Senate C’ttee to Probe Past Administrations over Concession of FCT Assets

Laments non-remittances to govt

The Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has indicated its readiness to open probes into the concession of government property to the tune of N2.7 billion, during the tenures of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, and former FCT Ministers Nasir El-Rufai, Aliyu Modibbo and Bala Mohammed.

The committee said despite the concession for commercialisation of assets such as the Eagle Square, International Conference Centre (ICC) and others, there have been no remittances to the government coffers since 2008.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi APC), speaking during a meeting on budget deliberations with the Minister of the FCT, Mr. Muhammad Musa Bello, and officials of the FCT Administration, yesterday, said a holistic probe would be conducted into the entire process. Melaye said the committee would invite all actors who were involved in the privatisation and commercialisation of the properties.

“It is worthy of note that these FCT owned companies received huge returns on investment without making returns to FCT Administration. The returns are in billions of Naira. They are spent and re-invested without appropriation. This is contrary to the principles of accountability and due process. The Committee is also worried about the revenue line charge on investment income. The actual performance on this charge has zero returns over the years,” Melaye said.

He described the processes as the failure of leadership and a national disaster, which must not be allowed to continue if the country would develop.

This Committee would expose all those involved, even when it amounts to exhuming corpses of those involved who are dead, “Melaye added. The lawmaker gave further details of assets which were concessioner by the FCT, to include the

Karu General Hospital which was initially a 222-bed facility.

“It is important to note that 40% of the Hospital is leased to Primus Super Specialty Hospital (an Indian Hospital) for management. The hospital commenced operation on 19th April 2017,” he said.

“Eagle Square and International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja were concessioned to the same company who had no evidence of previous facility management experience anywhere in the world, and without financial capacity to manage the facilities. This company had to fall back on FCTA to buy new equipment to kick-start its operations. It is worthy of note that the management of the two concessioned facilities makes millions of Naira on a monthly basis since the commencement of its operations,”