Falana kicks against Tinubu’s planned implementation of Oronsanye Report, says it’s outdated

While applause has trailed the decision of President Bola Tinubu to a fully implement the 12-Year-old Steve Oronsanye-led committee’s report, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has toed a different direction.

He described the report as outdated and that it won’t cut cost of governance.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) chaired by President Bola Tinubu had on Monday approved the full implementation of the Oronsanye report.

According to the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, the move was in line with the need to reduce cost of governance and streamline efficiency across the governance value chain.

Reacting to the decision in a statement on Tuesday, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said contrary to the belief in official circles, the report won’t “substantially reduce the enormous costs of governance in the country as it does not reflect the current situation in the public service”.

“No doubt, the implementation of some of the recommendations of the Panel will take appreciable time as the merger of certain bodies require constitutional amendments or repeal of a number of statutes.

READ ALSO:Falana asks court to compel FG, states to make primary, junior secondary education free

“The 800-page report of the Steve Oronsanye Panel recommended the reduction of statutory agencies from 263 to 161, scrapping 38 agencies, merging 52, and reverting 14 to departments in different ministries,

“Since the Goodluck Jonathan administration produced a White Paper on the Steve Oronsanye Report in 2014, the Federal Government has created more ministries, departments and agencies.

“Whereas the Report recommended the reduction of 263 agencies to 151, the number of ministries, departments and agencies has increased to 1316. Even the current administration has increased the number of ministries and created new agencies. To that extent, the Steve Oronsanye Report is completely outdated.

“However, in implementing the Oronsanye Report the Federal Government should ensure that the crisis of insecurity is not compounded through the retrenchment of hundreds of thousands of workers.

“Instead of downsizing the public service the Federal Government should ensure that the two houses of the National Assembly are merged while the number of Ministers, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants is significantly reduced.”

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