El-Rufai describes Dangote cement a success story of privatisation

Posted by admin Headlines Sunday, August 14th, 2011

Former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has described the sale of government cement firms to Dangote Industries Limited as a success story of the privatisation programme of the Federal Government.

Addressing the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee investigating the privatisation activities of the BPE during a public hearing in Abuja at the weekend, el-Rufai said all the firms sold to Dangote Industries have been up and running unlike other investors who soon after taking over firms sold to them cannibalised them for personal interest.

The Ex-Minister of Federal Capital Territory who was appearing before the Committee to give insights into the activities of the BPE when he was the helmsman, gave the instances of the sale of the former Benue Cement Company (BCC) and former Cement Company of Northern Nigeria (CCNN) which were sold to Dangote Industries Limited but which had all been turned around and are now producing double their production capacities before the sales.

“Those who led the Bureau after my exit should be blamed for the mess in the BPE. Privatisation is a good programme of the government if the right things are done at the right time. For instance, the cement companies that were sold to Dangote Industries as core investors are doing well, it is a success story because all the cement companies are now producing double their capacities after Dangote took over,” he told the Committee.

Mallam el-Rufai was answering questions on what his take was on the privatisation programme of the government generally and whether it has served the purpose and objectives of being put in place.

The former BPE boss, while exonerating himself from any wrong decision during his leadership of the Bureau, explained that if all privatisation activities of the BPE were carried out transparently like those of the Cement companies’ privatisations where Dangote emerged core investor, it would have served the purpose and objectives.

Also, last weekend Minister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga lauded the high pace at which work is going on at the Ibese plant of the Dangote Cement.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after being conducted round the plant, he said: “… from what I have seen now, the Dangote Cement is a success story. I am pleased and satisfied with the high pace of work in the site and very optimistic that Nigeria will soon become self-sufficient in cement production.

-Tribunewp_posts