Chairman, Senate Committee on Communications, Senator Gilbert Nnaji on Tuesday frowned at the Federal government for abandoning the proposed ICT University despite budgetary provisions in the past.
He said the government was notorious for policy summersaults, suggesting the lack of focus, thereby hanging the fate of Nigerians that would have benefitted from the system, if government had made good those policies.
Nnaji and other Committee members who were visibly irritated when the Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu informed the panel of the development, described it as unacceptable.
The Committee members were irked over budgetary provisions in the 2016 and 2017 appropriations for commencement of the proposed institution.
“We are dissatisfied despite series of budgetary approvals and huge investments towards that project. It is unacceptable that federal government would just abandon it on flimsy excuses.
“It is totally unacceptable to us as a Committee and by extension, the Senate of the Federal Republic, that after all the funds appropriated and infrastructures put in place across the country, including one in my constituency, FEC, would just come up to the contrary.
“This amounts to wastage of tax payers money and taking Nigeria backwards in the area of ICT, technology education and job creation”, he added.
Nnaji further directed the ministry through its legal department to work with the Committee to develop a bill for an Act establishing the University so that the Senate could intervene.
The minister had earlier stated that the ministry made efforts to actualize the project but could not succeed due to funding problems.
He explained that implementation Committee made up of distinguished Nigerians including the former Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Universities Commission, (NUC) submitted a report which has been passed to the Federal Executive Council.
Shittu said, FEC decided to jettison the report as a result of lack of funds.
“FEC advised to shelve the idea for now or better still, get the private sector involved since ICT globally is private-sector driven. So, that was what informed the suspension of actions regarding the ICT Universi”, the Minister said.
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