Oronsaye report: Labour proposes part-time role for NASS members

*As fear grips federal civil servants over job loss

ASSOCIATION of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, has advised President Bola Tinubu to make the National Assembly members to operate on part-time basis or adopt a unicameral system.

This is as workers in the federal civil service yesterday expressed fears over the recent approval by President Bola Tinubu that the Steve Orosaye report be implemented, saying it might lead to job losses.

Briefing journalists in Abuja, President of ASCSN, Comrade Tommy Etim Okon, said cutting down cost of governance should cut across the three arms of government.

He said:  “We have been clamouring for government at all levels to cut the cost of governance, to us, this is one of the best ways to achieve it.   

‘’Therefore, there is the need for government to drastically cut the cost of governance, eliminate the overlapping of responsibilities to ensure that responsibilities are appropriately domiciled, increasing efficiency, effectiveness, increased productivity, national competitiveness and international ranking.

“Now that it is imperative for government to implement the Report, we call on President Bola Tinubu GCFR to reexamine the contents of the report in line with the present national realities because the state of the nation 12 years ago when the Report birthed can not 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 “Government should ensure that the Acts establishing these agencies of government are repealed before the implementation to forestall litigations.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, and deploy such funds to the critical areas of education, health, transportation, food security, national security and pulling people out of poverty.   

‘’However, these should be done with due diligence because those that will be directly affected are mostly civil servants.  

“Let me use this opportunity to call on the Constitution Review Committee to also consider either making the National Assembly to operate on part-time basis or make it a unicamera legislature to cut cost of governance because there’s no much distinctive features between both Houses except for confirmation of ministers and other statutory compliance which could be addressed once the constitution is amended.

“The National Assembly should stop further  consideration of bills for the establishment of government agencies to reduce wastages. We call on government to make conscious effort to cushion the effect of this major overhaul on the workers to avoid bringing more people into hardship at this very challenging and trying time.

“Government should also carry out more enlightenment campaigns to educate the populace on the gains of implementing the report. We also believe that government should involve organized labour in the implementation process to ensure credibility.

‘’We warn that job loss at this critical time of our socio-economic challenges and food crisis would be a recipe for mass protest and industrial unrest.

“We have received several messages and calls from the workers and other stakeholders wanting to know if the implementation of Oronsaye report would affect jobs or lead to job loss.

‘’Let me use this opportunity to state that we cannot continue to do the same thing all the times and expect a different result.

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

‘’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.’’