Atiku To FG: Don’t Ridicule Buhari By Selling Our National Assets

Former Vice President and 2019 presidential standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has cautioned the President Muhammadu Buhari government against embarking on its plan to sell some national assets to fund the 2019 budget.

Atiku, who spoke through his presidential campaign organization, said it would amount to the ridicule of President Buhari if the plan to sell the national assets is embarked on.

The presidential candidate recalled that President Buhari had claimed that the PDP administration failed to build public infrastructure during its 16 years in power.

Atiku however noted that most of the national assets listed for sale by the current administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were built by the PDP regime.

A statement by his media office reads, “The attention of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation has been drawn to a policy statement by the Muhammadu Buhari administration evincing a plan to sell national assets to fund the 2019 budget.

“Our first response would be that this action by the Buhari government has the effect of ridiculing their principal.

“It will be recalled that on Monday the 29th of October, 2018, President Buhari accused past leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party of not building public infrastructure, while delivering the 75th Anniversary Business lecture of the Island Club, Lagos.

“However, some of the assets listed for sale in the policy document of the Buhari Administration, were assets built or established under the PDP administrations that governed Nigeria between 1999 and 2007.

“Some of them were the brainchild of the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.

“Our question is this: If the PDP did not build infrastructure as alleged by President Muhammadu Buhari, who built these assets that this administration wants to sell to fund their 2019 budget?”

“It is irresponsible to part with valuable assets simply to consume the proceeds (Like selling your family house to take a trip overseas on holiday).

“We knew that such a day would come, which is why Atiku Abubakar has on various occasions made it clear that what is needed at this time is fiscal restructuring to eliminate our addiction to oil revenues and strengthen our internal revenue generating capacity and a restructuring of the budget in favour of capital spending.

“For instance, last month, the PDP Presidential candidate questioned the wisdom behind the Federal Government sharing $322 million Abacha loot to certain Nigerians, only to obtain a $328 million loan from China, allegedly for ICT development,” read the statement.