Senator Ita Enang, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate) announced on Friday to State House correspondents in Abuja, that
Medical doctors across the country can now treat gunshot wounds without requesting for a police report as prerequisite for commencing treatment on any victim. He said that President Muhammadu Buhari signed ‘The Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017’ into law alongside five other bills. The six Acts signed have come into effect as laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The other bills are:
The Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment) Amendment Act, 2017
The Anti-Torture Act 2017
The Federal Capital Appropriation Act
The Federal Capital Territory Water Board (Establishment) Act 2017 and
The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (Establishment) Act 2017.
Senator Enang stated that the Gunshot Act specifically stipulates that a person with gunshot shall be received for immediate and adequate treatment by any hospital in Nigeria with or without initial monetary deposit.
“A person with gunshot wound shall not be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment or torture by any person or authority, including the police and other security agencies” he said.
Enang, also said that the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment) Amendment Act, 2017 included the Gas producing and Gas processing companies in the list of agencies that were contributing to the Niger Delta Development Commission, in addition to Oil companies to increase funding of the commission for effective discharge of its duties.
He added that,
“Previously, the NDDC Act excluded gas companies. The Act makes it explicit that Gas companies have to be included.
This is to diversify sources of funding for the NDDC for the economic wellbeing of the region.’’
The Anti-Torture Act, he said, makes comprehensive provisions for penalising acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, and prescribes penalties for the commission of such acts.
The Federal Capital Appropriation Act he explained, authorises the Federal Capital Territory Administration to legally and legitimately provide funds out of its Statutory Revenue Fund for recurrent and capital expenditure.
The Federal Capital Territory Water Board Establishment Act, is charged with the responsibility of providing safe, adequate and affordable water to
FCT residents.
And The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (Establishment) Act, 2017, will provide national direction in cancer research, control and treatment; guide scientific improvements to cancer prevention, treatment and care, coordinate and liaise between the wide range of groups and health care providers with an interest in cancer.
