By Abdulrahman Abdulraheem
The Federal Government has said it is yet to decide on whether or not to sell some national assets as part of efforts to bring the country out of recession.
The debate on whether to put some of the country’s assets for sale has been raging for over a week since business mogul, Aliko Dangote, suggested it.
The decision by the National Economic Council to endorse the sale in its meeting last week made Nigerians conclude that the Federal Government had made up its mind to sell the assets.
Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, however told State House correspondents after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting that no decision had been taken on the matter.
He noted that NEC could recommend but it was up to FEC to decide if the sale of the assets was the only way out of recession.
He said that decision will be taken soon and communicated to Nigerians.
“What the government will do is to reflate the economy, everything you have heard so far is just suggestion, until the government makes its position known. All these reports of asset sale, asset leasing and whatever is being bandied about, are nothing but speculations.
“The government is yet to come out with its position on how to bail out the economy and it will take that position.
“NEC will recommend but it is the Federal Executive Council that will decide and what we decide will be the position of governmen,” the minister said
Also speaking at the briefing, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said the Council approved three memoranda from his ministry.
The memoranda approved were those on National Water Policy, National Irrigation Policy, and a draft of a new National Water Resources Bill.
According to Adamu, the National Water Policy seeks to provide strategies that would improve the management and delivery of water resources in the country with particular reference to water supply.
He also said the new enabling law is the National Water Resources Bill, “ which consolidates all existing laws; the Water Resources Act; the River Basin Development Act; the National Water Resources Institute Act, the National Hydrological Services Act and other Acts put together to form the National Water law that conforms to international standards and best practices”.
He said by the new law, a proper regulatory agency will be set up that will regulate the water sector.
“With that the door is now open for the private sector to now come in a big way to invest in water supply schemes in this country,” he said.
Adamu said the irrigation and drainage policy that his ministry is putting in place seeks to recognize and bring in water users association and not only improve irrigation infrastructure, but irrigation management in the country.
“Nigeria has the potential of 3.41 million hectares of land for irrigation out of which only 330,000 has been developed formally and only about 70,000 is being utilized.
“There is a huge gap and introducing this policy will help us to work along with the state governments so that we can have an all-encompassing policy that will help drive our agricultural agenda,” the minister said.
