Anxiety as Reps plan probe of NPA, NIMASA, Customs’ auction

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the alleged illegal auctioning of the nation’s properties by some agencies of the Federal Government.

The agencies include the Nigeria Ports Authority, Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Nigeria Railway Corporation, River Basin Development Authority, and Nigeria Customs Service.

The Green chamber passed the resolution during the plenary session on Thursday, following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Oluwole Oke from Osun state.

While moving his motion, Oke said the procedures for the disposal and auctioning of government assets are well spelled out in the Financial Regulations Act 2009 and Public Procurement Act 2007.

He also said the 1999 constitution makes adequate provisions that all revenues realized from the disposal/auctioning of public property must be remitted into the consolidated revenue fund.

The lawmaker said proper valuation ought to be carried out on the assets designated for auction by the Federal Ministry of Works, indicating the original cost price of the asset, date of acquisition, and realisable value.

Oke told his colleagues that NPA, NIMASA, NRC, RBDAS and NCS have been auctioning public property “at a ridiculous price” and without following due process.

He further said partial remittance or non-remittance of revenue realised from the auctioning of public property into a consolidated revenue fund is a breach of the provision of the constitution.

The legislator said if the practice is not checked, it may affect the federal government’s quest to meet the rising demands for accelerated infrastructural developments.

The motion was adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, who presided over planetary.

The lawmakers, therefore resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the functioning of public property by the agencies between 2010 and 2022 to “unravel the extent of illegal auctioning of public property, and non-remittance of revenue realise into CRF” and report back to within four weeks for further legislative action. Punch