House of Reps sets up committee to review abandoned federal properties

The House of Representatives has announced the formation of a Special Ad-hoc Committee to review the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) report from the year 2000 and verify reports on other federal properties abandoned since then.

The committee’s mandate is to assess the current state of these properties, identify any infractions, and make recommendations for the final resolution of government-abandoned landed properties and buildings.

Debating the motion, the Minority Leader noted that the Nigerian Institute of Quantitative Surveillance, as of 23rd August 2021, came up with a large quantum of about 11,866 abandoned landed properties and buildings by the federal government across the nation, and that this has resulted into a colossal waste of resources worth over 20 trillion naira.

Rep Chinda further stated that about 63% of the federal government landed properties and buildings and projects since the nation attained independence has been abandoned without completion, and many abandoned for reasons, for one reason or the other.

“The House is also called to note further that some of the major federal government landed properties and buildings that have been abandoned include, but not limited to the following. Federal Secretarial Building Complex in Ikoyi, Lagos.

“Nigerian International Hotel Building, Sulaja, Niger States. Millennium Building, Toa, Abuja. Naipo Self-Quarter Building, Abuja.

“FIRS Self-Quarter Building, Abia States. National Library Building, Abuja. Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company Building, Kaduna.

“Kaduna Textile Building, Nigerian Aluminium Smelting Company, Delta States. Naipo Office Building, Lagos. Agro Livestock Building, Ogun States.

“Livestock Multiplication Building Centre, Damawa States. Livestock Building Milk Processing Centre, Taraba States, etc”, the motion read.

The lawmaker expressed worries that since the year 2000, when the Presidential Implementation Committee, PIC, under President Olusegun Obasanjo administration was set up, the official report of the committee has not been submitted up till date.

According to him, this “can jeopardise the accuracy and accountability of the said PIC reports”.

“Cognisance of the fact that several years after majority of these landed properties and building foundations were laid, by now, market inflation and engineering design would have been affected.

“Hence, the federal government can rescue some of the landed properties, buildings and projects through private-public partnership to avoid continuous wastage and weakening of the structures and loss of value”, he further stated.

The House unanimously adopted the motion when out to a voice vote by the Speaker Tajudeen Abass, and mandated the Special Audit Committee when constituted to report back to the House within six weeks for further legislative action.

“This motion is referred to a committee to be constituted in due course”, Abbas stated.