Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris said yesterday that many federal agencies, departments and commissions are either to be scrapped or merged to reduce the cost of governance.
He said the reorganisation followed the directive on the implementation of the Oronsaye Report by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu within three months.
The report of the panel on civil service reforms set up by former President Goodluck Jonathan was submitted 12 years ago.
Neither the Jonathan Government, which received the report, nor the Buhari Administration that succeeded it, implemented the content of the far-reaching report on streamlining of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government.
The minister, who spoke on the implementation of the report to reporters after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by the President, said the decision will not lead to job loss in the civil service.
He said: “A paper was turned in in 2012, but the implementation got stalled. Again, in 2021, almost seven years after that, former President Buhari also initiated a process to consider the 2014 white paper on the Orosanye Report. Again, the implementation of that also got stalled.
“Now, instead of the rationalisation that the Orosanye Report was aimed to achieve, many other agencies and commissions were established.”
Idris added: “In a very bold move, this administration, under the leadership of President Tinubu, consistent again with his courage to take very far-reaching decisions in the interest of Nigerians, has taken a decision to implement the so-called Orosanye Report.
“Now, what that means is that a number of agencies, commissions, and some departments have actually been scrapped, some have been merged, while others have been subsumed.
“Others have been moved from some ministries to others where the government feels they will operate better.
“This is a very far-reaching decision aimed at restructuring government operations as a whole.
“Secondly, it’s in line also with the decision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reduce the cost of governance.”
