The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Service Employees (AUPCTRE) has warned the federal government against the proposed sale of some national historical assets to fund the 2018 budget.
The warning is contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the General Secretary, National Governing Council of AUPCTRE, Mr Yusuf Zambuk.
The concerned historical assets include the National Arts Theatre Iganmu, Lagos and Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.
The union described the idea of funding the national budget from sale of public assets as strange.
It argued that the assets were of cultural importance, especially at a time when the federal government was embarking on the diversification of the economy from oil.
The statement reads in part: “Our attention has been drawn to the decision of the Federal Government to sell some National Historical Assets to fund the 2018 budget currently before the National Assembly if the information is true is a strange phenomenon.
“When President Buhari came to power in 2015, his government made a statement that historical assets will not be sold for any reason to any private interest.
Read also: 2019 general elections: INEC yet to fix dates for parties’ primaries
“The stand of government was widely supported by the generality of Nigerians in particular and by all patriotic Nigerians.
“We can therefore, not rationalise the changes in government policy, in particular on sale of public assets to fund annual budget.
“In the light of above submission, we passionately appeal to President Buhari to intervene and stop the proposed sale of National Historical Assets and other national monuments to fund an annual budget.”
Rather, the union said, the government should consider other alternatives to fund the national budget without selling important assets.
It would be recalled that the Director-General of Budget Office, Mr Ben Akabueze, told the House of Representatives Committee on Finance and Appropriation on November 28 that the Federal Government had concluded plans to sell the Tafawa Balewa Square and the National Arts Theatre to generate sufficient revenue to finance the country’s annual budgets for the next three years (2018-2020).