NIMASA : Reps Express Shock Over Sale Of 82 Vehicles @N5.8m

The House of Representatives has expressed shock over the sale of 82 vehicles for the sum of N5.8 million over the past 12 years as revealed by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA.

NIMASA Executive Director, Mr. Chudi Offodile, who publicly justified the sale during the resumed investigative hearing into the disposal of public property by the Agencies between 2010 and 2022 to unravel the extent of illegal auctioning of public property and non-remittance of revenue realised into the Consolidated Revenue Fund said NIMASA followed due process.

According to the documents presented to the committee, a Peugeot Expert Ambulance with a market value of N200,000 was sold at a forced liquidation or auction value of N95,000; a Honda Civic Saloon Car with a market value of N170,000 was sold at N76,500; a Toyota Hilux (Grounded) with a market value of N300,000 was sold at N140,000; another Toyota Hilux (Accidental) with a market value of N200,000 was sold at N96,000; and another Toyota Hilux (Grounded) with a market value of N250,000 was sold at N115,000.

In the same vein, two units of Toyota Hilux, which were at the time of inspection in the custody of Carbotage Consultant in Lagos and put at N1 million market value, were sold at N470,000 each for forced liquidation or auction value; a Honda Civic put at N210,000 was sold at N95,000; a Honda City put at N190,000 market value was sold at N80,000, among others.

Through its office in Abuja, a Toyota Hilux put at N500,000 market value was sold at N245,000; a Toyota Avensis put at N300,000 market value was sold at N145,000; a Toyota Corolla put at N300,000 market value was sold at N147,000; and two units of Honda Civic put at N90,000 market value were sold at N30,000 each, among others.

However, the chairman of the committee, Professor Julius Ihonbvere who disclosed that the Ad-hoc Committe was in custody of petitions against NIMASA that the vehicles were sold to some officials and staff of the Agency, insisted that the Auctioneers engaged by NIMASA were merely hired to rubber stamp the fictitious insider trading.

Other lawmakers who spoke during the investigative hearing, demanded for documented evidence of funds remitted into the CRF account as provided by extant provisions of the Procurement Act, Proceed of Crimes Act, and other known legislations or financial regulations.

In his presentation, Mr.Offodile who denied knowledge of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 on the remittance of the funds generated from the sale of public assets, however affirmed that the proceed of sales was paid by the Auctioneers into NIMASA’s coffers.

“looking at them (pictures of vehicles captured in the documents), some of them are looking new,” adding that for Nigerians, a 13 year old Toyota Hilux is not old.” he said.

Hence, the lawmakers requested for list of all the Auctioneers as well as beneficiaries of the vehicles, the original cost of vehicles and invoices, letter of contract awards for auctioning of the assets to the Auctioneers; relevant approvals obtained from Federal Ministry of Works & Housing as well as Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

One of the lawmakers, expressed worry why the Agency only carried out sales of vehicles and did not have any record on sale of computers and other office equipment within the period under review.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji