Ex-Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has advised President Bola Tinubu, and the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, to be cautious in dealing with a former Minister of Budget and National Planning, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, whom he described as inconsistent and disloyal.
Sambo issued the warning while refuting Usman’s claims that the 2013 power sector privatization process was driven by political interests rather than technical and financial capabilities of buyers.
Sambo, in a statement issued by his Personal Secretary, Mr. Yinka Ibrahim, described the allegation as “false, mischievous, and hypocritical”, saying it was intended to tarnish the image of the Goodluck Jonathan administration and the National Council on Privatization, which he chaired at the time.
The statement said, “This is utterly ridiculous and a complete falsehood. Dr.
Usman had made the remarks during a recent event in Abuja, where he claimed that political figures and officials in the Jonathan administration scrambled for stakes in the privatized power companies.”
Sambo dismissed the claims as baseless, explaining that he was not aware of any decision that compromised the integrity of the process.
He stressed that as Chairman of the Privatization Council, he carried out his responsibilities in line with established procedures and in the best interest of the nation, which he said was widely acknowledged by the local and international communities.
Sambo also explained that it is on record that the minister of power at the time had to resign due to apparent conflict of interest in the privatization process, adding that to further ensure transparency, Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies – the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) – were included as statutory members of the Council.
The statement challenged Usman to give specific details of the ‘foul plays’ or names of persons or organizations he claimed were politically favored or compromised.
He also questioned the timing and motive behind the comments, noting that the former minister was deeply involved in the privatization process and chaired several committees.
“It is surprising that he would make such accusations more than a decade later. One can only wonder if this is an attempt to curry favor with the current administration,” the statement added.
Sambo noted that it is unfortunate to see someone who was so close to power and indeed the privatization process now turning around to discredit it, stressing that it is a classic case of biting the hand that fed him.
