We’ll resist sale of national assets – NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress has called on Nigerians to resist the planned sale of the nation’s shareholdings in the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas and other national assets. The President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, said in a statement on Thursday that Nigerians must resist the surreptitious moves by some businessmen and the political class to acquire the remaining national assets which he said should be preserved in the interest of future generations. He said the NLC was prepared to join forces with other progressive movements in the country to resist the current moves to plunder the nation’s assets. He said it was in the interest of generations of Nigerians for the existing investments to be developed by investing in profitable areas. Wabba said the NLC was totally opposed to the recent calls by Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for the sale of national assets to get the country out of recession. He said, “The recent call by Alhaji Aliko Dangote for the sale of the national share holdings in the NLNG and the suggestion by the Senate President that the shares, along with other sovereign assets in the oil and aviation sectors, should be sold as a way of stemming the current economic recession are unacceptable to us at the Nigeria Labour Congress. “Investments in the LNLG and joint venture oil upstream operations are profitable and represent potential sources of revenue into the future. “Inter-generational considerations require that we build on these existing investments by identifying other profitable endeavours to invest in. What we need is to leverage on the stream of potential earnings from these investments in seeking to turn around the economy. “We, therefore, call on Nigerians to resist these new schemings by those waiting and wishing to lap up these lucrative national assets. We need to preserve these assets for our children and future generations. “On our part, we are ready, in partnership with other progressive and nationalist forces in our country, to resist the further attempt to plunder our common patrimony.