President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the implementation of recommendations in the Oronsaye report that calls for the trimmings of government ministries, departments and agencies, Zainab Ahmed, minister for finance, budget and national planning said.
This is as concerns mount over Nigeria’s ability to keep up with a high cost of governance in the wake of fallen revenues.
“The president has approved the administration to implement recommendations of the Oronsaye report,” Zainab said.
The decision to review recommendations from the report comes a few days after the International Monetary Funds (IMF) approved a $3.4 loan to Nigeria to help in solving its balance of payment deficit which analysts said could swell to $9 billion by year end.
Drafted in April 2012 by a committee, headed by the former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, the committee said there were 541 statutory, non-statutory federal commissions and agencies, which make the average cost of governance ranked among the highest in the world.
It however recommended the abolition of 38 agencies, merger of 52 and reversion of 14 agencies to departments in the relevant ministries.
It also recommended the management audit of 89 agencies through capturing of biometric features of staff and the
Critics say the decision to cut down the country’s ballooning cost of governance which is ranked as one of the highest in the world, could come as a recommendation from the fund.
Ahmed who spoke on skype in an interview with channels said the approval to the implementation has been conveyed to the office of the Secretary of government and the head of service of the federation, who are the various arms of government charged with the responsibility to implement the report.
MICHAEL ANI
