President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dissolved the 25-year-old Presidential Implementation Committee on Alienation of Federal Government Properties (PICAFGP), transferring its responsibilities to the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development as part of efforts to streamline government operations and improve the management of federal assets.
The President has also transferred responsibility for coordinating all matters relating to the committee’s mandate to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
The directive, which takes immediate effect, was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, the Committee, established under former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000 as part of the Federal Government’s monetisation policy, was created to supervise the privatisation, sale and leasing of federal government’s lands and properties.
Onanuga said the dissolution reflects a restructuring of the Federal Government’s property disposal framework, with the Ministry of Justice now assuming responsibility for coordinating all matter.
Its membership included the then Minister of Housing as Chairperson, with representatives from the Ministries of Transportation, Justice, Health, Agriculture, and the Nigerian Police Force.
Professor P. T. Ahire, then a Deputy Director in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, served as pioneer Secretary. Other members were drawn from both the public and private sectors.
The Presidential spokesman noted that the Federal Executive Council (FEC), on March 22, 2001, approved the establishment of a Panel of Inquiry to produce a White Paper to guide the implementation of the committee’s recommendations.
The panel worked for 21 months before submitting its reports.
Onanuga said the dissolution reflects a restructuring of the Federation Government’s property disposal framework, with the Ministry of Justice now assuming responsibility of coordinating all related matters.
The government noted that the PIC’s activities had extended beyond its original mandate, leading to multiple litigations across the country. As a result, it’s continued existence is no longer justified.
President Tinubu therefore directed the dissolution of the PIC, with the Attorney General of the Federation taking over coordination of its activities.
“Following the directive, the committee stands dissolved.The erstwhile Secretary, B.S. Dutsin-Ma, has been ordered to cease acting on behalf of the committee and the Federal Government on related matters”, the statement said.
The move is expected to centralise the management of legal and administrative issues arising from the sale, privatisation and leasing of federal government properties under the supervision of the Attorney General’s office.
-9News Nigeria.
