The federal executive council yesterday announced that it has approved the complete merger of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, with Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to form one anti-corruption agency
With still on government agencies, it also approved the scrapping of Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE; and 5 other agencies which include “National Poverty Eradication Programme, NAPEP; National Economic Intelligence Committee; Fiscal Responsibility Commission; Utilities Charges Commission and National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, NSIWC.”
The council took the decision at its meeting last Wednesday, while considering the White Paper prepared by the Stephen Oronsanye-led Committee on the restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.
A presidency source said FEC had been reviewing the report and took a decision on it on June 26.
The source explained that government had directed that a Sunset Clause should be introduced to BPE to conclude its assignment and wind down.
In an attempt to ensure that the affected members of staff of these agencies don’t join the labour market, FEC directed the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to initiate the necessary action for the abolition of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
Staff of the Utilities Charges Commission, which will also suffer similar fate, are to be redeployed to the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, provided they are civil servants.
National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, NSIWC, will also cease to exist as the government will repeal its law, while its functions are to be transferred to Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC.
National Economic Intelligence Committee, which was meant to be the economic think-thank for the President is also to be scrapped.
NAPEP is to be scrapped for failing to deliver on its mandate.
According to the source, “government accepts the scrapping of NAPEP and directs that the functions of NAPEP be merged with National Directorate of Employment, NDE.”
It was gathered that the restructuring and rationalisation of parastatals, commissions and agencies of the Federal Government are part of measures to reduce its high recurrent budget profile.
On the merger, FEC insisted that EFCC and ICPC are to be consolidated into one anti-corruption agency.
Government has, therefore, directed the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to initiate the necessary action in respect of the proposed merger.
Similarly, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council have been merged “to synergise for management and utilisation of resources.”
Public Complaints Commission, PCC, is to be merged with the Human Rights Commission, which has the capacity to perform the functions of the PCC.
While speaking of the role of the NYSC, FEC also announced that it is also to be restructured with a view to developing a framework to cover critical areas of national socio-economic development to which NYSC members would be deployed for their primary assignments.
The government, however, rejected the committe’s recommendation that the committee merge National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, with Refugee Commission.
The final report on the recommendations said: “The government rejects the recommendation that NEMA be merged with National Refugees Commission into one agency to be known as the National Emergency Management and Refugees Commission.”