John Odo (left) Chairman of the Privatization Council receiving the report of the Technical committee from the State Statistician General
88% of Cross River people endorse privatization of state assets – Referendum
[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]
Cross River people across the 18 local government areas of the state have endorsed the planned privatization of state assets.
John Odo (left) Chairman of the Privatization Council receiving the report of the Technical committee from the State Statistician General
This follows the results of the referendum conducted by the state privatization council to get inputs from the people.
Speaking while presenting the report, the secretary of the technical committee Asim Ita said 3000 questionnaire were administered and the committee analyzed 1510 representing 50 percent to arrive at its result.
He said 88% of the people of the state agreed to privatization while 12% opted against it.
The technical committee also strongly recommended that the privatization council should organise a private sector consultative engagement as this will help in validating or re-validating the results.
Chairman of the State Privatization Council, John Odo while receiving the report said the report will be adopted as a working document by the council.
He added that most of the enterprises have attained 98% completion.
On assets like the super highway project which is still under construction, the privatization council boss said the Environmental Impact Assessment on the project has been done and the investor will complete it and perhaps toll it.
“The roadmap for the super highway will be shown to the investors and they will come and complete.
“The EIA has also been done and it is the investor that will complete it and perhaps toll it so as to recoup his investments”, he said.
He also disclosed that the state Privatization exercise is backed by law which was enacted during the Donald Duke administration in 2001.
Other enterprises scheduled for Privatization include; the garment factory, Calachika, KissMe Noodles, Calapharm, Rice Seedlings factory, and 29 other state assets.
