I must privatize NNPC even if they are going to kill me – Atiku Abubakar

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday described the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, as a “Mafia organization.”

Speaking during an interactive session with the business community in Lagos, the former Vice President vowed to privatise the Corporation if elected in the forthcoming election.

Abubakar declared that he would privatise NNPC even if doing so would cost him his life.

According to Abubakar, the Corporation would operate better if not managed by the government.

He said: “Let me go back to my experience. When we got into office, I walked up to my boss and said “Sir, there are two mafia organisations in government: one is the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) while the other one is the National Electricity Power Authority (NEPA).

“I said unless we dismantle these mafia organisations, we cannot make progress. Let’s privatize them… the long and short of this is that I am committed to privatisation as I have said. I swear even if they are going to kill me, I will do it (privatise NNPC).

“I asked a Nigerian professor based in America; I said ‘Prof, do you have ministry of petroleum in America?’ He said no.

“I said, ‘Do you have an organisation like NNPC over there?’ He said no. And America produces oil more than any country? He said yes.

“So I asked him, ‘How do they do it in America?’ and he said taxation and I decided that I will go by taxation too.”