Merger of MDAs begins next year, to cost N800m

The federal government will begin merger of some ministries and agencies in 2016, Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) Dr Joe Abah said yesterday.

The eventual merger will be preceded by staff and management audit which is estimated to cost N800 million.

Abah said this in Abuja at the public unveiling of key publications on governance reforms including the “Public Service Reforms in Nigeria, 1999-2014: A Comprehensive Review” and How to Manage and Reform Agencies and Parastatals.”

“There was no budgetary provision for the implementation of the report including the White Paper in the 2014 and 2015 budgets. That is why we have included it in the 2016 budget proposal and we are hoping to get the funding needed to go round the agencies to carryout staff and management audit before the implementation will take place,” he said.

The BPSR said the Steve Orosanye committee on the merger of some MDAs with a view to reducing cost of governance has not been implemented due to none provision of budgetary allocation for the purpose in 2014 and 2015.

The four committees that will see to the implementation of the merger are the legislation committee; to interface with the lawmaker on enacting enabling and supporting laws, the commercial committee; to implement agencies that will be commercialised, the staff and management audit committee and the merger committee.