FG To Scrap EFCC And 219 Other MDAs

Federal government is to scrap 220 parastatals, agencies and commissions in line with the recommendation of the Stephen Oronsaye-led presidential committee on the rationalisation and restructuring of the federal government's  parastatals and commissions.

Dr. Reuben Abati, special adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, told journalists after the weekly federal executive council (FEC) meeting yesterday that the council has began deliberations on the Committee's white paper.

The report stated that the average cost of governance in Nigeria is believed to rank among the highest in the world.

``Going by the recommendations of the Committee, the figure of statutory agencies is being proposed for reduction to 161 from the current figure of 263.

``The Committee believes that if the cost of governance must be brought down, then both the Legislature and Judiciary must make spirited efforts at reducing their running costs as well as restructuring and rationalising the agencies under them, since the three arms make up the government.’’

In the report, the Committee proposed the removal of all professional bodies/councils from the national budget in order to reduce the high cost of governance.
Oronsaye-led committee, specifically mentioned the case of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) which it said should not be in existence.

“One case that stands out clearly in this regard is that of the Federal Road Safety Commission Safety Corps, FRSC, which should not be in existence in its present form,” the committee said.

Similarly, the committee noted that the functions of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) were the traditional functions of the police.

The committee also noted that that an institution was inefficient and ineffective should not be a basis for the creation of new ones by the government, saying that the officers and men of the police had been reputed for performing exceptionally and winning laurels while on international peace-keeping and other missions.

It stressed that the world over, countries had made efforts to manage the agencies responsible for their mass media communication by establishing and taking advantage of a single coordinating point.

Such reforms in the media sector have been underpinned by the efficient use of resources and collaboration in order to have synergy amongst the operators.