The Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, has advised members of the House to weigh carefully the cost of setting up new government agencies, especially during economic recession.
He gave the advice while delivering his opening remarks at a Public Hearing, organised by the House Committee on Information and National Orientation, Ethics and values on Tuesday in Abuja.
Dogara said: ‘’As a parliament, we must weigh carefully the cost of setting up new government agencies, especially during economic recession.
“Sometimes, instead of establishing new agencies, we may just amend the laws setting up similar existing agencies by incorporating the mandate of the new agencies in the old ones.
“This is because to set up a new bureaucracy with the complement of Directors, offices and equipment may be unnecessary, “he said.
The public hearing was aimed at achieving collective analysis of the content of four bills that have passed second reading at the plenary in the House and subsequently referred to the Committee for further legislative action.
The Bills were Bill for an Act to Amend the National Broadcasting Commission Act (HB 168), A Bill for an Act to provide for the Regulation and Conduct of Broadcasting Profession in Nigeria (HB 150).
Others are; Bill for an Act to Repeal Nigerian Films Corporation and Re-enact the Nigerian films Commission (HB 584), A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Agency for Ethics and Values (HB 519).
“The Bills for an Act to Amend the National Broadcasting Commission Act (HB 168) proposes to address the issues of Competition, Monopoly and Wholesale Offer in our broadcasting market.