Senate distances self from Nigerian govt’s plan to sell national assets

The Senate has said it has no knowledge about plans by the Nigerian government to concession or sell some national assets to fund the 2021 budget.

The Director-General (DG) of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Alex Okoh, was said to have presented to the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation, when he appeared before the committee to defend the agency’s 2021 budget, a document on plans by the Federal Government to sell some national assets.

But Senator Theodore Orji, who is the chairman of the Senate committee on privatisation, told newsmen men in Abuja on Tuesday:

“We are not aware of the planned arrangement by the Bureau of Public Enterprises to either concession or put for outright sale, some national assets in the country in order to fund the 2021 federal budget.

“During the BPE budget defence before my committee, I complained bitterly that the relationship between our committee and the BPE has not been very cordial due to the behaviour of the DG, BPE.

Read also: FG to lose 20% holding in privatised national assets

“This is a man that if we call him on phone, he would not answer and if we send him a text message, he would not reply. How then does he want us to communicate?”

Orji said it was necessary for a synergy to exist between the Senate or its committee on privatisation and the BPE.

Among the national assets the Federal government allegedly plans to either concession or sell include the National Stadium in Lagos, the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja, the National Art Theatre, Tafawa Balewa Square and all the River Basin Development Authorities.

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