Federal Government May Scrap EFCC, ICPC, FRSC, others

The Federal Government may be poised to scrap some of its agencies in the country, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission, and the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC).

This is in response to the recommendations of a report submitted to the Presidency yesterday by the Presidential Committee on the Rationalization and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies. The committee headed by former Head of Service, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye has recommended that the number of federal agencies in the country be streamlined from the present 263 to 161.

The report states that the reduction will save the country N 862 billion.

The committee highlighted that the EFCC and ICPC were performing the traditional functions of the police and should this be scrapped.

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

“While acknowledging that the body has been quite active, the committee observed that what the FRSC was set up to do is a replication of the mandates of two existing bodies namely: the Highway Department of the Federal Ministry of Works with respect to the maintenance of safety and orderliness on our highways and the role of the Nigeria Police Force in ensuring law and order on our roads.

“Indeed, it is a fundamental breach of acceptable practice of good public sector governance to create a new agency or institution as a response to the seeming failure or poor performance of an existing agency in order to suit political or individual interests.

“Such a practice has proved eventually to precipitate systemic conflicts, crises and even collapse at a substantial but avoidably high financial cost to government.  The setting up of the FRSC to take over partially the functions already apportioned by law to the Federal Ministry of Works and the Nigeria Police Force as a result of seeming poor performance and/or to satisfy political and individual interests is a typical example of misadventure in the Public Sector at a great cost to government.

“Meanwhile, on the one hand, other bodies have their mandates intact as the relevant provisions of their enabling laws have not been repealed. On the other hand, the same provisions have been imported into the FRSC Act, making it appear as if the intention of government is to make the FRSC have the same mandate as the bodies referred to.”

Speaking on the EFCC and ICPC, Oronsaye said, “It was noted that the functions of the EFCC and the ICPC are the traditional functions of the Nigeria Police. The Committee observed that even though the two commissions were established separately to address corruption, which the Police appeared to have failed to do, successive administrations have ironically continued to appoint the Chairman of the EFCC from the Police Force, while the methodology adopted by the ICPC in conducting investigations as well as the training of its personnel in investigation procedure is carried out by the Police.

“One wonders if it was really expedient to dismember the Nigeria Police rather than allow it to evolve as a vibrant and effective agency.”