Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, has disclosed that for about 17 years after federal government’s policy on privatisation, most assets were yet to be sold.
Speaking before the House of Representatives sub-Committee on Federal Government Abandoned Properties in the FCT on Thursday, Bello assured that his ministry will furnish the committee with details of such properties in the territory.
“All the relevant agencies of the FCTA have been directed to provide access to all documents, particularly taking into account that the policy on the sale of government assets,.particularly residential houses to occupants, was signed way back in 2005. In today’s hearing, I want to assure you that you have the full support of the FCTA”, he said.
According to him, “the beauty of government assets is that they do not disappear, they can be seen, touched and felt”.
Declaring the hearing session open, Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, represented by Henry Nwawuba said the House will help identify federal Government’s assets across the nation and take legislative action ensuring they are adequately put into good use for positive benefits.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria possesses a large stock of abandoned properties that could become viable assets for the benefit of the Nigerian people if managed properly. The House of Representatives has since resolved to help identify these assets and take legislative action to help ensure they are either put to good use or transferred to provide income for the Federal Government of Nigeria,” he said.
Chairman of the, Committee, Gaza Gbefwi, said the existence of abandoned government property, valued in the hundreds of billions, left to deteriorate should trouble all our consciences.
“These projects are a visual manifestation of the excesses and failure to plan effectively and execute efficiently that has hampered our national growth and development for many years.
“In seeking to account for these assets, the House of Representatives, through this Ad-Hoc Committee is simply trying to rewrite past wrongs. This is particularly important at this time when our nation is pressed by serious financial difficulties and in dire need of creative thinking and out-of-the-box approaches to financial management and the operation of public accounts and resources”, he said.
