Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged the members of the newly inaugurated National Council on Privatisation (NCP) to work towards actualising the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

At the inauguration at the Presidential Villa on Friday, Mr Shettima emphasised the need for the council members to champion great reforms through disruptive minds and ideas.

He noted that every great reform commences with a disruptive thinker, which he said Mr Tinubu symbolises.

Mr Shettima, also the chairman of NCP, explained that Mr Tinubu’s choice of the council’s membership was a reminder of what it could achieve with fresh ideas.

He observed that the diverse talents and great depth of experience of persons approved as council members by Mr Tinubu speak volumes of their ability to deliver.

Mr Shettima said, ” By his approval, Mr President has entrusted us with the strategic national assignment of piloting the nation’s economic sector reform, privatisation, commercialisation, and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programme for the next four years.”

He stressed that the council’s inauguration was an invitation for its members to take a front seat in the effort to actualise the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Mr Shettima said, ” Every great reform starts with a disruptive thinker, and President Bola Tinubu stands as a testament to this fact, reminding us of what we can achieve by infusing fresh ideas into this council.”

He pointed out that their duty was to execute the council’s statutory responsibilities in line with the Public Enterprises (Privatisation and Commercialisation) Act 1999.

The vice president listed the council’s objectives, which include approving policies on privatisation and commercialisation, approving guidelines and criteria for the valuation of public enterprises, and choosing strategic investors.

The vice-president added, ” Others are approving the prices for shares or assets of the public enterprises to be offered for privatisation, approving the legal and regulatory framework for the reform of public enterprises.

” And also reviewing, from time to time, the socio-economic effect of the privatisation and commercialisation programme and deciding on appropriate remedies.

” The council is also mandated to appoint committees comprising persons from the private and public sectors with requisite technical competence to advise on the privatisation and commercialisation of specific public enterprises.”

He said the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, is the council’s vice chairman. Other members include the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu; Minister of Industries, Trade, and Investment, Doris Anite; Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume; and the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, are also members of the council.

Others are the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Tope Fasua; Oluwole Oshin (private member); Mohammed Mustapha (private member); and Olayiwola Yahaya (private member).

Similarly, Shettima named Akwa Effion Okon (private member) and the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) director-general, Alex Okoh, as the secretary.

(NAN)