Reps threaten action as ministers shun research fund hearing

Résumé détaillé

The House of Reps has threatened to report ministers who shunned a public hearing on a bill to establish a National Research and Innovation Development Fun Read More:…

The House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology has threatened to report the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, to the House over his failure to attend a public hearing on a bill seeking to establish a National Research and Innovation Development Fund.

It warned that the ministry’s failure to participate in the legislative process could delay the passage of the bill and undermine efforts to attract research grants from international development partners, donor agencies, United Nations bodies and Nigerians in the diaspora.

The committee, chaired by Zakariya Zannah, said it would consider raising a motion of urgent public importance at the next sitting of the House if Udeh and the Permanent Secretary failed to appear before it.

The threat followed the absence of the minister and other invited ministers at the public hearing on the proposed legislation, which seeks to establish the National Research and Innovation Development Fund and a National Council on Research and Innovation.

Speaking on behalf of the committee, a member, Ahmed Jaha, who represents Chibok, Damboa and Gwoza Federal Constituency of Borno State, described the ministry’s failure to attend as an act of sabotage against the cordial relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government.

Jaha said it was difficult to understand why a ministry whose responsibilities directly covered the subject of an executive-sponsored bill would fail to participate in its consideration.

He explained that the proposed Fund was designed to provide a coordinated financing framework for research institutions across the country and create opportunities for Nigeria to attract grants from international organisations, development partners and Nigerians living abroad.

According to him, similar funding arrangements had helped advance research and innovation in several countries, making Nigeria’s proposed framework long overdue.

“Unfortunately, some members of the executive are…

Début de l'article, extrait de Punch. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.