Oshiomhole cautions against establishing new government agencies

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has voiced his concerns about the establishment of new institutions and their potential impact on federal resources.
As he participated in the discussion of a measure aiming to create the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration and other institutions, he voiced his opinions.

On Tuesday, the senator from Edo North stated that the federal government’s capital project funding may be impacted by the establishment of new institutions.

The Senate moved two legislation pertaining to education to the second reading stage upon reconvening.

The bills in question are titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration and other Matters Connected Therewith, 2024’ and ‘A Bill for an Act to Establish the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Manchok, Kaduna State and for other Matters Connected Therewith, 2024.’

Kwara North Senator Suleiman Sadiq is the one pushing the bill.

This has nothing to do with the government incurring more expenses. There is already this institute.

“The bill is merely seeking for the necessary legal backing,” he stated.

The former Edo State governor voiced his worries, stressing that the creation of new institutions will result in an ongoing increase in the Federal Government’s ongoing expenditure.

He proposed that divisions already in place under the Federal Ministry of Education or its connected agencies could accomplish the goals of the bill.

The senator stated, “I think we have to be careful in creating more and more institutions because the Federal Government’s recurrent expenditure is so huge that very little is available for capital projects.

“We are witnesses to the much-talked-about Orosanye report. The Federal Government is trying to shrink and merge institutions.

“I am not able to understand why the Ministry of Education cannot create a department todeal with all ofthose issues that this bill seeks to achieve.

“Senator Sadiq is myvery good friend andbrother. I hopehe will understand that this is not about him. I accept the spirit of the motion, but it can be taken care of within a relevant department created if it doesn’t exist.

“There are so many institutions that have to do with education, so many of them.

“The universities are in dire need of fresh investments in their infrastructure. I think these are things that should engage our attention. How do we make our universities better equipped?”

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Similar to Oshiomhole, Senator Barau Jibrin, the Deputy Senate President, shared the same viewpoint.

Jibrin said, “We need to make sure that Nigeria becomes fully industrialised and modernised.

“To achieve this, we need to have science-inclined institutions. I support this bill, not for just the people of Manchok but also for the good of the whole of Nigeria.”

However, when Senate President Godswill Akpabio presented the bill to a voice vote at the second reading, it scaled the second reading.

PUNCH Online reported in February that, the FG authorized the execution of some of the Stephen Oronsaye Report’s recommendations to lower the cost of government, 12 years after it was received.

Shortly after that, in less than ten days, the FG established a committee to carry out the report.

Since then, though, not many actions or comments have been recorded.

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