The House of Representatives Special Ad Hoc Committee on Restructuring of Government Agencies and Commission has commenced the process of reviewing the recommendations of the Steve Oronsanye Report.
The report, aimed at reducing the cost of governance through merging, scrapping and relocation of some departments and agencies of government, was submitted to the Federal Government in 2012.
The report on public sector reforms revealed 541 statutory and non-statutory – Federal Government parastatals, commissions and agencies.
On 26 February 2024, the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu approved the implementation of the report to reduce the cost of governance, according to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
According to the recommendation, 29 government agencies would be merged even as eight parastatals would be subsumed into eight other agencies. More so, four agencies have been relocated to four various ministries, while one was earmarked for scrapping.
The FEC mandated a committee headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, to review the report and submit recommendations.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, the committee chairman, Isiaka Ayokunle, justified the need to review the report.
He said, “We must revisit the recommendations of the Oronsaye Report and other pertinent white papers to ensure that we are aligning our government structures with current realities, best practices, and the changing needs of our society”.
He added, “The world is evolving rapidly, and our government agencies and commissions must be structured in a way that enables them to deliver on their mandates effectively and efficiently”.
Ayokunle who represents the Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency of Ogun State, noted that through the review, the committee hoped to identify redundancies, duplications, inefficiencies, and areas of improvement within the Federal Government agencies and commissions.
“Our goal is to apply the legislative approach in streamlining operations, eliminate duplication of functions, enhance service delivery, and optimise resource allocation.
“This review will be comprehensive and thorough, taking into cognisance the diverse perspectives and expertise available to us”, he said.
Ayokunle said, “We acknowledge the importance of stakeholder engagement in this process, and we will require input from various stakeholders, including government officials, experts, civil society organisations, and the general public”.
The committee, according to him, would hold a one-day public hearing on the matter on 10 July in Abuja.
