Director General of Gavel Institute of Parliamentary Studies (GIPS) ,Comrade Fatai Jimoh has commended the objective manner in which the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime conducted its rescheduled public hearing on a Bill for an Act to repeal and re-enact NITDA ACT, 2007.
According to Comrade Jimoh, the public hearing actually revealed that the lawmakers respect the views of the citizens and end users, in the discharge of her legislative mandate.
“On that note, the Institute commended the Committee and appealed to other Committees in the National Assembly to act accordingly,” he said in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday.
The Institute, he said: ” equally drums support from all principal stakeholders on behalf of the Committee under the dynamic Chairman, Senator Yakubu Oseni in her effort at preventing duplicity of jurisdictions, functions and overlapping in the proposed Bill.
“It therefore supported the Committee for endorsing the popular opinion expressed at the rescheduled public hearing that NITDA should be strengthened and encouraged to improve on its fundamental responsibility of Research, Development and Regulation of IT only while NCC is further empowered to efficiently and effectively continue its statutory exclusive regulation of Telecommunications sector in Nigeria in the interest of the public.
“More importantly, it is on record that the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime proved itself a worthwhile ambassador of the Nigeria electorates when it observed with keen interest that it will not in any way over burden Nigerians with multiple taxations and increase the suffering of Nigerians by supporting any law that makes it possible to break into people business premises without the input of the judiciary”, he said.
Comrade Jimoh noted that the Committee further demonstrated vivid understanding of the required direct foreign investment by vehemently rejecting to promote any Bill that stifles direct foreign investment into the Country.
” Consequently,the Director General of GIPS salutes the Distinguished Senators and Honourable Member at the rescheduled Public Hearing for their courage in promoting the general interest of Nigerians in the face of obvious odds and temptations,” the statement stressed.
Also, the Director General of the Institute commended the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy; Executive Vice Chairman of NCC; and other Government functionaries as well as other principal stakeholders for the overall maturity displayed by everyone at the rescheduled Public Hearing stressing that democratic procedures is being enhanced in the National Assembly through public hearing.
