Atiku’s claim on NNPC reforms a distraction to APC — VON DG

A foundation member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has taken a swipe at the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, for accusing the ruling party of stealing his idea to reform the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Reacting to the unveiling of […]

A foundation member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has taken a swipe at the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, for accusing the ruling party of stealing his idea to reform the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Reacting to the unveiling of the NNPC Limited on Tuesday, Atiku said APC stole his idea to reform the state-owned oil corporation to make it more profitable, transparent and efficient.

But in a statement yesterday, Okechukwu, who is also the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), countered him wondering how on earth APC would have stolen his idea.

The VON helmsman lampooned Atiku for the alleged controversies that trailed the privatisation of state-owned enterprises under his watch as the chairman of the National Council on Privatisation and vice president.

He said, “I am one of those who, going by President Olusegun Obasanjo’s testimonies on Atiku, his ambivalence on the late Deborah’s imbroglio and his antecedents will not go to the bank with his posturing statement.

“How come Atiku who failed to reform NNPC when he had the power as chairman of the National Economic Council and chairman of the National Council on Privatisation honestly come today to dissemble facts?

 

“One hopes that Atiku will not compel us to look into the less than transparent process which governed the privatisation of state-owned enterprises when he was chairman of the National Council on Privatisation.”