Oronsaye report: Jonathan directs setting up of implementation committee

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday directed the establishment of a White Paper implementation committee on the report of Presidential Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.
The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, made the disclosure after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by the President.
Maku said that the committee, to be approved by Jonathan, would ensure prompt implementation of the White Paper released on the report on Monday.
He said: “Today in Council, the President said he will be moving ahead as quickly as possible to ensure the implementation of the White Paper.
“One thing that has become a recurring observation has been the cost of governance under the new democracy and the Federal Government is very serious to bring down the cost.
“Today, the President directed the SGF (Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim) to begin to put up a committee for his approval, that will work on the actual merger of those agencies that have been accepted to merge to bring down cost of governance.”
The minister explained that besides saving cost, the approved rationalisation would improve efficiency, enhance productivity and service delivery.
Maku said: “We discovered that some of the agencies that have been doing overlapping functions, apart from the wasteful expenses, they become less effective.
“But, when you synergise their efforts and expertise, they will do better.”
The rationalisation committee, headed by a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, in its report submitted on April 16, 2012, recommended a reduction in the number of Federal Government agencies from 263 to 161.
The government rejected some of the recommendations such as the merger of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission and the Code of Conduct Bureau.
It, however, accepted the recommendation for the National Poverty Eradication Programme and Fiscal Responsibility Commission to be scrapped.
The government also accepted that the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency be merged to form the Federal Civil Aviation Authority.