Yesterday, the Goodluck Jonathan administration inaugurated two committees on Doing Business and Investor Care, thus increasing the number of committees set up to help solve one problem or the other. Many see this as further burden on the government, writes LEKE SALAUDEEN


President Goodluck Jonathan’s first major act, on becoming Acting President, was to constitute a Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) of 26 members headed by Gen. Theophilius Danjuma (rtd) to advise on policy issues.

PAC, after deliberations, urged Jonathan to reduce the size of government so that money can be saved for the development of infrastructure.

Initially, the President gave the impression that he was averse to a bloated and wasteful government. But nine months into his administration, the opposite seems to be the situation. The number of committees/task forces that have so far been set up calls to question the sincerity of the administration to genuinely cut down the cost of governance.

Rather than conserve resources and plug all the leaking holes in the system, the government is opening up more leakages that are bound to impact negatively on the economy. It has piled up over 20 extra ministerial committees, in addition to the huge number of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

Only yesterday, two committees were inaugurated. One is on Doing Businesses and Competitiveness and the other on Investor Care.

In the wake of the oil subsidy removal discourse, two committees were hurriedly assembled by the presidency. They are: Oil Subsidy Removal Negotiation Committee headed by former Chief Justice of Nigeria Alfa Belgore and the Christopher Kolade-led Committee on Subsidy Reinvestment Empowerment Programme. Before they settled down for business, Petroleum Minister Mrs Deziani Allison-Madueke announced the establishment of the Task Force on Refineries headed by a former Minister of Finance Dr Kalu Idika Kalu and the Nuhu Ribadu Task Force on Oil Sector Revenue.

The plethora of committees and task forces include: the Ibrahim Bunu Projects Assessment Committee, Presidential Advisory Committee on Constitution Amendment, Security Challenges Committee (a.k.a. Boko Haram Committee), Committee on Expenditure Review, Committee on United Nations Environment Programme, Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission, Project Assessment Committee, Police Reform Committee, Electricity Supply Committee, Restructuring of Government Agencies Committee, Passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill Committee , Committee on LASSA fever, Pension Fund Reform Task Team and the Task Force on Management Control within NNPC.
Culled form The Nation Newspaper March 13 2012 issue. http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news/39598-jonathan’s-govt-by-task-forces%2C-committees.html