It’ll be difficult to implement Oronsaye report, says expert

Following the decision of the federal government to commence implementation of the Oronsaye report of 2014, a development and governance expert, Dr. Chiwuike Uba has expressed concerns bordering on inevitable dangers.

Uba, who is the board chairman of Amaka Chiwuike-Uba Foundation (ACUF), said the decision to implement the report is coming too late, even as he commended President Buhari for showing leadership and political will as evidenced in the approval to implement the report.

According to Uba, approval for the implementation of the report is a desirable one, considering the would-be benefits, especially, now that the country is faced with many challenges, including COVID-19, dwindling revenue, rising public debt, over-bloated and non-committed public service, high poverty rate, inflation, debt service obligations, fiscal deficit and corruption.

In a statement made available to our correspondent in Enugu on Monday, Uba expressed concern that it would be difficult to implement most of the recommendations as they have been overtaken by time, especially as government has created new Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) after the report was submitted.

Uba averred that the best approach would have been to review the structure of the public service and governance structure, in line with the current realities, policy, and economic thrust and revenue profile of the government to promote economic growth/development and sustainability.

He said: “Implementing the report, as it is, would create both budget and legal issues on agencies created by law.

“In addition to creating biased political considerations in implementation, the merger of MDAs would create conflict; occasioned by bureaucracy and hierarchy in the civil service structure.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Zamfara closes Shinkafi Market

“Who heads departments and units when ministries and agencies are merged would be an issue to contend with.

“I am not sure the country is ready for the squabbles this would create in the end.

“The best approach would have been to review the structure of the public service and governance structure in line with the current realities, policy, and economic thrust and revenue profile of the government to promote economic growth/development and sustainability.”

Uba added that in addition to having many MDAs that act as the conduit for theft and other forms of corruption, the civil service is overstaffed with alarming ghost workers; despite the government’s efforts to weed the system of ghost workers and that the civil/public service contributes immensely to the culture of corruption, cronyism, and foot-dragging.

“The high cost of servicing the public sector is averse to economic development and growth. The bloated bureaucracy representing just one per cent of Nigeria’s population,” he declared.