High rate of abandoned properties worrisome – Gbajabiamila

•As FCT Minister reveal that slow documentation process delayed  disposal of properties 

By Christiana Ekpa 

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has expressed worry over the litany of abandoned and moribund properties of the federal government across the country, saying they have affected the nation’s economic wellbeing.

The speaker disclosed this at the commencement of a probe of the matter by the sub-committee of the House Ad-hoc Committee to Investigate Abandoned Property Across the Federation”, which held an investigative hearing on moribund property in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Thursday.

Represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Legislative Agenda, Hon Henry Nwawuba, Gbajabiamila said that the mission of the committee was to identify such properties to enable the House activate the necessary legislative mechanisms to put them into useful use.

He said: “The Ad-Hoc Committee to investigate abandoned federal government properties across the federation has convened today’s investigative hearing to focus on such abandoned property in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). 

“This Committee has the mandate of the 9th House of Representatives to account for these investments and come up with a plan to put these assets to good use in the interest of all our citizens. To achieve this mandate, this committee requires the assistance of stakeholders and citizens to provide information, context, and expertise. 

“These hearings can take on an adversarial tint that often is not in the best interests of the country. I have the confidence of the chairman to assure you that the only objective of this committee is to do what is necessary to transform these moribund assets into beneficial ventures for the people and government of Nigeria. 

Similarly, the chairman of the committee, Hon. Gaza Gbefwi said the ill-development has retarded national growth and development for many years.

“When the House of Representatives first authorized this committee to examine the causes of abandonment of useful property assets, and to account for the stock of such assets across the country, we did not then realize the extent of the problem or how much work was going to be required to fully effect the committee’s mandate. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, 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.

“This investigative hearing will focus on abandoned Federal Government of Nigeria property within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). We already know that there are quite a few of these, our intention now is to determine exactly how many there are, where they are located, the reasons for their abandonment and the options for recovering, reviving, and revitalizing these assets to the benefit of the Nigerian people.

“As legislators, stakeholders, and public policymakers we must make sure the recommendations we make consider all the prevailing circumstances and reflect the well-thought-out contemplation of objective realities and alternatives.  To be effective in this regard, we must work together in partnership for the common good”, he said.

On his part, the Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello said slow documentation process has delayed the disposal of the properties for 17 years.

He said “The sub committee chairman is fully aware that all the relevant agencies of the FCT administration have been directed to provide access to all documents, particularly taking into account that the policy of the sale of government assets particularly residential houses to occupants was signed way back in 2005. That is about 17 years ago. 

“So, obviously in many of these institutions, there are challenges with institutional memory, archival materials and the whole process of documentation. That is why like you rightly said, 17 years after this policy, quite a number of these assets are not yet sold, and as a matter of some of them are not even fully documented. 

“So, in today’s hearing, I want to assure you that you have the full support of the FCT administration, and throughout this hearing today and all your other engagements. Dr Nasiru who is in charge of sale of government assets in the FCT would anchor the team from the FCT and continue to work with you here and of course on site in all the various locations. 

“But you have to understand that we are talking of quite a number of assets and a span of time that has covered the tenures of about five ministers or four and of course quite a number of directors. So, being able to get to the source documents sometimes might take time. But the beauty of landed assets is that they do not disappear”.