The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, thursday stated that he had sent over 100 people to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for interrogation for not obeying the local content law of Nigeria while he was the Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

He made the disclosure while making case for patronage of local content when members of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) who paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja.

According to him, “We suspended many projects while I was in NITDA because of lack of patronage of local content; we also reported many people to the EFCC, and they were detained. Many directors and others, which were over 100 people, were detained in EFCC cell as a result of that. And I will continue to do that.”

Stressing the need for patronage of the local content, the minister added that when he discovered that there’s a project that was done with N240million in just one intervention, he improved the quality by increasing the number of facilities by ensuring local content.

He assured the ATCON president that his ministry would work with them and all other professional bodies to develop the industry.

“We need to work together; the challenges and obstacles we have in the industry cannot be done by one person. It is a collective effort. When we come together to identify our strengths and our weaknesses, we will complement one another in finding solution.

‘’So, I want to give you my assurance and that of my colleagues from the ministry that all our doors are opened, and we are willing to continue to work with all professional bodies and take the industry to greater heights,” he said.