By Joseph Erunke

ABUJA—SENATE Leader, Ali Ndume, has explained that non-adherence to constitutional order caused the opposition of the upper legislative chamber to sales of the nation’s assets.

He also dismissed insinuation that the Senate was against concession of the assets.

Senator Ndume, who spoke to newsmen in Abuja, weekend, insisted that the Red Chamber’s stout rejection of the sale of the nation’s assets, as contained in its recommendations to President Muhammadu Buhari last week, was due to non-adherence to constitutional provisions for the planned sales of assets.

He, however, said further consideration of the matter was not foreclosed as, according to him, concession of the assets was another viable option to resuscitate the nation’s ailing economy.

Recall that the federal government had recently considered the sales of national assets as a way of bailing Nigeria out of the present economic recession.

Further consideration of the matter, according Senator Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial Zone on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, was not foreclosed, since the Federal Government could go ahead with concession plans of some assets, a decision which he maintained the Senate was not opposed to in anyway.

He said: “The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in its recommendations, rejected the sales of national assets as way out of the country’s economic problems.

‘’Let me, however, make it clear that what prompted its decision was because the process was without recourse to laid down constitutional provisions of doing so.

‘’However, it is safe to say that much as the Senate rejects the sales of our national assets, there is the other option of concessioning, which we are open to. As such, it cannot be said that the matter is foreclosed.

“Under concessioning agreement, the nation will over time take back these assets after being run and managed by those with whom a Memorandum of Understanding was entered.”