From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, has appealed to lawmakers sponsoring the Nigerian Content Industry Development Bill 2023 to partner with the Ministry and Technology Committees of the House of Representatives to amend the inconsistent clauses in the Bill.
Chief Nnaji made the plea after the public hearing of the Bill at the National Assembly on Thursday in Abuja. Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Esuabana Nko-Asanye, he said the purpose of the memorandum submitted by the ministry was to oppose certain clauses in the Bill that were unconstitutional and illegal.
Similarly, the National Coordinator of the Nongovernmental Organisations Network, Mohammed Attah, also appealed to the lawmakers to step down the new law or collaborate with the Ministry of Innovation Science and Technology in amending the Local content Bill.
“The lawmakers should align with the Federal Ministry of Innovation Science and Technology which has the principal responsibility of local content because that has been signed into law and we are party to it and it has now translated into Presidential Executive Order 5 which we are now implementing today. So, if we want to generate a new law we must look into the existing law. We are asking that this law is better stepped down or aligned with the ministry,” he said.