former Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye
| credits:
| credits:
The
Federal Executive Council may approve the scrapping of 220 out of 541
federal parastatals, commissions and agencies by the time it concludes
discussion on the draft White Paper on the report of the Stephen
Oronsaye-led Presidential Committee on the Rationalisation and
Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and
Agencies, which it started on Wednesday.
Special Adviser to the President on
Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, told journalists at the end of
the meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan that the
council began a review of the draft White Paper produced based on the
report.
This confirmed The PUNCH’s
exclusive report on Monday that work had been concluded on the White
Paper and that it was ready for presentation to FEC for deliberation.
Abati was joined at the post-FEC press
briefing by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina; Minister
of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe; and the Minister of Mines and
Steel, Mr. Mohammed Sada.
The presidential spokesman, who said
there was no cause for anxiety in the government’s bid to restructure
for efficiency, said a White Paper Drafting Committee set up by the
President accepted only 321 out of the 541 federal parastatals,
commissions and agencies considered by the Oronsaye committee.
“The Oronsaye Committee considered
suggestions, recommendations from different quarters and in total, that
committee looked at 541 federal parastatals, commissions and agencies.
The white paper drafting committee, out of that, accepted 321; noted
some recommendations and rejected some,” the presidential spokesman
said.
He said the discussion by council members on the draft would continue during the next meeting.
He said the exercise was not aimed at
pushing anybody out of employment but to restructure in such a way that
would make the government more efficient.
Abati said, “At the end of the day, FEC
will take final decision on this recommendation and when that is done,
the White Paper will be made public. I don’t think we should jump the
gun, the thing to note is that all of this is being done to ensure
efficiency, to reduce the cost of government, to avoid leakages and
wastages and to make government far more effective in delivering quality
service to Nigerians.
“This is not targeted at pushing anybody
out of work, this is not an exercise in making life difficult for
anybody. This is just government restructuring for better level of
efficiency. People should not be unduly anxious.
“You can be assured that now that it is
at the level of the FEC, work will be completed on it very quickly, the
White Paper will be released and it will be implemented accordingly.”
Adesina said FEC also approved a
National Fertilizer Draft Bill, which is aimed at ensuring quality
control in fertilizer production as the country continues to make
progress in its bid to export the commodity to neighbouring countries.