The Alliance for New Nigeria in a statement signed by the Director General of the ANN 2019 Presidential Campaign, Mr Lanre Oyegbola has again drawn the conclusion that the so called mega parties are one and the same and can at best be described as different sides of a bad coin.
Whilst reviewing the process that has brought Nigeria to its kneels and how the priced assets of Nigeria have been sold at different times to a few Nigerians at the detriment of the majority of Nigerians, Mr Lanre Oyegbola noted that NigerDock was once the largest ship fabrication yard in West Africa sub region when it was sold to Atiku’s preferred bidder, ‘Global Energy’ that agreed to increase NigerDock’s workforce from 4,800 to 6,000 as part of privatization agreement dismissed 2,200 immediately it took ownership. Jagal Group that took over after Global Energy lost out on power play also sacked 1,400.
In the same manner the so called reform of the Nigeria Port Authority reform was purely aimed at grabbing the landed properties. The NPA properties consisting of 68 properties in Apapa, 28 houses in Ikoyi were the target as they claimed to reform the port that today we all can see and bare witness of the pitiable situation the port is and the level of resource waste that goes on due to the non functioning port. Yet the mega pretties who have had actors at different times in destroying the port can debate about how the port is either not working or not doing enough whilst their principal was the chief of the plunders and gainers of the properties.
When they destroyed the NIGERIA RAILWAY, in 2007 when ATIKU of the Peoples Democratic Party was leaving in 2007, their party did not only leave a huge unpaid N5 Billion Railway pension arrears, they also sacked a total of 8,260 railway workers between 2005 and 2006 without compensation, and now they have come with lies of privatizing or reforming the NNPC to create more jobs and all.
Let’s we forget that like the port and railways Atiku also supervised the selling of many other assets of Nigeria and all were sold with the intention of making them work better and create opportunities for all but it was all a lie, just like his running mate lied so much during the debate quoting figures that were at best falsehood and without any empirical backing. They sold Nigeria in the past and made it so poor even it’s so blessed. Now they’re are back to sell what’s left of Nigeria, and chief amongst them is the NNPC.
Remember NAFCON, Eleme Petrochemical, Daily Times, Ughelli Power, Egbin Power, NICON Insurance, ALSCON, NICON Luxury Hotel, Sunti Sugar Ltd, NetCom House and Bacita Sugar Limited just to mention but few. As they sell them, they become worse. Jobs are lost, assets are gone and then they sell them off again. Whilst they sell off the future of Nigeria they enrich themselves and then use the same money to buy the votes of Nigerians. Nigerians beware.
The 2011 privatization Senate committee was made up of Senator Ahmed Lawan – Chairman, Senators Babafemi Ojudu, Philip Aduda, Mohammed Ndume, Ifeanyi Okowa, Hope Uzodinma and Mohammadu Magoro.
The case of Aluminium Smelting Company, ALSCON, that Atiku privatized was cited in the statement, ALSCON which Nigeria built with $3.2 billion, was sold to a Russian firm, Russal, for $130million. As of the time of sale, ALSCON had received $120million for the dredging of Imo River, but was never done. And when the Senate Seating of August, 2011 asked the Russian company the whereabouts of the $120million dredging money, the company’s Deputy Managing Director, Vitaly Kuzrestov, claimed the money has been used for Environment Impact Assessment.
The question Alliance for New Nigeria will like to ask the over 150 million Nigerians who suffers for all these pilfering and self destruction of what belongs to every Nigerian is that is this “The Atikulate Businessman” that would come again in 2019 knowing that he knows how best to ensure that the sales are done to “self” and use them to “create more personal businesses” whilst hundreds of millions of Nigerians remain in penury and yet some says they’re atikukated?
In his conclusion the Director General notes that if the literal meaning was anything to go by then it suffices to say that should Nigerians make the mistake of wrong judgement and choice between the same old gang and cabal that brought the pain and penury to Nigerians and the nation builders which Mr Fela Durotoye leads, and they vote the canal again then it will be truly said “we are dead” – A TI KU.
