By Olayinka Latona

lagos—CATHOLIC Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, has kicked against the proposal to sell some national assets in a bid to revive the economy saying such steps would be counter-product.

In a statement by the Director of Social Communications, Msgr Gabriel Osu, the cleric said: ”Sale of  national assets in the name of revamping our comatose economy was a wrong decision that was tantamount to mortgaging the future of the country for a short period of palliative.

Archbishop Martins said: “We have seen from time past that selling off our national assets has not yielded much dividend. On the contrary, it has been a mission in futility. Take the case of PHCN for instance, we are all witnesses to the fact that supply of electricity has not improved despite the fact that it has long been sold to private individuals.”

The clergyman added that: “We also know what has become of NITEL, NIPOST and a grand national monument that was once the Nigeria Airways. Even then, why should government toy with the idea of selling off a profit making organization like the NLNG? Something is not right somewhere.”

While calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently consider a drastic reduction of the salaries and allowances of public office holders and politicians as a first step towards conserving funds, Martins said it was imperative for the president to broaden the composition of his economic team to incorporate tested technocrats capable of offering sound advice that would help lift the country out of the woods.