The federal government on Wednesday said it is working on reforms that will clearly state the functions of the different Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to avoid duplication and enhance effectiveness in its ease of doing business efforts.
This came following a call by Public and Civil Servants from Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that will drive the government’s Executive Orders on the ease of doing business signed by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo last week, to improve the business environment in the country.
Questions and remarks at the interactive forum between the Acting President and about 2000 civil servants harped on the need to put to rest the issue of duplication of duties and confusion in the handling by different agencies.
Responding to the questions the minister of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah used his ministry as an example stating that the Bank of Industry and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission seem to be doing the same thing. “The issue of duplication is a long standing issue and I know that the Head of Service, the acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation and indeed our leaders are working on how to streamline government.
“I am aware that the Head of Service for instance is working on reforms. I am also aware that there is work going on on how to streamline the agencies.
“Incidentally most of the examples that were used were from my ministry, so I am very tempted to point out that the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, if it does its work well should be promoting investment while for instance BOI should be lending to industry” he said.
The newly signed executive orders calls for transparency in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government of Nigeria. It also orders Default Approvals by government agencies, and a one Government Directive. The document contains under the three major headings subheads that states a new Visa regime calls for the review of entry Experience of Visitors and Travellers as well as Ports Operations that under the order will now run for 24 hours.
Harping that the different agencies of the government will be held accountable as they are suppose to lead by example, Enelamah said MDAs will not just receive budgetary allocations but be held accountable for their responsibilities.
“This executive orders when we start emphasising responsibilities and penalties as some of you have said you will find that some of these ills will reduce because if basically all you are going to get is penalties and responsibilities and not necessarily a budget allocation I am sure people will be a little narrower about what their responsibilities are” he said adding that even the executives will live by example.
“Heads will have to lead by example. The National Assembly have been working with us on this. I know that there are two bills that are necessary for our rankings that they have recently worked on and are nearing an end” he added.
In his remarks Acting President Osinbajo noted the call for improved renumeration for civil and public servants to encourage motivation assuring them that they are in good hands as President Muhammadu Buhari and himself being civil servants know what it means to earn not enough pay and be owed salaries.
Reiterating that they were drivers of the Orders, Osinbajo noted that everything that happens negatively in the process of doing business stalled by agencies directly or indirectly affects creation of jobs. “Every time we postpone processes of businesses we delay the prosperity of many. If you help others move forward you will find help. Dont see this as a government policy but a personal policy” he said.
Harping on the need to consume what is produced in the country which is key in the Executive Orders, the Acting President said in the coming months Nigeria’s rice will be able to compete anywhere in the world as “we are looking at strategies to ensure we make food cheaper”.
Responding to calls for a channel for those who want to volunteer information to the government the minister said the PEBEC secretariat through the head of service will make available the necessary channels for volunteering information adding that every hand needs to be on deck from all ends to ensure the order is obeyed to the latter.
“We are going to need extensive customer care, call centres, feedback mechanism a lot work is already going on between SERVICOM and I suspect that each ministry, department and agency will have to take responsibility”.
Agencies of government are expected to come up with the necessary penalties and sanctions as “part of the executive orders will further be strengthened in the legislation as we go on”.
Responding to a question on a central digitised database for agencies the minister agreed that there was a huge infrastructure challenge but however stated that “One of the benefits of this Executive Order is that it is going to challenge us even compel us to some degree to act on the things we have been talking about. Like the e-government, because there is no other way to do it without leveraging on technology. And I hope that the necessary investments will be made in providing the technology and receiving the assistance that we need.
On the efforts of the government to improve on power supply to ensure that businesses in Nigeria run smoothly the minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola said already the power sector recovery roadmap is already being implemented. He added that coincidentally for the first time in about a decade, the office of the Vice President government included in the 2016 budget amount owed to warehouses and shipping companies for power parts and accessories that Nigeria imported and did not pay for. “So for almost 10 years about 900 containers were stuck . So through the office of the vice president we cleared about 350 of those containers” he said.
Elizabeth Archibong
