The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), on Monday, alleged
that it has intercepted a human intelligence report that the Nigeria
House of Representatives leadership was poised to forcefully pass the
compulsory vaccine bill without subjecting it to the traditions of
legislative proceedings.
In a statement issued and signed by the spokesperson of the
opposition political parties, Barrister Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere and sent
to DAILY POST in Abuja on Monday, the body urged lawmakers in the lower
chamber to rise against impunity.
The body in the statement alleged that a sum of $10 million was
offered by the American Computer Czar, Bill Gates for influence the
speedy passage of the bill without recourse to legislative public
hearing, a the development they averted as anachronistic, adding that
the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila should be impeached if he forces the bill
on members.
The statement read:
“Opposition Coalition (CUPP) has intercepted very credible
intelligence and hereby alerts Nigerians of plans by the leadership of
the House of Representatives led by Femi Gbajabiamila to forcefully and
without adherence to the rules of lawmaking to pass the Control of
Infectious Diseases Bill 2020 otherwise known as the Compulsory
Vaccination Bill which is proposing a compulsory vaccination of all
Nigerians even when the vaccines have not been discovered.
“This intelligence is coupled with the information of the alleged
receipt, from sources outside the country but very interested in the
Bill, of the sum of $10 million by the sponsors and promoters of the
Bill to distribute among lawmakers to ensure a smooth passage of the
Bill.
“This will manifest in a wishy-washy public hearing which the
promoters still insist on cancelling under the pretext of containment of
the spread of the coronavirus. The intelligence is that the House will
under whatever guise pass the Bill tomorrow 5th May, 2020 upon
resumption.
“The Nigeria opposition rejects the Bill and urges opposition
lawmakers in the House of Representatives to confront the Speaker of the
House with these facts tomorrow at plenary and resist every plan to
illegally pass the Bill.
“We have been informed that the alleged deal on the passage of the
Bill was struck during a trip to Austria a few months back while the
financial support for the promotion of the Bill was allegedly received
last week to mobilize for a push leading to the hurried attempt to pass
the Bill by any means necessary.
“Nigerians are reminded that at present, there is no
discovered/approved vaccine anywhere in the world and one now begins to
wonder why the hurry to pass a Bill for a compulsory vaccine when there
is none.
“What if the world eventually does not find a vaccine or cure for
coronavirus just like it has not found a cure for HIV AIDS? What is the
hurry in passing a Bill based on speculation or is there anything else
the leadership of the House would want to tell Nigerians? Is this bill
what will stop the mass deaths and infections rising in Lagos, Kano,
Abuja, Gombe, Borno, Kaduna, Ogun, Bauchi and indeed all over the
country?
“Is this Bill going to revive and grow the economy and reduce hunger
and give us more testing kits or bed spaces? Is this Bill going to stop
the stealing of palliatives meant for poor and vulnerable Nigerians? Is
it true that all these noises for the Bill is all for the alleged $10
million?
“The leadership of the House needs to start speaking now on why the
hurry when there are a lot of urgent Bills to be passed which are not
being attended to.
“Where is the Bill to make the wearing of face masks compulsory now
that the Federal Government has against all wisdom insisted on easing
the lockdown and the people have trooped out already without obeying the
health regulations that will make them safe?
“Where are the economic revival Bills to protect jobs and vulnerable
Nigerian workers whose livelihoods are threatened daily by this
pandemic? Where are the Bills to compel the Federal Government to look
inwards and encourage emergency research for the manufacture of
essentials like test kits, ventilators, Personal Protective Equipment,
vaccines, drugs, masks, sanitizers etc
“All opposition lawmakers should prove they are not part of the evil
or partakers of the financial inducement and confront Speaker Femi
Gbajabiamila to come clean.
“Let all parliamentary rules be dropped and opposition members should
turn the House upside down using their parliamentary privileges if that
is what it takes to stop this foreign-sponsored Bill.
“Why make a law for a vaccine that has not been discovered? Does it
mean that Femi Gbajabiamila and the promoters have an idea of the
vaccine and when it will be ready? When nations like Madagascar are
making local remedies which is working, APC is making a law to
compulsorily inject Nigerians with vaccines our former slave masters
have not yet discovered.
“The plan to push the passing of the bill is evil
“The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC did not make any
contributions to the drafting of the Bill and has even told Femi
Gbajabiamila to suspend the Bill as the timing is very wrong but Mr.
Gbajabiamila believes he can secure the silence and acquiescence of the
NCDC with all the illegal powers been provided for the NCDC in the Bill
hence he still wants to push ahead with it the passage.
“Like we told the Federal Government before, do not bring Chinese
doctors, shut our external borders, do not ease the lockdown, do not
relax Kano lockdown and they refused to heed to wise counsel preferring
to play myopic politics with the lives of Nigerians, today the community
transmission is getting worse and it has almost been confirmed that the
so called strange deaths in Kano of hundreds of citizens is a result of
the COVID-19.
“We are saying loudly again and calling on House of Representatives
to suspend this Control of Infectious Diseases Bill and await for proper
input and scrutiny after the pandemic and charge all efforts towards
giving the needed support to reduce the spread and find a homegrown
solution.”
