Lagos Assembly okays establishment of Institute for Cancer and Disease Control

Alade Tasma

A law to establish a cancer institute in Lagos State has been passed by the State House of Assembly. The House, at plenary on Tuesday gave final consideration to the Bill for a Centre that would conduct researches into cancer and other diseases in the State which to be established by the State Government.

The Bill titled: “A Bill for A Law to Establish the Lagos State Cancer Institute to Provide for the Promotion, Aids, and Coordination of Researches Relating to Cancer and Disease Control.” was initiated by the Speaker of the House Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa early this year and had passed through first and second readings as well as public hearing before it was eventually passed into law after the third reading Tuesday plenary.

Before the Bill was finally passed, the lawmakers extensively debated the bill and amended its original title to cater for the control of other diseases as against the one which focus only on cancer.

Hon. Segun Olulade who currently chairs the House committee on Health in Acting capacity had moved a motion for the third reading of the Bill to give way for it’s passage at the Tuesday plenary.

Following the passage of the Bill into law through unanimous voice votes the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa therefore, directed the Clerk of the House, Mr. Azeez Sanni to send a clean copy of the Bill to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of the state for his assent.

With the passage of the Bill into law and the establishment of the institute by the state government, the State would be rendering an essential health services in the area of preventing cancer and other diseases as well as providing information on issues relating to cancer and other diseases.