The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the sales and disposal of public property has summoned the heads of some government agencies including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
The committee, chaired by House Majority Leader, Julius Ihonbvere, was mandated to investigate the disposal of public property from 2010 to 2022 to unravel the extent of illegal auctioning of public property and non-remittance of revenue realised into the Consolidated Revenue of the Federation.
“After exhaustive debate and consideration, the House set up an Ad Hoc Committee to investigate the matter and revert with recommendations. This task, to me and the entire members of this ad-hoc committee, is a very onerous one as the recommendations of the committee will be deep, thorough, and comprehensive; hence, we cut short our annual recess to holistically address the matter,” he said.
He said the committee would rely on relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, and the inherent jurisdiction of the National Assembly to carry out the task.
“In the course of this work, we have written letters to all the agencies concerned requesting information on the subject matter, and many of you did not bother to respond to our letter. We hope to physically visit the agencies, examine your books, and conduct a physical inspection of all public properties acquired to determine the ones sold and the procedures adopted for the exercise.
“As the representatives of the Nigerian people, we will deploy all constitutional means to ensure that we achieve the mandate of the House. I will drive this process in cooperation with my colleagues to the satisfaction and expectations of the people. In the course of this assignment, we will look at existing laws, including the code of ethics governing the operation of the public service,” he said.
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