The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has asserted that had he been Nigeria’s president at the present moment, he would have executed the Oronsaye Report.
In response to inquiries from individuals seeking clarification on his stance regarding the Oronsaye Report, Mr. Obi communicated through his official X handle that he had previously affirmed his commitment to collaborating with the committee’s recommendations during election campaigns.
The former governor of Anambra State emphasized that implementing the report represents one of the most effective methods to enhance governance efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and productivity.
He underscored that opposition should not entail baseless criticism but rather reasoned assessment, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and supporting government decisions when they align with the nation’s progress. Additionally, he suggested proposing alternative or improved ideas when necessary.
Obi’s remarks coincided with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to fully implement the Oronsaye-led committee’s recommendations, resulting in the merger, absorption, dissolution, and relocation of numerous government agencies.
Further addressing the development, Mr. Obi reiterated his advocacy for the three fundamental aspects of the Oronsaye Report: significantly reducing governance expenses, eliminating role overlaps to ensure clear responsibilities, and enhancing efficiency and effectiveness to bolster productivity.
While acknowledging the overdue implementation of the report, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate welcomed the decision, provided it adheres to the aforementioned principles. However, he stressed the necessity for the government to extend efforts beyond the report’s implementation and enact comprehensive governance cost reductions across all sectors.
The complete statement by Peter Obi as posted on X (formerly Twitter) is provided below.
I have received several text messages from people wanting to know if I would have implemented the Oronsaye Report, which full implementation has just been directed by the President. In response to their questions,
I would like to refer everyone to my Manifesto and my response to similar questions during my campaigns. On the 5th of October, 2022 at Havard University, I was asked: “Will you implement the Oronsaye Report?” and I responded in the affirmative.
I went further to explain that implementing the report is one of the best ways to make governance efficient, cost-effective, and productive. Being in opposition does not warrant blind and thoughtless criticism.
Whenever the government takes the right decision, we should agree and if need be, propose related or even better ideas to move the nation forward.
I have always been an advocate of the 3 critical components of the Oronsaye Report, which are: i) drastically cutting the cost of governance; ii) eliminating the overlapping of responsibilities to ensure that responsibilities are appropriately domiciled; and iii) increasing efficiency and effectiveness, which will increase productivity.
Although the implementation of the report is long overdue, its implementation is a welcome development so long as the decision is informed by these principles. Beyond implementing the Oronsaye Report, the government should go further and cut the cost of governance across board.
Having found it imperative to implement the Report, the government should now do away with the bogus and needless wastages of our scarce resources on frivolous issues, and deploy such funds to the critical areas of Education, Health, and pulling people out of poverty.
However, we must not rush to implement the Oronsaye Report just because those that will be directly affected are mostly civil servants. A very deep understanding of the workings of the Federal bureaucracy will be required to effectively implement the Report.
Grasping the symetries between the federal and the other tiers of government will be imperative as Federal agencies have branches and outreaches in all the 36 states. We the political leaders, should be ready to back up such implementation with our sacrifices from comfort and
selfishness, for the overall development of the nation. In implementing this Report, conscious effort must be made to cushion the effects of such a major overhaul on the workers, to avoid driving more people into hardship, in these very challenging times.
Also Nigerians are yet to be informed about the extant White Paper pertinent to the report’s implementation. Moreover, you cannot ask those who are likely to be affected by the downsizing to manage the process.
Government must also show clearly the amount of resources to be saved in the implied shrinking of government. It should also indicate clearly where and how the saved resources are to be redeployed
More importantly, the implementation needs to be accompanied by a template to avoid a future bloating of government. By doing the right things and implementing the right policies, we will build the New Nigeria of our dreams. -PO