Opposition to the planned sale of our national assets as a measure for reflating our recessed economy got massive boost for most of the week, with the Senate, labour leaders and genuine patriots rising up against those who want to destroy ourtomorrow. It is a big shame that some governors teamed up with Vice President Yemi Osibajo in the National Economic Council to sanction this planned looting of our commonwealth. Clearly, President Muhammadu Buhari and his cohorts in the APC are no longer in agreement with the wishes of the people. The truth be told: The policy choices of the Buhari administration have put this country in crisis. The incompetent reactions to falling oil prices, Naira devaluation and fuel subsidy removal all combined to put this country in this economic mess. Again, Nigeria has never experienced this much garbling in exchange rate in all of our 56 years of nationhood. We should not create a bigger crisis by selling out assets.
I urge the Buhari administration to
deeply reflect on the addendum of former central bank governor, Charles
Soludo to this debate. He said: “It is our considered view that the
proposal is based on a false foundation. Our thesis is that in extreme,
exceptional circumstances, sale of certain assets could be a last resort
option but that Nigeria is currently not near that threshold and the
institutional framework for its effective use is also not in place.
Furthermore, we argue that any sale of assets now amounts to chasing
pennies when by acts of omission or commission, we are losing pounds.
Such a hasty auction of national assets can only benefit a privileged
few with cash and access while jeopardising Nigeria’s long-term economic
interests. It will be a historic mistake for the reasons stated below.
“If we sell assets and lodge into the
reserves under the current policy framework, I am willing to take a bet
that in a few months’ time, it will be frittered away and we will be in
even a bigger mess as economic agents know that we have nothing else to
resort to. Sale of assets is the easy short-term option to earn peanuts
while ignoring the hard work to earn the sustainable revenue required
for moving the economy forward. Oil and gas, solid minerals and other
depleting national assets belong to present and future generations of
Nigerians in perpetuity.” Let’s continue the discussion on Twitter and
Facebook @yemiadebowale.
THISDAY
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