Towards Cutting Cost Of Governance

After many years in limbo, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has given approval to the 2012 Steve Oronsaye Committee Report, which suggests merging, scrapping or subsuming certain ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs) and commissions of the government with similar functions. The approval was given at the FEC meeting on Monday, February 26. This decision is aimed at reducing the cost of governance and improving efficiency within the government.
The administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, which established the committee in 2011, did not follow through with the recommendations. Instead, it issued a White Paper to show executive acceptance. Similarly, former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration released a White Paper on the report and made efforts to put it into action. However, it later reversed course after taking a few initial steps, leading to the consolidation of few government agencies.
Recall that the Oronsaye committee submitted a report consisting of 800 pages on April 16, 2012. The report on public sector reforms revealed that there are 541 Federal Government parastatals, commissions, and agencies and suggested that 102 agencies and parastatals should be abolished or merged, while others were suggested to be self-funding. The committee identified a significant amount of competition among multiple overlapping agencies. This competition not only caused resentment among government agencies but also led to unnecessary wastage of funds.
Also recommended by the committee, among other things, was the stoppage of government funding for professional bodies and councils. The main aim of these measures was to prudently allocate funds for essential infrastructure projects all over the country. Oronsaye’s report received a mixed response as job cuts were expected. But, many people believed that despite the impact on agencies and individuals, the civil service would become stronger and more efficient.
A statement signed by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, in Abuja, provided the details of the resolutions reached during the FEC meeting. According to Onanuga, an eight-man committee had a 12-week deadline to ensure that the necessary legislative amendments and administrative restructuring needed to implement the reforms were effected efficiently.
Among the principal suggestions are the inclusion of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission under the Fiscal Commission and Revenue Mobilisation departments. The Bureau of Public Enterprise will merge with the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission, renaming it the Public Enterprises and Infrastructural Concession Commission. Public Complaints Commission and National Human Rights Commission will merge.
The report proposes the restructuring of several agencies, including the scrapping of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), merging the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and National Commission for Refugees into the National Emergency and Refugee Management Commission, and renaming the Border Communities Development Agency as a department under the National Boundary Commission. The report also consolidates the Code of Conduct Bureau, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission as National Anti-Corruption Commission.
The Federal Ministry of Science will oversee a new agency combining NCAM, NASENI, and PRODA, while the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and Gallery of Arts will merge into a single entity. The National Theatre will become one with National Troupe, and the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa and Directorate of Technical Aid Corp will unite under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among others.
We applaud the Tinubu administration for taking bold steps to address high governance costs by incorporating recommendations from the Orosanye report. In a time when many Nigerians are facing challenges and the economy is showing signs of weakness, reducing the expenses associated with governance will help redirect resources to areas of greater need and stimulate economic growth.
It is truly heartwarming to see that after many years of hesitation and a lack of political will to take the necessary actions to achieve the desired results, especially following the release of the Jonathan and Buhari White Papers on the report, the Federal Government has finally recognised the importance of fully implementing the recommendations of the Oronsaye report on civil service reform.
This report should be implemented without further delay, as many MDAs are not only draining the economy but were established for political purposes. The funds saved from the consolidation and elimination of these agencies could be better utilised to establish industries and create employment opportunities across the country. The industries should be self-sustaining, reducing the need for annual budgetary allocations.
There is a fear that implementing the report could lead to mass layoffs of workers. But the Federal Government has assured Nigerians that genuine employees of the affected MDAs would be redeployed to appropriate offices without any job losses. We hope that the Federal Government will see this task through. While the assignment may seem challenging, it is definitely achievable with determination. This is an area the Tinubu government can make a positive impact. And if religiously implemented, it obviously will help cut down the cost of governance to save scarce resources and funds for areas of critical need. This is the right way to go!