Former Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has urged President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to tread carefully in their dealings with former Minister of Budget and National Planning, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, describing him as “inconsistent and disloyal.”
Sambo issued the caution while responding to recent claims made by Usman, who alleged that the 2013 power sector privatization process was manipulated by political actors in the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
In a statement released by his Personal Secretary, Mr. Yinka Ibrahim, the former vice president rejected Usman’s remarks, calling them “false, mischievous, and hypocritical,” and accusing him of attempting to smear the image of the Jonathan government and the National Council on Privatization, which Sambo chaired at the time.
“This is utterly ridiculous and a complete falsehood,” the statement read, referring to Usman’s claim at a public event in Abuja that political players and officials in the Jonathan administration scrambled for stakes in the privatized power companies.
Sambo dismissed the allegation as baseless, insisting he was never aware of any action that undermined the integrity of the process. He said he oversaw the council’s activities with transparency and in line with established procedures.
“As Chairman of the Privatization Council, I carried out my responsibilities in the best interest of the nation, and this was widely acknowledged by both local and international stakeholders,” he said.
The former vice president further recalled that the then-Minister of Power had to resign due to a conflict of interest, which, according to him, demonstrated the administration’s commitment to accountability.
“To ensure transparency, agencies like the EFCC and ICPC were made statutory members of the Privatization Council,” the statement added.
Sambo also challenged Usman to back up his claims with facts. “Let him name the individuals or companies that were politically favored. He chaired several committees during the privatization process — why is he just speaking out now?”
“It is surprising that he would make such accusations more than a decade later. One can only wonder if this is an attempt to curry favor with the current administration,” the statement noted.
Sambo concluded by expressing disappointment in Usman’s recent remarks, saying, “It is unfortunate to see someone who was deeply involved in the process now trying to discredit it. This is a classic case of biting the hand that fed him.”