TheCable

Boss Mustapha, the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), says the federal government will soon conclude the process to restructure the civil service.

Mustapha spoke on Tuesday during the submission of reports by the committees set up to review the white paper on the restructuring and rationalisation of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

The federal government had, in November 2021, inaugurated two sub-committees on the implementation of the whitepaper on the restructuring of MDAs to reduce the cost of governance. 

Speaking on the reports, Mustapha said the decision to review the structure of the civil service is part of the efforts of the present administration to improve governance.

“As you are already aware, reforms are usually complex and tortuous to undertake but are necessary for the development of any nation and requires political commitment at the highest level to make them sustainable,” he said.

“Sustainable reforms are even more critical and necessary in the public service, especially as it is the face of government responsible for formulating, implementing, managing and reviewing government policies, programmes, projects, and initiatives for development.

“President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to leaving a sustainable legacy and has demonstrated the highest political commitment, given tremendous support and consistently pursued reforms in all sectors of the Nigerian economy.

“Mr. President is also conscious of the fact that, irrespective of reforms in the other sectors, if that of the public sector is not sustainable and internalised, governance would remain far from delivering effective and efficient services to the people.

“The daily galloping recurrent expenditure which is 40.3% (N6.9 trillion) as against 31.9% (N5.471 trillion) for capital expenditure in the year 2022 appropriation, further places enormous burden on this administration to deal with the matter of cost of governance.

“As a matter of fact, the recent approval of increased duty tour allowances makes it more compelling for the federal government to take urgent steps in cutting down on cost of governance as a result of recurrent expenditure.

“The submission of your reports today gives us an opportunity to move quickly with concluding this almost 10 years problem. Like the Petroleum Industry Act that took more than two decades to conclude, this administration will also conclude this and timely too before it becomes embroiled in other matters.

“I want to assure you that all outstanding actions to finalise the issue of restructuring and rationalisation would be addressed in the shortest possible time.”

The committee on the restructuring and rationalisation of federal government parastatals, commissions and agencies was constituted in August 2011.

In its report submitted on April 16, 2012, the committee had recommended that of the 541 MDAs, 263 statutory agencies should be reduced to 161; a total of 38 agencies should be abolished; 52 agencies should be merged, and 14 should revert to departments in ministries.

Subsequently, the white paper on the report was issued and published in March 2014 and was followed by the inauguration of a white paper implementation committee in May 2014.