Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide faulted Stephen Oronsaye panel report, and warned against scrapping the Project Development Institute (PRODA) in Enugu, as one of the producing agencies in Igboland.
They said that the original Oronsaye Report, along with the government white paper, clearly excludes PRODA from this process.
The president of Ndigbo Youth Council, Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, made this call in Abuja, during a press briefing, and said that any action to move PRODA would be counterproductive.
It recalled that the PRODA, established in 1971 and later taken over as a Federal Government Research Institute, has played a crucial role in industrial research and development. And adding that, “Despite experiencing neglect over the years, PRODA has witnessed a revival in recent times, with various reforms aimed at restoring its former glory.”
He highlights the importance of the institute in advancing research and development, and reducing the country’s dependence on imports.
He also accuses those behind the doctored report of having ulterior motives and emphasizes that PRODA serves the nation as a whole, not just a particular region.
Nnabuike said: “If given the necessary support, PRODA will be in the interest of the country, as it will take the nation’s technological advancement to the next level.
“They tend to forget that PRODA is not serving Igboland but the nation, and has been clearly positioned to take research and development to another level. Nigeria is a nation that totally depends on importation without producing anything, and it is the bane of the economy. Under such circumstances, an agency like PRODA deserves all the attention and funding it can get.
“A little look into history shows PRODA was a creation of the defunct East Central State government. It was created through an edict in 1971.
“It was charged with the broad function of generating and catalyzing industrialization by carrying out industrial research from the laboratory stage to the pilot plant stage and by rendering consultancy services to the government, industries and individuals.
“PRODA is one of the oldest research institutions under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.”
He called on the President Bola Tinubu’s administration to dismiss the compromised version of the Oronsaye Report and adhere to the original recommendations outlined in the Secretary to the Government of the Federation’s letter.
