While inaugurating the eight-man Committee, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, charged the committee to review new parastatals, agencies and commissions created from 2014 and to submit its report within the span of six weeks to enable the Federal Government commence its implementation.

SGF stated that the constitution of the white paper committee was sequel to the submission by the Committee to review New Agencies created from 2014 to date which was chaired by Ms Amal Pepple, with the mandate of considering its recommendations by Government for onward implementation.

SGF stressed that the inability to implement the past reports on restructuring and rationalisation of MDAs coupled with the emergence of new parastatals, agencies and commissions have contributed to the rise in the cost of governance. In his word:

“Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, you would all agree with me that the inability to implement the report of the Committee on Restructuring and Rationalization of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies and Commission is costing government highly. This cost grows higher and the situation is further worsened by the fact that New Agencies are being created”.

He further said that the quest to restructure and rationalize parastatals, agencies and commissions has always been on the front burner of the Federal Government which led to the constitution of the Steve Oronsaye Report in 2011; Committee to Review the Steve Oronsaye Reports and its White paper chaired by Mr. Goni Aji and Committee to Review New Agencies chaired by Ms Amal Pepple in 2014.

In her acceptance speech, the Chairman of the white Paper Committee on the review of new Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions created since 2014, Engr. Ebele Okeke, thanked Boss Mustapha for considering them worthy to be saddled with the noble task. She also assured him of the committee’s readiness to conclude its report within the span of six weeks.

She added that the Federal Government has invested a lot in building the capacities of civil servants and it’s incumbent on them to pay back to the Government by rendering service whenever they are called upon.

In his opening remarks the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office, Shehu Ibrahim, said the constitution of the white paper committee was in response to the need to improve governance towards effective service delivery through the reviewing of parastatals, agencies and commissions; this according to him will mitigate wastages, redundancies and leakages in the system.

He added that their selection was based on merit of their capacity and experience. He therefore urged the them to bring their wealth of experience to bear as they come up with implementable outcomes that would move the Service to greater heights.

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In a statement released by the Director Information, Willie Bassey, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office, Mr. David Andrew Adejo, inaugurated a 15-man Committee on Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) in Abuja, Daily Dates Nigeria reports.

According to the SGF, the National Health Act (2014) has been empowered to increase the overall financing to the health sector and help improve access to primary health care services for Nigerians especially the poor and the vulnerable, particularly, women and children.

He stated that the Bureau for Public Service Reforms (BPSR), through engagements with critical stakeholders has developed a draft stakeholder coordination framework to help support an effective multi-stakeholder engagement toward a harmonized strategy for implementation of the Fund at national and sub-national levels.

While inaugurating the Committee, the SGF stated that the reform was a demonstration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to reform the health sector to ensure quality basic health care service to all Nigerians with emphasis on rural dwellers and the vulnerable in the society.

SGF further stated that despite the budgetary allocation for the operationalization of the BHCPF, many Nigerians have not benefitted from it since six years of its establishment emphasizing that the Joint Working Committee was constituted to provide an effective stakeholders coordination mechanism towards the actualization of the Fund.

Part of the Terms of Reference for the members of the Committee according to the SGF, is to bring stakeholders up to speed on the status of the Fund, to proffer recommendations as action plans to fast track progress of implementation, and to establish the need for the stakeholder coordination framework and other mechanisms to sustain momentum.

Speaking earlier, the Director-General of the Bureau for Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Mr. Dasuki Arabi in his welcome address, said that the purpose for establishing the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) was to bring relief to a good number of Nigerians who have never experienced proper basic healthcare, to reduce out of pocket expenses for health services in order to improve the quality of lives of the rural dwellers and the vulnerable people.

Mr. Arabi attributed the slow implementation of the Fund to gaps in the enabling Act and poor buy-in from the states and inter-agency rivalry amongst others. It is in a bid to revive the Fund that the BPSR with the support of development partners, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) undertook an analysis of the current situation of the Fund in order to uncover the underlying issues and seek a way forward for speedy implementation.

The Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) is the funding provision of the Federal Government- established under the National Health Act, 2014 (NHAct). The objective of the Act is to increase the overall financing to the health sector and help improve access to primary health care services for all Nigerians, especially the poor and the vulnerable with the overall goal of achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Nigeria.

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