week, Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) had alleged that Bill Gates has offered the House of Representatives $10 million for the passage of Vaccination Bill.
But, Gbajabiamila while speaking through his Special Assistant on Research and Public Policy, Dubem Okadigbo Moghalu said the lawmakers have not consulted any other individual in formulation of the bill.
He said “I speak for my boss, bill gates has no involvement in this particular legislation. Section 30 of the proposed bill deal with Vaccination for international travel, again there is this proposed bill that is alien, Section 30 of subsection 1, some of us have already obtained yellow card this thing is already exist which we adhere to, u can’t enter UK or US if you have not been vaccinated against some certain diseases.
“This is not new in Nigeria; immunization is made compulsorily for children. Individual right must succumb to the public concern, so we have not done anything outside the existing law.
“This document still has a long way go before it will be signed by President. We will still do clause by clause consideration of the bill.”
The Panelist at the meeting were Prof. Maurice Iwu, A member of House of Representatives, Hon. Akanni Dolapo, Daniel H. Bwala, LLM (UK), Special Adviser on Legal and Constitutional Matters to Deputy President of the Senate/Head of the Legal Unit, and Professor Joseph Igietseme, Doctor of Immunology & Microbiology from Georgetown, Chief of Molecular Pathogenesis Laboratory at the National Center for Infectious Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA .
The Zoom Conference was titled Covid-19 and the proposed Vaccination Bill: Implications for Nigeria
3. Gbajabiamila’s Vaccination Bill was poorly drafted – Deputy Senate President’s Aide
Daniel H. Bwala, Special Adviser on Legal and Constitutional Matters to Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege has disclosed that the Vaccination Bill in the House of Representatives was poorly drafted.
Vaccination Bill was sponsored by Speaker of House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
Bwala added that 90 percent of the provisions of the bill are direct copy from Singapore though is not a bad idea to copy.
He said the bill which the House of Representatives copy some of the provisions are subject of conversation in Singapore which needs to be repealed and replaced.
Bwala said, ” The bill is quite frankly needs a lot of work, 90 percent of the provisions of the bill are direct copy from Singapore, though it is not a bad idea to copy, the only thing is that most of the provisions in the bill which we copy are even subject of conversation in Singapore, which will be repealed.
“We cannot look at the picture by looking backward, with respect to the bill, and the impression, we cannot kill it, and we need to make it. The bill was poorly drafted, I must be honest, and we can make it better.”
4. COVID -19: FG is yet to show Commitment on our Drug – Iwu
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bioresources Development Group (BDG), Prof. Maurice Iwu has stated that Federal government is to show commitment on treatment presented by his team of researchers for COVID-19.
The former INEC boss who led a team of researchers led had presented a plant-based patented treatment for COVID-19 to the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.
But, Iwu while speaking at the Zoom Conference said that government is yet to show interest in the drug calling on the National Assembly to organise emergency Public hearing on this issue .
He said the lawmakers through their oversight function should direct agency concern to fast track the process of validating the drug.
Iwu said,” Government needs to show interest on our drug, the money raised by private sectors can be deployed, it does not need to come to Prof. Iwu, it is information, the product is ours, but the information is already outside.
“There must be interest on the part of government that they want to test the drug, once the government shows interest; every other thing will fall in place.”
He said the lawmakers can have public hearing on the drug and ask why the validation for the drug is taking longer than necessary.
Here is a video of the entire zoom conference: Covid-19 and the proposed Vaccination Bill: Implications for Nigeria