The Guardian Monday, 07 April 2014 22:34

• Retains NECO, JAMB, NTA, FRCN, VON, EFCC, ICPC, CCB

THE Federal Government yesterday rejected recommendations for merger and outright scrapping of some government agencies by the Presidential Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.

  Some of the key agencies which the committee, headed by a former Head of Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), Mr. Steve Orosanye, recommended to be merged, but which government rejected included the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the National Business and Technical Education Board (NABTEB). The two bodies were recommended to be merged with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

  The government, however, accepted the recommendation of the panel that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) should continue to exist as the central examination body for admissions into Nigerian universities and directs that it must play its regulatory role to ensure that all students for undergraduate admissions into Nigerian universities must pass through JAMB, including direct entries.

  The committee, which had submitted its report to President Goodluck Jonathan on April 16, 2012, also recommended the reduction of the existing 263 government parastatals and agencies to 161.

  In a 105-page White Paper on the Committee’s reports which was released yesterday by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the government also rejected the recommendations of the panel that the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA); Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the Voice of Nigeria (VON) be merged into one body to be known as the Federal Corporation Broadcasting of Nigeria (FCBN).

  Also rejected were the recommendations of abolition of Federal Character Commission, but rather the commission should be strengthened to perform its constitutional role and functions; an amendment in name and status of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) to the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC).    However, the Federal Government accepted the recommendation of a single term of five years for the chairman and members of the commission.

  Also rejected were the recommendations for the merger of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) with the Code of Conduct  Bureau (CCB).

  The government was also not disposed to making the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) a parastatal in the Ministry of Power. It also rejected the scrapping of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC).

  The government also rejected the recommendation that the law establishing the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) be repealed and its functions reverted to the National Boundary Commission (NBC).

  The government also rejected the recommendation that government should disengage from funding current expenditure of the National Institute on Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) from the 2015 fiscal year and limit itself to certain essential capital requirement of the institute. It rejected the merger of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Refugees Commission into one agency to be known as the National Emergency Management and Refugees Commission (NEMRC). Similarly, it rejected the recommendation that the Debt Management Office should become an extra ministerial department in the Federal Ministry of Finance and be delisted from the office of the Vice President.

  FG rejected the recommendation that the Act settings up the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) be repealed and that road safety operations of the FRSC be reverted to the Highways Department of the Federal Ministry of Works. Government also rejected the recommendation that the enabling law of the National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS be repealed.

  Also rejected were recommendations that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) and the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) be abolished and their functions transferred to a department under Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also threw away the recommendation that government stops sponsoring pilgrims and pilgrimages with effect from 2012 fiscal year

  Government rejected the recommendations of the privatisation of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigerian (FAAN ) in view of the security situation in the country. Government rejected recommendation that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC ) and the regulatory functions of the 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 for re-introduction of tuition in its universities just as it rejected advice for abolition of the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NEDRC).

  FG rejected the advice that the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and the Small Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) be merged to form a single agency for wealth creation. It also rejected that the Ministry of Police Affairs be scrapped. 

  The government rejected the scrapping of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) with the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) as well as the recommendations that the National Sports Commission reverts to the proposed Ministry of Youth and Sports Development as an agency.

  The government, however, accepted recommendation for the scrapping of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) and directs AGF to initiate necessary action for the abolition. It also directed that the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission should perform the function of the FRC.

  The government accepted the recommendation that the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC)’s enabling law be repealed and the functions of the commission be subsumed under the Revenue and Fiscal Commission. It also directed that the RMAFC enabling laws be amended to accommodate the functions of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission and the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.

  It accepted the recommendation of the scrapping of the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and that the practice whereby certain categories of retirees are opting out of contributory pension scheme be stopped and directed that only the military may withdraw from the scheme.

  The government accepted the recommendation that the Bill seeking for 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.

  Federal Government accepted that the Utilities Charges Commission be abolished and its enabling law repealed. It directed that the process of repealing the enabling law be initiated by the office of the SGF. It accepted the recommendation that the National Agricultural Insurance Corporation be fully commercialised.

  Also accepted were recommendations that:

• The passed bill on the Nigeria Agriculture Quarantine Service should not be assented to by the President;

• the Veterinary Research Council of Nigeria should as a professional body be self-funding and that further budgetary allocation to the council should cease forthwith;

• the trio of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA,)  the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency ( (NMA) be merged into a new body to be known as the Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FCAA) and their respective enabling laws be amended accordingly to reflect the merger; and that

• the enabling law of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology be amended and the college restructured. 

 In the white paper, the Federal Government accepted:

• partial commercialisation of NIPOST;

• sale of its shares in NIGCOMSAT and directs that government will retain minority shares; 

• that the functions of NIGCOMSAT that relate to space development be reverted to the National Space Development Agency;

• that the function of the Nigerian Institute for Education Planners and Administrators (NIEPA) be merged with those of the National Teachers Institute; and 

• the funding of the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria.

  The government accepted that the Nigerian Film Corporation be commercialised from 2013 fiscal year but with government seed funding. Federal Government also accepted that all offices of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies outside Lagos and Abuja be closed down immediately to ensure judicious use of available resources in line with government policy

  Government 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.

  It was accepted that the Nigerian Financial Reporting Council ceases to be funded by government from 2015. Government accepted that the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) be self-funding from 2014.

   The government 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 non-existent boundary demarcation be properly investigated. Federal Government accepted the management audit of the National Institute for Sports.