House Halts Implementation of Revised Guidelines for Verification of Nurses, Midwives

•Wants army, police, others to adopt domestic tech products to fight insecurity

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The House of Representatives has urged the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria not to implement the Revised Guidelines for Verification dated February 7, 2023, pending the investigation by the lawmakers.

It has also mandated its House Committees on Health Institutions and Legislative Compliance to investigate the controversy surrounding the guidelines and report to the House within six weeks.

These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on the urgent need to stop the implementation of the guidelines moved by Hon. Dr. Patrick Umoh at plenary yesterday.

He Further noted that the revised guidelines, among others, stipulates that applicants for verification must have a minimum of two years post qualification experience from the date of issuance of permanent practice licence; obtain a letter of good standing from the Chief Executive Officer of applicant’s place of work and the last training institution attended, and that processing of application shall take a minimum of six months.

“The National Assembly is the body empowered by the constitution to make laws for the country, and the requirement of two years post-qualification experience by the Nursing and Midwifery Council is to legislate through the back door, and therefore a usurpation of the powers of the National Assembly.

“The requirement that applicants for verification must obtain a letter of good standing from the Chief Executive Officer of applicant’s place of work is capable of creating forced labour and modem slavery as applicant will be forced to be subject to the whims and caprices of applicant’s employer,” he argued.

The House thereafter mandated its committees on health institutions and legislative compliance to ensure compliance with the resolution.

Meanwhile , the House has urged the Nigerian Army, Police, Department of State Service (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to speedily collaborate and adopt tech products of domestic agencies as Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT), National Space Research Development Agency (NASRDA) and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to fight insecurity in Nigeria.

This resolution followed the adoption of a motion on the Need to Adopt Home Grown Technological Solution and Incorporate Domestic Technology Service Providers Agencies in fighting Insecurity in Nigeria moved by  Hon. Mohammed  Bio at plenary on Tuesday.

Bio noted that Nigeria was battling all forms of insecurity ranging from banditry, terrorism and kidnapping, adding that recently in Kogi, Ekiti, Lagos, Zamfara, Kaduna, Taraba, Nasarawa States, citizens were kidnapped, ransom demanded and some killed, including the three Kings in Ekiti, Kwara and the young ones in Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He informed that solutions to unravel insecurity are identified to be in tripartite nature of intelligence gathering, surveillance and communication for security agencies.

The lawmaker expressed worry over non-adoption of home-grown tech products and non-integration of domestic tech service provider agencies by the security agencies fighting insecurity ravaging the country.