Obasanjo advises Buhari to privatise NNPC

Obasanjo regretted not privatising NNPC when he was president – He said it is now a hub for corruption and advised President Buhari to privatise it – He noted that privatisation brought positive result during his time as president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has advised the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to privatise the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) so as to put an end to the corruption in the industry. Obasanjo gave this advice at the opening ceremony of a two-day maritime stakeholders conference organized by the Ministry of Transportation and its agencies in Lagos on Monday, May 16.


Obasanjo speaks on Nigeria, Africa’s problems at ICADI Obasanjo said if he knew 20 years ago that the NNPC would be used to siphon public fund by successive administration, he would have privatised it long ago. The former president said he had to do a lot in the telecommunication sector. “I had to struggle for almost four years to get telephone lines to half a million as Nigeria’s military head of state and it did not work. But when I came back, we had over 1.5 million lines. We have to think out of the box.” Obasanjo said the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency was practically unknown until it became a place people were using to steal public fund. He said people were now clamouring to be the director general of the agency because of corruption.

Buhari’s change will soon bring joy – Etiebet He noted that privatisation brought about positive changes during his time as president. “With our experience in NLNG and the telecommunication sector, let us adapt and adopt,” he said. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi in his remark said the previous administration failed not because there were no laws but that rather, the will to enforce the laws was not there. Meanwhile, Obasanjo noted that Buhari was doing a good job in curbing Boko Haram insurgency but said he was sound when it comes to the economy. “I know General Buhari, he served under me in the military. His characteristics that I know, his behaviour that I know, he hasn’t deviated from it. He was not a perfect man and he would never be a perfect man and no leader would be a perfect human being. “He is not a hot person when it comes to economy; he is not a very hot person when it comes to foreign affairs. But he will do well in the matters of military and he will do well in fighting Boko Haram.”