*Gives SGF-led committee 12 weeks to implement mergers, scrap others
By Mathew Dadiya
President Bola Tinubu has finally ordered the full implementation of the Oronsaye report on public sector reforms.
The report which was submitted in 2012 during President Goodlcuk Jonathan’s administration, revealed that there are 541 statutory and non-statutory – Federal Government parastatals, commissions and agencies.
The 2011 report, commissioned by the Jonathan administration, had called for the consolidation, merger or scrapping of numerous redundant and inefficient government parastatals as successive administrations had failed to act on the report until now.
Briefing State House Correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris announced that President Tinubu has approved wide-ranging reforms based on the Oransanye recommendations.
According to the minister, numerous agencies will be eliminated, others combined or restructured.
Idris said the move is a cost-cutting measure to streamline governance.
He assured workers that the shake-up would not initially affect jobs.
The minister said: “So in a very bold move today, this administration, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, consistent again with his courage to take very far-reaching decisions in the interest of Nigeria, has taken a decision to implement the so-called Oronsaye Report.
“Now, what that means that a number of agencies, commissions and some departments have actually been scrapped. Some have been modified, marked while others have been subsumed. Others, of course, have also been moved from some ministries to others where government feels they will operate a better,” the minister said.
Special Adviser on Policy Coordination, Mrs Hadiza Bala-Usman, said following the announcement, the President has consequently constituted a committee to implement the mergers, scrapping and relocations within 12 weeks, said Tinubu.
Jonathan had set up the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, under the leadership of former Head of Civil Service, Stephen Oronsaye.
The 800-page report recommended that 263 of the statutory agencies be slashed to 161; 38 agencies be scrapped; 52 be merged and 14 be reverted back to departments in various ministries.
The report also recommended that the law establishing the National Salaries and Wages Commission be repealed and its functions taken over by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
It advised the FG to merge the nation’s top three anti-corruption agencies—the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission and the Code of Conduct Bureau.
