FG begins merger, scrapping of ministries, depts, agencies, says Finance Minister Ahmed

…Oransaye recommends pruning of statutory agencies from 263 to 161

Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of the implementation of the Steve Oransaye Report , the Federal Government has begun the trimming of its ministries, departments and agencies.

An indication to this effect was given on Thursday by  the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed.

Ahmed said Buhari has directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of Service to begin the restructuring and rationalization in line with the report.

“The president has approved that this administration should implement the Oransanye report.

“It has reviewed the whole of the size of government and has made very significant recommendations in terms of reducing the number of agencies and that would mean merging some agencies.

“This is a report that has been in place for a long time and there hasn’t been implementation but the president has approved that this should be implemented,’’ the minister said in an interview on Channels TV Programme, “Politics Today’’.

“We have conveyed Mr President’s approval to the arms of government that are responsible for this and that will be the office of the secretary of government and the head of civil service of the federation.”

Persecondnews recalls the Oronsaye Committee chaired by the then Head of Service was inaugurated in 2011 during the Goodluck Jonathan administration to seek ways of cutting cost of governance in the country.

The committee, among others, reported that  541 government parastatals, commissions and agencies existed as at the time of the report and recommended the pruning of  the statutory agencies from 263 to 161.

“The president has approved that this administration should implement the Oransanye report”, Zainab Ahmed said. in an interview on Channels TV Programme Politics Today.