Implementing Oronsaye Report, Right Move, But… – Chidoka

A former minister of Aviation Osita Chidoka said the move to implement the Steven Oronsaye report is a step in the right direction. 

He however raised issues about the people who will be affected by the implementation of the report by way of job loss. 

Recall that President Bola Tinubu recently directed the implementation of the report targeted at restructuring Federal Government parastatals, departments, commissions, and agencies as Nigeria grapples with a biting economy.

Since Tinubu’s move to implement the Oronsaye report, there have been fears of job losses.

Although the Federal Government has assured of no job losses. 

However, Chidoka, a chieftain of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) commended the push to implement the report.

“It is a move in the right direction. The Oronsaye report was brought at a time Nigeria recovered from the 2008 economic crisis,” he said on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics. 

Chidoka is worried about people who will be affected by the implementation of the report.

“What are we really shedding? What are the numbers? That is why some governments have think tanks and institutes that look at your policy and present evidence-based data,” the PDP chieftain said. “You’re saying there would be no job loss. How can that be?”

He said, “If people have to go, it is something we have to think through. What is important is: how much are we going to be saving with this process? Let’s put some numbers to it. And when we put those numbers, let’s also put the numbers of those who we transitioning out of these jobs. What are we going to do with them as we transition them out in the middle of an economic crisis?”

The directive on the implementation of the report has also attracted reaction from other quarters. 

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana had also questioned the implementation of the report, saying it is an outdated report and would not reduce the cost of governance.

Also, the House of Reps has also called on the government to review the report before implementation, citing similar sentiments as Falana.

The lawmakers called on Tinubu to “comprehensively review the 2012 Orosanye Report, the Goni Aji Report which reviewed Orosanye Report, the White Paper released by the President Jonathan administration, the Ama Pepple White Paper and the Ebele Okeke White Paper in line with current realities while considering implementable alternatives that are in tune with current realities, and which at the same time would have minimum unintended consequences, impacts, implications and outcomes.”