Abuja – Mediaage NG News – The Director General, Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), Prof. P.C Onyenekwe has revealed that the establishment has over the years made some unique discoveries.
Describing the agency as one into high tech research activities in the areas of mathematics, physics and chemistry, he said SHESTCO has been able to provide cure for ailments like epilepsy and cancer.
Prof. Onyenekwe also said the agency has been able to produce a speedometer that does not only regulate speed but, does play back on what transpired while the vehicle was driven on the road.
He made these assertions before the Nigerian Senate Committee on Science and Technology during the week at the National Assembly complex, Abuja.
However, despite these achievements made by SHESTCO, which he said “is on record”, he expressed dissatisfaction with some of problems the parastatal has faced.
Some of these problems he revealed as the location of SHESTCO that is far from the city centre and the daily using of generator to run its operations.
He also complained of the funding SHESTCO receives as annual budget from the federal government, these funding has been dwindling in recent years, he said.
Disclosing more of the problems the parastatal has been engulfed with, he said “SHESTCO is located about 73 kilometres away from the city centre on a 400 hectares of land.
“With the kind of facilities we have there, there’s a security risk because, it is almost not fenced. This year the Ministry of Finance was able to give us some interventions to begin fencing the place. It’s about ten kilometres and we have been able to cover three kilometres. You can imagine the exposure the facilities are having there.
“We generate our own power, we use generator. Though, recently, we got some solar installations we use as backup but, ordinary, we run in place a generator.
“We are all aware of what the price of diesel is today. Almost on daily basis , we spend about 200 litres of diesel, running the generator at least, six hours a day”, the Professor said.
He appealed that the Nigerian government increases the budget for SHESTCO to enable it cover what it needs to so that the main objective of budgeting will not be defeated.
Senator Osita Ngwu, a member of the Committee who was present amongst other senators at the public hearing, promised that these complaints brought by the agency will be looked into and assured that support will definitely come from the government.