The House of Representatives has opened investigation into the property disposal by the federal government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
The House Ad-hoc Committee investigating the disposal of public properties on Monday summoned officials of federal Ministry of water Resources to appear before it on Tuesday.
Chairman of the committee and House Leader, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, gave the directive after the appearance of the Managing Directors (MDs) of River Basin Development Authorities before the Committee on Monday.
The MDs that appeared before the committee were those of Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority, Cross River Basin Development Authority, Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Benin Owena River Basin Development Authority and Hadejia Jam’amare River Basin Development Authority.
In his submission, the Managing Director (MD), Cross River Basin Development Authority, Engr Bassey Nkposong, said the agency had nothing to auction, adding that, they lost a lot during the EndSARS protest in 2021 as their equipment was vandalised.
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Other managing directors, who spoke during the sitting said, that the auctioning of their properties was carried out by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
In his ruling, Ihonbvere, told the MDs to return to the ministry to get the remaining documents related to the auctioning of the properties and submit to the committee.
He advised the chief executives of agencies invited to the hearing to give the committee the necessary cooperation to enable it achieve its goals.
He warned that the agencies that were invited but did not appear breached the law.
Professor Ihonvbere said, “Those who blatantly disregard our invitation, we know precisely what to do as a House. There is a tendency in this country for big agencies to believe that they can operate above the law. But not with this 10th Assembly”.
He therefore directed that officials of the Ministry of Water Resources should appear before the committee on Tuesday, September 5, at 10:00am.
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