By Sylvester Idowu
Former Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial aspirant, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has called for the immediate scrapping of Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) over alleged non-performance for over 30 years of its existence.
Onuesoke, who premised his call for the scraping of RMRDC for not meeting the objectives and purpose of its establishment, wondered why the federal government is still keeping such commission, and wasting resources keeping the personnel.
The PDP chieftain recalled the response of the Director-General of the research agency, Professor Hussain Ibrahim, to an inquiry set up by a Senate panel mid last year, where he reportedly listed ‘Kilishi’, a smoked meat delicacy, as the only achievements of the research agency after 30 years of its existence.
issued yesterday, while maintaining that the agency has outlived its usefulness, said it is disappointing that after voting millions of naira on the agency, the only achievement it can boast of is the production of Kilishi.
According to him, “The problem of Nigeria is appointing incompetent people into position of power just because ‘they know someone’. It is amazing that after 30 years of the existence of a research agency, it is proud of mass production of Kilishi. This is shameful. Both the director-general and his officials should be sacked and the research agency shut down immediately.
“As a Nigerian, I do not know if I should cry or laugh. With all the universities in Nigeria, is this the best we can do? The fact that the man has the audacity to present this to the national body shows how low the standard our lawmakers are willing to accept.”
Describing RMRDC as a financial drain pipe, Onuesoke said: “Every year, hundreds of millions of naira are paid as salary and research grants, and yet the country has not gain anything from the objectives and purpose of its establishment.”
