After years of clamour by Nigerians, President Bola Tinubu on Monday ordered the full implementation of the Oronsaye report.
By implementing the report, several agencies of the
government would be merged, subsumed, scrapped, and relocated.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation,
Mohammed Idris, revealed this to State House correspondents after Monday’s
Federal Executive Council meeting at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
Here are things to know about the report
– President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, in 2012, set
up the Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and Restructuring of
Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.
– The committee was headed by a retired federal civil
servant and former Head of Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye.
– After their painstaking assignment, the committee
recommended the scrapping and merging of 220 out of the then existing 541
government agencies.
– If implemented, no fewer than 102 heads of agencies and
parastatals will lose their jobs.
– The committee’s 800-page report noted that the
government’s parastatals and agencies’ functions are overlapping.
– The committee recommended the reduction of statutory
agencies from 263 to 161.
– The committee recommended the abolition of 38 agencies,
the merger of 52 and the reversion of 14 to departments in ministries.
– The committee also recommended the management audit of 89
agencies capturing biometric features of staff as well as the discontinuation
of government funding of professional bodies/councils.
– Oronsaye said then that if the committee’s recommendation
was implemented, the government would be saving over N862 billion between 2012
and 2015.
– The breakdown showed that about N124.8 billion would be
reduced from agencies proposed for abolition; about N100.6 billion from
agencies proposed for mergers; about N6.6 billion from professional bodies;
N489.9 billion from universities; N50.9 billion from polytechnics; N32.3
billion from colleges of education and N616 million from boards of federal
medical centres.
– If implemented, agencies that may be affected include the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and
Other Related Offences Commission, and Federal Road Safety Commission.
– Other agencies cited doing overlapping functions are the
Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited, the National Broadcasting Commission
and the Nigeria Communications Commission in the area of frequency allocation.
– Also, the Universal Basic Education Commission, Nomadic
Education Commission, and National Mass Literacy Commission are performing
overlapping functions and should be brought under one body.
– The committee again believes NTA, FRCN, and VON should be
under one management.
– After the committee’s report, the White paper committee
set up by Jonathan’s administration rejected most of the recommendations, while
those accepted were not implemented.
– In November 2021, the Federal Government inaugurated two
committees; one of the committees was to review the Orosanye report and its
white paper chaired by Goni Aji, a retired Head of the Civil Service of the
Federation.
– The second committee was constituted to review agencies
created from 2014 till date, chaired by Amal Pepple, also a retired Head of the
Civil Service of the Federation.
– Upon submission of their reports, the Federal Government
in July 2022 set up another committee chaired by Ebele Okeke, a former Head of
the Civil Service of the Federation to produce a white paper on the reports.
– Speaking during the presentation of the white paper to the
former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, in Abuja,
Okeke stressed that it is important to discuss with the leadership of the
National Assembly to achieve the desired result, adding that most of the
agencies created were products of bills from the National Assembly.
– She said, “The committee observed that the legal
framework/enabling Act of some of the PACs did not clearly define structure,
management, and oversight. Most of the laws were used by agency, commission and
board interchangeably. For instance, where the organisation is defined as a
commission, the provisions of the law did not support the structure of a
commission. In this regard, the committee recommended a change in status/name,
and amendment of the Act/Law.
“The committee observed that most of the agencies created
(especially under Education and Health) were Bills that emanated from the
National Assembly. It is, therefore, important to engage and dialogue with the
National Assembly to generate an understanding to streamline the creation of
new PACs.
“It is noteworthy that some of the recommendations can be
considered as low-hanging fruits that can be implemented immediately after
approval of the white paper.”
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Wao, since govt care so much about saving billions, it shouldn't be one sided.
ReplyDelete1. Govt should abandon the expensive system of government democracy for parliamentary system.
2. Both red and green chambers in Nigeria are duplicating functions.
3. Most of the politicians appointments are foolish ones.esp. about advisor. What are they advising? How to steal or deal with the poor masses?
4. The list is long, the truth is, it's govt that have to reduce it cost especially on politicians that does nothing. Yet valued so much. The last time I checked, politicking is is not a job. Politicians are the ones sucking the country dry not the civil service.
Talking about saving in billions for who? Save so that one politician will come one take it to Dubai to build his empire right?
Govts of other lands are thinking of how to employ it people my dear country is thinking of pushing few 90% of population that is unemployed to the streets. How about the useless politicians that are duplicating functions?
ReplyDeleteYou know that our government is good at creating more problems and solving little. That is the way we runs things here.
ReplyDeleteThe implementation of the oransoya report will create more unemployment and increase the level of criminality in the country. Government should give this agencies a human face. Apostle Samuel
ReplyDeleteI have now seen why some of the reports are not implemented. Instead of just recommending scraping, could the committee not review relevance? Could the top management be merged? Could a review be made on national assembly functions as well? National assembly should not be enlarging commissions rather demanding accountability from the ones set. They should rather be reviewing the functions of the ministeries demanding updated system of operating instead of creating a new Ministry more often than not.
ReplyDeleteJob weldone but don't forget to merge the senate and the house of reps.
ReplyDeleteThe first sane comment here. Good day to you
ReplyDeleteThis country should reject democrat, and go back to 4 civilian and 4 military rules
ReplyDeleteWell to me a journey of million miles begins with one step, if the government will start by merging and scrapping of MDAs and Agencies is a good one, cos one day they will does that to the politicians that have dublicate functions too. May Allah help them to make Nigeria better
ReplyDeleteI am just wondering how a simple sitting of the FEC can just alter the civil service structure and how it's managed. For example Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited owners of NIPP created by an act of the National Assembly as special purpose intervention can be transferred to the Ministry of Power. NDPHC should be allowed to persist as stand alone organisation because the structure of ownership is by the three tiers of government ie funding arrangement in other words FG is not the sole owner to take a unilateral decision. It's very clear the administration is taking things too far and in a rush to implement a report it lacks deeper understanding. We are watching how things are going to unfold.
ReplyDeletethis is just implementation of a report n recommendation of a committee set up to review issues concerning the aforementioned government establishments since 2014,which successive administrations sat on.
DeleteI just hope that they will implement some of the necessary ones if not all may the good Lord help us to achieve what will bring growth to this country and alleviate our sufferings
ReplyDeleteReally I am in support of merging Senate and House of Representatives as well reducing their earning to tally with that of the permanent secretaries.
ReplyDeleteWith the current technological developments a lot still need to be merged to save the cost of administration
ReplyDeleteIf government move is to correct anomalies, duplications and cutting cost of governance that is fine but the national assembly must not be left out. The duplication of the senate and the national assembly is wasteful.
ReplyDeleteThis will be so hard to implement, they got it wrong in the first place by creating them. Same task, different agencies.
ReplyDeleteFirst should be national assembly, Senate and House, likewise many other ones. Same work, different agencies..
ReplyDeleteIf Government is trying to amend some anomalies in the country let it not forget the issue concerning local governments autonomy, please.
ReplyDeletePresently we're talking about hunger no solution yet Talking about Sanyes issue now is not the best. I support Mr Femi Falana 100%.
ReplyDeleteWith the current technological developments a lot still need to be merge to save the cost of administration like National Assembly merge with senate and numbers should be reduce
ReplyDeleteReply
Treat Nigerians well oh
DeleteWhat about the 2014 National Confab, that is more important, let the FG implement it..
ReplyDeleteThis is terrible!😭 to me and I think to every sensible Nigerian with human face, with the teaming uncountable problems we had in this country of insecurities, hunger, unemployment, lack of basic social amenities etc, still our dear government is trying to multiply or double the problems, it makes me hard to believe that are we operating under the principle of democracy which says "Government of the people, by the people and for the people" or our leaders are operating" Communism" in disguise.
ReplyDeleteThe expenses of two Chambers red and green outnumbered the expenses of all these agencies recommended for scrapping ten to one (10/1) then what does the government want to tell us!? GOD have mercy upon your innocents souls.
Abbas Tahir M.
Scrap efcc, they are all rogues
ReplyDelete