.Ask citizens to resist privatization of critical sectors
.Say privatization is bad choice, false experiments
By Daniel Kanu
Assistant Politics Editor
After critical assessment of the vulnerabilities of Public Private Partnership (PPP) as against Public Sector Solutions (PSS), Public Service International (PSI), Trade Union Organisations and the Civil Society groups have warned the Federal Government of Nigeria to jettison its privatization agenda.
The reason in their observation is simple: it is fraught with fundamental problems and not a solution in the best interest of citizens.
Also they said that privatization in Nigeria was simply a contest for conversion of public resources into private pocket rather than for the betterment of the welfare of the citizenry.
At a workshop in Lagos, PSI with representation from other African countries including Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, in collaboration with the Environmental Rights Action and Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) and other labour unions, the participants were unanimous in their verdict that “Public Private Participation is not the panacea rather government should put more money in public sector and ensure prudent and transparent management, while bringing culprits to justice”.
Those present at the workshop included among others: Sandra Vermuyten, representing Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary, Akinbode Oluwafemi (ERA/FoEN Deputy Executive Director), AUPCTRE National President, Comrade Benjamin Anthony, PSI Vice President, comrade Peters Adeyemi, Comrade Sani Baba (PSI Regional Secretary, Africa and Arab countries, Boniface Kavuvi (Gen. Secretary KUCFAW Kenya),Jordi Musoni Michel ( National Chairman SYPECGAZ, Rwanda), Aketch Everline (Sub-Regional Sec, English Speaking Africa), Michael Nyantakyi(Gen Secretary PUWU-Ghana).
Also present were: Comrade Biobelemoye Josiah (National President, MHWUN), Achike Chude (Joint Action Front) Philip Jakpor (Director, Media and Publicity, ERA/FoEN), Comrade S.O.Z. Ejiofor, Comrade Baba Aye, Jaye Gaskia, Tunji Buhari among other.
Participants agree that “PPP is ill-conceived, ill-motivated and a bad choice with false experiments”
All the speakers that spoke including Sandra, Oluwafemi, Adeyemi, Anthony, Baba etc., all submitted that government should imbibe public sector solutions rather than the present privatization agenda of the World Bank and IMF which has profit-oriented motive rather than the service and welfare-oriented motive it is expected to provide.
The groups submitted that the global perspectives of privatization shows that it has almost all the time failed not only in African countries but even in most developed countries where it has been bedeviled with serious criticisms.
Akinbode urged Nigerians to challenge the present narrative as it is anchored on political, economic and ideological undertone inimical to genuine development.
“Either in education, water provision, health sector, electricity sector etc. available data has shown that PPP has failed and we must continue to amplify our voices against privatization, form more international alliances against it, and engage our communities more to ensure we resist it. We must ignore the tsunami of criticism against Public Sector Solutions and insist governments abandon this evil agenda” Akinbode submitted.