Former Vice President and presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has again vowed to privatise Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, if elected, describing it as a mafia organisation.
Before now, Atiku had vowed to privatise NNPC seen as a conduit pipe of corruption in the country.
Atiku, who stated this during an interactive session with the business community in Lagos Wednesday, said he would take the step, even if doing so would cost him his life.
He explained that he sold the idea to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to whom he served as vice president between 1999 and 2007 but noted that the former President did not approve of it.
Stating that he was convinced that NNPC would run better if not managed by the government, Atiku said: “Let me go back to my experience. When we got into office, I walked up to my boss and said “Sir, there are two mafia organisations in government: one is the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, while the other one is the National Electricity Power Authority, NEPA.
“I said unless we dismantle these mafia organisations, we cannot make progress. Let’s privatise them… the long and short of this is that I am committed to privitaisation as I have said. I swear even if they are going to kill me, I will do it (privatise NNPC).”
The PDP presidential standard bearer, who also spoke on how an expert in the petroleum sector influenced his stance on privatisation of NNPC, stated further: “I asked a Nigerian professor based in America; I said ‘Prof, do you have ministry of petroleum in America?’ He said no.
“I said, ‘Do you have an organisation like NNPC over there?’ He said no. And America produces more oil than any country?
“So, I asked him, ‘How do they do it in America?’ and he said taxation and I decided that I will go by taxation too.”
Atiku, who was in company of his running mate, Peter Obi, also fielded questions that ranged from the economy, security, health to unemployment.
He criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for the delay in passing the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill, PIGB.
Atiku, who said the level of unemployment in the country was worrisome, narrated his encounter with idle youths during his campaign rallies, stressing that if left unchecked, lack of jobs could create a bigger problem for the country.
