Labour slams Atiku on economic policy …says privatisation policy is retrogressive

Organised Labour has condemned the three point agenda economic policy of the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Atiku targeting privatisation.
This is even as the labour has  challenged him to a debate on how it 
the policy will impact positively on the masses.
The General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Joe Ajaero vowed that never again shall Nigerians swallow the hemlock, or make room for private gains and public disaster.
“The Union challenges Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to a debate on National Television to prove how this retrogressive Economic policy will impact positively on the masses,” he said.
Reacting to Alhaji Abubakar Atiku three-point agenda, recently rolled out  targeting Privatisation of Refineries, Rail Sector, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and breaking monopoly of all other infrastructure operations, 
the NUEE scribe said, “it is with a deep sense of patriotism that we inform Nigerians about the present motive of this Presidential Candidate who seems to want to finish what is left of our common patrimony as a Nation.”
He recalled that Alhaji Abubakar Atiku  was the Chairman of the National Council on Privatization (NCP), a Government Committee entrusted with the responsibility of managing the privatization program initiated by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration to handle the disposal of Public Enterprises.
Ajaero said that some persons have been alleged of literally buying almost every enterprise on offer through their cronies and fronts.
According to him, “Of the over 60 enterprises privatized when he became NCP Chairman in 1999, how many of them are functioning optimally? From the Osogbo Steel rolling mill which has become a glorified warehouse to the abysmal performances of the Privatized Generation Companies (GenCos) and Distribution Companies (DisCos) over eight (8) years after Privatization.
“From Seventeen (17) out of the Eighteen (18) Companies sold in the Power Sector, none is yet to break even while the Federal Government has pumped in about 2Trillion naira as subvention to these Privately owned Companies, power generation has nose dived from 4000 mega Watts to 2000 Mega Watts in 9 years.”
He expressed that as an organization, the union had raised alarm over the years about the Security implication of handing over the entire (Security) Power Sector in the hands of private individuals.
He stated, “Who are the ‘faceless’ owners of these Private Companies and why are they shrouded in so much secrecy?
“Since this privatization agenda commenced, many Nigerians lost their jobs, many Nigerians have died as a result of non payment of their entitlements, many Nigerians are sick and hungry with their Children thrown out of school as the onslaught against Nigerian masses continue in the name of Privatization.”