The House of Representatives on Wednesday unveiled plans to investigate Federal Government’s properties that were hurriedly and indiscriminately sold by the Presidential Implementation Committee and Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) under the last administration.
The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Ademorin Kuye.
In his lead debate, Hon. Kuye alleged that some MDAs wantonly engaged in balkanization Federal Government assets with no commensurate remittances into the Federation Account.
He recalled that the House, in pursuant to House Resolution 105.03/2020, constituted an Ad-hoc Committee to investigate Federal Government abandoned properties across the Federation including the status, use, and current state of all Federal Government properties in the country.
“The House further notes that the Ad–hoc Committee was officially inaugurated by Mr. Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila on Tuesday 12 May, 2020 with emphases on the need to include abandoned properties and projects outside country.
According to him, the Ad-hoc Committee which commenced work after inauguration discovered the existence of numerous abandoned properties, projects and assets within and outside the country.
“The House further aware that the commercial viability and inherent economic values of the properties could be a boost to the country’s revenue is put to good use or sold.
“The House is worried that the Presidential Implementation Committee of the White Paper on the Commission of Inquiry into the Alienation of Federal Government landed Property, Ad–hoc Committee on Sales of Federal Government Houses in Abuja (FCT) and some Ministries, Departments and Agencies have not shown due diligence, transparency and accountability in the exercise of their respective mandates with respect to Federal Government properties.
“The House is also worried that the above committees and some Ministries, Departments and Agencies are wantonly balkanizing Federal Government assets with no commensurate remittances to the Federation Account without recourse to the oversight or accountability powers of this House or the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF).
“The House is further worried that some of the Ministries, Department and Agencies are hurriedly and indiscriminately selling off those assets/abandoned properties in order to circumvent investigation and scrutiny by the Ad–hoc Committee.
“The House is concerned that the Federal Government and buyers of such properties are being shortchanged considering that such buyers are yet to get their Certificates of Occupancy as well as other relevant documents thereto for payment made as far back as 2008,” Hon. Kuye said.
To this end, the House mandated the Ad–hoc Committee to further investigate the activities and indiscriminate hurried sales of Federal Government Assets, abandoned properties as well as projects by Presidential Implementation Committee of the White Paper on the Commission of Inquiry into the Alienation of Federal Government Landed Property, Ad–hoc Committee on sales of Federal Government houses in Abuja (FCT) and some Ministries Department and Agencies.
In the same vein, the House mandated the Ad-hoc Committee to embark on a holistic investigation of all assets, abandoned projects and properties and report back within eight weeks for further legislative action.
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