‘I Will Privatize NNPC Even If They Kill Me,’ Atiku Vows

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has vowed to privatize the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, if elected into office.

While describing the corporation as a “Mafia organization,” Atiku said he will keep his promise even if he is killed.

Speaking during an interactive session with the business community in Lagos, the former Vice President 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 privatize them… the long and short of this is that I am committed to privatisation as I have said. I swear even if they are going to kill me, I will do it (privatise NNPC).

“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 oil more than any country? He said yes.

“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.”