Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, called the statement ascribed to his principle on selling the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to pals “a joke taken too far.”
In an interview with Trust TV on Sunday, Ibe clarified this while discussing opposition politics and the African Democratic Congress’s (ADC) preparedness for the general election in 2027.
Ibe denied that Atiku planned to sell the NNPC to personal cronies in response to a query contrasting Atiku’s stance on the petroleum industry with the policies of the Bola Tinubu administration.
“Please allow me to correct you. His Excellency Atiku Abubakar and the reporter were joking around throughout that interview, and his quip about selling it to his buddies was mischievous, according to Ibe.
“It was a joke taken too far, and that should not be the takeaway from that interview,” he continued. The lesson should be to get rid of all those worthless assets.
Ibe maintained that privatization is still a more viable alternative, claiming that successive administrations have squandered money on non-performing assets in the oil industry.
“A procedure to sell some of these assets has been started by this administration. He stated, “People are being paid salaries for doing nothing, but none of the refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Warri, or anywhere else are operating.”
Why do we need to keep such assets? The government has no business conducting commerce. The government ought to foster an atmosphere that is favorable to business.
Context.
Speaking to the Lagos business community in the run-up to the 2019 presidential election, Atiku declared that he would privatize the NNPC even if he was assassinated.
“I stated that I am dedicated to privatizing NNPC. I promise. Atiku had declared at the time, “I will do it even if they kill me.”
In the same forum, he added that if elected president, he would benefit his pals more than his family.
“I will enrich my friends, not my family members. Do my buddies not deserve to be better off? “As long as there isn’t any corruption present,” he stated.
Atiku later provided an explanation after the remarks drew criticism from the public. The former vice president denied allegations that he planned to sell the NNPC to his friends around a month after the Lagos incident.
Atiku stated that the rumors were untrue and emphasized that any sale of the national oil business would benefit Nigerians during a meeting with grassroots leaders in Kaduna State.
The former vice president maintained that the NNPC would be sold “to Nigerians for the development of the country” and not to his friends, as alleged.
