The Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to implementing the long-delayed Oronsaye Report, aimed at merging, scrapping, or restructuring various federal parastatals, agencies, and commissions.
During an interview on Tuesday after an official visit to the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) headquarters in Abuja, Gbajabiamila dismissed claims that the report’s implementation had stalled, stating that the government is working diligently to ensure that the process is executed effectively.
“Oronsaye’s Report is being worked upon,” Gbajabiamila said.
“Yes, we’ve been talking about this for months now, but anything worth doing is worth doing properly. It is not as easy as it sounds.
“ A committee has been set up to look into it, and I am sure very soon, the final report will be out and implementation will begin.”
The Chief of Staff emphasised the importance of a meticulous approach, noting that while there is no exact timeline for the report’s implementation, the government is prioritizing thoroughness over speed.
“We don’t want to sacrifice thoroughness on the altar of anxiety or anxiousness of getting things done. It will be done soon,” he added.
The Oronsaye Report, submitted in 2012 by a committee chaired by former Head of Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye, recommended a significant reduction in the number of federal agencies from 541 to 161, with 38 agencies to be abolished and 52 others merged.
The report, which was designed to cut costs and improve efficiency, had seen little progress during the eight-year tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In February 2024, President Tinubu’s administration approved the full implementation of the Oronsaye Report as part of its broader cost-cutting measures.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) subsequently established an eight-man committee to oversee the mergers, scrappings, and relocations outlined in the report, with a mandate to complete the process within 12 weeks.
However, six months later, the report has yet to be fully implemented. Instead, the government has introduced new ministries, such as the Ministry of Livestock Development, which was created from the Ministry of Agriculture in July—a move that has sparked mixed reactions.
PLATFORM TIMES reports that Gbajabiamila’s comments suggest that, despite the delays, the government remains committed to the report’s goals of reducing the cost of governance and streamlining the operations of federal agencies.
It was also observed that the Oronsaye Report, if fully implemented, could lead to significant changes in the structure and functioning of the federal government, aligning with President Tinubu’s agenda for governance reform.
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