There are many more useless agencies now than then, many created by no law backing them.
Since 2013/14. Implemented. Yet there's an error we make, everybody makes that error, and this fraudulent regime is responsible for the deliberate deceit.
After the Orosanye committee submitted its 800-page report on 16 August 2012, the then President Jonathan set up another committee to study the report and advise government. This committee had more members than the Orosanye committee itself, which already tells the story.
It did study the report and in effect disagreed with 95% of recommendations. Google up and read the government white paper on the Orosanye committee report. It's there, online.
What the white paper agreed to has been implemented like scrapping the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and other marginal, inconsequential changes. The matter has been closed, since then.
Any references to the Orosanye committee report is fraud and deceit and they know it. Anytime this useless regime wants to be its duplicitous self, it says something about implementing the Orosanye committee recommendations. Go further back and see, they have been saying this since 20016/17.
With the government white paper the matter is closed. There's no report to implement. Except the next president revisits it afresh, updates it and issues a fresh white paper. A new committee to review agencies and departments set up 2012–2022 just submitted its report last 25 August. No white paper has been released after this.
There are many more useless agencies now than then, many created by no law backing them, including that National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) that was in the news recently, said to employ 5,000 staff and spending 8 billion naira.
We are gullible and like falling for fraud, and they know it. We all fell for the scam and theatre put up by the Senate committee. What I didn't see was people asking Who appropriates such funds for the board, if not the same hypocritical National Assembly? This agency is not alone, there are dozens of such littered everywhere. Only our eternal vigilance can save us in the end.
Sesugh Akume, a public policy analyst writes from Abuja. He is reached by [email protected].