Cut cost across board, Obi tells Tinubu
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has assured Nigerians that there will be no job losses as a result of the implementation of Steve Oronsaye’s recommendations, which seek to rationalise government agencies and parastatals.
Speaking at the fourth edition of the Ministerial Press Briefing Series, yesterday, in Abuja, the minister explained that the idea was that government would reduce cost and also improve efficiency in service delivery.
He said: “It does not mean that government is out to retrench workers or throw people into the labour market.”
Idris observed that the implementation of the report, which has been on the shelf for about 11 years, was a clear demonstration of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to fiscal prudence and responsible governance by championing a comprehensive review of government’s commissions, agencies, and parastatals.
He noted that the approval for the implementation of the Oronsaye Report, which followed a very careful review, was to ensure that essential services were not compromised and that the needs of our citizens were adequately addressed while putting the interest of the nation first.
The minister, who said Nigerians were beginning to see the benefits of the reforms, being spearheaded by the President in various sectors, said reports from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicate that Nigeria witnessed a GDP growth of 3.46 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2023 as against 2.54 per cent recorded in the third quarter of 2023.
MEANWHILE, former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, has urged President Bola Tinubu to take full action in streamlining Nigeria’s bloated governance structure and reducing fiscal wastage, as recommended by Oronsaye.
In a statement shared via his official X handle, Obi noted that the current economic challenges called for a concerted effort to curb government expenditure.
While acknowledging that Tinubu’s decision was the right call, Obi, however, noted that beyond implementing the report, government must go further and cut the cost of governance across 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 said.
