TBS & National Theatre to Finance Budget

Isn’t it absurd that we are literally selling everything we own as a nation? Taking a dive back to historic lane and consciously looking through the lens on how far we have journeyed as a nation, I would say with a deep sigh that we disrespect our heritage as a nation. If the Federal government in its right mind would ever think and plan to privatize some key national relic and assets to fund the nation’s budget for the next three years.

According to the Director General, Budget office of the Federation, Mr. Ben Akabueze, the National Integrated Power Plant (NIPP) plants, National Parks, the National Arts Theatre, Tafawa Balewa Square, 10 power generation plants constructed by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) under the NIPP on behalf of the government, assets in mines and steels sectors and non-core assets, as well as houses will all be put up for sale to fund the national budget between 2018 and 2020. He said proceeds from privatization of key government assets were factored in the 2018 budget, to finance especially the budget deficit of N2.005 trillion. According to the Director General, the country was generating too little revenue; hence it was expedient to borrow.

All over the world, National Theatres are major tourist attractions, and they represent an important part of a country’s history. Our government is very okay with selling our national monuments and symbols of our heritage. Instead of coming out with better management practices to actually monetize these landmarks and assets, they just want to sell them. We cannot honestly accept that the National Theatre or any of these assets cannot make money, because they can. But our government is so lacking ideas that they actually would rather hand them over to the private sector than work to put long term structures in place.

CHARLATANS!

But what becomes of us if the Nigerian government sell off these assets to service a three-year budget? And after these three years who knows, they might as well sell its sovereignty.