Former Anambra Governor and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last election, Peter Obi, has commended President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government for adopting the implementation of the Steve Oronsanye’s report....CONTINUE READING
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Obi expressed his support for the move, emphasizing that it aligns with his vision as articulated in his 2023 manifesto.
He stated: “I have received several text messages from people wanting to know if I would have implemented the Oronsaye Report, whose 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 Harvard 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 the 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.”
Obi cautioned against hasty implementation due to the potential impact on civil servants and stressed the need for a thorough understanding of the federal bureaucracy and its ramifications across the states.
“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.
“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,” he concluded.
