The 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has commended President Bola Tinubu for implementing the Steve Oronsaye report, saying “being in opposition does not warrant blind and thoughtless criticism”.
Obi said this in a statement shared via his verified X handle on Wednesday.
A former Head of Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye was appointed Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions, and Agencies by President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.
After a painstaking process, the committee in 2012 submitted its report that, among others, recommended the merging, subsuming, scrapping, and relocation of several agencies.
The 800-page Oronsaye report highlighted the existence of 541 Federal Government parastatals, commissions, and agencies, both statutory and non-statutory.
It recommended the reduction of statutory agencies from 263 to 161, scrapping 38 agencies, merging 52, and reverting 14 to departments in different ministries.
The Herald reported that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) chaired by President Tinubu on Monday, February 26, approved the full implementation of the Oronsaye report.
Reacting to the development, Obi said that he would have implemented the Steve Oronsaye report if elected in the 2023 presidential election.
“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,” Obi said.
Obi said he 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,” he stated.
Obi added, ” 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.”
The former Anambra governor said that beyond implementing the Oronsaye Report, the government should go further and cut the cost of governance across board.
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