Buhari approves implementation of Jonathan’s committee report on merging, scraping federal agencies

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the implementation of a committee report set up by former President Goodluck Jonathan to cut cost of governance in 2011.

The committee, headed by the then Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Steve Oransaye released a report recommending a trimming of the Federal bureaucracy.

The committee found that there were, at the time 541 government parastatals, commissions and agencies.

Among others, it recommended the reduction of statutory agencies from 263 to 161.

The report was however not implemented till the ex-president left office in 2015.

Announcing the resolve of the Buhari administration to adopt and implement the report, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed said the president has directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of Service to begin the restructuring and rationalization, in line with the report.

“The president has approved that this administration should implement the Oransanye report”, Zainab Ahmed said.

“It has reviewed the whole of the size of government and has made very significant recommendations in terms of reducing the number of agencies and that would mean merging some agencies.

“This is a report that has been in place for a long time and there hasn’t been implementation but the president has approved that this should be implemented.

“We have conveyed Mr President’s approval to the arms of government that are responsible for this and that will be the office of the secretary of government and the head of civil service of the federation.” Zainab said.