A CIVIL Society Organisation (CSO) Nigerian Movement for Probity and Accountability, (NMP) has called on the incoming administration of Sen. Bola Tinubu to revisit sales of Federal Government properties in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between 2005 and 2007.
The organisation made the call in a statement jointly signed by its National Coordinator, Mr Bako Isaac, National Secretary, Malam Garba Kaoje and Director of Publicity, Alhaji Salisu Abdulkadir in Abuja on Friday.
The statement alleged that government properties worth about N32 billion were sold under controversial circumstances within the three years in FCT. It added that the current Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai was one of the people dragged to court over the matter after leaving office as Minister of FCT.
“As a responsible Civil Society Group committed to monitoring activities across the country, we, the Nigerian Movement for Probity and Accountability, NMP rising from an emergency meeting on Thursday May 18.
“El-Rufai at the time understood succinctly that the Federal Executive Council under the former President Olusegun Obasanjo approved guidelines for the sale of Federal Government properties in the FCT which the transaction under the El-Rufai was questionable, with regards to remitting the sum of N32 billion into the coffers of the Federal Government at the time.
“At the time legal proceedings were initiated against El-Rufai by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission between 2018 and 2019, he had become the Executive governor of Kaduna State, hence, he enjoys immunity which the anti-graft agency could only investigate and not prosecute him.
“This was confirmed by Justice Binta Nyako vide the Federal High Court ruling on Nov. 20, 2019, where she held that, “no court would stop the EFCC from investigating anyone in line with its constitutional mandate.
“No court, including this one, will allow itself to be used to shield anybody from being investigated by the 1st respondent.”
It went further that “the court ruling was at the backdrop of El-Rufai’s move to stop the EFCC from investigating and prosecuting him over the proceed of sales of the Federal Government Houses in the FCT when he held sway as a minister.
“The NMP recalled that, while the economic crimes investigation was progressing, the governor rushed to the court through the Suit: FHC/ABJ/CS/60/09 seeking the court’s determination whether, as the then FCT minister he had complied with the guidelines approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the sale of Federal Government Houses between May 2005 and May 2007.
“He sought a declaration that the sum of N32 billion being proceed of sales of Federal Government Houses and 2005 between 2007 in FCT was remitted into the Federation Account,” it said.
The NMP Insisted that the matter should not be allowed to be swept under the carpet, particularly that the accused will hand over as governor of Kaduna State on May 29 and will not be covered by immunity anymore.
It added that El-Rufai should cooperate with the EFCC to prove his innocence as he would want the nation to believe. (NAN)
