Senate Faults Secret Employment In MDAs,Gives Accelerated Attention To Anti-Fake Goods  Bill

The  Senate has moved against secret recruitments been done by the officials of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Addressing newsmen shortly after presenting 2022 budget of his Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs to the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Danjuma La’ah, said that embargo has not be placed on employment.

He said: “Some people are taking advantage of the situation (embargo on employment) but our committee is desirous of doing the right thing. We are determined that there should be jobs for the graduates that we have in this country, no matter what it takes.

“We discovered that young Nigerians, who graduated from higher institutions some 15 years ago had yet to gain employment. The development had aggravated insecurity all over the places including insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities.

“Our committee has been going to ministries, departments and agencies of government that they must start recruitment instead of doing secret replacements. We had even asked them to increase their personnel cost in their budgets so that they could employ people.

“Many people are being secretly employed but those in charge are claiming that there is embargo on employment. I don’t know where they got that from. We have been asking them. The President has not opened his mouth to say that there is embargo on employment.”

He added that “there’s no embargo anywhere but some of the officials of government are so myopic that they decide to take advantage of the situation.

“I have been challenging those who are engaging in secret recruitments claiming there is embargo to show us where they got the information from. This is the time for them to increase their personnel cost and make provision for employment.

“People are retiring voluntarily but we don’t know how they are being replaced. We must know the particular number of people they want to employ.”

Meanwhile,the Senate has  passed for third reading a bill to prohibit the importation of fake goods into Nigeria.

The targeted fake goods are counterfeited and pirated currencies, apparel, consumer electronics, automotive parts, pharmaceuticals, foods and drinks and chemicals among others.

Tagged “Counterfeit Goods Bill 2021,” the legislation was sponsored by Senator Ibikunle Amosun (APC, Ogun Central) who said that the bill which was read for the first time on Tuesday, 6th July, 2021, is a 26-Clause proposal.

He lamented that over the years, Nigeria has become a major destination for counterfeit and pirated goods and a significant transit route to other West African countries.

He added:“The growing number of counterfeit goods in the country is a major threat and challenge for businesses, consumers and the economy.

“In fact, it is difficult to put an exact value or loss occasioned by counterfeiting, as there are no accurate figures on the number of counterfeited goods, type of goods or the volume of its sales”

He said such fake goods targeted by the bill are unauthorized or illegally manufactured, reproduced, altered or distributed products associated with abuse of recognized intellectual property right, such as trademark, patents, design or copyright in goods.

According to him, it provides for the prohibition of manufacturing, production, possession, and distribution of counterfeit goods.

“It simplifies the process of laying complaints by persons interested in protected goods that are counterfeited and provides an enhanced enforcement capacity.

“The Bill also provides for administration of criminal investigation; and seeks to make prosecution a lot less cumbersome so as to provide effective control of counterfeit goods in the country.

“While the Customs Service is further empowered to check and control imported counterfeit goods, the police is given the power to demand information for efficient crime prevention and prosecution”, the lawmaker said.

The bill after consideration was referred by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to the Committee on Trade and Investments for further legislative work.