Nigeria’s Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Ikanade Agba, and several stakeholders in the war against corruption have frowned at the number of government agencies with similar roles in the country and the consequent high cost of “unproductive governance ” especially as the country is faced with dwindling revenue.
To this end, the minister said there is a need for more collaboration between legislative and the executive arm of government towards ensuring that the recommendations of the 2011 Steve Oronsaye’s Report especially those that deal with reducing the cost of governance are implemented.
He made this call at a virtual strategic meeting on High Cost of Governance and Corruption, organised by the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) on Tuesday.
While noting that government is a continuum, Agba wants the Muhammadu Buhari led administration to continue in the steps taken by the Goodluck Jonathan administration to restructure and rationalise federal government parastatals, commissions and agencies.
He said the Oronsaye report if implemented, will see to the reduction in the number of statutory agencies, abolition of 38 agencies and merging of 52 other agencies, while 14 others will revert to their original ministries, and therefore eradicate duplication and wastages.
The minister further said the high cost of governance can be reduced by reviewing the procurement process to remove the bureaucratic bottlenecks and make it less cumbersome, and through effective budgeting by identifying the cost effectiveness of public programmes and projects that ensures quality than quantity.
Sadiq Radda, Executive Secretary, PACAC, while stressing that the cost of servicing government is wasteful and unproductive, added that it aids corruption . He noted that government workers, particularly in the legislature and the judiciary receive high remuneration to shift them from corruption, but regrets that the aim has been defeated as corruption still thrives.
“The political system at all levels is simply unproductive and draining a lot of resources, too much resources is being spent to maintain the presidency, judiciary. The take home salaries of legislators is higher than the armed forces who deliver a lot and lose their lives, something has to be done”, he said.
He therefore tasked government to develop a blueprint on how to reduce the cost of governance. He also urged Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the media, amongst others to continue to investigate public expenditure.
To further strengthen the fight against corruption and other financial crimes, the Chairman, Senate Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes Committee Suleiman Abdu Kwari, announced that the National Assembly will launch a strategy called the legislative anti corruption strategy 2021 – 2023.
This strategy, according to him, will create a robust legal framework to meet international obligations in the cross border against graft, and will provide for vigilant oversight of government as well as carrying out investigations to expose corruption, wherever it may be found.
He added that NASS will be re-examining budgetary provisions and will be pruning wasteful, opaque and frivolous expenditures in our budgetary system.
