The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abasss has called on relevant ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government to support the House in its bid to ensure every public assets across Nigeria delivers real value.
Abbas made this call on Tuesday at the inauguration of the ad hoc committee on abandoned federal government landed properties in Nigeria.
The Speaker, who was represented by the chief whip of the house, Bello Usman Kumo, said statistics has shown that over 11,800 properties are currently abandoned across the country, adding that the trend must stop immediately.
“From statistics available by NBRRI (Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute), there are about 11,800 abandoned properties across 36 states of the Federation and the FCT. There was a review of the then presidential committee set up by the then Olusegun Obasanjo government to review this particular subject matter.
“It is the responsibility of this committee to review this claim by NBRRI and review these properties and put forward a recommendation that will help us get a better governance in this country.
“To our invited guests, we urge you to cooperate with this committee. Kindly support this committee to ensure that it delivers on its mandate for the people of this country”, the speaker concluded.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Chairman of the committee, Hon. Daniel Amos, who his deputy, Hon. Lanre Oladebo, stood in for, appreciated the Speaker for trusting them with the crucial national assignment.
He described unsued properties and projects across Nigeria as missed opportunities, which must be re-channeled towards the benefits of Nigerians.
“Across the country, countless public properties and projects lie unutilised, under- valued, or altogether abandoned. They stand as silent reminders of lost opportunities; opportunities for housing, revenue and national development. It is our duty, as representatives of the people, to reverse this trend and ensure that every public asset delivers real value to citizens,” Oladebo said.
He listed the mandate of the committee to include a comprehensive identification and verification of all abandoned Federal Government landed properties; the establishment of a centralised and reliable national database to ensure accurate documentation and institutional memory; a rigorous evaluation of the financial, economic, and developmental implications arising from their abandonment; and the determination of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies that hold custodial or administrative responsibility for these assets.
Others are; an in-depth examination of the administrative, budgetary, regulatory, and operational deficiencies that have impeded their proper
utilisation; the formulation of clear and actionable strategies for the recovery,rehabilitation, or productive deployment of all identified assets; the development of sustainable, forward-looking policy recommendations to address systemic weaknesses and prevent future occurrences; and the submission to the Honourable House of a comprehensive, evidence-driven report within the period prescribed, which is six weeks.
The chair pledged that the committee will discharge the its mandate with the utmost diligence, transparency, and fidelity to the public trust.
Some of the agencies present at the inauguration are Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ministry of Justice and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission.
InsightLinks recalls that the Speaker had during the plenary on Wednesday announced the constitution of the committee after a motion by the Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda.
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