FG laments rising cost of governance, wastages, leakages over failure to implement Steve Oronsaye report

The Federal Government has lamented that the inability to implement the recommendations of Steve Oronsaye report on restructuring and rationalisation of Federal Government parastatals, agencies and commissions is costing the government highly with rising overhead cost, wastages and redundancies and leakages in the system.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, spoke on Friday in Abuja, while inaugurating an 8-man White Paper Committee on the review of new parastatals, agencies and commissions created since 2014 after the submission of the Oronsaye report.

He gave the committee chaired by a former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Engr Ebele Okeke six weeks to turn in its report to Government.

Oronsaye report had recommended the abolition and merger of some parastatals, agencies and commissions that were considered redundant.

Mustapha noted that the Federal Government has been concerned with the increasing cost of governance, especially with revenue challenges in the country which led to a number of efforts to address the situation.

“One of such efforts was the constitution of the Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies on 18th August, 2011 chaired by the former Head of Service, Mr. Steave Orosanye.

“The Committee submitted its report on 16th April, 2012 with various recommendations such as abolition, reduction, merger and reversion of some of the Agencies to Departments in Ministries.

“Subsequently, the White Paper on the Report was issued in March 2014 followed by an implementation Committee that was inaugurated in May 2014.

“However, the White Paper rejected most of the recommendations, and merely noted an equally greater number. Again, even those accepted were not implemented,” Mustapha said.

He emphasised the urgent need to cut cost of governance in the country, stressing that the inability to implement the Steve Oronsaye report is costing government highly. He added that the cost is growing higher and the situation is further worsened by the fact that new Agencies are being created.

He recalled that in an effort to address this challenge, the Federal Government in November, 2021 inaugurated two (2) Committees. One of the Committees was to review the Steve Orosanye report and its White Paper chaired by Mr. Goni Bukar Aji, a retired Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

The second Committee was constituted to review new Agencies created from 2014 to date, chaired by Ms. Amal Pepple, also a retired Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

SGF explained that after the submission of the Amal Pepple-chaired Committee report, there was the need to constitute a White Paper Committee to consider its recommendations by the Government; hence the inauguration on Friday of the White Committee, chaired by a former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Ebele Okeke.

Other members of the committee are: Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, Rtd Permanent Secretary; Mr. Mustapha Lawal Sulaiman Rtd Permanent Secretary; Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, Permanent Secretary Federal of Agriculture and Rural Development; Mr. Mahmuda Mamman Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health; Engr.Hassan Musa Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment; Dr (Mrs) Ifeoma Anyawutaku Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Communication and Mr. Dasuki Arabi, Director General of Bureau for Public Service Reforms to serve as member and Secretary.

Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office, Mallam Shehu Ibrahim in his earlier remark, said the grand objective of setting up the committee was to ensure the implementation of recommendations that will deliver increasing benefits over time in terms efficiency and effectiveness.

He added that Government was committed to providing improved infrastructure whereas revenue is constantly being depleted by the rising cost of overhead on salaries and sundry expenses leaving little or nothing to cater for other critical sectors capable of enhancing infrastructural development.

Chairman of the Committee, Engr Ebele Okeke, assured SGF that the Committee would do a good job while working assiduously to submit the report within the six weeks timeline. (Nigerian Tribune)