The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), has urged the Federal Government to ensure the implementation of the Oronsaye report does not amount to any loss of jobs as a result of its recommendations which include merger or scrapping of some parastatals, agencies and commissions.
Addressing newsmen on Monday in Abuja, the National President of ASCSN, Comrade Tommy Okon who noted that the union has thrown its weight behind the implementation of the report, said there was a need to cut down the cost of governance in the county, a call which the union has made over and over again.
According to him, the merger of some offices, total scrapping of some and subsuming others into other MDAs was one of the best ways of cutting down governance costs, as there were too many overlapping responsibilities in some parastatals, agencies and commissions.
He said: “We have received several messages and calls from the workers and other stakeholders wanting to know if the implementation of the Oronsaye Report would affect jobs or lead to job loss. Let me use this opportunity to state that we cannot continue to do the same thing all the time and expect different results.
“As a Union, we have been on this issue of cutting the cost of governance and this have to be done holistically, taking into consideration all arms of government: the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary.
“These will be the best ways to make governance efficient, cost-effective and productive. Let me also say that being in the union does not warrant blind and thoughtless criticism. Whenever the government takes the right decision, we should agree and if need be, suggest even better ideas to move the nation forward just like what the Trade Union Congress did by forwarding 15 (Fifteen) points suggestions to Mr. President on how to get the nation out of the wood.
“The Oronsaye Report established that there are 541 (Five hundred and forty-one) FG Parastatals, Commissions, Agencies (Statutory and non-statutory) and recommended that 263 (Two hundred and sixty-three) of the statutory agencies should be reduced to 161 (One hundred and sixty one), while 38 (Thirty-eight) agencies should be abolished and 52 (Fifty-two) should be merged. It also recommended that 14 (Fourteen) of the agencies should revert to departments in ministries. Out of the 104 (One hundred and four) MDAs, some of those to be scrapped, fused and merged include the EFCC, ICPC, CCB, NTA, NCC, PPRA, COREN, PTAD, VON, NAHCON, NCPC etc.
“We have been clamouring for government at all levels to cut the cost of governance, to us, this is one of the best ways to achieve it.
“Therefore, there is the need for government to drastically cut the cost of governance, eliminate the overlapping of responsibilities to ensure that responsibilities are appropriately domiciled, increasing efficiency, effectiveness, increased productivity, national competitiveness and international ranking.”
While calling on President Tinubu to review the contents of the report to ensure it aligns with current-day realities, the union sought the inclusion of organised labour in the implementation process of the Report, in order to ensure credibility.
“Now that the government must implement the Report, we call on President Bola Tinubu GCFR to reexamine the contents of the Report in line with the present National realities because the state of the nation 12 years ago when the Report birthed can not be the same today. The government should ensure that the Acts establishing these Agencies of government are repealed before the implementation to forestall litigations.
“The government must as a matter of urgency do away with unnecessary and needless wastages of our scarce resources on frivolities, and deploy such funds to the critical areas of Education, Health, Transportation, Food Security, National Security and pulling people out of poverty. However, these should be done with due diligence because those who will be directly affected are mostly Civil Servants.
“Let me use this opportunity to call on the Constitution Review Committee to also consider either making the National Assembly operate on a part-time basis or making it a Uni-camera Legislature to cut the cost of governance because there are not many distinctive features between both Houses except for Confirmation of Ministers and other statutory compliance which could be addressed once the Constitution is amended.
“The National Assembly should stop further consideration of Bills for the establishment of Government Agencies to reduce wastages.
We call on the Government to make a conscious effort to cushion the effect of this major overhaul on the workers to avoid bringing more people into hardship at this very challenging and trying time.
“Government should also carry out more enlightenment campaigns to educate the populace on the gains of implementing the Report. We also believe that the government should involve Organized Labour in the implementation process to ensure credibility.
Finally, we warn that job loss at this critical time of our socio-economic challenges and food crisis would be a recipe for mass protest and industrial unrest.”
