It is no longer news that the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), has commenced the sale of properties belonging to the Nigerian Coal Corporation(NCC). But what is news is the nature of properties that are being sold, and whether due process was followed in the disposal of the properties.
The NCC was shut down in 2003 to pave way for its privatisation as directed by the federal government. Unfortunately, many years after, the much publicised privatisation exercise is yet to commence despite several assurances in that direction.
Instead, the BPE has reportedly continued to dispose properties belonging to the NCC, a development that has caused not a few people to question the proprietary and legality of the NCC’s action. The corporation was established in 1950, following the discovery of coal in commercial quantity in 1909, and was saddled with the responsibility of exploring, developing and mining the resource. The NCC, which has its headquarters in Enugu, is 100%, owned by the federal government. Prior to the purported privatisation exercise, the corporation operated? two underground mines – Okpara and Onyeama located in Enugu State and two surface mines , Orukpa and Okaba, located on the eastern edge of the Anambra Coal Basin.
The NCC played a major role in strengthening the Nigerian economy prior to the country’s independence in October 1960, and even during the period leading to the 30-month Nigeria/Biafra war, which ended in January 1970. The corporation started having problems some years after the civil war, probably due to corruption in the system, as well as government’s placement of priority attention to the oil sector of the economy.?
The discovery of oil and subsequent directive by the federal government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo? to the NCC to wind down its operations in preparation? for privatisation, spelt doom for the corporation. Confirming the winding down process, the managing director of the NCC, Mr. Dennis Okafor, stated that? the corporation had begun the sale of its non-core assets.
According to him, “Privatisation involves the disposal of the corporation’s assets and liabilities. This is being done under the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE). For now, we are dealing with non-core assets such as vehicles, houses, lands and machines. They are at various stages of disposal while the proceeds will be used to offset liabilities, including payment of arrears of pensions”.
He also explained that the BPE had already advertised the sale of landed assets belonging to the corporation as well as its departments and agencies in Ankpa and Okaba in Kogi State. But, the explanations of the NCC boss on the winding down process did not go down well with pensioners of the corporation. They allege that the BPE did not follow due process in its programme of privatisation.
Speaking with newsmen recently, the chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NCC) branch Enugu, Comrade Emmanuel Chima, called on the federal government to as matter of urgency set up a probe panel to investigate the alleged fraudulent sale of properties of the corporation.
Comrade Chima, who made the call while briefing newsmen alongside other members of the executive council of the body , also appealed to? President Goodluck Jonathan, to? fulfil his campaign promise to revive the coal sector, which he said was the second mainstay of the nation’s
economy after oil. He alleged that the BPE threw? due process to the wind during the sale of the corporation’s properties, adding that rather than abiding by the initial directive to ?sell only non-core assets, the BPE through its consultant sold both non-core and core assets.
He added, “As earlier said, the BPE has helped in worsening the situation of coal corporation including the plight of its pensioners. We are appealing to the federal government to embark on the reactivation of the coal industry because it will help in improving the nation’s economy especially in the area of job creation and boosting electricity”.
Chima further said that? federal government was no longer interested in mining coal, urging it to open the doors for? interested? investors to come in, insisting that coal remained a very vibrant and lucrative industry capable of? turning around the nation’s economy if reactivated.
The chairman of the union regretted, however, that instead of moving motions that would assist in revamping the industry, the National Assembly members from the South-East geo-political zone, especially those from Enugu State, are busy scrambling for the purchase of properties of the corporation.
He also disclosed that the union had written several? letters to various anti-graft agencies such as Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the? Public Complaints Commission, to wade into the matter, lamenting that the agencies had not done anything till date.
The pensioners had earlier in a letter addressed to the director-general of the BPE in 2011 regretted that nothing had been heard from the agency, since the NCC was shut down in 2003.
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