Leader of the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume,
has stated that the Senate only rejected the outright sale of public
assets and not concession of the properties.
Ndume, in an interview with journalists
in Abuja, said other options on how to generate fund from the assets
were still available, saying that concession remained a viable option.
The National Executive Council, the
Federal Executive Council; the President of the Senate, Senator Bukola
Saraki; President of the Dangote Group, Mr. Aliko Dangote, among others,
were those asking for the sale of the assets to generate forex with
which to boost the country’s foreign reserves.
The Senate had rejected the proposal on Tuesday.
Ndume said the Senate rejected sale of
the assets, which was part of its recommendations to President Muhammadu
Buhari, as it lacked constitutional backing.
The Senate Leader stated that the
Federal Government could still go ahead with concession plans of some
assets, a move he maintained that the Senate was not opposed to.
Ndume said, “The Senate of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria in its recommendations rejected the sale of national
assets as way out of the country’s economic problems. Let me however
make it clear that what prompted its decision was because the process
was without recourse to the laid constitutional provisions of doing so.
“However, it is safe to say much as the
Senate rejects the sale of our nation assets, there is the other option
of concession, which we are open to. As such, it cannot be said the
matter is foreclosed.
“Under concession agreement, the nation
will, over time, take back these assets after being run and managed by
those with whom a Memorandum of Understanding was entered into.”
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