By AWAYI KUJE

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has constituted a 9-man Ad-hoc committee to investigate alleged sales of government properties in Lagos and other states by the former administration of Tanko Al-Makura.

Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Speaker of the House, announced the resolution after Mr Mohammed Omadefu, the Majority Leader of the House, brought the issue under the Matter of Public Interest during plenary in Lafia on Tuesday.

The speaker urged the committee to immediately proceed to Lagos to begin its investigation on the alleged sales of Nasarawa State Liaison Office in Lagos State.

He urged the committee to do a thorough investigation to unravel the alleged sales of government properties by the immediate past administration.

“Yes, this House under my watch has passed a resolution directing the former government to sell the state properties in Lagos and other states for infrastructure development as requested by the past governor.

“With what we have seen in the media yesterday that the security men has sent indigenes of the state staying in our Lagos Liaison Office out of the structure was unfortunate.

“We feel bad and disappointing about that. The protest has given a bad image to our state and the government of Nasarawa State,” he said.

According to him, they did not know whether the properties were sold or not and whether the proceed were used for development or not.

“Because after the approval by the House in 2017 we never heard anything about it again not to talk of making any appropriation for it.

“And who is the beneficiary/beneficiaries of the sales of the properties,” he charged.

The speaker urged the committee to ensure that the right things are done in the interest of the state.

“All those that are involved must be invited for clarification such as the office of the SSG, Accountant General and Board of Internal Revenue Service,” he added.

The speaker named Mr Larry Bawa, the Chief Whip of the House, as Chairman of the committee.

“Other members are Hon. Iliya Zhekaba, the Minority Leader; Hon. Musa Ibrahim, Hon. Mohammed Omadefu, Hon. Suleiman Azara, Hon. Danladi Jatau, Hon. Saidu Gude, Hon. Mohammed Isimbabi, Hon. Mohammed Oyanki and Mr Ibrahim Musa, the Deputy Clerk is the Secretary of the committee,” he said.

The speaker urged the committee to carry out its investigation without fear or favour.

On their parts, Musa Abubakar, Danladi Jatau, Solomon Akwashiki, Mohammed Oyanki and Larry Bawa all supported the need for the House to set up the committee to investigate the alleged sale of government properties in Lagos and other states.

They said that there was the need for the people of the state to know how much was the proceed of the properties sold and was it used for development.

Earlier, the Majority Leader of the House while raising the issue, said that the protest in Lagos by indigenes of the state has tarnished the image of the state.

He urged the House to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the alleged sale of government properties in Lagos and other states.

The majority leader said that the people of the state need to know how the properties were sold and the proceeds of the properties.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that in September 2017, the Nasarawa State House of Assembly approved the request of the ex-governor to sell the state’s properties located in Lagos, Jos and Kaduna due to their dilapidated status. (NAN)

Update news