President Goodluck Jonathan has countered his critics who were major stake-holders in the privatization exercise held previously in the country prior to his administration.
Jonathan condemned the level of inefficiency of his critics who particularly handled the past privatization exercise during his meeting with Nigerian professionals in New York, United States yesterday.
He berated the likes of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and an ex-minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, his critics who played key role in the past privatization exercise in the country, acknowledging that they are now “opening their mouth wide” to attack his administration.
“In the country’s past privatisation, we know what happened there and yet those who sat over the exercise are the same people who are opening their mouths wide to attack this administration.
According to the president, his administration has being carrying out the privatization of public utilities in a transparent manner.
However, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the President said that $3bn (equivalent to about N480bn) had been realised without any form of corruption compared to the privatisation that took place in the past.
On lingering security challenges, he said that terrorism had emerged as the major challenge in the country now after his administration has been able to nip armed robbery in the bud.
But he assured that the challenge of terrorism too was being seriously tackled by the government.
“I appreciate that we have a serious security challenge with Boko Haram insurgency. This is the area where the government is being blackmailed, but by the grace of God this will soon be a thing of the past.
“Before now it was robbery, until terrorism took us by surprise. Soon it will be a thing of the past”, he assured.
The president noted that the Nigerians in Diaspora are an important group particularly those resident in the US and acknowledged that his administration needs them to work in different areas of the Nigerian economy.
“You do not have to relocate to Nigeria to make the necessary impact, you can come and establish businesses to create jobs for your brothers and sisters at home,” Jonathan said.
In El-Rufai’s reaction through his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, he said, “President Jonathan is dealing in innuendo as is the tradition of his government.
He challenged the president to make detailed allegations against specific persons since he claims to know what went on in the previous privatisation regime.
“We are all witnesses to how rules have been bent in the ongoing power privatisation in favour of investors with close ties to government. This government does not understand transparency, and is in no position to practise it”, the former minister maintained.
Also reacting to the allegation of shoddy performance, Atiku, through his Media Adviser; Malam Garba Shehu, underscored of his achievements as the chairman of the National Council of Privatisation.
“We are very proud of Turaki’s legacies at the NCP and that his vindication is there for all to see in the reports of the separate investigations by both the Senate and the House. We have our records. Let us see his own, Shehu stated adding that the former vice president acquitted himself well when he was at the helm of affairs at the National Council for Privativation (NCP).