Leading the debate on the bill during plenary, on Thursday, Johnson said the bill aims to “make quality health services available to Nigerians.”

Johnson said it was only fair for medical doctors, who enjoyed taxpayer subsidies on their training, to give back to society.
He said by working for a minimum number of years before leaving Nigeria to practice abroad, the country would have benefited from their skills.

Contributing to the debate, Uzoma Nkem-Abonta (PDP-Abia), opposed the bill on the premise that it will “tie down” doctors in Nigeria for five years before they can seek employment in a foreign country.
Mark Gbillah, a lawmaker from Benue, said the bill should be reworked because it proposes clauses that would infringe on the fundamental human rights of Nigerian-trained doctors.
Gbillah said, “A person in such a critical field as medicine — how would you give somebody a temporary licence? You would need a licence to be certified to practice.

“Do we try to restrict these people and infringe on their fundamental human rights or apportion more resources to the medical profession?”

In his remarks, speaker of the house, Femi Gbajabiamila, said fundamental human right is not absolute and that freedom can be restricted in some situations.

“Let me clear the issue of fundamental human rights that have been raised. If you go to section 45(1) of the constitution, it allows you to deviate from your fundamental human right under certain conditions.

“One of these conditions concerns public health. So, if the government feels to safeguard public health, then we have not violated anybody’s human rights,” the speaker said.

The lawmakers voted in favour of the bill when it was put to a voice vote.

Bill seeking 5-year mandatory practice in Nigeria for Nigerian-trained doctors passed 2nd reading