The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the hurried and indiscriminate sale of Federal Government properties and assets by the Presidential Implementation Committee and Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The lower chamber while adopting a motion sponsored by Ademorin Kuye (APC, Lagos) at plenary on Wednesday
also mandated the Ad–hoc Committee on abandoned properties to embark on a holistic investigation of all assets, abandoned projects, and properties and report back within eight (8) weeks for further legislative action.
Moving the motion, Kuye noted that pursuant to House Resolution 105.03/2020, the Ad-hoc Committee was constituted to Investigate Federal Government Abandoned Properties Across the Federation including the Status, Use, and Current State of all Federal Government Properties in the country.
He further noted that the Ad–hoc Committee was officially inaugurated by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila on Tuesday 12 May 2020 with emphasis on the need to include abandoned properties and projects outside the country.
The lawmaker said he was aware that the Ad-hoc Committee immediately commenced an investigation and discovered the existence of numerous abandoned properties, projects, and assets within and outside the country.
According to him, 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.
Kuye expressed worry 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.
He also expressed worry that: “The 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 the House or the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF).
“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.
Kuye was 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.
