Nigerians want Buhari to dump idea of sale of national assets –Poll

Nigerians have rejected the idea of selling national assets as a means of solving the present economic woes ravaging the country, as proposed by some members of the executive and some others.

While the issues is no longer dominating national discourse as it did some weeks ago, there are still many Nigerians who feel and are insisting that the sale of national asset is a must for President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, if indeed he is ready to resuscitate the economy of the country.

The proposed sale of national asset became an issue after it was formerly pronounced when Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, during the end of an inter-ministerial retreat in Abuja not long ago, said that sale of some national asset was one of the resolutions at the retreat for government to raise funds for a $15 billion fiscal stimulus plan to reflate and pull the economy from recession.

The idea was heavily supported by Nigerian Business mogul, Aliko Dangote, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Senate President Bukola Saraki among others.

However, a recent poll conducted by Ripples Nigeria with question, “Should Buhari’s government sell national assets to get Nigeria out of recession,” showed a greater percentage of the Nigerian population voting against the proposed idea.

In the poll, participants had the option of voting ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘indifferent.

Read also: We said it, ‘Buhari is clueless’ – PDP

Approximately, 17.6 per cent would want government to sell assets, 79.8 per cent said no to it while 2.5 per cent were indifferent on the issue.

The apprehension of Nigerians opposed to the sale of national assets may not be unconnected with past experiences around sale of some national assets.

One of such experience which they still mourn and grieve over is the privatisation of the country’s power (electricity) sector, and telecommunications assets, which till date, many feel has impoverished the sectors rather bring about expected improvements.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

See below representation of the poll result: 

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