ORONSAYE REPORT: AN AVENUE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL OF GOVERNANCE

ORONSAYE REPORT: AN AVENUE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL OF GOVERNANCE

The excitements and otherwise about the commencement of the implementation of the Oronsaye Report are understandable. It's been a long time coming for the report which has outlived two administrations and a number of reviews.

Beyond this chequered acceptance, its essence must not be limited in scope. It must be above mere cost-cutting. It must include the re-engineering of not just the structure of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government. The reimagining of their deliveries must be undertaken.

The strident clamour for privatization furthers this imperative. Privatization in other climes aren’t solely driven by efficiency. Sometimes, public enterprises are sold to improve government’s capacity to match its obligations. At other times, it is informed by the need to reduce government’s responsibilities to the most salient ones. All these betray the issue here in Nigeria. From NITEL to NEPA, the premise of private sector’s oh-so takeover is the dearth of efficiency.

So what does this say about us? It speaks of a criminal complicit in incompetence. A nation of over 200 million that an barely provide capable hands to serve as an efficient conduit for governance outreaches. A nation with millions of men and women of sterling accomplishments in all facet of life that can not collectively beat the band of mediocrity. We need to do better. And there is no better indicator of our readiness than bringing all MDAs alive to their objectives.

I'm of the opinion that government has a business in business. The sole aim of a government is the welfare of the people. Any government by whatever stretch losses its goodwill the moment it conducts itself in ways iniquitous to people's welfare.. A regime which subsumes the welfare of the people antagonizes the tenets of its foundation. How then does a government meet this lofty responsibility by outsourcing every essential service solely to profit-driven entities due to inefficiency? It's time to stir our course away from this precipice.

The Nigerian government can announce its rejuvenation through the implementation of Orasanye Report. Adopting a comprehensive implementation in a manner that discourages inefficiency is the cog required. Welfare guarantees of Nigerians is supreme. For this sanctity to be ensured and preserved, mechanisms for its auspicious delivery must be pivoted towards efficiency. This is not beyond the remit of the report. It can be achieved when implementation is done such that credence is given to the re-orientation of those saddled. Ethics of the civil service must be reimagined to be efficiency-conscious.