Ex-Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has advised
President Bola Tinubu, and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, to be
cautious in dealing with a former Minister of Budget and National Planning, Dr.
Shamsudeen Usman, whom he described as inconsistent and disloyal.
Sambo issued the warning while refuting Usman’s claims that
the 2013 power sector privatization process was driven by political interests
rather than technical and financial capabilities of buyers.
Sambo, in a statement issued by his Personal Secretary, Mr.
Yinka Ibrahim, described the allegation as “false, mischievous, and
hypocritical”, saying it was intended to tarnish the image of the Goodluck
Jonathan administration and the National Council on Privatization, which he
chaired at the time.
The statement said, “This is utterly ridiculous and a
complete falsehood. Dr.
Usman had made the remarks during a recent event in Abuja,
where he claimed that political figures and officials in the Jonathan
administration scrambled for stakes in the privatized power companies.”
Sambo dismissed the claims as baseless, explaining that he
was not aware of any decision that compromised the integrity of the process.
He stressed that as Chairman of the Privatization Council,
he carried out his responsibilities in line with established procedures and in
the best interest of the nation, which he said was widely acknowledged by the
local and international communities.
Sambo also explained that it is on record that the minister
of power at the time had to resign due to apparent conflict of interest in the
privatization process, adding that to further ensure transparency, Nigeria’s
anti-corruption agencies – the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC)
and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission
(ICPC) – were included as statutory members of the Council.
The statement challenged Usman to give specific details of
the ‘foul plays’ or names of persons or organizations he claimed were
politically favored or compromised.
He also questioned the timing and motive behind the
comments, noting that the former minister was deeply involved in the
privatization process and chaired several committees.
“It is surprising that he would make such accusations more
than a decade later. One can only wonder if this is an attempt to curry favor
with the current administration,” the statement added.
Sambo noted that it is unfortunate to see someone who was so
close to power and indeed the privatization process now turning around to
discredit it, stressing that it is a classic case of biting the hand that fed
him.
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