A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ebun-olu Adegboruwa, has asked President Bola Tinubu to begin the implementation of the Orosanye report by reducing the size of his cabinet.
Naija News reports that the decision to implement the Oronsaye report was taken on Monday at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which was chaired by President Tinubu.
The Orosanya report recommended, among other things, discontinuing government funding of professional bodies and councils to free funds for capital projects.
It established that there are 541 Federal Government parastatals, commissions and agencies (statutory and non-statutory) and recommended that 263 of the statutory agencies should be reduced to 161, while 38 agencies should be abolished and 52 should be merged.
The panel also recommended that 14 of the agencies should revert to departments in ministries to pave the way for a leaner government.
Speaking with TheCable on Monday, Adegboruwa said the cabinet size was too large, calling on the President to begin the full implementation of the report with the presidency.
Adegboruwa said there is too much wastage within the bureaucracy, which requires urgent curtailing, especially in this era of technological advancement.
The senior lawyer, however, hailed the President for directing the full implementation of the Oronsaye report to reduce the cost of governance.
He said: “I must commend him for the courage to implement that report. There is too much wastage within the bureaucracy especially now in the deployment of technology.
“There is a lot that can be achieved through such harmonisation. But the president must start the implementation from his cabinet. Charity should begin at home.
“The size of the present cabinet is unwieldy. For him to embark on the implementation of the Oronsaye report concerning other agencies and leave the presidency in the bloated manner it is will not achieve the desired purpose.
“The president should set a good example by merging all those ministries that have no impact.
“The president should also cut the number of aides that follow him on official trips. That is the right message to send to the people of Nigeria.”