House Committee Raises Alarm Over NITEL’s Indebtedness

House of Representatives’ Committee on Privatisation has expressed concern over NITEL’s N250 billion debt.

The chairman of the committee, Hajiya Khadiza Abba-Ibrahim, made the position of the House known to State House Correspondents in Abuja on Thursday.

She frowned at the inability of the company to settle outstanding salaries and allowances of its staff.

“Basically in the forefront of things we have NITEL; we are all worried about what is going to happen, it is indebted, I mean there is so much debt in NITEL, but whoever is going to buy NITEL has a lot to deal with, in the tune of about N250 billion.

“I mean you are talking about a lot of money; and there is a lot of salaries and wages that haven't been paid to staff.’’

The chairman expressed reservation over the way and manner some privatised companies, particularly the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom, were being managed before and after their privatisation.

She, therefore, charged the Federal Government and the management teams of the privatised government companies to devise means of ensuring the successful operation of the affected companies.

“In privatisation it is a bit of give and take; the government has to play its own role in actually making sure that the privatisation exercise in this country works, so we are there to ensure that government plays its role in making sure that the privatisation exercise is a success.

“So it is not as if the privatised companies are not doing their own part in trying to see this work. It is not an easy process, some of them have done very well, some of them haven't done really well and some of them just need to be closed.’’

Ibrahim assured that the House Committee on Privatisation would partner with the National Council on Privatisation for the smooth implementation of all the council’s programmes. (NAN)