By Haruna Salami
Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI) and Civil Society coalition for Research Funding and strategies for national transformation have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the National Research and Innovation Council (NRIC) Bill as his parting gift to Nigerians.
The General Secretary of ASURI, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku stated this at the 2023 Workers Day celebration at the Eagle Square, Abuja on Monday.
He said already they have written a letter to the President titled “Fervent appeal on the need for Presidential Assent to the National Research and Innovation Council (Establishment Bill), 2023”.
Part of the letter reads “We, a coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations, in collaboration with the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), hereby make a fervent appeal to the patriotic zeal of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, to ensure that he gives Presidential Assent to the National Research and Innovation Council (NRIC) Establishment Bill, 2023, before he hands over to the in-coming administration on the 29th May, 2023.
Prof. Ndubuaku who was highly impressed with the large turnout of workers at this year’s Workers Day, however said “people want to come and show their hungry faces because the take home pay of the average worker cannot really take him home”.
According to him, “inflation and unemployment have reduced Nigeria to a country that is going down and gradually failing”, adding “only God knows why the country has not totally failed”.
He said “research being the bedrock of scientific and technological development, it is worthy of note that developed nations embrace and fund research adequately.
“It is also worthy of note that neglect of research by successive administrations in Nigeria is responsible for the comatose state of the nation’s mandate Research and Development Institutes and the present socio-economic woes such as massive unemployment, leading to insurgency, kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery and other numerous overwhelming vices.
“We are appealing most fervently therefore that Mr. President writes his name in gold by signing the NRIC Bill into law before relinquishing power constitutionally on 29th May, 2023.
Ndubuaku said in making the appeal with every sense of responsibility, they make the following affirmations:
“NRIC is the vital funding component of the Federal Government approved National Policy on Science, Technology and Innovation (NPSTI), which was initiated since the 1960s as much-needed institutionalized funding mechanism for research;
“While inaugurating the present Governing Council of NRIC on the 7th of January 2016, barely six months after assuming office, Mr. President, in his capacity as the statutory Chairman of NRIC, expressed the hope that with NRIC, Nigeria would soon start producing Nobel Laureates. By this very fact, we are not in doubt that the whole essence of NRIC is not lost on Mr. President. The Council, which consists of the Vice President and all Hon. Ministers whose Ministries supervise Research Institutions, among others, has been meeting regularly;
“Responding to an appeal by this Coalition, the Presidency, through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, advised ASURI to re-introduce and re-present the Bill, which was passed twice by the 8th National Assembly and twice denied assent”.
As things stand today, the Bill, which has since been passed by the Senate, is presently in the House of Representatives, awaiting concurrence.
The Coalition is optimistic that as the National Assembly resumes tomorrow (Tuesday), the House of Representatives will concur to the Bill and it will be transmitted to President Buhari for his assent.
President Buhari who was represented at this year’s Worker’s Day by Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), noted that this year’s edition was his last and urged the incoming administration to initiate labour friendly policies.
