If we do not do it now, generations and generations yet unborn would not forgive us because most of the 300 million people in Nigeria 20 years from now would, in the word of a brother-in-law who is an engineer: “be ordered off the streets by the looters of today and their children into their palatial homes to come in and work for food.”!
When I wrote and posted “It’s immoral for Dangote, buyer of many govt-owned companies, to suggest sale of Nigeria Liquified Gas Co. even “be it [to] Chinese – “, on Sunday, September 18, little did I know in which the direction the story would unfold. Since then,there has been a lot of arguments, including experts’ and knowledgeable Nigerians’ opinions on why it does not make sense for a family to start selling the family’s jewelries, china and other properties to raise cash for the here-and-now.
I was so surprised that in the middle of apparently scared-as-hell-finance minister campaigning for “special emergency powers” for the president one day, she, the Central Bank’s governor, the Budget and Planning minister and Information minister would, a few days later, be euphoric about “the president having a good plan ready, the worst of the recession is over …”!
The strange utterances and language of a central governor was noted in an essay I posted just two days ago; I’m still troubled by Emefiele’s careless and shallow words: Nigeria’s recession: discordant notes from Buhari’s key economic “managers”:
“I repeat, the worst is over, the Nigerian economy is on the path of recovery and growth. “Trust me, if you are standing as a bystander, you are losing by being a bystander. Join the train now before the bus leaves the bus station. – Emefiele, Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank
Now, it seems to have all come together as an apparent grand design orchestrated to deceive the Nigerian people while getting ready to pounce.
Aliko Dangote, who has done very well for himself – thank you all very much for Osogbo Rolling Mill, Cement factories … – sounded what to me was an immoral call by asking Nigeria to sell off the NLNG “even be it [to] Chinese”… It led to the first in a series of essay on the subject posted here just on Sunday.
Now, with six assets – Nigeria’s greatest – set to be sold off to those with deep pockets, Nigeria, Inc. is set to take over what looters did not finish off under politicians and civil servants since return to civil rule under Shagari..
By the way, I find it bizarre that Bukola Saraki,who supposedly has a case – his wife also reportedly does – at Nigeria’s Economic & Fin. Crimes Commission (EFCC) is not only sitting pretty hobnobbing with all the country’s powerful people as Nigeria’s Senate president while his case(s) has/have gone into limbo probably never to surface again despite the supposed “adjournment”?
No wonder, his first duty after the recess this week was, in his own mind, to -sort of – lead a “Charge of the Light Brigade” at the NA where he was oratorical about how to turn Nigeria’s fortune around, telling other “lawmakers” how he had been conferring with people in his Kwara Constituency before coming to the momentous decision: sell assets if we must end the recession. Really?
Millions of Nigerians know Saraki (and his family, led by his late father) as never having led any fight – real or metaphorical – to free Nigeria from the depth of woes to which it has remained since independence. In fact, to hundreds of thousands of his countrymen who were stripped of life savings by the family-owned Society General and nothing ever happened.
Now he’s playing on a bigger scale where he has wangled his way to the Senate’s presidency even though he’s a johnny-comes-lately/johnny just come to the ruling APC. The old fox, Dr. Abubakar Saraki, senate’s president under the less-corrupt-than-modern-Nigerian government of Shagari must be smiling in awe at his son. No, that’s not original; I’ve used various versions of it multiple times on this blog.
Presidency of Nigeria’s Senate, perhaps, is the world’s most lucrative government position just as Nigeria’s politicians elected to make laws are supposed to be the highest-paid in the world.
Remember:
Osogbo Rolling Mill might have been ruined but it had massive infrastructure that became Dangote’s, infrastructure, alone, that were worth a fortune;
How about a sitting president [Obasanjo) taking a bank loan to initiate Transcorp which has bought up a sizeable chunk of Nigeria’s public companies and was reportedly awarded oil blocks by the government of a supposed corruption fighter?
“Melo l’a ma ka l’eyin Adepele? … like one with more than 32 teeth (impossible?)”
[https://emotanafricana.com/2012/11/14/retd-gen-obasanjos-verdict-of-history-is-already-in-tola-adenle/]
Below is THE list of assets The Vultures have already circled around many times to view, and continue to circle, waiting to pounce the moment they know Nigerians have be come too weary to continue a fight.
1. Government shares in Joint Venture Companies (JVCs)
2. Government shares in Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG)
3. Some aircraft in the presidential fleet
4. Kaduna refinery
5. Warri refinery
6. Port Harcourt refinery
SOURCE: http://www.nigeriannewspapers.today/2016/09/21/recession-federal-government-to-sell-6-of-its-famous-assets-list/
Two of the comments from a premiumtimesng.com – worth sharing on the planned sales. They are unedited except the paragraphing for easy reading. TOLA.
ayobamiba
Honestly, I am very very sorrowful reading this news,how can any sensible human being be contemplating selling off Nigerian oil assets simply because oil is selling at $50 dollars per barrel. Was oil made to be sold only at $100 ,if buhari is anything near integrity and sincerity, the first thing he should have done is to operate a lean government by cutting down on all government overheads and recurrent expenditures. Let buhari propose a bill to reduce ministries to maximum 18 and appoint only 18 ministers with every zone producing 3. Again let government reduce their work force to the barest minimum by digitalizing and computerizing all offices ,departments and businesses of government.
If government can reduce the monthly salary structure of FG by half ,through downsizing and weeding off of non essential staffs,then buhari must prune down his size of office and reduce the advisers and special assistants to not more than 15, then reduce NASS to one house ,Nigeria would be on a good road to recovery.
If buhari can’t manage this economy, let him take babangidas example and step aside and wait for that time when oil price will go back to $120 before he will recontest for the presidency. Only a prodigal son shall contemplate selling his fathers assets because of bad market ,no reasonable and sensible human being will ever think of such.buhari have shown that he lacks the capacities to steer Nigeria to safety,so I suggest that he step aside for a better person to try.
weka Okparaocha
This is the way to turn Nigeria Islamic Nation by selling it’s oil assets and everybody with it (even all Christians) now definitely it is a plan, the hidden agenda of President Buhari and northern region is coming out openly under the sun. This is a conspiracy theory by the President Buhari, Senate President, Saraki, and Dangote.
Remember Dangote’s wealth as the richest African man is part of more Northern Arm Generals investment savings from share holders Government money stolen from oil in South East and South-South. And now instead of restructuring, Dangote and Co. want’s to buy the whole Nigeria to shot us up.
I believe the Northerners (lslam) is indirectly calling and preparing for war not peace. I say buyer be beware because the oil belong to the land of the Biafrans and we should start by selling the gold mines in the North and River Benue. This can not happen because Nigerian are not fools, and moreover, it is mathematically wrong to sell anything to someone that will pay with stolen government money and gets the whole thing free like former President Obasanjo, and government gets nothing($0), the worst corruption in the history of the planet by the Northerners.
We need to recover what was stolen from the government not reward the thieves with nations assets and investment.
Recession: Ekweremadu, Akume, kick against assets sale
THE TIME FOR NIGERIANS TO RISE WITH A SINGLE VOICE IS NOW –
No waiting for unions to lead strikes; the leaders have mastered how to cut deals from government, including getting houses abroad as was widely rumored during the Iweala/Lagarde ambush of Nigerians on “oil subsidy”;
No need to stand in harm’s and arms’ ways: stay home till Buhari hears loud and clear that we’ve all had more than enough and will not take it any more;
Teachers, tradesmen, commercial drivers, housewives, market women, tailors … everybody must get involved this time.
I am sure staying home for two weeks BY EVERYBODYwould solve it faster than strikes that have, time and time again, proved ineffective. It works everywhere in the world, and would have in Nigeria a few years ago but people who had been told to stock up on food items started grumbling.
If we do not do it now, generations and generations yet unborn would not forgive us because most of the 300 million people in Nigeria 20 years from now would, in the word of a brother-in-law who is an engineer: “be ordered off the streets by the looters of today and their children into their palatial homes to come in and work for food.”!
IT IS NOW IN THE HANDS AND COURT OF EVERY NIGERIAN TO SAY ‘NO’ to what would be the final nail in their enslavement by the ruling few.
Nigerians do not need to rely on unions or whatever to let those who have lined up to buy the common wealth for less than the song they will pay, have their way.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016. 3.05 p.m. [GMT]
