Osun Reduces Ministries to 12, as Aregbesola Notifies House of Assembly

The Osun State Government has on Friday announced the reduction of the state’s Ministries to 12 in a bid to reduce the cost of governance as well as to enhance service delivery.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola who announced the creation of a new ministry also merged some existing ones.

The governor in a letter of notification forwarded to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem  Salaam, notified the House of the restructuring of the state’s machinery of government and reduced the state’s ministries to 12 in the process out of 16 existing before.

Aregbesola further explained that while there will be 12 ministries, 9 agencies and bureaus will be under his office for direct supervision.

In a letter dated January 21, Aregbesola noted that the decision to restructure the state ministries was arrived at after a reappraisal of the machinery of government.

The letter titled: “Notification of the Restructuring of Some Existing Ministries and Creation of a New Ministry in the State of Osun”

The 12 ministries listed in the letter to the House of Assembly are:
1. Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Youths Engagement
2. Ministry of Industries, Commerce, Cooperatives and Empowerment
3. Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Development
4. Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
5. Ministry of Environment, Sanitation and Physical Planning,
6.Ministry of Finance
7.Ministry of Health,
8.Ministry of Information, Home Affairs, Tourism and Culture,
9. Ministry of Justice
10. Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy, Water Resources, and Community Affairs
11. Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Affairs
12. Ministry of Works and Transport

The letter also listed nine agencies and bureaus that will be operating directly under the office of the Governor. The agencies are:
1. Office of Regional Integration
2. State of Osun Sports Council
3. Department of Social and Grassroots Mobilization and Guidance
4. Office of Policy Coordination
5. Osun Job Centre
6. Bureau of Lands,
7. Pilgrims Welfare Board (Christian Wing)
8. Pilgrims Welfare Board (Muslim Wing)
9. Office of Forestry, Natural and Mineral Resources

The governor while urging the Speaker to communicate the development to members of the House also explained that the decision was taken to reduce the cost of governance as well as enhance service delivery.