Agora Policy Offers Steps For Oronsaye Report Implementation

Agora Policy, an Abuja-based think tank, has recommended steps to aid the effective implementation of the Stephen Oronsaye Report.

Aligning with a policy note produced by the country director of DAI, an international development company, Dr Joe Abah, the group said the federal government should realise that mergers are complex endeavours that require time, expertise, planning and resources which cost money hence the need to provide a budget for the exercise.

The Policy Note titled: “Practical Steps for Effective Implementation of the Oronsaye Report” said in addition to the 10-member committee announced by the government, it would be important to set up merger committees for each agency that is to be merged.

The former director general of the Bureau of Public Service Reform (BPSR) further said there is a need to sensitise the public about what is realistically achievable in the 12 weeks that the 10-member committee has been given.

The group insisted that it would be prudent to allow a minimum of six months if things are to be done properly, saying there should be an immediate independent audit of assets, as well as staff audits, of all the agencies affected.

“There should be a review of mandates, management arrangements and organisational structures to ensure that the new organisations that emerge are appropriately sized and fit-for-purpose. There is a need to rationalise staffing. This should be done sequentially, starting with redeploying people to other parts of the public service where their skills may be needed.

“However, it would be better to be upfront with the public and the trade unions that some people would have to go. Efforts should be made to offer enhanced packages for people to go, first on a voluntary basis.

“The process for subsuming agencies under other agencies, relocating them to new ministries or abolishing them should use the same principles, including audit of assets, staff audits and rationalisation of staff,” Abah noted.

He urged the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to improve on its record keeping, particularly for important reports like the Joda, Ayida and Oronsaye reports and ensure that they are posted online for ease of access.

“The announcement by the federal government that the Federal Executive Council had decided to implement aspects of the Oronsaye Report is welcome. However, the process for merging government agencies is complex and has resource implications.

“Fortunately, there is helpful guidance that was prepared by BPSR nearly 10 years ago, which is still relevant and applicable. There is a need to ensure that things are done properly so that the effect of the medicine does not end up being worse than the ailment,” the DAI added.

Abah argued that some of the agencies affected by the government’s announcement last month did not even exist at the time of the Oronsaye Report such as Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and Nigerian Army University, Biu.

“So, while many aspects of the February 2024 announcement speak to the Oronsaye Report, it can be difficult to find a direct read-across in some cases. Save for the announcement to the press on 26th February, the analysis upon which the decisions were made has not been made public.

“On 7th March 2024, the federal government inaugurated a 10-member committee to implement, in 12 weeks, the decisions on mergers, abolitions, subsummations and relocations announced in February.

“Given that the majority of the agencies affected are set up by acts of the National Assembly and would require legislative amendment, a 12-week timeframe appears very optimistic. Of particular interest is the case of the Public Complaints Commission that is meant to be subsumed under the National Human Rights Commission.

“Section 315 of the 1999 Constitution says that nothing in the constitution shall invalidate the Public Complaints Commission Act. The Public Complaints Commission Act itself says that there shall be a Public Complaints Commission. It will be interesting to see how the subsummation will be done without significant disruption to both organisations,” he added.

Abah noted that in the 12 years since the Oronsaye Report was completed, successive governments have periodically announced their intention to implement the report and have set up various committees to update it and bring it up to speed with prevailing realities but beyond the announcements and the committees, not much else happens after.

He said, apart from the fact that many more new agencies were created after 2014, the government did not implement its own gazetted white paper, adding that there have been at least three reviews of the Oronsaye Report and two further draft whitepapers since the 2014 whitepaper.

“Apart from the scrapping of the National Poverty Education Programme (NAPEP), implementation has been non-existent. But after the scrapping of NAPEP, the government has created a National Social Investment Programme and a new Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development to oversee the government’s social investment agenda” Abah said.

He said, factors to consider in merging and subsuming agencies are that: “Ministries are not set up by law and can be reconfigured at will by the president. Even then, the merger of ministries is often done haphazardly.

“On the other hand, the merger of agencies is not very common, particularly as most agencies are set up by enabling legislative acts. To merge them, you would need to repeal the laws of the agencies you are merging and enact a new law. In some cases, there may even be a need for constitutional amendment, which is a much difficult undertaking.

“Mergers are more common in the private sector and there is very little guidance on how to merge public sector parastatals, agencies and commissions.”