Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, is expressing concern about a plan by President Bola Tinubu to carry out the recommendations of the Stephen Oronsaye Report.
This committee looked into ways to restructure and make the government’s agencies and commissions more efficient.
According to report the President’s office has identified 30 federal government agencies and groups that might be eliminated, merged, or combined to save money.
Falana, along with workers from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), is speaking out against this plan.
He believes that if it goes ahead, around 100,000 civil servants could lose their jobs. He argues that getting rid of these jobs won’t solve the problems facing Nigerians.
Falana points out that the Oronsaye Report, which the government wants to implement, is quite old—it’s been sitting around for 12 years.
He mentions that the report was created during the Jonathan administration but was never acted upon until now.
He questions the logic of using a report that’s over a decade old to make decisions about Nigeria’s current situation.
He also highlights the vast number of government ministries and agencies in Nigeria—1,360 in total.
He wonders where the government will even begin if it wants to follow the recommendations of the Oronsaye Report.
Falana praised the NLC for speaking up against the rising cost of living. He sees their actions as an important moment in Nigeria’s history.
