House of Representatives, on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, read the Federal Medical Centres Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023, sponsored by Hon. (Dr.) Anthony Adebayo Adepoju, for the second time.
The Bill is the second of Hon. Adepoju’s Bills on the floor of the House to be read for the second time in December 2023.
The Federal Medical Bill that was read for the second time on the floor of the House during plenary on Wednesday as the House concluded its activities for the year aims at establishing the first-ever federal medical centre in the Ibarapa region of Oyo State in order for the people of the geopolitical zone in Oyo State to have access to good medical care services.
You will recall that the Bill was first read on the floor of the House on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, when the honourable lawmaker pushed for a new Bill to establish a federal medical centre in his constituency.
The decision, according to him, became impressive when he was reliably informed that the similar Bill sponsored by Hon. (Dr.) Muraina Ajibola Muraina, former lawmaker who represented the constituency in the 9th Assembly, failed to receive the presidential assent of the ex-president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking on the success of the Bill so far, Hon. (Dr.) Adepoju said he is committed to actualizing the dream of having a federal medical centre in the constituency as soon as possible.
He said a lack of federally owned hospitals in the constituency has resulted in not just a lot of deaths but also made access to basic medical health care services very expensive.
Ibarapakan also expressed optimism that the Bill will receive the assent of President Tinubu, adding that the president of Nigeria is known for his priority on the health sector when he was the governor of Lagos State and that he will not hesitate to display the same gesture now that he is the president of the most populous black nation.
“Earlier this month, my Bill for an Act to Establish the Institute of Economists of Nigeria 2023 was passed and sent to the Senate for concurrent. I am pleased to inform the most hardworking and supportive constituents in Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North that my Bill on Federal Medical Centre Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023 (HB.799), was also passed and sent to the Senate for concurrent early hours of today.
“I promise to pursue these Bills for the interests of Nigerians and that of the people of Ibarapa Land, who have been longing for a federal medical centre for years.
“Now that every legislative aspect of the federal medical centre Bill is being concluded, I have the belief in the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the Bill shall receive his assent when it is read for the third time and passed at the Senate, thereby making us have the first federal medical centre in Ibarapa Land.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is known for his rare priority in the health sector; he demonstrated that as the Governor of Lagos State, and I believe he will not hesitate to do the same now that he is our President,” Ibarapakan said.