The Acting Registrar, Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON) Dr. Baba Yakubu Mohammed has pleaded with National Assembly members to review the Environmental health Laws which has become obsolete and continue to impede the smooth running of the Environmental Health Practice in the country.
Dr. Baba Yakubu Mohammed who painted a scenario of a situation where an offender of Environmental laws is charged 5 shillings is laughable and absurd, according to him, it is rather unrealistic because, it is a regional law of 1958, adding ‘we need to have a national legislation on this’, he enthused.
The Ag. Registrar, made these assertions when the House Committee on Environment led by Honorable Johnson Ogbuma paid the Council an oversight visits to ascertain the workings in the Council of its good service delivery to the members of the public.
On youth restfulness, the Registrar informed the House committee members that the Council has developed a bench mark where youths could be trained on skill acquisition adding that 5 areas where youths can be engaged have been developed such as cleaning services, waste collection, public health services etc., all these are within the mandates of the Council.
The Registrar further informed the visiting Honorable members which was led by Hon. Johnson Ogbuma that the Environmental Health Officer’s power of arrest was not for criminal purposes but for someone who may be down with an infectious disease and violates quarantine law.
Dr. Baba said Environmental Health Officers (EHO) has the power to arrest such a person adding that the same EHO you see at first point of call whenever you come into the country, who takes your temperature, sometimes you may be asked to step aside, it is an arrest of sort, it is a public health arrest, he claimed.
Kehinde A. Openibo
Head, Public Affairs
For: The Registrar
30/10/2020
