The Minister remarked that the lawmakers did not consult the Ministry of Health while drafting the bill. It is the ministry that will implement whatever law comes out of the bill yet it was sidelined in the drafting of the bill.
The Minister also questioned the provisions that make the NCDC DG more powerful than his supervisor who is the Minister of Health. It was obvious that the tyranny of the bill was not hidden while the ulterior motive remains questionable since the bill betrays national interest.
The NCDC DG, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, aligned with the Health Minister in rejecting the bill. The DG also observed that there was no consultation with the NCDC while drafting the bill. He further did not see the rational in being more powerful than the Minister who supervises him. More so, most of the powers were considered arbitrary.
The NCDC DG was of the view that better work would have been done in drafting the bill if the National Assembly had held consultation with the Health Ministry and the NCDC at the early stage.
The NCDC DG and the Health Minister rejected the idea of such legislation being imposed on them for implementation.