Fakoyejo Olalekan
The Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and three other agencies have been accused of illegal auction of Federal Government properties.
Also accused are the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), River Basin Development Authority (RBDA), and the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIn a motion moved by House of Representatives member, Oluwole Oke, during plenary in Abuja, the agencies illegally auctioned FG properties and didn’t remit the proceeds from the auction to the Consolidated Revenue Fund, as required by law.
Oke said the Financial Regulations, 2009 and Public Procurement Act 2007, among others, have stipulations regarding the disposal and auction of government assets.
However, the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, which require the remittance of the disposal or auction proceeds into the Consolidated Revenue Fund, have not been adhered to by the agencies.
An ad hoc committee was set up by the lower chamber to investigate the disposal of public property by NCS, NPA, NRC, RBDA and NIMASA.
The House of Representatives committee will investigate the illegal disposal and auction activities of the agencies from 2010 to 2022 within four weeks.
It was gathered that the probe of the auction was necessary, as the constitution is breached either the NCS, NPA, NRC, RBDA and NIMASA made partial remittance or non-remittance of the earnings on the illegal auction to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Meanwhile, the Senate has disclosed a plan to investigate the Gas Supply Agreement (GSA) between FG and Accugas, following the revelation that the government will have to pay $10 million monthly to the firm whether the gas supply was made or not made to the Calabar GenCo, owned by Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC).
The GSA deal, which was signed in 2017, has created a debt of $15.8 million owed by FG to Accugas. The firm had released a notice of non-payment in 2020, as FG failed to meet outstanding invoices.
The probe was approved after a motion sponsored by Aniekan Bassey, senator representing Akwa Ibom north-east, was moved.
Commenting on the need to investigate the deal between FG and Accusgas, another Senator, Aminu Abbas, said: “It is a very serious issue when you look at the take or buy agreement. It is an issue that involves a huge amount of money,” Abbas said.
The upper chamber lawmaker added: “If we look into it, it will help this country. The sum of $10 million is not a small amount of money.”
