Owing to the absence of the Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, and the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Kashifu Abdullah, the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity has adjourned the public hearing of a bill on NITDA.
The bill, if passed, will empower NITDA to fix licensing and authorization charges, collect fees and penalties and issue contravention and non-compliance notices. It will also establish the National Information Technology Development Fund, funded by a levy of 1% profit before tax of companies and enterprises with an annual turnover of N100m and more.
Stakeholders in the industry had expressed concern about parts of the bill that overlapped the statutory authority of other government agencies, which gave rise to the public hearing on Friday at the National Assembly.
Following the turn of events, representatives Isiaka Ibrahim, Uzoma Nkem Abonta, and Unyime Idem raised objections to the continuation of the public hearing citing the absence of the minister and the NITDA DG, non-availability of materials on the bill, and the festive mood.
The Reps also said they were disappointed the National Assembly did not receive an apology from the absent officeholders, nor did they send representatives.
Uzoma Nkem Abonta said, “The drivers of this bill seem to be driving in low gear. The necessary ingredients are not here; we don’t have the documents before us, members are not here, and the minister is not here. What needs to be done should be done properly.”
However, the co-chairman of the panel, Senator Yakubu Oseni, said the proceedings could go on as planned because copies of the bill had been digitally circulated to all members of the committee, and the agency’s legal adviser represented the NITDA DG.
Senator Oseni said, “I want to put it on record that if there is any anomaly or any document is missing, it should be a fault from your side, the House of Representative members.
“For us in the Senate, everything is intact, and the necessary documents concerning the bill have been circulated through digital means, so I believe if you are conversant with your system, you should have been able to see that.
“I don’t see any reason why we should not go ahead with the public hearing. From our end, the Senate is ready for this public hearing,” Oseni said.
Nonetheless, the House of Representatives members moved a motion for the adjournment of the public hearing till next year, when the main drivers of the bill are available to respond to questions on its merits and demerits. Other lawmakers unanimously supported the motion, and the public hearing was adjourned to January 2023.
