President Bola Tinubu has approved the implementation of the Stephen Oronsaye report, which recommended scrapping and merging Federal Government agencies.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja on Monday, February 26.
“So in a very bold move today, this administration, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, consistent again with his courage to take very far-reaching decisions in the interest of Nigeria, has taken a decision to implement the so-called Oronsaye Report.
“Now, what that means is that a number of agencies, commissions, and some departments have actually been scrapped. Some have been modified, and marked while others have been subsumed. Others, of course, have also been moved from some ministries to others where the government feels they will operate better,” said Idris.
President Goodluck Jonathan had in 2011 established the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions, and Agencies, with Mr. Steve Oronsaye as the Chairman.
Oronsaye, who transitioned from the private sector into the civil service at a senior level, ascended to the position of Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Oronsaye’s 800 page report, which was submitted in 2012 showed that that there are 541 — statutory and non-statutory —Federal Government parastatals, commissions, and agencies.
The report recommended that 263 of the statutory agencies be reduced to 161; 38 agencies be scrapped; 52 be merged and 14 be reverted to departments in various ministries.
One of the recommendations in the report is the merger of Code of Conduct Bureau, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into the Anti-Corruption Commission.
It also recommended that the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), and the Voice of Nigeria (VON) should be merged into the Federal Broadcasting Corporation of Nigeria (FBCN).
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to be merged with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) into Communication Regulatory Authority of Nigeria (CRAN).
Here are some of the recommendations released by the presidency Monday night.
National Salaries, Income and wages Commission to be subsumed under Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission. The National Assembly will need to amend the constitution as RMAFC was established by the constitution.
Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission to be merged with Bureau of Public Enterprise and be rechristened as `Public Enterprises and Infrastructural Concession Commission
Here are some of the recommendations released by the presidency Monday night:
National Human Rights Commission to swallow Public Complaints Commission
Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate(PTAD) to be scrapped and functions to be taken over by Federal Ministry of Finance
NEMA and National Commission for Refugees to be fused to become National Emergency and Refugee Management Commission
Border Communities Development Agency to become a department under National Boundary Commission
NACA and NCDC to be merged
SERVICOM to become a department under the Bureau for Public Service Reform(BPSR)
NALDA to return to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Federal Ministry of Science to supervise a new agency that combines NCAM, NASENI and PRODA
National Commission for Museums and Monuments and National Gallery of Arts to become one entity that will be known as National Commission for Museums, Monuments and Gallery of Arts.
National Theatre to be merged with National Troupe.
Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa and Directorate of Technical Aid Corp to be merged under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to become an agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Federal Radio Corporation and Voice of Nigeria to be one entity to be known as Federal Broadcasting Corporation of Nigeria
National Biotechnology Development Agency(NABDA) and National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology to be emerged into an agency to be known as National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency(NBRDA).
National Institute for Leather Science Technology and National Institute for Chemical Technology to become one agency.
Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency and National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development to become one agency.
The National Metallurgical Development Centre and National Metallurgical Training Institute will be merged.
National Institute for Trypanosomiasis to be subsumed under Institute of Veterinary Research in Vom, Jos.
Oronsaye’s report also recommended the following:
Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution to be scrapped and its functions to be transferred to the Department of Strategic Studies in the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (NIIA).
That the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Authority (PPPRA) and Petroleum Equalisation Fund be merged with Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF). The government was undecided on this recommendation.
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) would be abolished and its enabling law repealed as its functions are being performed by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission. A similar fate awaits the Salaries and Wages Income Commission.
The trio of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET) were recommended to be merged into a new body to be known as the Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA) and their respective enabling laws amended accordingly to reflect the merger.
Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), the Committee recommended that it be merged with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to synergize for management and utilization of resources.
That the enabling law of the National Commission for Nomadic Education be repealed and the Commission’s activities taken over by the Universal Basic Education Commission.
National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and their function performed in the Ministry of Environment.
That the National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC) be merged with the National Troupe and the National Theatre into one agency was accepted by the government. The merged entity is to be named the National Theatre of Nigeria.
It also recommended that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) be scraped and government restrict itself to only providing consular service and vaccination of intending pilgrims.
That the Nigerian Communications Commission, the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission and the regulatory functions of the Nigerian Postal Services to be merged.
Another key recommendation of the committee was to discontinue government funding of professional bodies and councils. Consequently, there is a need to amend the Professional Bodies (Special Provisions) Act, of 1972 which mandates the government to provide financial support of various kinds to such bodies. – They include the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN); Computer Professionals Council of Nigeria (CPRCN); Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON); Nigeria Press Council; Architects Registration Council; Council for Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN); Estate Surveyors’ Registration Board (ESRB); Town Planners Council (TPC); Nigerian Builders Council (NBC; Quantity Surveyors’ Registration Board of Nigeria (QSRB); Nigerian Builders Council (NBC); and Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG).
Speaking on the implementation of Oronsaye’s report, one of the President’s media aides, Bayo Onanuga, also said, “Twelve years after the Steve Oronsaye panel submitted its report on restructuring and rationalising Federal Government parastatals and agencies and a white paper issued two years after, President Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council today decided to implement the report.
“Many agencies will be scrapped and many others will be merged, to pave the way to a leaner government,” he said.
According to Onanuga, an eight-man committee has a 12-week deadline to ensure that the necessary legislative amendments and administrative restructuring needed to implement the reforms are effected in an efficient manner.
The committee members include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of the Civil Service, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Minister of Budget and Planning, Director-General Bureau of Public Service Reform, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, and Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
