The Senate has passed a Bill for second reading seeking to repeal the Act establishing the National Economic Intelligence Committee, (NEIC) noting that the committee has become redundant over time.
The Bill was sponsored by the Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba.
According to his lead debate on the bill tagged “Bill to Repeal the National Economic Intelligence Committee (Est. Etc) Act Cap. N31 LFN 2004 and For Related Matters 2013 (SB. 209)’, Sen. Ndoma-Egba said the Bill is a method to remove the Act which has ‘outlived its usefulness’, as it establishes a body which is no more needed.
He argued that with the current economic planning structure this committee is redundant as some of its functions are duplicated by those of other government bodies such as the Ministry Of Finance and the National Planning Commission.
He further posited that with the dissolution of this Act establishing the Committee, there would be a reduction on some cost associated with running a large government.
Speaking in support of the Bill, Sen. Ita Enang noted that the collapse of this Committee is as a result of the Commission set up by President Goodluck Jonathan with its aim to collapse some Government Bodies And Agencies so as to make the Nigerian Government less expensive to run.
He explained that as the intended role of the National Economic Intelligence Committee is to advice the government and there is now the Economic Management Team there is therefore no need for the former as the later is doing what the former was suppose to do.
He equally encouraged his colleagues to bring forth many more similar Bills which seek to dissolve such Government Bodies that are becoming more redundant or with duplicated roles.
Sen. Olusola Adeyeye was also in support and added his voice that everything that needs to be repealed should be repealed for a ‘lean and efficient government’.
Senators Barnabas Gemade, Chris Anyanwu and Uche Chukwumerije were among other Senators who supported the Bill.
However, Senate Minority Leader George Akume was among senators who opposed the outright scrapping of the committee, stressing that the committee could be repositioned for the better service rather than scrapping the whole body.
In his remark however, Senate President David Mark, who presided at plenary, added that the Intelligence Committee was valid at the time it was established but for now it is not needed, as all the reasons for which it was established is being executed by other Government Agencies.
Sen. Mark put the question and the Senators voted for the Bill to be read a second time. It was referred to the Committee on Finance.
NEIC was established by Decree 17 of February, 1994. Membership consists of a Chairman, 12 other members, and a Member-Secretary.
All members are appointed by the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. They hold office for such period as is specified in their letters of appointment. No period of appointment is, however, specified with respect to the present and first set of members.
However, a member may resign his membership with notice, in writing, addressed to the Head of State and C-in-C, or be removed from office by the head of state and C-in-C.
The mission statement of the committee is “to serve as a vehicle for effective monitoring of the implementation of Government policies and programmes in the spheres of National Economy for the overall development of the country and the benefit of the citizenry”
In another development, a protest was staged in front of the Senate Chambers by the parliamentary staff association of Nigeria (PASAN) on their unimplemented salary structure and welfare packages.
Senate President Mark came out and addressed the crowd promising them to look into the matter and its eventual resolution.