Rhe House of Representatives on Thursday expressed concerns about the outdated nature of the 2012 Steve Oronsaye Report. They urged President Bola Tinubu to conduct a thorough review of the report before proceeding with its implementation.
In response to the Oronsaye Report review, the House took action by establishing a 23-member committee led by House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, to propose suitable steps to address potential consequences.
On Thursday, during a House of Representatives session, Kama Nkemkanma, Olumide Osoba, and Gaza Gbefi brought forward a motion addressing a matter of urgent public concern. They highlighted the recommendations outlined in the Oronsonye Report, which included reducing the number of statutory agencies from 263 to 161, abolishing 38 agencies, converting 14 agencies into departments within ministries, conducting a management audit on 89 agencies to capture biometric data of employees, and discontinuing government funding for professional bodies and councils.
The legislators mentioned that if put into action, the government could potentially save more than N862 billion between 2012 and 2015. A breakdown indicated that savings would include approximately N124.8 billion from agencies suggested for elimination, around N100.6 billion from agencies recommended for consolidation, about N6.6 billion from professional organizations, N489.9 billion from universities, N50.9 billion from polytechnics, N32.3 billion from colleges of education, and N616 million from federal medical center boards.
They contended that the White Paper Committee established by Jonathan’s administration dismissed the majority of the suggestions, and the few that were approved were not executed.
“The House notes that in November 2021, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration inaugurated two committees; one of the committees Chaired by Goni Aji, a retired Head of Civil Service of the Federation, was to review the Orosanye report and the second committee, chaired by Ama Pepple, also a retired Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, was constituted to review agencies created between 2014 and 2021.
“The House also notes that upon submission of their reports, the Muhammadu Buhari-led 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.”
