Ex-Minister Says Buhari Administration Never Saw Oronsaye’s Report

Former Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, disclosed that the report authored by Steven Oronsaye was not presented to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari during his tenure.

Shittu, who served during Buhari’s first term between 2015 and 2019, stated that the report did not come to the attention of the Buhari administration, thus negating the need for implementation.

He clarified, “The report remained with the previous government (Jonathan’s) without action. It was not brought to our (Buhari government’s) attention during my tenure. Consequently, it was not discussed in any Federal Executive Council meeting. In the absence of any notifications or complaints, there was no cause for us to review it.”

Controversy arose over the report when the Federal Government recently endorsed certain recommendations after 12 years since its submission.

The approval entails the merging of twenty-nine government agencies and the absorption of eight parastatals into other agencies, sparking concerns about potential job losses among Nigerians.

Tommy Etim, the National President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, cautioned that job cuts during the current economic downturn could trigger widespread protests.

Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, criticized the report as outdated, urging the government to prevent exacerbating insecurity through mass layoffs.

However, on Thursday, the Federal Government inaugurated the implementation committee.

Shittu reassured civil servants, asserting that job losses would primarily affect politicians due to a reduction in appointees.

He emphasized, “Eliminating redundancy in services is crucial to curbing governance costs. National interests supersede personal ones. Civil servants need not fear job loss.”

Similarly, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yusuf Ali, advocated for implementing the report to streamline the complex bureaucracy of government ministries, departments, and agencies.

Ali contended, “Implementation will mitigate inter-agency rivalry and streamline functions. Personnel may not be affected as the workforce would expand, fostering more efficient management. Progress often necessitates adaptation, as seen in advancements like AI and robotics.”