Sufuyan Ojeifo
9 May 2008
Abuja — The continued absence of the Chair, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello from the Senate may have rubbed off negatively on the progress of the National Health Bill as the upper legislative chamber yesterday rejected the report on the Bill on the grounds that it was poorly prepared, thus stalling the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill .
The Committee chair has become a fugitive from justice following the move by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to charge her to court, along with eleven others, for sharing in the proceeds of crime.
She was alleged to have collected N10 million from the Ministry of Health to fund a capacity-building seminar in Ghana from March 16-20, 2008 , which was aimed at facilitating the processing and passage of the National Health Bill. The money was part of the N300 million unspent 2007 budget of the Health Ministry.
But while the former Health Minister, Professor Adenike Grange and the Minister of State, Architect Gabriel Aduku and nine others had been charged to court by the EFCC and granted bail, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello is yet to honour the Commission's invitation for her to be arraigned in court.
Many senators picked holes in the Bill when the report on the National Health Bill came up yesterday for the clause-by-clause consideration. Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Senator Gyang Dantong presented the report, which should have been presented by Obasanjo-Bello.
There was near unanimity among Senators that nothing seemed to have been changed (amended) in the bill.Deputy Senate Minority Leader and member of the Health Committee, Senator Olorunmibe Mamora tried hard to sway the Senate to consider the Bill, but the move did not sail through.
Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu said: "It is a very important bill. But as it is now, it is very difficult to follow what has been recommended."
His position was shared by the Deputy Senate Minority Whip, Senator Kabiru Gaya who observed that the bill "did not follow the normal trend. The committee should go back to do a better job."Mamora had tried to argue that the observations raised by his colleagues were not enough to cause the return of the bill to the committee.Senate President, Senator David Mark interjected, saying that the changes made to the bill were not highlighted for members to see.According to him, "This issue they raised is very simple and straight forward. The changes should be properly highlighted."For you to know there is change at all, it must be highlighted. You have not highlighted it for us to know where you have made changes."The Upper House resolved to return the bill to the Committee to rework. The Committee was directed to conclude work on the bill and represent to the Senate on Tuesday, next week.
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