Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has declared that the planned sale or commercialisation of some Federal Government’s media organisations without due consultation with all the stakeholders would further impoverish Nigerians, especially media practitioners.
NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar in a statement in Abuja yesterday, described the plan to commercialise the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Africa’s largest television station as a measure taken in a hurry.
Also, he stated that the plan by the Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE, to under the privatisation of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, News Agency of Nigeria, Commodities and Exchange Commission, Bank of Agriculture and Industries; and National Parks, would not achieve the dream of a sound management and wealth creation.
Now rested Daily Times, Africa’s largest circulation daily which made its debut on July 1, 1926, was sold by the Olusegun Obasanjo’s military administration but about two decades after, the company is a shadow of its glorious self.
The labour leader expressed disgust at the haste with which the government wants to dispense with its management of the companies, including the Bank of Agriculture and Industries, the National Parks and the four oil refineries, without taking due recognition of the position of all the stakeholders.
Arguing under the topic: “Stop the Sale of Government’s Properties,” Omar called for caution because Nigerians owned the organisations as a collective wealth and needed to be consulted and their corporate interest considered before any sale could be executed.
“The haste with which government seemed determined to sell off public properties to members of the ruling class and their cronies under the guise of making them more efficient is alarming.
“There is the need for caution because these properties belong to the Nigerian people as a collective wealth and the people have never been consulted and their interests considered before the sales”, he said.
The post Sale of federal media outfits won’t favour Nigerians – NLC appeared first on Nigeria pilot.