Stephen Osagiede Oronsaye

Stephen Osagiede Oronsaye is a Nigerian accountant and civil servant who was appointed Head of the Civil Service of the Federation in June 2009. He began an energetic program of reform immediately after his appointment.[1] He retired on 16 November 2010 after reaching the statutory retirement age of 60, and was succeeded by Oladapo Afolabi.[2]

Stephen Osagiede Oronsaye
Born16 November 1950 (1950-11-16) (age 72)
Lagos
NationalityNigerian
OccupationAccountant
Known forFormer Head of the Nigerian Civil Service

Background

Stephen Osagiede Oronsaye was born in Lagos on 16 November 1950. His parents were from Uhunmwonde and Oredo Local Council Areas in Edo State. Oronsaye trained with the firm of Peat Marwick Cassleton Elliot (1973–1978), and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1978. He became a Partner of the firm in 1989. He joined the Federal Ministry of Finance in December 1995, as Director, Special Duties. Oronsaye was responsible for the merger of the Administrative and Accounting functions of the offices of the State House, computerisation of processes and procedures of the State House, Personnel records, Accounts and Access controls for the offices.[1]

In 1999 he was appointed Principal Secretary to President Olusegun Obasanjo, a position equivalent to Federal Permanent Secretary.[3] He was confirmed as Permanent Secretary, State House, an unusual appointment since he was not a civil servant.[4] In 2006, Oronsaye headed the committee on the review of the Civil Service Rules and Financial Regulations.[1] He was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance on 20 August 2008.[5]

Head of the civil service

Stephen Oronsaye was appointed Head of the Nigerian Civil Service in June 2009.[1] Soon after his appointment, Stephen Oronsaye and Ahmed Al-Gazali, chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, established a new tenure policy limiting the terms of permanent secretaries and directors to eight years. As a result, nine permanent secretaries were forced to retire in October 2009, and many directors were expected to retire by January 2010.[6] In November 2009, Stephen Oronsaye told the newly appointed permanent secretaries that they would be subject to continuous assessment, and their tenure could be terminated at any time for poor performance.[7] However, he reasserted that the compulsory retirement age for civil servants would remain the earlier of 60 years of age or 35 years of pensionable service.[8]

Following a move by the Central Bank of Nigeria to sack the boards of five banks and publish a list of debtors of those banks, in August 2009 Stephen Oronsaye directed Permanent Secretaries to prevent ministries, departments and agencies from withdrawing funds or closing accounts in these banks.[9] Earlier that month Stephen Oronsaye had announced a major reshuffle where almost half of the Permanent Secretaries were assigned to new departments.[10]

In November 2009, he directed that TV sets be removed from all Civil Service offices, on the basis that viewing television during office hours lowers productivity.[11] Also in November 2009, he stated that he had been discussing wage increases for federal civil servants with President Umaru Yar'Adua.[12] In December 2009 he announced plans to train 4,600 civil servants by March 2010 to prepare them for the higher challenges that came with the new tenure policy, and to remove stagnation from the civil service.[13]

References
  1. Emmanuel Onwubiko (22 June 2009). "WILL STEVE ORONSAYE SUCCEED?". Point Blank News. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  2. Daniel Idonor & Emma Ovuakporie (16 November 2010). "Jonathan appoints Afolabi Head of Service as Oronsaye retires". Vanguard (Nigeria). NEWS. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  3. YUSHAU A. SHUAIB (7 July 2009). "Between Sanusi Lamido and Steve Orosanye". Daily Trust. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  4. MARTINS OLOJA (3 June 2007). "Colour of Yar'Adua Presidency emerging after 5 days". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 July 2007. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  5. "...The Man, Oronsaye". The Guardian. 12 June 2009. Archived from the original on 5 January 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  6. Habeeb I. Pindiga (26 October 200). "New Service Tenure – Oronsaye, FCSC Boss Clash Over Exams". Daily Trust. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  7. Bunmi Awolusi (10 November 2009). "4-year tenure based on satisfactory performance". Daily Trust. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  8. Franca Ochigbo (4 November 2009). "Oronsaye denies report on civil servants". The Nation. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  9. Omoh Gabriel, Emma Ujah, Kenneth Ehigiator, Prince Osuagwu and Emma Ovuakporie (21 August 2009). "EFCC Vows to Hold on to Arrested Bank CEOs". Vanguard. Retrieved 21 December 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. Franca Ochigbo (13 August 2009). "Yar'Adua moves Perm Secs". The Nation. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  11. Yomi Odunuga (11 September 2009). "Low productivity: Govt enforces withdrawal of Tv sets from MDAs". The Nation. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  12. "FG considering new wage for workers". The Punch. 20 November 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  13. "FG to train 4600 civil servants – HOSF". News Agency of Nigeria. 9 December 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
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