David Mark
THE Senate on Tuesday received the interim report of its Committee on Housing and Urban Development, which investigated the sale of Federal Government houses in the country and accepted all its recommendations.
The report indicted the Presidential Implementation Committee on the sale of the houses, usually headed by the Minister of Housing, accusing it of involvement in a N1.2bn fraud.
It accused members of the PIC of blocking access to the financial records of the ministry with regard to the sale of the houses, adding that the refusal was a violation of Section 89 of the 1999 Constitution.
The report, however, failed to name the indicted minister and secretaries of the PIC.
Although it was an interim report, senators were in agreement that stiffer punishment should be visited on those found guilty of subverting the policy of monetisation as articulated by the Federal Government in the sale of its properties to civil servants.
Senators also called for the involvement of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in dealing with those involved in sharp practices during the exercise.
Senator Ayogu Eze said the monetisation policy was corrupted by civil servants, who deprived their fellow civil servants of their rights to own houses.
According to him, the Senate should ensure that, besides punishing the perpetrators of the crime, victims are returned to their apartments.
Senator Chris Anyanwu, in her submission, said those involved in defrauding the government of about N1.2bn should be referred to the EFCC.
Senator Bob Effiong added that the names of “notable” Nigerians, who benefited illegally from the sale should be made public through the invocation of the relevant sections of the constitution to compel the Housing ministry to make available the details of the sales.
There was also a consensus that the Committee on housing should invoke the relevant sections of the constitution to compel the ministry officials to appear with the details of the exercise with a view to knowing those involved in the housing sale racket.
While ruling on the recommendations, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, said all the details and names of those involved in the scam should be made available in the full report expected in the next six weeks.
He said, “We are expecting the list of the names of the notable Nigerians, who benefited illegally from the sale of the houses so that when we are referring the matter to the law enforcement agencies, we will have specific names.”
The report noted that the work of the PIC on the sale of government houses was dotted with financial impropriety and racketeering.
It also recommended the disbandment of the PIC, to be replaced with a new board that would have specific tenure.
According to the report, a total of N1.23bn accruing to the Federal Government from the sale was missing and unaccounted for by the PIC.
It observed that about N80bn proceeds from the sale, were also fraudulently fixed with some banks at two per cent interest rate against the approved five per cent.
The committee alleged that the shortfall of three per cent was, however, paid to members of the PIC in under-the-table deals.
Members of the PIC, who appeared before the committee, reportedly testified that the sale of some choice houses was made to “notable Nigerians.”
The report fingered Transnational Corporation of Nigeria, wife of a serving governor in the North, Fatima Dangote, Kogi State Investment Company and the Baptist Church as key actors in the racket.
The report said, “The PIC lodged a total of over N80bn with various banks, the PIC testified that the Accountant- General of the Federation granted it approval to deposit the said sum at two per cent interest rate but the accountant-general denied giving any such approval.
“Instead of fixing the lodgements at between five per cent and 10 per cent per annum, the PIC officials had under-the-table deals with the banks such that the lodgements were fixed at two per cent.”
Source:http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20101027036168
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