FG Approves Scrapping of NECO, NAPEP, Others

Former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaya

•To cancel UTME
Muhammad Bello
As part of efforts to streamline the public sector and cut the cost of governance, the federal government has approved the scrapping of the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP).

It is also set to decentralise the conduct of entrance examinations to universities and other tertiary institutions through the planned reorganisation of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), responsible for conducting Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in the country.

A highly-placed source in the presidency said Tuesday that the overhaul of the public service was in line with the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals and Commissions led by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Steve Oronsaye.

The Oronsaye committee, which was set up to reduce cost of governance, had in the executive summary of the 110-page report submitted to the Office of the Vice-President recommended the scrapping of 38 agencies, merger of 52 and reversal of 14 to departments in existing ministries.

The source said President Goodluck Jonathan took the decision to scrap NECO and NAPEP, among other agencies, after considering the White Paper on the Orosanye report.

The decision to scrap NECO, according to the source, is to return to the era when the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) was the only standard examination body in the country.

The creation of NECO through the promulgation of a decree in April 1999, which was one of the last acts of the Abdulsalam Abubakar administration, had generated controversy in the country as many groups and organisations opposed its creation.
Also, following the public sector restructuring, JAMB will no longer conduct   UTME as tertiary institutions will be given a free hand to conduct tests and/or admit students.
“The clamour by universities that they should be given the chance to set standards for their admissions will be given the upper hand with this move,” the source stated.

With this development, the functions of JAMB will be scaled down, reducing it to a supervisory body that serves as both a clearing house and an administrative body geared towards monitoring admissions in order to check multiple offers and entries.

However, the president shied away from tackling the crucial issue of unbundling ancillary security agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) and the National Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as recommended by the Orosanye report.

“After the submission of the Orosanye report, the White Paper Committee undertook a detailed study and recommended that NECO be scrapped.

“A decision was also taken to stop UTME. Now universities will conduct their own exams. JAMB will be like UCAS in the UK. If you want, you can apply to any university of your choice.

“JAMB will become a clearing house. It will be like an administrative body. It will no longer conduct exams.
“The purpose of this policy thrust is to encourage universities to conduct entrance exams and set standards for admissions, thereby eliminating the quota system,” the source stated.