Advices the Senate and the sponsor of the Bill to make it a must for the DG to come from core science background
By Our Correspondent
The Bayelsa State Government has supported the bill sponsored by the senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District at the 9th Assembly, Uche Lilian Ekwunife as the Senate seeks the establishment of a National Innovation Agency.
Representing the state governor, Senator Douye Diri at the public hearing on the Bill ,National Innovation Agency 2022 Organized by the Senate Committee on Science and Technology at the National Assembly on Tuesday Oct 4, 2022, the Commissioner for Science and Tech Honorable Commissioner, Dr. Promise Edio Ekio, said Bayelsa State was on total support of the bill, saying that the Bill is a fantastic one
Dr. Ekio noted that contrary to the position of the Minister of State Science and Tech, Senator Adeleke Mamora that the establishment of the agency will bring about the proliferation of agencies and lack of money to finance the agency, the bill will strengthen the existing agencies and parastatals.
However, Bayelsa State govt advised that it should be included on the Bill that the DG of the agency must be somebody with core Science background in pure sciences and mathematics.
The Commissioner said, “If you study the bill it’s a fantastic one, it’s an all encompassing. Contrary to what the Honourable Minister of Science and Tech said, we see this bill as rather strengthening other existing agencies and parastatals.
“As a matter of fact, we believe that the powers from the council as proposed in the Bill will take over the other smaller agencies because there is a proviso in it which gives them power to actually control the others, I think it’s a beautiful Bill
“In addition to what they have in the Bill, the DG of this council must be somebody from the core science background because National Innovation Agency is scientifically based, so we are saying that the DG must come from pure sciences and mathematics that will gives credence to the agency,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the committee, Senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife said she was impressed with the responses from the public hearing, adding that her committee with report back to the plenary for further legislation.
