The House of Representatives has inaugurated the National Assembly Ad-Hoc Committee on the Investigation and Appraisal of Federal Government Benefits from Concessionaires and NPA-Operated Ports, from 2006 to 2025.
The Speaker of the House, Mr. Tajudeen Abbas while inaugurating the committee urged them to constructively engage all stakeholders to determine the actual benefits acrude to the federal government of Nigeria during the period.
“The decision of the Federal Government to concession key national assets, particularly our seaports and airports, was driven by government’s desire to enhance efficiency, attract private sector investment, modernise infrastructure, improve service delivery, and ultimately increase government revenue while reducing operational burdens on the state.
Nearly two decades after the commencement of these concession arrangements, it is both timely and imperative for the Legislature, as representatives of the Nigerian people, to undertake a comprehensive review of their outcomes.
” For the avoidance of doubt, this exercise is not an attempt to undermine legitimate private sector participation, it is rather an expression of the House’s constitutional mandate to conduct oversight, ensure accountability, and safeguard national interest.
Nigerians deserve to know whether these concessions have delivered value for money, complied with contractual obligations, enhanced national competitiveness, protected public assets, and contributed meaningfully to economic growth, employment, and revenue generation.”. Mr. Abbas said.
He said that Nigerians deserve to know whether the concessions have enhanced national competitiveness, protected public assets and contributed meaningfully to the economic growth, employment and revenue generation.
Represented by Mr. Bitrus Laori Kwamoti, the Speaker urged the committee to examine the terms of the concession agreements.
The spaaker also said that the outcome of the committee will shape the maritime sector.
He added that history will judge the committee on how faithfully it discharge the assignment given to the Nigerian people.
The Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee, Mr. Kolawole Davidson, said that the committee is set as an accountability mechanism.
He said that letters would be written to government agencies to make submissions to the committee.
He said that the job given to the committee involves engagement with all the relevant stakeholders and that the committee would not tolerate absenteeism by heads of relevant stakeholders.
The inauguration was attended by major players in the maritime industry.