Gloria Essien, Abuja
The House of Representatives has resolved to set up a Special Ad-hoc Committee to review the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) report conducted in the year 2000.
It is also set to verify reports of other properties abandoned since the year 2000 to identify the state of these properties and report infractions, determine and make recommendations for final resolution on the government abandoned landed property and buildings.
This was a sequel to the adoption of a motion on the urgent need for action on federal government-abandoned landed properties and buildings in Nigeria by the Minority Leader, Mr. Kingsley Chinda, at Plenary.
Leading the debate on the motion, Mr. Chinda 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 in a colossal waste of resources worth over 20 trillion naira.
He also stated that about 63% of federal government landed properties, buildings, and projects since the nation attained independence have been abandoned without completion.
“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 are not limited to, the following: Federal Secretariat Building Complex in Ikoyi, Lagos; Nigerian International Hotel Building, Suleja, Niger State; Millennium Building, Toa, Abuja; Naipo Self-Quarter Building, Abuja.
“FIRS Staff-Quarter Building, Abia State; National Library Building, Abuja; Nigerian Newsprint Manufacturing Company Building, Kaduna.
“Kaduna Textile Building, Nigerian Aluminium Smelting Company, Delta State; Naipo Office Building, Lagos; Agro Livestock Building, Ogun State.
“Livestock Multiplication Building Centre, Adamawa State; Livestock Building Milk Processing Centre, Taraba State,” the motion read.
The lawmaker expressed concern that since the year 2000, when the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC), under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, was set up, the official report of the committee had not been submitted to date.
According to him, this “can jeopardise the accuracy and accountability of the said PIC reports.
“Several years after the 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 through a voice vote by the Speaker, Mr. Tajudeen Abass, and mandated the Special Audit Committee, when constituted, to report back to the House within six weeks for further legislative action.