The inter-ministerial committee on the disposal of forfeitted assets to the federal government, Thursday, said no fewer than 2,000 autioners had bidded for the sales of assets forfeitted to the federal government.
The chairman of sub-committee on the sales of forfeitted assets, Egnr Bello Nasir, disclosed this during the engagement of autioners for the disposal of the said assets.
Shortly before conducting the symbolic opening of the bid, the chairman of the inter-ministerial committee of the forfeitted assets to the federal government and permanent secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Dayo Apata (SAN), said the committee identified assets to be sold in 25 locations across the country outside places plagued with violence and insecurity.
“Estate surveyors and valuers had gone to see the forfeitted assets in order to ensure they are sold at market value”‘ Apata said.
He added that the bid opening followed an advertisement placed on May 10 this year for autioners to show interest in autioning in the forfeitted assets.
While assuring the public of transparency in the exercise, the permanent secretary, who is the Solicitor General of the Federation, said the criteria set out by the 14-member inter-ministerial committee would be strictly followed in the selection of autioners.
He said any estate surveyor or valuers who participated in the valuation of the property to be sold would not be allowed to bid as they could not bid for what they had valued.
He also said members of the committee would not to be part of the autioners.
The submission of the bid formally closed 12 noon, Thursday, and the process of bidding commenced immediately with the chairman of the sub-committee, Bello Nasir, from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), identifying bidders based on their lot.
Recall the Attorney General of the Federatiion and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malamr (SAN), inaugurated the inter- minstrarial committee on November 20, 2020.
The minister while inaugurating the committee said that the initiative was borne out of the president’s directive in October 2018, following recommendations of the Presidential Audit Committee on Recovery and Management of Stolen Assets and a need for efficient management of the assets.
“It is aimed at ensuring proper coordination of the disposal of the federal government’s assets and for promoting a uniform, harmonised and transparent procedure to safeguard the assets recovered by the relevant agencies in line with the anti-corruption drive of this administration,” he said.
The minister added that the members of the committee would be from relevant agencies specialised in the recovery and disposal of Nigeria’s assets while Dayo Apata, Solicitor-General of the Federation, will be the chairperson of the committee and the asset tracing, recovery and management unit.
The minister added that the committee was responsible for the development of its targets in order to measure its performance, and respond to ongoing asset management audit and asset performance reports.
“Your mandate is to ensure the expedient disposal of all FGN forfeited assets and generate revenue for the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“Accordingly, I wish to solicit the cooperation of all members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee in that respect.
“On this note, I wish to implore the Inter-Ministerial Committee to work as a formidable team with the relevant agencies in accordance with extant laws and regulations. It is also my hope that the proceeds from this exercise will be a source of additional revenue for the country.”
Members of the committee included the representatives of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President; the Federal Ministry of Justice; Federal Ministry of Finance; Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Auditor-General of the Federation, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices (and other related offences) Commission.
They also included the representatives of Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Department of State Security, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Department of Petroleum Resources, National Oil Spillage, Detection and Response Agency, Bureau of Public Procurement, and the Civil Society Organisation.
Others were youth representatives, the media, and industries.
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