Court Did Not Stop Infectious Disease Bill – Reps

The House of Representatives has dismissed media reports that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered it to suspend the ongoing process of the consideration of the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill, 2020.

The house in a statement issued on Sunday by its Spokesman, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, said such reports were a “misrepresentation of facts which has in turn misled various other media outfits and the general public.”

Recall that the house had said it would subject the bill to public hearing before passage, following public outcry against its supposed intent.

According to the statement, although the applicant in a suit no FHC/ABJ/CS/463/2020 on 13th May 2020, by way of a motion exparte, had sought a court order suspending the consideration of the Bill by the green chambers, the court in its wisdom and in the interest of justice and fair hearing, declined to grant the reliefs sought by applicant.

It said this was to make way for the respondents in the case to appear before it and enter a defence.

The statement reads briefly: “For the sake of clarity, the crux of the court’s decision in the abovementioned suit is reproduced hereunder, “Upon hearing this Motion Ex-parte as moved by learned counsel to the Applicant and upon careful consideration of the averments in the affidavit in support, Exhibits attached and the written and oral address of learned counsel, the Court is of the view that bearing in mind the weighty averments in the affidavit in support which are intended to stay the Legislative actions of the Respondents in regard to the Bill in disputation and the exigencies of the times (that is to say the COVID-19 pandemic) and the attendant hysteria in the polity, the Court is of the opinion, that it is in the interest of justice to hear the Respondents before making a long term decision in this case.

“It is for this reason that I hereby make an Order mandating the Respondents to appear before this Court on the 20th day of May 2020 to show Cause why the application of the Applicant should not be granted.”

While noting that the interim order was wrongly reported, the statement called on all media outfits to verify and refer to the certified true copy of the “court’s order in all further social commentary or report on the subject matter.”

“The House, therefore, wishes to put the order of the court in proper perspective and state that the act of legislation is a sacred and constitutional responsibility which should not be subjected to flimsy or superficial reportage in the interest of our democracy.

“While the respondents await official service of processes in the abovementioned suit as directed by the court, the House reiterates that as a creation of the Nigerian Constitution, it will continue to perform its lawful mandate without jeopardizing its healthy deference to the judicial system and the process of adjudication,” it concluded.