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African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has pledged to fully implement the Oronsaye Report if elected president of Nigeria.
The ADC presidential candidate plans to eliminate “unnecessary” government agencies, consolidate overlapping institutions, and cut governance-related expenses.
Atiku made the pledge in a statement issued by his official spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, on Friday.
“The Oronsaye Report gave Nigeria a clear roadmap to reduce waste, duplication, and the cost of governance,” the statement read.
He accused President Bola Tinubu of failing to implement the report despite promising to do so.
“The incumbent President Tinubu promised to implement it, but as it is with every other promise he made, he failed to implement it,” he said.
“Instead, he multiplied the agencies to include even fake ones,” Okonkwo added.
Atiku, according to his spokesperson, would begin implementing the report immediately after inauguration if elected president.
The first step would be a comprehensive audit of government agencies to establish how many exist, what they do and whether their continued existence is justified.
“Atiku assures that under his presidency, the Oronsaye Report will not remain on the shelf, but will be implemented fully and transparently starting immediately after inauguration with a transparent audit of the number and purpose of all the agencies of government in existence,” Okonkwo said.
He also alleged that some agencies created under the Tinubu administration were established for political patronage and used to divert public funds.
The statement accused the government of creating “numerous fake agencies” as “a tool of political patronage, and a conduit pipe to siphon Nigeria money to satisfy the profligate appetite of Tinubu’s corrupt government officials.”
Atiku’s proposed reforms, according to the statement, would include eliminating unnecessary government agencies and merging institutions with overlapping mandates.
The savings, he said, would be redirected towards sectors including healthcare, education, infrastructure, job creation and social protection.
Atiku also pledged to begin reducing government expenditure at the presidency, saying he would lead by example.
“I will not ask Nigerians to make sacrifices while government continues to waste money,” Atiku said.
“Nigeria does not need more promises. Nigeria needs action.”
He added: “I will commence the cut of the cost of governance from the maintenance of the presidency and all government officials and activities. I will live by example.”
Atiku said his administration would seek to make government “smarter, more efficient, and accountable” so that more public funds would benefit Nigerians.
The Presidential Committee on the Restructuring and Rationalisation of Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies, chaired by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Stephen Oronsaye, produced the Oronsaye Report.
Submitted in 2012, the report recommended sweeping reforms to reduce duplication and the cost of running government.
Among its recommendations was reducing the number of government agencies through mergers, restructuring, and abolishing some bodies.
Successive administrations have considered or announced measures to implement parts of the report, but have not implemented its recommendations in full.
Atiku’s latest pledge places the report at the centre of his proposed strategy to reduce government expenditure, while also contrasting his approach with what his spokesperson described as Tinubu’s failure to deliver on the reform.
