The Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has said that the key element of Federal Government’s concession of infrastructure is to create employment to the teeming youth in the country. Speaking when he received the 2009 Report on the activities of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, he advised “that government is not only interested in managing its assets well but the main issue of the concession is to create employment opportunities for Nigerians”.
He further advised that the Commission should sensitize Nigerians, the banking sector and companies to take active part in the policy. He noted that the easiest way the Commission can succeed faster is to encourage Public Private Partnership (PPP).
Dr. Jonathan told the Commission to carry the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) along in its activities; so that government will act on the memos the MDAs will submit to the Federal Executive Council for consideration.
According to Jonathan, “government cannot do everything, the public has to participate in the concession policy. What is paramount to government is how its assets can be well managed but the key element of the policy is to create employment for all Nigerians.”
He commended the Chairman of the Commission, former Head of State, Chief Ernest Shonekan, the Director General, Engr. Mansur Ahmed and other members of the Board for the excellent report and a job well done.
In his remarks, Chief Shonekan said the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) Establishment Act was enacted in 2005 as a way of addressing the huge infrastructure deficit in the country and the decrepit state of existing infrastructure. He said the Act empowers Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to utilize Public Private Partnerships (PPP) as a procurement vehicle to turn around the infrastructural insufficiency.
Shonekan disclosed that since its establishment, the Commission has been promoting, facilitating, supporting and coordinating the initiation and development of a sound Public Private Partnership process. He requested the Vice President to approve a one-day briefing on the activities of the Commission for Ministers and other heads of Departments and Agencies of government.
