frown at duplication of govt agencies

…seek better funding for UBE, mass literacy, adult, non formal education 

By Levinus Nwabughiogu-Abuja

Ahead of the public hearing on a bill seeking the establishment of national commission for Almajiri education and out of school school, the Civil Society Coalition for Transparency and Good Governance (CSCTGG) has said that creating a new commission was counter-productive to the economy and therefore unnecessary.

The piece of legislation titled “A Bill for an Act to establish National Commission for Almajiri Education and Out of School Children To Provide for a Multimodal System of Education to Tackle the Menace of Illiteracy Develop Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Programmes, Prevent Youth Poverty, Delinquency and Destitution in Nigeria; and for Related Matters”, is scheduled for public hearing in the House of Representatives Tuesday barring any last minute eventuality that will hinder the event.

Addressing a press conference on Monday in Abuja, the coalition of civil society organizations advised that instead of establishing a new commission that will lead to duplication of functions by similar institutions, the old ones such as the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non Formal Education should be strengthened and sufficiently funded to take care of the almajri education amongst others.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition on the theme “Creating New Agencies by the National Assembly Counter Productive”, Comrade Victor Udo said: “We make bold to assert that duplication of governmental duties by creating multiple agencies to address same issues instead  of enhancing the capacity of the existing ones is counter productive. And continuously leave the work undone. 

“With specific reference to the proposed Bill by the House of Representatives for an Act to establish National Commission for Almajiri Education and Out of School Children To Provide for a Multimodal System of Education to Tackle the Menace of Illiteracy Develop Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Programmes, Prevent Youth Poverty, Delinquency and Destitution in Nigeria; and for Related Matters. 

“It is our firm believe that agencies like Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non Formal Education are sufficiently covered by law to perform all the  functions intended to address in the proposed bill. 

“It therefore pertinent to note that the national assembly should be more concerned in seeing that these agencies get improve funding, effective leadership to deliver on their mandates. Through capacity building, genuine budget implementation and very importantly monitor through oversight. 

“We therefore call on the leadership of the house and other stakeholders in the process of law making to reject the bill because it will be counter productive in truly finding genuine solutions to the subject matter mentioned therein in the bill. For there are already existing agencies that by law are to take care of the said subject. 

“We equally call on the leadership of the National assembly to be more pragmatic in urgently increase funding for the aforementioned agencies so that we can address the Almajiri issues in Nigeria squarely. As we seek to build a better and stronger nation leaving no one behind.

“We want government agencies to minimize cost and increase efficiency. But along the line, this government has not effectively carried out the Orosenye committee report implementation. That is if that has not been done, there will be no need for us as a country to continue to duplicate agencies to performance almost the same functions because it is not adding value. As far as anything is not adding value to, it is subtrating. If we are not adding values, we are subtracting either out capacity or values to effectively carryout assignment.

“There were 157 Almajri schools built some years ago in the same country. The schools were built by already existing agencies, we believe as a civil society that what government, specifically, the national assembly should to put in more resources into these agencies and proper monitoring through oversight to making sure that the monies appropriated get to the institutions expected to. We strongly believe that at his time, we do not need to duplicate agencies for ourselves.”