Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole has expressed strong concerns over the creation of new government agencies or institutions, stressing its impact on federal resources available for capital projects.
Oshiomhole made his position known while contributing to the debate on a bill seeking to establish the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration and additional agencies.
It was learnt that the Senate, upon resumption, advanced two education-related bills to the second reading stage.
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.’
Senator Suleiman Sadiq from Kwara North was said to be championing the bill.
According to him, “This is not about additional costs to the government. This institute is already there. The bill is merely seeking for the necessary legal backing.”
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On his part, the ex-governor of Edo State stressed that the establishment of additional institutions would lead to a continuous rise in the Federal Government’s recurrent expenditure.
Oshiomhole suggested that the objectives of the bill could be fulfilled by existing departments within the Federal Ministry of Education or its affiliated agencies.
“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 to deal with all of those issues that this bill seeks to achieve.
“Senator Sadiq is my very good friend and brother. I hope he 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?” he stated.
In his contributions, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, noted that, “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, the bill scaled the second reading when it was put to a voice vote by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.`
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