The President, Senator Bola Tinubu, has directed full implementation of the Oronsaye report which was submitted to the Jonathan Administration in 2012.
The report on public sector reforms, revealed the existence of 541—statutory and non-statutory—Federal Government parastatals, commissions and agencies.
The report, recommended the consolidation, merger or scrapping of numerous redundant and inefficient government parastatals in the country.
The Buhari administration which was expected to act on the far reaching recommendations meant to cut the cost of governance and wastages paid lips service to its implementation.
The decision of the Tinubu’s administration to act on the issue of the implementation of the report was disclosed to State House Correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), meeting by Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris on Monday.
He said that Tinubuhas approved serious reforms based on the Oransanye recommendations.
The Government Spokesman hinted that to several agencies will be merged, restructured while several others will be scrapped,
Idris noted that the move was part of the efforts to reduce cost of governance.
The minister allays the fears of workers by saying that the process of implementing the report would not start with retrenchment of workers.
He 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.
Speaking also, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Mrs Hadiza Bala-Usman, disclosed that the President has set up a committee to implement the mergers, scrapping and relocation.
According to her, the committee has l 12 weeks to carry out its task.
The Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, was set up by the Jonathan Administration.
A former Head of Service of the Federation, Mr Stephen Oronsaye was Chairman of the committee which made far reaching recommendations.
Oronsaye and the members of his committee in the 800-page report recommended the reduction of 263 of the statutory agencies to 161.
The committee also recommended the scrapping of 38 agencies; the merging of 52 others and the conversion of others to departments in various ministries.
Among the top recommendations contained in the report was the advise to 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.
Also the Oronsaye report advised that that the law establishing the National Salaries and Wages Commission be repealed and its functions assigned to the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
