House Of Reps Want Seized Property Converted To Govt Offices

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, urged the Federal Government to renovate and repurpose its abandoned buildings and forfeited lands for public utility.

This decision came as a result of a motion titled, “Call to convert abandoned and seized properties including buildings and lands for public use,” which was adopted during the plenary session.

The motion was introduced by the lawmaker who represents Oredo Federal Constituency of Edo State, Iyawe Esosa.

During the session, Esosa highlighted a critical inefficiency within the government’s asset management. He pointed out that numerous government agencies are spending substantial amounts on rented office spaces, despite the availability of numerous abandoned properties owned by the Federal Government across the nation and abroad.

Esosa stressed the importance of asset recovery as an effective but underused strategy against both domestic and international corruption.

He referenced the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, which he described as providing a comprehensive legal framework for the management and recovery of such assets.

Reflecting on past successes, Esosa recalled an instance from 2017 where the Federal Government made significant financial savings by converting properties confiscated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into office spaces for various agencies.

According to his statement, this move saved the nation an approximate ₦180 billion.

He said, “Some agencies of government operating in states across the country are experiencing challenges in finding office accommodation due to difficulties in paying rent.

“Reports have revealed that over 50 assets confiscated from politically exposed persons, civil servants, and other individuals are currently unoccupied and rotting away.”

The House, following the adoption of the motion, referred it to the Committee on Public Assets for further legislative action.

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