The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, resolved to suspend plenary for two weeks over the dreaded coronavirus now ravaging countries across the world.
This is to enable the lawmakers to sensitise their constituents on the outbreak of the contagious disease and to also allow for the management of the National Assembly to put certain facilities in place within the Complex to check the spread.
The House also called on the Federal Executive Council to summon an emergency meeting and address the issues relating to the outbreak of the contagious disease.
The House further urged the government to release more emergency funds and create an enabling environment and support to the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies and institutions in a bid to completely overcome and eliminate the threat of the Novel Coronavirus (NCoV).
The resolutions followed the adoption a motion of national public importance entitled: “the need for emergency response and tackling of deadly coronavirus (COVID-19)” moved by, Rep. Unyime Idem which was further amended by the Minority Leader of the House, Rep. Ndudi Elumelu at the plenary presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Rep Ahmed Idris Wase.
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However, the House is yet to fix a date for the suspension of the plenary session
Rep. Idem expressed concerns that Nigeria, being the most populous nation in Africa, which recorded it first case of the deadly disease that was diagnosed in Lagos State had left the citizens and other African countries worried.
The lawmaker further explained that the alarm raised by the Federal Ministry of Health as regards the fatality and contagious nature of the coronavirus influenza called for panic as well.
According to him: “the hemorrhagic disease was first diagnosed in the city of Chinese city Wuhan, with the population of 11 million residents, and has spread to over 58 countries still counting since that time. The coronavirus has killed over 3, 000 people infected over 91, 000 globally.
“The socio-economic implications of the outbreak of CONVID-19 in Nigeria can be very disastrous. This can be threatening to the lives of 200 million Nigerians. Hence, events have been cancelled or rescheduled at the disease ravages the world.”
The Minority Leader of the House, Rep. Ndudi Elumelu, who proposed the two weeks break in his amendment to the motion said that the issue of coronavirus had become of serious national and international which should be handled with the seriousness it deserved especially when the driver who had contact with the Italian carrier of the virus had not been identified.
Rep Elumelu, who came under matter of privileges, said that members should within the two weeks break embark on routine check.
According to him, “what has been recorded in Nigeria today that we have coronavirus is from Ogun state and from an Italian man who visited Ogun state and it turned out to have visited the constituency of Hon. Isiaka.
“I think that this is very serious and I think that this House should suspend plenary for a period of two weeks or thereabout for the singular fact of satisfying everybody and also allow management to put measures in place so that some of us can be tested.
“It might sound like a joking matter, but it is a very serious matter and this House should take it as such. Otherwise, you don’t know who you will be shaking.
“The man who was the driver of the Italian has not been seen. Jokes apart, I think that the management and the leadership should ensure that this matter is given the seriousness that it deserved.”
Rep. Awaji-Inombek Abiante reminded his colleagues of the motion that was thrown out by the House, calling for the evacuation of Nigerians living in Wuhan, China where the disease was first discovered.
According to him, “now, we are faced with our worse fears because the coronavirus is here with us. We throw out a motion to bring back our brothers from Wuhan, China and now, we are caught up with our worst fears.”
While questioning the level of preparedness by the nation to address the issue, he said the seat the Minister of Health was sitting on while addressing Nigerians on the virus showed how prepared Nigeria was.
He argued that the incubation period of the virus had increased from 14 to 21 days which he said was enough period for anybody that is infested to travel round the country, getting in contact with as many people as possible.
While saying that there was the need to be more proactive measures, he insisted that there had been no measures put in place in the National Assembly to screen people coming into the Complex
When motion was put in voice vote as amended by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Wase, it was unanimously adopted.
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