ABUJA, October 02, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives Wednesday moved to amend the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Act 2004 by passing for second reading a bill seeking to have the representatives of the Inspector General of Police and the Comptroller General of Customs on the board of the agency.
The amendment bill, which is sponsored by Hon. Dan Abia (PDP, Akwa Ibom), is also seeking to peg the years of experience for the appointment of the Director General of the agency at 15.
The Bill titled, A Bill for an act to amend the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control Act Cap N1 Laws of the Federation 2004 and for other matters connected therewith, is intended to strengthen NAFDAC and also provide a fine of N100,000 or three years imprisonment or both for “a person who obstructs an officer of the agency in the performance of his duties,” against the N5,000 and or two years imprisonment as provided in the agency’s Act of 2004.
Further, the Bill provides that to forestall or prevent the probability of abuse of office by the Minister of Health, the provision in Section 17 which says “the minister may issue to the agency directives as he may think necessary as to the disposal of any surplus funds of the agency,” should be deleted.
However, the amendment in Section 8 which makes “it mandatory for the agency to seek and obtain the approval of the minister before a new directorate is created,” is aimed at forestalling “arbitrariness and indiscretion in the exercise of the agency’s powers under this section.”
In their separate contributions to the debate in support of the Bill, Aminu Shehu Shagari (PDP, Sokoto) and Akpan Micah Umor (Akwa Ibom), argued that with the amendments, NAFDAC would be able to perform its functions better without much difficulties.
The Speaker, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who presided over the session referred the Bill to the House Committee on Health for further legislative input.
By Saint Mugaga, Abuja
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