The former Senator, Shehu Sani has stated that the Oronsaye report has gathered dust for over a decade while commended the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for letting the report see the light of the day.
Shehu Sani on his social media platform hailed the current administration for its plan to implement the report, saying this is a significant step towards cutting the cost of Governance and harmonising Federal Ministries Departments and Agencies.
The former Senator cautioned the Tinubu’s administration over losing thousands of Federal Civil Servants with the scrap and the mergence of these agencies, according to him, “But care should be taken in that aspect where thousands of Federal Civil servants will lose their jobs.
The Federal Executive Council chaired by the President on Monday, in order to enhance efficiency in the Federal service, and reduce cost of governance, decided to implement the recommendations of the Steve Oronsaye panel on the restructuring and rationalisation of Federal agencies, parastatals and commissions.
The Oronsaye report was submitted in 2012 to the Jonathan administration. In 2014, the Jonathan government released a white paper on it. Also the Buhari administration, after re-examining the white paper, released a second white paper in August 2022 but did not implement it.
While the Tinubu administration has decided to confront the monster of high governance cost by implementing elements of the report which involves merging, subsuming, and scrapping agencies with similar functions.
Commissioned an eight-man committee, given a 12-week deadline to ensure that the necessary legislative amendments and administrative restructuring needed to implement the reforms are affected in an efficient manner.
The committee comprises Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of the Civil Service, Attorney General and Justice Minister, Budget and Planning Minister, DG Bureau of Public Service Reform.
Also, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Special assistant to the President on National Assembly, adding that the Cabinet Affairs Office will serve as the secretariat.
According to the statement released by the Presidency stating the key recommendations for implementation as:
National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission to be subsumed under Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission. The National Assembly will need to amend the constitution as RMAFC was established by the Constitution.
Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission to be merged with Bureau of Public Enterprise and be rechristened as `Public Enterprises and Infrastructural Concession Commission. National Human Rights Commission to swallow Public Complaints Commission
Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate(PTAD) to be scrapped and functions to be taken over by Federal Ministry of Finance. NEMA and National Commission for Refugees to be fused to become National Emergency and Refugee Management Commission
Border Communities Development Agency to become a department under National Boundary Commission. NACA and NCDC are to be merged. SERVICOM to become a department under the Bureau for Public Service Reform (BPSR). NALDA to return to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Federal Ministry of Science to supervise a new agency that combines NCAM, NASENI, and PRODA. National Commission for Museums and Monuments and National Gallery of Arts to become one entity to be known as National Commission for Museums, Monuments, and Gallery of Arts.
National Theatre to be merged with National Troupe. Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa and Directorate of Technical Aid Corp to be merged under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to become an agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Federal Radio Corporation and Voice of Nigeria to be one entity to be known as Federal Broadcasting Corporation of Nigeria
National Biotechnology Development Agency(NABDA) and National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology to be emerged into an agency to be known as National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency(NBRDA).
National Institute for Leather Science Technology and National Institute for Chemical Technology to become agency. Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development to become one agency.
The National Metallurgical Development Centre and National Metallurgical Training Institute will be merged. National Institute for Trypanosomiasis to be subsumed under Institute of Veterinary Research in Vom, Jos.