Speaker, Femi laments delay in payment of hazards allowances of doctors treating coronavirus patients

Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has expressed disappointment that doctors and medical personnel who are treating coronavirus patients have not been paid their hazards allowances.

In a statement he issued in Abuja, he said,  activities of the Chinese medical personnel that came into the country on Wednesday for the delivery of materials and equipment to the Nigerian government in the fight against COVID – 19,would be monitored. 

He said, there was need to monitor the movement of the Chinese medical personnel as a result fears expressed by Nigerians over their coming into the country.

He said the House will legislate to ensure that donations for emergency situations like this are fulfilled by individual and corporate donor agencies. 

Giving an update through the statement, Gbajabiamila insisted there would be legislation for the disbursement of government and private funds for the pandemic.

He said without legislation, coupled with the fact that disbursement of government funds must be as prescribed by law, spending from the Covid-19 funds may become a subject of litigation.

He also expressed disappointment with the disclosure that medical and other personnel at the entry points and hospitals working on the coronavirus pandemic are yet to be paid hazard allowance.

He said: “This engagement is to see how we’re can make things better. The Chinese medical personnel, are they coming to upgrade our laboratories, are you accepting them? Who are the technicians that have been running the Kaduna and Kano laboratories before now?

“Where are the Chinese personnel as we speak? How are you sure that the Chinese company responsible for this arrangement is complying with your directives?”

The Speaker also said since the disease is highly infectious, let the authorities test as many Nigerians as possible.

“My point is, let us begin to test everybody since the disease is highly infectious. We have a problem of contact tracing with people giving wrong addresses. Have you tried tracing them through the Immigration Service and telecommunication companies since there are other details that can be sourced from those windows?”

“What we are trying to do is to see if constitutional provision is brought to bear on this issue as stated by Section 80 of the constitution, that disbursement from the coffers of government can only be in a manner prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly.

“What we can do is to convene as soon as possible and give you, even if it is a one line item for you to appropriate this monies, this is because to do otherwise may become a subject of litigation, and the court can say you have no power to disburse from the money that is coming to the coffers of government,” Gbajabiamila added.