The report of the Stephen Oronsaye Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalization of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions, and Agencies has come to the fore of national discourse again following the directive of President Bola Tinubu on its immediate implementation.
Perhaps such a presidential pronouncement is not alien to many Nigerians. Previous governments under the leadership of Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari had given similar directives at different times with no actualisation of any of the recommendations of the report after 12 years of its submission. Some political analysts have even described the Tinubu directive as a mere diversionary tactic to shift focus from the biting hardship in the country. But going by Tinubu’s seemingly strong resolve to take radical and bold steps to change Nigeria’s economic narratives, some have argued that the president should be given the benefit of the doubt.
There is nothing wrong with implementing the Oronsaye report. According to the Presidency, 30 federal government agencies, commissions, and parastatals would either be scrapped, merged, or subsumed.
Although, some interest groups and persons may still contend and likely protest on why some government agencies or parastatals should not be merged or subsumed for certain reasons best known to them, it is imperative to remind them that the country cannot continue to be wasteful.
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The financial stability of the country is dangling with heavy debts spent on frivolities. The need to seriously cut down the cost of governance is at its peak considering the current economic realities. I think the president would make much impact should the report is strategically implemented.
On the other side, it is ironic that Tinubu is seeking to cut down the cost of governance when he has broken the record of appointing the highest number of ministers in the history of the country. Charity begins at home, they say. I wonder how Tinubu and his 47- cabinet members (apart from Edu Betta who is currently on suspension) resolved to implement the Oronsaye report without considering mapping out a plan to reduce the size of the government by cutting down the number of ministers who are largely feeding fat on the national treasury.
Tinubu should be courageous enough to drastically merge some ministries to demonstrate prudence and ensure economic stability.
In addition, it would be observed that the president is not being truthfully sincere with his policy statements. While he has been calling on the average Nigerians to roll up their sleeves and endure the current economic hostilities because the economy is bad, yet, it is still his government is spending on unnecessary projects.
Tinubu should not just try to score cheap political points by directing the immediate implementation of the Oronsaye report. He should squarely curtail various redundancies in government agencies, parastatals and even in the Presidency. Also, he must ensure blockage to revenue leakages, tackle corruption and have a value-for-money budget, to, champion the new Nigeria we are all yearning for.
Damilare Adeleye wrote via [email protected].