Two years after its submission, President Goodluck Jonathan has accepted the recommendations of former Head of Civil Service, Steve Oronsaye to scrap the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC).
The acceptance was communicated in a 105-page white paper report of the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies dated March 2014 and submitted to the Presidency by Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke on Monday.
The Oronsaye report, submitted to government on 16th April 2012, reviewed and made recommendations to the government on the viability of scrapping, merging, commercialising or privatising 270 government agencies and parastatals.
Among all the recommendations given by the committee, the Presidency did not approve the merger of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) into one organisation. The Presidency also refused to approve recommendation to change the name of the Code of Conduct Tribunal to Anti Corruption Tribunal.
Other recommendations rejected are the recommendation that Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission be subsumed under the Bureau of Public Enterprises for greater synergy. The government did not approve the merger of NTA, FRCN and VON into one body to be known as Federal Corporation Broadcasting of Nigeria (FCBN). It was only directed that NTA be fully commercialised by 2013.
The government rejected the recommendation for the abolition of Federal Character Commission, saying the commission should be strengthened to perform its constitutional role and functions. The government said the Federal Civil Service Commission should be left as it is, against the recommendation to rename it Federal Public Service Commission. However, the Presidency approved the recommendation that the commission’s chairman and board members should serve only a five-year-term.
The government also did not approve merging the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) with the National Refugees Commission into one agency to be known as the National Emergency Management and Refugees Commission. It did not approve the suggestion to make Debt Management Office an extra ministerial department in the Federal Ministry of Finance while delisting it from the office of the Vice President.
It rejected the recommendation to repeal the Act setting up the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) while also refusing to revert FRSC to Highways Department of the Federal Ministry of Works.
The government rejected the suggestion to repeal the enabling law of the National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS just as it rejected that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria and the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission should be abolished and their functions transferred to a department under Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It also rejected the recommendation that government stops sponsoring pilgrims and pilgrimages with effect from 2012 Fiscal year. It rejected the privatization of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigerian (FAAN) in view of the security situation of the country.
Government rejected that the Nigerian Communications commission (NCC), Nigerian Broadcasting commission (NBC) and the regulatory functions of Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) be brought together under a unified management structure to be known as the Communications Regulatory Authority of Nigeria. Government rejected the recommendation that the Act establishing the National Examinations Council be repealed and Council’s activities be returned to the WAEC.
Government also rejected the abolition of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NEDRC) and rejected that NDE and Small Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) be merged to form a single agency for wealth creation.
Rejecting that the Ministry of Police Affairs be scrapped, the government also rejected the scrapping of Raw Materials Research and Development Council. It rejected the scrapping of Energy Commission of Nigeria and also rejected that the National Sports Commission revert to the proposed Ministry of Youth and Sports Development as an agency.
On the approval list, the government held that JAMB should continue to exist as the central examination body for admissions into Nigerian universities, saying JAMB must play its regulatory role to ensure that all students for undergraduate admissions into Nigerian universities pass through the examination body.
The government accepted the recommendation that the Bill seeking the establishment of NEPAD as an agency of the Federal Government be withdrawn from the National Assembly, as there are already laws relating to most of the activities being performed by NEPAD.
Accepting that the Utilities Charges Commission be abolished and it’s enabling law repealed, it directed that the process of repealing the enabling law be initiated by office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
It accepted the recommendation that the National Agricultural Insurance Corporation be fully commercialised and also accepted the recommendation that the passed bill on the Nigeria Agriculture Quarantine Service should not be assented to by the President.
The government also accepted that the practice whereby certain categories of retirees are opting out of contributory pension scheme be stopped, stating that only the Military may withdraw from the scheme.
Accepting that the Veterinary Research Council of Nigeria should, as a professional body, be self-funding and that further budgetary allocation of the council should cease forthwith, the government accepted partial commercialization of NIPOST.
It accepted to sell off its shares in NIGCOMSAT and retain minority shares in it, while also accepting that the functions of NIGCOMSAT relating to space development be reverted to the National Space Development Agency.
The government accepted that the function of the Nigerian Institute for Education Planners and Administrators (NIEPA) be merged with those of the National Teachers Institute.
While accepting that the Nigerian Film Corporation be commercialised from 2013 fiscal year but with government seed funding, the government accepted that all offices of the Nigerian Institute of advanced Legal Studies outside Lagos and Abuja be closed down with immediate effect to ensure judicious use of available resources in line with government policy
It accepted that National Council of Arts and Culture be merged with the National Troupe and the National Theatre into one agency called National Council of Arts and Culture. The Federal Government also accepted that the Nigerian Financial Reporting Council ceases to be funded by government from 2015, just as it accepted that the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) be self funding from 2014.
It accepted that the allegation made by the National Boundaries Commission against the office of the Surveyor General of the Federation over the funding of two nonexistent boundary demarcation be properly investigated. It also accepted the management audit of the National Institute for Sports.
However, it rejected the recommendation for an amendment in name and status of the Federal Civil Service Commission to the Federal Public Service Commission. Conversely, it accepted the recommendation for a single term of five years for the Chairman and members of the commission.
Accepting recommendation for the scrapping of Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), the government also directed the AGF to initiate necessary action for the abolition. It further directed that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission should perform the function of Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
The Government accepted the recommendation that the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission’s enabling law be repealed and the functions of the commission be subsumed under Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
