By Victor AHIUMA-YOUNG

ELECTRICITY workers in the country have praised the courage of the Senate over the adoption of its committee report on the probe of the privatisation programme in the country, and urged that the report be implemented within the next three months.

A statement by the workers through Comrade Reuben Orlu, Head of information and Research Unit of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, called for immediate halt of any further attempt on the sale of public asset.

The statement read in part, “We commend the Senate on the adoption of the Senate Committee Report on the Privatisation Exercise that has taken place in the country over the years. We thank and appreciate the hallowed chamber for commencing the implementation of the recommendations of the committee.

The approval for the sack of the Director-General of the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) – Miss Bolanle Onagoruwa, is a step in the right direction, and it is hoped that within the next three (3) months, implementation of all other ingredients as contained in the Report would be concluded. This singular bold step taken by the Senate demonstrates a willingness to curb corruption in our polity especially as perpetrated by the ruling class.

“The exposition by the Senate committee that investigated the privatisation exercise and the privatised firms has proven that privatisation in Nigeria is done without transparency, fraught with deceit and fraud and most importantly with ‘negative individualism’ by the gladiators.

“In fact, privatisation in Nigeria is not working. Therefore, we posit that every act or intention geared towards further privatisation of other firms should be halted in order to stop further looting of our common wealth by the privileged few in power.

“What the Senate has demonstrated is in tandem with democratic practice where the philosophy of checks and balance is employed. In order to curb the spate of corruption and fraud in our socio-economic life as a nation, the three arms of government must assert their positions and not concede to the other as being more superior.”

The statement added that “As we await the implementation of the Senate Committee Report, we are also asking that further privatisation of other firms be halted until every other issues are fully harnessed and resolved.”