Another ‘white paper’ team: FG set up committee to verify Nigeria’s properties abroad

Olugbenga Ashiru, Minister of Foreign Affairs

by Isi Esene

The Federal Government has set up a committee  to do a verification of its properties abroad.

Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, who made the announcement said the committee was formed at the behest of President Goodluck Jonathan.

While speaking at the inauguration of the inter-ministerial committee, Ashiru said, “As you recall, I presented the record of our stewardship of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Federal Executive Council on 14 February 2013.

“At the end of our presentation, President Goodluck Jonathan decided to set up this committee to verify Federal Government’s properties abroad.

“Mr. President directed that the membership be drawn from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Finance, Transport; and Aviation.

“Others are the National Intelligence Agency; Bureau of Public Procurement, and the Office of the Special Adviser to the President of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation.”

Ashiru explained that the committee’s terms of reference was to ascertain the number of government properties abroad; determine the ownership by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of each of the properties abroad, including the costs of the properties at acquisition or at the point of purchase by the government.

Others included the evaluation of the condition of the properties as well as the volume of renovation required if any; to recommend disposal, upgrade or use of disused or vacant properties.

The committee has also been mandated to recommend how proceeds from the sold properties should be recouped back to further develop or acquire properties in Missions abroad on the basis of need.

Ashiru reportedly charged the committee to come up with a programme which would be funded by the MDAs involved, adding that members of committee were not to embark on “unnecessary journeys abroad”.

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