The Acting National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, has said that the Federal Government will privatise the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.In an interview with journalists in Ilorin on Wednesday, Baraje said the PDP had met with other political parties, especially those that produced state governors during the last general elections, and it was agreed that NNPC should be privatised.He said the Federal Government and PDP would ensure that the mistakes of the past privatisation exercises were not repeated during the proposed privatisation of NNPC.Baraje said, NNPC is going to be privatised. A lot of lessons will be learnt from the era of the privatisation of other companies, which had been highlighted by the National Assembly. I believe experts will give appropriate advice in order to plug all those lacunas so that we do not have another problem in our hands.Privatising an organisation like the NNPC is not a joke. And I do not think the government will handle it with kid gloves. PDP will ensure that it is not handled with kid gloves.He said he was not aware that governors on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria were no longer in support of the removal of fuel subsidy.Baraje said, I was at a meeting where the political parties met and the bigwigs of all the political parties were there; the chairmen, secretaries and some other officials; particularly the political parties that have governors.We met and we all agreed that the removal of fuel subsidy is a very desirable exercise with some proviso. We agreed that the NNPC should be privatised. Once that is done, we believe all other things will follow and fall in line.He also condemned the December 25 bomb blasts in Plateau and Niger states, which led to the death of about 36 people and the destruction of churches and other property.He stated that insecurity was a major challenge, both to the government and the PDP. According to him, there is the need for Nigerians to be educated that security is a matter for all and not the preoccupation of only the government.He added that the government had evolved some security strategies and training of operatives to improve on the nations security.He reiterated that the government and the PDP would accept any positive advice that would assist in resolving the current insecurity problem and the menace of the Boko Haram sect, even from opposition parties.The demonstration we are trying to show in this area is to ensure that all opposition parties have a round-table discussion with us. They can give us advice. We can all come together. Whatever advice and wherever it is coming from, the party is ready to take it in order to solve the spate of bombings in the country, he said.Baraje said the removal of fuel subsidy would lead to national economic transformation and the provision of infrastructure in the long run, although it might lead to hardship at the initial time.The PDP acting chairman pleaded with Nigerians to make necessary sacrifices and support the government in its transformation agenda.He said ideally, the refineries should start working first and crude oil refined locally before the withdrawal of subsidy, but added that governments activities usually took a long time to plan.Baraje said the Federal Government was making concerted efforts to turn around the refineries, adding that it had contacted the original builders of the refineries to come and fix them, while efforts were being made to build more refineries through Public-Private Partnership.
Click here to read full news..
