The Senate has urged the federal government to release emergency funds and make health screening compulsory for all international arrivals at Nigeria’s airports, seaports and designated land borders following the confirmed Ebola case in Abuja.
The resolutions adopted on Wednesday, October 21, call for health declaration forms, temperature checks and symptom assessments regardless of a traveller’s nationality or country of departure. Travellers who visited or transited through affected areas within the preceding 21 days would receive enhanced screening.
Senators also called for exit screening during declared public health emergencies, trained port health officers and adequate scanners, protective equipment and isolation rooms at entry points. They want isolation and treatment centres ready across the 36 states and the FCT.
The motion was sponsored by Francis Faduyile, who represents Ondo South. Lawmakers raised concerns about gaps created by limiting screening requirements to travellers from selected countries, as well as shortages of staff and equipment.
The Senate asked for emergency financing from the service-wide vote, alongside the release of outstanding allocations and adequate provision for the NCDC and Port Health Services in the 2027 budget. It also called for the Quarantine Act of 1926 to be replaced with modern public health legislation aligned with the International Health Regulations.
A proposal for Senate committees to visit major entry points and report back within four weeks was rejected. Premium Times reported that Senate President Godswill Akpabio questioned the need for the visits and raised the risk of lawmakers’ exposure before putting the proposal to a vote.
In a separate resolution on Wednesday, the House of Representatives urged the release of outstanding funds already appropriated for health agencies. Premium Times reported that the motion, sponsored by Amobi Ogah, also asked health authorities to assess additional resource needs and directed the House Committee on Infectious Diseases to obtain updates from the relevant agencies.
The legislative demands follow the government’s confirmation of one Ebola case in the FCT and the identification of 44 contacts. NaijaTrend reported the confirmation and contact-tracing response here.
The Senate assigned its Committee on Legislative Compliance to follow up on implementation of its resolutions, Vanguard reported.
Sources: Punch, Vanguard, Channels Television, Premium Times
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