25
additional federal agencies is set to be created in the face of a
bloated bureaucracy by lawmakers at the National Assembly (NASS) in
federal capital, Abuja.
Bukola Saraki
The National Assembly is planning to create about 25 additional
federal agencies in the face of a bloated bureaucracy, the economic
recession and government’s plan to cut costs by implementing the
Oronsaye report.
The Daily Trust reported NASS plans today and reminded readers that
541 government agencies will gulp N2.98 trillion or 40.1 percent of
N7.28 trillion 2017 federal budget.to 541 federal agencies, departments,
commissions, institutes, bureaux and others bodie
Data obtained from the official website of the National Assembly
shows that the Senate had started the process of creating 25 additional
agencies within last year alone. The bills are at various stages of
legislation at the upper chamber.
Already approved is the creation of North East Development
Commission (NEDC), a body charged with the reconstruction efforts of the
insurgency ravaged region.
The lawmakers are also seeking to establish a Federal Competition
and Consumer Protection Commission as well as Competition and Consumer
Protection Tribunal.
To address the bloody herders/farmers clashes in the country, the
National Assembly plans to create two bodies: Grazing Areas Management
Agency and the National Ranches Commission.
They are also in the process of creating additional research bodies
despite the dozens spread across the country that have outlived their
usefulness but still gulping public funds.
The new research bodies in the pipeline are the National Council
for Research and Development, National Research and Innovation
Foundation, National Research and Innovation Council and the Federal
Entrepreneurship Centre.
There are two new agencies for the federal capital thus: FCT
Traffic Management and Enforcement Authority (TMEA) and the FCT
Resettlement, Integration and Development Commission.
Others include the National Transport Commission, Chartered
Institute of Logistics and Transport of Nigeria, National Council on
Occupational Safety and Health, and National Marine Insurance Bureau.
The lawmakers are also seeking to establish the Institute of
Chartered Biochemists and Molecular Biologists of Nigeria, Nigerian
Independent Warehouse Regulatory Agency, National Agency for Ethics and
Values and Chartered Institute for Trade and Investment of Nigeria
There are also bills for the Unemployed Youths, Elderly and
Indigent Sustainability Allowances Trust Fund, the Nigerian Assets
Management Agency, Private Security Regulatory Agency of Nigeria and the
Border Patrol Agents.
Most of the federal agencies that are annually guzzling trillions
have duplicated roles; dozens hardly do anything apart from keeping the
red tape long, while a large number of them overstayed their statutory
duties.
In August 18, 2011, the federal government raised a Presidential
Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government
Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies headed by former Head of Service
of the Federation, Steven Oronsaye, to merge or trim government agencies
and commissions.
The panel recommended the reduction of statutory agencies of
government from 263 to 161, scrapping of 38 agencies, merger of 52 and
conversion of 14 to departments in ministries as well as the removal of
all professional bodies/councils from the national budget in order to
slash the exorbitant cost of governance.
A White Paper was released by President Goodluck Jonathan on the
Oronsaye report. Though the White Paper implementation committee was
reconstituted last year by President Muhammadu Buhari, the
recommendations of the report are yet to be implemented.
The National Economic Council (NEC), agreed in their meeting last month to begin the implementation of the Oronsaye report.
After the meeting, Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai said: “At
the federal level, we are suggesting looking at the Oronsaye report
that suggested merger and reduce duplications of agencies.”
“There is a need to look at those that are duplicating and
merge them. We are spending too much on running the government than on
goods and services in serving the population.”
-NAN
No comments:
Post a Comment