By Joan Nwagwu

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has urged the Federal Government to implement the Oronsaye report in line with the present national realities.

Mr Tommy Okon, President of the association, said this at a news conference on Monday in Abuja.

“The state of the nation 12 years ago when the report was birthed cannot be the same today.

“Government should ensure that the Acts establishing these agencies of government are repealed before the implementation to forestall litigations.

“The government must, as a matter of urgency, do away with unnecessary and needless wastages of our scarce resources on frivolities.

“Government should deploy such funds to the critical areas of education, health, transportation, food security, national security and pulling people out of poverty,’’ he said.

Okon said workers had continued to express fears of the possibility of job loss as a consequence of implementation of the report.

He noted that any job loss at this critical time of socio-economic challenges and food crisis would be a recipe for mass protest and industrial unrest.

“Let me use this opportunity to state that we cannot continue to do the same thing all the time and expect different results.

“As a union, we have been on this issue of cutting the cost of governance and this have to be done holistically, taking into consideration all arms of government.

“These will be the best ways to make governance efficient, cost-effective and productive. Let me also say that being in union does not warrant blind and thoughtless criticism.

“Whenever the government takes the right decision, we should agree and if need be, suggest even better ideas to move the nation forward,’’ he said.

NAN recalls that President Bola Tinubu on Feb. 26 ordered the implementation of the Oronsaye report on restructuring of federal government’s departments and agencies.

The report established that there were 541 federal government’s parastatals, commissions, agencies (statutory and non-statutory).

It recommended that 263 of the statutory agencies should be reduced to 161, while 38 agencies should be abolished and 52 should be merged.

It also recommended that 14 of the agencies should revert to departments in ministries. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Rotimi Ijikanmi