ABUJA — The Senate has called on the Federal Government to immediately mandate compulsory health screening for all incoming international passengers at airports, seaports, and land borders following the confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in the Federal Capital Territory.
The resolution was reached during plenary on Wednesday, October 21, following a motion of urgent national importance.
The Upper Chamber urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and Port Health Services to enforce universal screening procedures across all point-of-entry gateways without exception.
To support the rapid response and containment measures, the Senate directed the Federal Government to promptly release emergency intervention funds from the Service Wide Votes to the relevant health agencies.
The lawmakers also announced plans to immediately amend the outdated Quarantine Act of 1926 to establish a modern public health legal framework aligned with International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).
However, the Red Chamber turned down a proposal seeking an on-site oversight visit by senators to principal entry points, opting instead to allow frontline medical personnel and port health officials to handle operational containment without legislative distraction.
