Again, Atiku Calls for Privatisation of Refineries, Other Assets
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday called for full privatisation of all the refineries in the country, stating that it is better done now than never.
In a statement he signed, the former vice president said, “For decades, I have championed the privatisation of our economy and full deregulation of our oil and gas sector, amongst other sectors, for greater service delivery and efficiency”.
He noted that as the chairman of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), he had advanced these policies which saw the economy achieve six per cent GDP growth and created jobs for the masses and amass the national wealth that enabled the country exit the debt trap, and secure her financial independence.
He explained that his ideas were scorned by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government over the years.
According to Atiku, Nigeria is now facing reality and has now embraced reason, by announcing the privatisation of the refineries and other assets, which have not always prospered under public management.
He said that it is always better late than never and therefore commended the federal government for coming on board.
“I urge that the privatisation process be as transparent as possible, as that is the only way to ensure that Nigeria reaps the greatest economic benefits from this policy.
The leadership of the Evangelical Church of Winning All (ECWA) has called on the federal government to restructure the current security architecture of Nigeria to enable the state governors have control of security agencies in their domain in order to achieve quick responses to security challenges such as banditry, kidnappings, killings and other sundry crimes.
The church said the security situation in all the geo-political zones is alarming, and should not be allowed to deteriorate further.
President of ECWA, Rev Stephen Panya, made the call in Benin-city, Edo State, at the weekend when he installed District Executive members and inaugurated the newly built hostel and district secretariat for the Edo/Delta District of the church.
Panya, who lamented that ECWA has been a major victim of attacks on churches in the Middle Belt and northern part of Nigeria, said: “For a long time, we have been talking to the government to rejig the security architecture of this country. We kept hinting that they needed to change the security chiefs; thank God, though belatedly, that has been done as it is better late than never.
“However, the level of deterioration of security in this country has reached a stage that it became very clear that the federal government has failed. It has failed completely under the present leadership of President Muhamadu Buhari, so there is need for restructuring of this country especially in the area of security.