The Senate has proposed the establishment of 376 new agencies and institutions despite the Federal Government’s measures to restructure the public service according to the Steve Oronsaye Committee Report on Restructuring and Rationalization of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions.
The report recommended the elimination or merger of some ministries, departments and agencies to reduce the cost of governance.
A white paper committee established by the federal government to review parastatals, agencies and commissions created since 2014 submitted a draft report in August.
The Federal Government also inaugurated in November last year sub-committees headed by former federation service chiefs Bukar Aji, Ama Pepple and Oladapo Afolabi on the implementation of the Oronsaye Report, while the Ebele Okeke Committee was due to draft a White Paper. on the Report of the Ama Pepple Committee and to harmonize the reports of other committees.
The Secretary of Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, had said that the Federal Government would soon conclude the process of restructuring the public service.
But our correspondent’s findings indicate that the 9th Senate has approved a total of 1,070 bills, including 376 establishment bills for the creation of various institutions and agencies despite the economic challenges facing the country.
Some of these establishment bills have passed, while others have progressively moved to committee levels in defiance of the Oronsaye report’s recommendations.
Establishment bills include: Federal University of Education Kontagora (Est. etc.) Bill, 2019, which was sponsored by Senator Sabi Abdullahi. The bill was read for the third time in December 2019.
In addition, the Illo Federal College of Education Establishment Bill, 2019, sponsored by Senator Abdullahi Yahaya, was first read in January 2019 and passed in third reading in December 2019, while the Bill Kabo Federal Polytechnic (Est. etc.), 2019 sponsored by Senator Jibril Barau was first read in March 2019 and passed for third reading in November 2022.
Similarly, the bill to establish Auchi City University of Technology, Delta State was also first passed in 2019, sponsored by Senator Francis Alimikhena, first read in October 2019 and passed for the third time in April 2022.
The bills also include the Federal University, Wukari (Est. etc.) Bill, 2019, sponsored by Senator Emmanuel Bwacha. It was first mentioned in the Senate in October 2019 and passed on third reading in January 2022.
The bill to establish Gusau Federal University sponsored by Senator YaU Sahabi was first read in October 2019 and passed in third reading in November 2019.
Former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun sponsored the creation of the Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Abeokuta. The bill was first introduced in 2019 and subsequently passed in February 2022.
Senate Vice President Ovie Omo-Agege similarly sponsored the bill to establish the Federal Polytechnic of Orogun, Delta State in 2019. The bill was introduced out of committee in June 2021.
A former Majority Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, also introduced a bill on Igboho Oyo State Federal Medical Center in 2021, which was sent to the House of Representatives for approval in November 2021 and passed in February 2021. 2022.
In addition, the National Commission for the Eradication of Child Homelessness Bill (Establishment) 2019 by former Sokoto Governor Senator Aliyu Wamakko passed the first reading in September 2019 and the third reading in June 2022.
However, the Federal College of Education Usugbenu, Edo State (Est etc.) Bill 2019 sponsored by Senator Clifford Ordia is awaiting the Committee Report after passing the second reading in November 2019.
The Giwa Kaduna State Federal College of Education Establishment Bill, sponsored by Senator Uba Sani, passed the third reading in July 2020 after passing the first reading in the full Senate in October 2019 .
In addition, a bill to establish a Federal Polytechnic in Aba proposed to the Red Chamber by Senator Theodore Orji climbed the first reading in November 2019 and passed the third reading in November 2020.
the punch reports that most of the institutions were located in the states and constituencies of their patrons.
These include the proposed establishment of the Nigerian Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Institute, Bakassi (Est) Bill, 2020 by Senator Gershom Bassey; the Federal College of Education, Mutum Biyu, Taraba State sponsored by Representative Senator, Central Taraba, Yusuf Yusuf.
In addition, a bill introducing a Senator Musa Sani University Hospital Development Tax Fund passed first reading in November 2019 and climbed to last reading in October 2021.
Senator Obinna Ogba sponsored a bill on the establishment of a National Sports Commission and Federal Sports University, Nkalagu, Ebonyi State.
On June 21, 2022, the Senate passed four bills to establish four Federal Medical Centers in four states.
The hospitals will be located in Osogbo, Osun State; Onitsha, Anambra State; Gada, Sokoto State; and Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, respectively.
Efforts to get comment from Senate Speaker Senator Basiru Ajibola on Tuesday failed because his line was unreachable. He had yet to respond to a text message sent to his phone at the time of filing this report.
The list also includes the Nigerian Transport Accident Investigation Office (Est. etc.) sponsored by Senator Ibn Na’allah; the Lagos State Special Economic Assistance Program (Establishment) Bill, 2019, sponsored by Senator Oluremi Tinubu; and the National Religious Equity Commission (Est.etc) Bill, 2019, sponsored by Senator Stella Oduah, which scaled first reading in November 2019.
In addition, a bill to establish a Constituency (Est. etc.) Development Fund was read for the first time in November 2019, a 2019 bill sponsored by Senator Ali Ndume.
