MDAs To Benefit From Seized Properties

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun said the Federal Government plans to relocate some of its Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs) into some recovered looted properties.

Adeosun said this on Friday in Abuja while briefing newsmen after the Steering Committee of the Efficiency Unit meeting.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the country’s anti-graft agencies had over the last year, seized billions of naira in cash and properties from alleged corrupt public officials.

The Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers had been advocating for adequate utilization of confiscated properties.

Adeosun said that the move to relocate the agencies was to reduce waste since these properties were empty and thereby save government from paying rent.

“The issuance of price guidelines and initiatives for reducing expenditure on rent on office and residential buildings will be the primary focus areas of the efficiency unit in coming months.”

“You may want to know that the average annual expenditure on rent for a three year period of 2012 to 2014 was N3.55 billion.”

“And to achieve that, we are already looking at using properties that were forfeited from recoveries and moving some of our agencies to occupy those properties rather than paying rent,’’ she said.

Adeosun said that the Efficiency unit had already recorded success in cutting government overhead cost in areas such as travels, welfare, honorarium, sitting allowance, training, adverts and publicity as well as refreshments.

“Major savings are expected when on-going engagement with the Bureau of Public Procurement on the pooling of MDAs demands for standard products such as vehicles, computers, diesel and others.”

“We plan to secure large discounts from suppliers and the issuance of Price Guidelines are developed and implemented. Price Guidelines will ensure uniformity in the price at which MDAs purchase items, as well as transparency and value for money in the procurement process,” she added.

Adeosun said she was working with the states to ensure that they all established Efficiency Unit since 47.32 per cent of revenue that accrued to the federation goes to the states and local governments.

She enjoined relevant stakeholders to collaborate with the unit to ensure it achieved its mandate of cutting cost and improving the efficiency of government.

It will be recalled that President Buhari had set up the Efficiency Unit to review all Federal Government’s overhead expenditure to reduce wastage, promote efficiency and ensure quantifiable savings for the country.

The Minister of Finance, Head of Service of the Federation, Accountant-General of the Federation, Auditor-General of the Federation and Director, Budget Office of the Federation are members of the committee.

Also, the committee members would work without fees as their contributions to making government more cost effective.

(NAN)