Why it’s not easy to implement Report –Presidency

Barring a change in plans, the Presidency is set to begin the full implementation of the Steve Oronsaye Report, in June 2025, the Saturday Telegraph gathered from competent sources within the National Economic Council (NEC).

The report, which recommended the scrapping and mergers of some agencies with a view to cutting down the cost of governance, had been a source of concern to the Bola Tinubu administration, owing to its political nature.

One of the sources told our correspondent that the implementation needs to take place quickly due to the lean purse of the government, noting that it will take place immediately after the President marks his second anniversary in office.

Revealing that Tinubu had given his nod after consultations with some governors, the source said some agencies and parastatals would have to go, no matter how big or important they seem, making particular reference to the Ministry of Information.

The source said: “The President has got the backing of some governors; they have no objection to the scrapping of ministries, since it’s not going to affect them. He specifically told them that the Ministry of Information would be scrapped, and I think they like it.

“I am not very sure whether the matter had been discussed at the FEC (Federal Executive Council) meeting. But the governors are already in the know. It is expected that they will also implement it in their various states”, he explained.

A second source within the NEC, who is highly placed, also confirmed that the President had made up his mind, saying that he was able to convince the state executives because of the examples he gave and for the fact that some of the ministries, agencies and parastatals of government have overlapping duties.

He explained: “He gave examples of big countries like the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Germany even Ghana that is very close by. Check them yourself, have you ever heard of the Ministry of Information in those countries?

“Developed countries don’t have such ministries like information; they don’t have many of the ministries we have established here in Nigeria. The television stations, radio stations and the other news media already do the job. This is something that can be checked and verified,” he said.

However, a dependable source in the Presidency explained why successive governments had found it difficult to implement the Steve Oronsaye’s Report.

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, equally debunked the insinuations that President Tinubu’s administration was considering the scrapping of the Ministry of Information and National Orientation as well as the merger of others by June this year.

He said as much as the mergers and scrapping of some government agencies were desirable, issues around political, cultural and ethnic considerations had prevented successive administrations from implementing the panel’s recommendations.

He said: “I want you to know that the implementation of the Oronsaye Report is easier said than done. If it were to be that easy, former President Goodluck Jonathan could have implemented the recommendations beginning from 2011 when it was submitted.

“Jonathan had four clear years from 2011-2015, when he left power, to implement the recommendations. Former President Muhammadu Buhari could also have implemented the Report within the eight years he was in power were it that easy as some persons are clamouring,” he added.

On why he felt that wholesale implementation of the Report would be difficult, the source said “Nigeria is a peculiar environment where all sorts of considerations come into play in decision making by leaders. There are political, ethnic, cultural and other considerations that shape decision-making process of leaders here and none of them can be summarily dispensed.

“For instance, when the President was considering the possibility of merging some agencies, there were lobbies by political, ethnic and other sundry interests against the scrapping of some agencies where they have personal or group interests. Nobody wants to lose his/her job. The government, which has taken initial steps through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), had to have a rethink because of the possible consequences of such a decision on the polity.”

He continued: “Here, the government is the major employer of labour, scrapping a government organisation would undoubtedly take jobs from the people and no government would want to do that. This is an environment where there is no social safety net and the government is a major employer of labour. Culturally, people depend on one another here.”

On why the government seems to be expanding the cost of governance by creating more ministries and agencies despite calls for cut in cost of governance, the source said “Governing Nigeria is a very difficult task. You will find that those calling for a shrink in the cost of governance are still the same people pushing for creation of other new agencies. Take for example, the creation of the Ministry of Livestock by the President was to resolve an age-long challenge of farmers/herders’ clashes and expand the economy. The recommendation came from the people.

“The creation of the regional development commissions, which are now warehoused in the Ministry of Regional Development, also came from the Act of Parliament and all of them are operating as independent commissions to be coordinated by the Ministry. You find that all the six geo-political zones brought bills for the creation of their development commissions after the initial creation of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the North East Development Commission (NEDC). Which of the regional requests will you reject? All these are for political and regional balancing.

“Recall that there are equal requests for balancing in the creation of federal universities. Every region wants federal presence and that explained the creation of the federal universities you now find in the six regions. These are, however, developmental initiatives that will eventually benefit the country in the long run.”

Asked for reaction to the insinuations that the President was considering the scrapping of the Ministry of Information and National Orientation by June, he said “That’s not true. The President won’t scrap the ministry. The Ministry has its mandates and it’s delivering on them. The rumour is unfounded and untrue. Discard it.”