COVID-19: Job cuts loom, as Buhari falls back on Oronsaye report

There were widespread fears of imminent job cuts in the public sector yesterday as President Muhammadu Buhari, in response to COVID-19 realities, approved implementation of a report submitted by the Stephen Oransaye Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalization of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies during the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Known as the Oronsaye report, the 800-page report had recommended the abolition and merger of 102 government agencies and parastatals, among others, to drastically cut the cost of governance.

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, who disclosed this in an interview on Channels TV said: “The President has approved that this administration should implement the Oransaye report, and that the president’s approval had been forwarded to the Head of Service and Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

“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 and 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.”