Regional government: Tinubu Considers Oronsaye Report Implementation

By Stephen Asaba-ase

The Tinubu-led administration on Sunday has announced its determination to implement Steve Oronsaye’s report which talked about restructuring and regionalisation of government parastatals and ministries aimed at slowing down the cost of governance.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation of Nigeria, Mohammed Idris, had said the committee is still reviewing the report as it has to do with merging, scrapping, relocating agencies, departments and government parastatals.

Idris stated further that “There is a progress on the report which was given to a special commission to review. That committee is still working on it. Once the commission is true with it, the report will be submitted to the government.”

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to Mr President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, also noted that the panel was given a 12-week deadline to review the report, which had not elapsed.

“I believe you are aware that Akume’s led commission was directed by the president to take a critical look at the report. They have not reported back to the FEC.

“The Federal Government has not put it on hold. It is something that is still on the table. Let us all exercise patience for the Akume committee to finish the review process.” Onanuga said.

However, Oronsaye recommendations for restructuring stated clearly that the 541 Federal government parastatals, commissions and agencies (statutory and non-statutory) exist, 263 of the statutory agencies should be reduced to 161, 38 agencies should scrapped, 52 agencies should be merged, and 14 agencies should be returned to departments in Federal Ministry.

Though the report was first submitted to the Goodluck Jonathan administration by the former Head of Nigeria Civil Service, Oronsaye in 2014, the recommendations were rejected by the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke.

In 2021, Former President Muhammadu Buhari came up with a different method to review the report and the government’s white paper. While the second committee was to review MDAs established between 2014 and 2022, the former was headed by the former Head of Service, Bukar Aji, and the latter by Ama Pepple.

In 2022, another white paper commission was also created by a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Boss Mustapha, to examine the report of the Ama Pepple-led committee headed by Ebele Okeke. At the end of the drama, the Buhari administration was not resolute to implement it until he left office.

In February 2024, President Bola Tinubu-led administration launched interest in the report and by March 8, he set up eight members committee to review the report critically and recommend its implementation and report back in 12 weeks.

The panel has the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume as chairman; Head of the Civil Service, Folashade Yemi-Esan; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu; and Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Lateef Fagbemi; Director-General of Bureau of Public Service Reform, Dasuki Arabi; among others as members.