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Despite Orosanye report, FG approves two new agencies
From February 26, 2024 to date, President Tinubu had two new commissions.
The President alongside the legislative arm of government have continued to push for establishment of a new ministry, agencies and commissions, months after the President called for the full implementation of the Stephen Oronsaye.
These two are the South East Development Commission and North West Development Commission.
On February 26, 2024, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga in a post on X (formerly Twitter) announced the decision of the President.
“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,” Onanuga wrote.
“Many agencies will be scrapped and many others will be merged, to pave the way to a leaner government,” he said.
The Presidency had since released a list of agencies to be scrapped and those to be merged.
In 2011, former President Goodluck Jonathan set up the presidential committee on the reformation of government agencies chaired by Steven Oronsaye, a former Head of Service of the Federation.
Its terms of reference included, among others, examining the enabling Acts and mandates of all the federal agencies, parastatals, and commissions to determine areas of overlap or duplication of functions.
The committee, in its report, recommended that of the 541 Statutory and Non-Statutory Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions, 263 statutory agencies should be reduced to 161, 38 agencies should be abolished, 52 agencies should be merged, and 14 should revert to departments in ministries.
A white paper committee, headed by the then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, reviewed the report and rejected most of the recommendations of the committee when it submitted its report in 2014.
However, even the accepted recommendations were not implemented until the Jonathan administration left office in 2015.
In 2021, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated two committees to implement the report.
One of the committees headed by a former Head of Service, Bukar Aji, was mandated to review the Oronsaye Report and the government white paper.
The other committee chaired by Amal Pepple was mandated to review MDAs created between 2014 and 2021.
The then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, in July 2022, set up another white paper committee, headed by Ebele Okeke, to review the report of the Pepple committee. However, the Buhari administration failed to implement the report.
While the discourse on the implementation of the report was ongoing, the National Assembly and successive governments have been creating agencies and institutions, therefore, increasing the cost of governance in the process.
The consequence of the bloated government has been the steady increase in the recurrent expenditure of the Federal Government.
On September 14, 2023, the National Livestock Reforms Committee recommended that Tinubu create a “Ministry of Livestock Resources” to, among other deliverables, reduce the decades-long gory conflict between farmers and nomadic cattle herders.
Former Kano State Governor and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, disclosed this to State House Correspondents shortly after he led the committee in an audience with the President at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
It formed part of 21 recommendations captured in a document submitted to the President to enhance the Federal Government’s holistic response to the lingering cases of bloodshed.
The document spelt details of the proposed solutions where the committee advocated a reform agenda examining conflict mitigation and resource management.
On Thursday, February 29, 2024, Senate during its plenary passed for Second Reading the Bill to establish the National Assembly Budget and Research Office.
On March 12, lawmakers in the House of Representatives passed for second reading, a bill Sponsored by Uchenna Okonkwo, a lawmaker representing Idemili north and south federal constituency of Anambra state, the bill proposes to establish the bank to “provide financial support, promote investment and foster sustainable development” in the mining sector.
Similarly on the same day, the Senate pushed for first reading three new bills for the establishment of three different Federal Tertiary institutions.
The first was a bill sponsored by a Senator, Khalid Mustapha (Kaduna North) seeking for the establishment of Federal College of Education (Technical) to be situated in Saminaka in Kaduna state.
The second sponsored by Siyako Anthony (Gombe South) sought for the establishment of a Federal College of Medical Science and Laboratory Technology.
The third bill which was introduced by Akobundu Austin (Abia central) sought for the establishment of Federal College of Technology, Ikwuano in Abia state.
On March 13, 2024, a lawmaker in the House of Representatives, Clement Jimbo pushed for the establishment of a new Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology to be situated in Eka-Midim in Akwa-Ibom state.
On Tuesday, March 19,2024, another lawmaker in the lower House, Abubakar Fulata pushed for the establishment of the Nigeria Digital Literacy Management Office.
Similarly, the Senate pushed for first reading on the same day, a bill for the establishment of the Police Pension Board as sponsored by Yaroe Dauda (Adamawa North).
The Bill for the establishment of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute was introduced for first reading in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, March 20,2024 by lawmaker Bello Ambarura.
Also on same date, the Senate pushed for first reading, a bill for the establishment of Federal College of Agriculture, Ocheja in Kogi state which was sponsored by Senator representing Kogi East, Jibrin Isah.
On the same date, a bill to establish National Institute for Education planning and administration and other matters connected therewith sponsored by Suleiman Sadiq( Kwara North) also passed second reading.
Other bills include a bill seeking to establish a national tax crimes and oversight commission has passed the second reading at the House of Representatives which was proposed on March 6, 2024.
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Ecoparl: Speaker Ibrahima Reaffirms Parliament’s Dedication to Regional Unity
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Air Force Begins Moving Electoral Materials For Edo Guber Election
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has began airlifting the sensitive election materials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Benin, Edo State, ahead of the upcoming governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Deputy Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali.
The operation is part of the NAF’s efforts to ensure the timely and secure delivery of materials necessary for a smooth electoral process.
This development reinforces the collaboration between NAF and INEC to facilitate logistics and ensure a peaceful election in Edo State.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, had previously reiterated NAF’s commitment to providing airlift support for the swift movement of electoral materials during a meeting with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
This airlift operation is a crucial aspect of NAF’s constitutional responsibility to provide Military Aid to Civil Authority, underscoring the force’s dedication to supporting democratic processes in Nigeria. With the election just days away, the NAF’s timely intervention will help ensure the successful conduct of the governorship elections in Edo State.
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State had earlier accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of working with the All Progressives Congress (APC) to hunt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members and supporters in the state and force them into hiding ahead of September 21 governorship election.
Obaseki, who made the allegation when a delegation led by the former Head of State, Abdusalam Abubakar, met with him to get the governor and his party to sign peace accord, said that the IGP had made nonsense of his (Obaseki’s) role as the chief security officer of the state.
The governor had said that the police chief obtained a warrant to arrest 60 members and supporters of PDP in Edo and that the IGP sent an armed “gang” of policemen who invaded the state, attacked PDP members, shot at a local government chairman and arrested 10 persons who are currently being detained in Abuja without charges.
Asked by the former head of state if his party would sign the peace accord, Obaseki said, “The person who is supposed to enforce the peace accord is now an active participant in creating a destructive environment.
“We are now in a situation where from the Inspector General’s office, there are armed gang policemen who came into Edo State, invaded, arrested and took away PDP members.
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“Dancing gives me abundant joy and peace of mind”-Gov Adeleke
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has given reasons why he loves dancing.
The ‘Dancing Governor’, as he is fondly called, revealed this on Wednesday while responding to a tweet on X.
An X user, @Iwogoke, while praising the governor, stated that Adeleke has been busy fulfilling his electoral promises to the people of Osun State, while his political opponents believe he is only good at dancing.
Iwogoke tweeted, “I’m not flattering you, Your Excellency, your opponents think you can only dance but while they are busy shouting and calling you ‘Dancing Governor’, you are busy fulfilling your electoral promises to the people.”
Responding to the tweet via his verified X account, Adeleke explained that he loves dancing because it brings him joy.
Speaking further on his love for dancing, Adeleke highlighted that while dancing brings him immense happiness, his greater fulfilment comes from delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Osun.
Outlining his administration’s efforts to enhance the state’s infrastructure, he noted that primary health centre rehabilitation is underway in at least 200 out of the 332 wards across Osun State, adding that road construction projects are also progressing in every local government area.
He wrote, “Dancing gives me joy, but delivering on my electoral promises and providing the dividends of democracy to the good people of Osun gives me even greater joy. Rehabilitation of primary health centers is ongoing in at least 200 out of 332 wards, and road construction is progressing in every Local Government!”
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