CNG faults Osinbajo over proposed sale of power plants

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has faulted Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, over the alleged Privatisation and Bureau of Public Enterprise to sell the Ihovba, Calabar, Geregu, Olorunsogo and Omotosho power plants.

The coalition insists that the power plants’ equity through National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies NIPPS are owned by States and LGAs alongside the Federal Government which was designed and implemented in the South and eventually to be replicated in the North.

CNG, in a statement by its Director, Strategic Communication, Samaila Musa, called on the Northern lawmakers to stand firmly against the attempt at mortgaging the future of Northerners.

It also recalls that on 13th July, 2021, they categorically declared the plan to privatise the Calabar, Ihovbor, Olorunsogo, Omotosho and Geregu power plants, held by Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC), as unacceptable and a deliberate attempt to marginalise the North.

The statement read: “We had alerted of a grand conspiracy by powerful interests in the South taking advantage of the Vice President’s position as Chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC), the National Council on Privatization (NCP) and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to sell these assets and further diminish the economic viability of the northern region.

“As the representative of various interest groups from Northern Nigeria, the CNG raised concerns that the funds used in establishing the said plants was contributed by States and local governments including those in the North.

“We appeared before a House of Representatives public hearing on the issue and declared a definite stand against it and insisted on respecting the initial agreement of rotating the projects between the South and the North after stipulated terms

“We recall that the National Assembly had even made a pronunciation against the purported sale of the assets. Despite all these patriotic efforts by the CNG and other well meaning Nigerians, the Vice president has remained adamant in pursuing this dubious Privatisation agenda aimed at further pauperizing the North economically.

“We are also worried that the VP is allegedly planning to sell the plants to himself, friends and cronies to the detriment of NIgeria especially the North in the name of funding a deficit budget. Particularly disturbing is that due to the Corvid 19 devastation, assets such as these ones have greatly lost value and would only be sold at a great National loss,” he said.

The group condemn with all our might, the blatant illegality, unconstitutionality and abuse of office by the supposedly learned professional such as the vice president For the avoidance of doubt, said “the CNG is prepared to go to any length to challenge this cruel, unfriendly, greatly biased and irresponsible policy.”