Governors want Buhari to merge federal agencies

State governors on Thursday asked the Federal Government to revisit the Steve Oronsaye report on the rationalisation of federal agencies, saying the agencies were too much and cost government a lot of money.

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of a meeting of the National Economic Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The council, which has all state governors as members, is chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

El-Rufai said, 'At the federal level, we are suggesting a look at the Oronsaye Report. We have discussed very important steps to be taken.

'We have suggested looking at the Oronsaye Report that suggested merger and reduction of the agencies. FG has 580 agencies. They are too many and they cost too much.

'There is the need to look at those that are duplicated and merge them. That is a report published since 2012. Even within MDAs, we need to consider merging departments. We may not need as many departments as we have.'

On their part, el-Rufai said state governors had decided to reduce cost drastically.

This, he said, would reflect in the number of cars in their convoys and the way governors dress.

He said they would also reduce travel expenses as well as unnecessary trainings.

The governor said the council also agreed to reform the public service in a manner that would allow younger people pursue careers in it.

'We have discussed implementing a public service renewal programme to get younger people, more IT-savvy people into the public service.

'My state, for instance, has placed an embargo on employment since 2008. For eight years, young people were not employed.

'So, the average age in the service is very high; it is 47. People that are that old are afraid of gadgets.

'The world has become a world of technology and it is these young people that are comfortable with technology,' he said.