If I Was President, I Would Also Have Implemented Oronsaye Report – Obi

Peter Obi, the Labour Party's presidential contender for 2023, declared that he would have taken the Oronsaye Report into consideration if he had been Nigeria's president at the time.

Mr. Obi said via his official X handle in response to texts from people asking about his position on the Oransaye Report that, up until now, he had said during campaigns that he would have cooperated with the committee's conclusions.

One of the finest methods to make administration effective, economical, and productive, according to the former governor of Anambra State, is to put the report into practice.

In addition, he emphasised that anytime the administration makes the right choice, we should support it and if we disagree, then being in the opposition does not justify callous and ignorant criticism.
Two days ago, President Bola Tinubu issued an order to fully implement the recommendations of the Oronsanye-led committee, resulting in the announcement of the consolidation, absorption, dissolution, and relocation of many government entities. This is when Obi made his remarks.

Speaking about the current development in more detail, Mr. Obi stated that he has always supported the three main points of the Oronsaye Report: i) significantly reducing the cost of governance; ii) getting rid of duplication of duties to make sure that they are assigned correctly; and iii) raising productivity through efficiency and effectiveness.

As long as the decision is based on the three fundamental principles, the flagbearer of the Labour Party added that while the report's implementation is long overdue, it is still a positive development.

But he stressed that the government should go beyond and reduce the cost of governance overall, in addition to putting the Oronsaye Report into action.

The complete statement made by Peter Obi and posted on X (previously Twitter) is below.
People who want to know if I would have executed the Oronsaye Report—whose complete execution was recently ordered by the President—have texted me multiple times. To address their inquiries,

I would like to direct all of you to my manifesto as well as my answers to such queries during my campaigns. At Harvard University on October 5, 2022, I was asked, "Will you implement the Oronsaye Report?" and I gave an affirmative response.

I continued by saying that putting the findings into practice is among 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 board.
After concluding that the Report's implementation was essential, the government ought to stop wasting our limited resources on pointless matters and instead direct them towards the vital fields of health, education, and assisting those in poverty.

But just because the majority of those directly impacted are government workers does not mean that we should act hastily to put the Oronsaye Report into effect. To execute the Report successfully, a thorough understanding of the inner workings of the Federal bureaucracy will be necessary.

Understanding the relationships between the federal and state governments will be crucial because federal agencies maintain branches and outreach offices throughout all 36 states.

As political leaders, we ought to be prepared to support this execution with our sacrifices from comfort and selfishness, for the overall development of the nation.
In order to prevent pushing more people into poverty during these extremely trying times, deliberate effort must be taken in implementing this report to mitigate the consequences of such a significant overhaul on the workers.

Additionally, Nigerians are still unaware of the White Paper that is currently in effect and relevant to the report's execution. Furthermore, you cannot appoint people who will probably be impacted by the downsizing to oversee the procedure.

The government must also make it very evident how much money would be saved by the suggested reduction in its size. It should also specify precisely where and how the resources that have been saved will be used again.

More significantly, in order to prevent future government bloating, the implementation must be supported by a template. By acting morally and implementing the right policies, we will build the New Nigeria of our dreams.