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20 Insights Into Oronsaye Report As EFCC, FRSC, Others Set For Merger

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After years of clamour by Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu on Monday ordered the full implementation of the Oronsaye report.

By implementing the report, several agencies of the government would be merged, subsumed, scrapped, and relocated. ⁣

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed this to State House correspondents after Monday’s Federal Executive Council meeting at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. ⁣

Here are things to know about the report

– President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, in 2012, set up the Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.

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– The committee was headed by a retired federal civil servant and former Head of Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye.

– After their painstaking assignment, the committee recommended the scrapping and merging of 220 out of the then existing 541 government agencies.

– If implemented, no fewer than 102 heads of agencies and parastatals will lose their jobs.

– The committee’s 800-page report noted that the government’s parastatals and agencies’ functions are overlapping.

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– The committee recommended the reduction of statutory agencies from 263 to 161.

– The committee recommended the abolition of 38 agencies, the merger of 52 and the reversion of 14 to departments in ministries.

– The committee also recommended the management audit of 89 agencies capturing biometric features of staff as well as the discontinuation of government funding of professional bodies/councils.

– Oronsaye said then that if the committee’s recommendation was implemented, the government would be saving over N862 billion between 2012 and 2015.

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– The breakdown showed that about N124.8 billion would be reduced from agencies proposed for abolition; about N100.6 billion from agencies proposed for mergers; about N6.6 billion from professional bodies; N489.9 billion from universities; N50.9 billion from polytechnics; N32.3 billion from colleges of education and N616 million from boards of federal medical centres.

– If implemented, agencies that may be affected include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and Federal Road Safety Commission.

– Other agencies cited doing overlapping functions are the Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited, the National Broadcasting Commission and the Nigeria Communications Commission in the area of frequency allocation.

– Also, the Universal Basic Education Commission, Nomadic Education Commission, and National Mass Literacy Commission are performing overlapping functions and should be brought under one body.

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– The committee again believes NTA, FRCN, and VON should be under one management.

– After the committee’s report, the White paper committee set up by Jonathan’s administration rejected most of the recommendations, while those accepted were not implemented.

– In November 2021, the Federal Government inaugurated two committees; one of the committees was to review the Orosanye report and its white paper chaired by Goni Aji, a retired Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

– The second committee was constituted to review agencies created from 2014 till date, chaired by Amal Pepple, also a retired Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

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– Upon submission of their reports, the Federal Government in July 2022 set up another committee chaired by Ebele Okeke, a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to produce a white paper on the reports.

– Speaking during the presentation of the white paper to the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, in Abuja, Okeke stressed that it is important to discuss with the leadership of the National Assembly to achieve the desired result, adding that most of the agencies created were products of bills from the National Assembly.

– She said, “The committee observed that the legal framework/enabling Act of some of the PACs did not clearly define structure, management, and oversight. Most of the laws were used by agency, commission and board interchangeably. For instance, where the organisation is defined as a commission, the provisions of the law did not support the structure of a commission. In this regard, the committee recommended a change in status/name, and amendment of the Act/Law.

“The committee observed that most of the agencies created (especially under Education and Health) were Bills that emanated from the National Assembly. It is, therefore, important to engage and dialogue with the National Assembly to generate an understanding to streamline the creation of new PACs.

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“It is noteworthy that some of the recommendations can be considered as low-hanging fruits that can be implemented immediately after approval of the white paper.”

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Arsenal ten-point ahead others after slamming Everton 2-0 as Dowman emerges youngest goal scorer

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Max Dowman became Arsenal’s youngest ever goalscorer as he created one goal and then scored another to sink Everton in a 2-0 win at the Emirates.

The Gunners struggled to break down David Moyes’ side until Downman came off the bench and changed the game.

The 16-year-old delivered a cross which goalkeeper Jordan Pickford missed, leading to a tap-in for Viktor Gyokores. And Dowman finished it off with a run from his own half to score into an empty goal after Pickford had gone up for a corner.

It gave Arsenal a 10-point lead at the top of the table before Manchester City’s match at West Ham later on Saturday evening.

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Viktor Gyokeres has this to say at full-time.

On Dowman: “It’s incredible, you can see how he plays, with no fear, and he’s in the right positions most of the time. He’s an amazing player, and I’m so happy.

On what the plan was, he says: “The plan that we talked about before the game, try and change the game and get the win.

“Every win is important, we try to do our best in our games and we’re in a good position.

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“Come into games with the right attitude, together with a good atmosphere, I think we can achieve anything,” he added.

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Terrorists ambush patrol vehicle, k!ll 20 security operatives in Plateau

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No fewer than 20 security personnel and local vigilantes were killed when heavily armed terrorists ambushed a patrol team in the Garga area of Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The incident occurred around 4pm Friday when a combined team of military personnel and vigilantes, travelling in two vehicles on routine patrol across Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau, and neighbouring communities, came under heavy fire near Wanka.

According to a press statement issued Saturday by the Kanam Development Association (KADA), about 12 security personnel, including two senior military officers, lost their lives in the fierce gun battle, while eight vigilante members who joined forces to defend their communities also paid the supreme price.

While some terrorists were reportedly neutralised during the exchange, the attackers later stormed Kyaram community, looting property worth millions of naira and rustling a large number of cattle from innocent residents.

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The Kanam group described the attack as part of a prolonged wave of insecurity that has plagued the border communities linking Plateau with Taraba and Bauchi states for over three to four years.

The association highlighted recurring incidents of terrorism, cattle rustling, kidnappings, and property destruction, despite repeated appeals to authorities.

The statement jointly signed by Barr. Garba Aliyu, the chairman, and Shehu Kanam (secretary), expressed deep sorrow over the loss and condemned the continued freedom with which terrorists operate in the volatile border corridor.

They demanded urgent intervention from the local government, Plateau State Government, and Federal Government.

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They also called for the immediate deployment of additional military and security forces to Garga, Kyaram, Gyambau, Wanka, and surrounding areas, as well as the establishment of permanent security outposts in these border communities.

We called for enhanced coordinated operations along the Plateau-Taraba-Bauchi border as well as relief support for victims who have lost livelihoods, homes, and livestock,” the statement said.

The association stressed that the affected communities are law-abiding citizens seeking only to farm, raise families, and contribute to national development.

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Breaking: Iran fires multiple missiles to UAE, six killed, 141 injured including Nigerians

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The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence has disclosed that the country’s air defence systems intercepted multiple aerial threats launched from Iran, as tensions continue to escalate in the region.

In a statement posted on its official X handle on Saturday, the ministry said that “UAE air defence systems on 14th March engaged 9 ballistic missiles and 33 UAVs launched from Iran.”

The disclosure highlights the scale of the latest wave of attacks that the Gulf nation says it has had to repel in recent days.

According to the ministry, the interceptions form part of a broader pattern of hostilities since the beginning of what it described as “the onsets of the blatant Iranian aggression.”

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It stated that its defence forces had repeatedly been forced to activate their air defence systems to neutralise incoming threats aimed at the country.

Providing a cumulative breakdown of the attacks so far, the ministry said that “since the onsets of the blatant Iranian aggression, UAE air defences have engaged 294 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1600 UAVs launched from Iran.”

The figures suggest a sustained barrage of aerial projectiles and drones that authorities say have targeted the United Arab Emirates over time.

The ministry also confirmed that the attacks have resulted in casualties and injuries involving people from several nationalities living and working in the country.

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According to the statement, “these attacks have resulted in 6 fatalities of Emirati, Pakistani, Nepali and Bangladeshi nationals.”

It further disclosed that a significant number of individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries during the attacks.

The ministry said “141 minor to moderate injuries” had been recorded among residents and workers from a wide range of countries.

Those affected, the statement said, include nationals of the United Arab Emirates as well as individuals from Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Iran, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Türkiye, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Ghana, Indonesia and Sweden.

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While giving the casualty details, the ministry did not specify the locations where the fatalities and injuries occurred or the specific incidents that led to them.

However, the statement suggested that the attacks involved multiple aerial threats over time.

Reaffirming the country’s defence posture, the ministry said the armed forces remain on high alert and prepared to respond to any further threats targeting the nation’s territory or security.

The Ministry of Defence affirmed that it remains fully prepared and ready to deal with any threats,” the statement said.

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It added that the military would “firmly confront any attempts to undermine State security in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security and stability, and safeguards its national interests and capabilities.”

Authorities did not indicate whether additional defensive measures have been put in place following the latest interceptions, but reiterated their commitment to maintaining national security and protecting residents across the federation.

Recall that the government of Qatar sent another formal complaint to the United Nations and the United Nations Security Council over what it described as repeated military aggression by Iran against its territory.

In a statement released on Friday, Qatar foreign ministry said it had sent its eighth identical letter to the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, and to the United States Permanent Representative to the UN and President of the Security Council for March, Michael Waltz.

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According to the statement, the letter was submitted by Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani.

The Qatari government said the communication was aimed at informing the UN about what it called “Iranian aggression” against its territory and to highlight the security implications for the region.

The letter described the incidents as serious violations of Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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