FG moves to recover all govt abandoned properties globally

By Ukpono Ukpong

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to recovering all abandoned properties within and outside Nigeria, ensuring that public assets do not go to waste.

This was disclosed by the Surveyor General of the Federation (SGOF), Abduganiyu Adebomehin, during a press interview at his office in Abuja.

Adebomehin further emphasized the determination of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, to reclaim all government-owned properties left unused.

“There are two main committees that are in charge of the sale of government property. One of them is PIC, which is the Presidential Implementation Committee. And that committee reports directly to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. The other one is the Land Use Allocation Committee. In our committee, we are just trying to see how to recover these properties that have scattered all over the world. Not even in Nigeria alone, but outside the country as well.”

READ ALSO: Tariff hike boosts telecoms profitability amid economic challenges

Highlighting the financial impact of these abandoned properties, Adebomehin described them as a major loss to the country. “Honestly, the abandoned property all over the country is a total loss. It can not be quantified. Our land in Lagos is valued at N12 billion, and we’ve left it like that for more than, let’s say, 15 years,” he lamented.

On the recently signed performance contract between his agency and the Federal Government, Adebomehin explained that it was part of the government’s efforts to enhance efficiency and accountability.

“The whole world is going paperless. So, the President of the country, President Bola Tinubu, in his own wisdom, decided to look at that paper, that Orosonye paper, and give it a dose. That is why you see one or two departments moving from one place to the other,” he stated.

He further elaborated on the contract implementation process, saying, “The minister signed a bond with the president. There’s a unit they call the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU), and they signed a bond with that unit. Then, it was cascaded down. Having signed with them, the minister will now carry whatever the president has in mind and bring it to his ministry. Once you sign that bond, there will normally be a committee that comes around every three months to look at how far you have been able to achieve what you set out to and how far you have been able to turn this place, i.e., your agencies, around.”

Meanwhile, as the Chairman of the Governing Council for the Federal School of Surveying, Oyo, Adebomehin disclosed the institution’s ongoing transformation.

“We started the innovation of our school right from the time I assumed the leadership of this office. We were able to complete the CBT unit because everything is now computerized. And whoever fails to go with the trend is put into the gallery. The school is the oldest school in the land of Nigeria. Yes, created in 1908. And maybe very soon, it has passed the first reading, we will also convert the school to a full-fledged university,” he said.

He also spoke on measures being taken to improve academic standards in the institution.

“We are still organizing training and seeing how a director here will double as a lecturer and give lectures on time. So, these are new innovations that we are launching. We have introduced the all-popular course. Before now, when you say you are a surveyor, people believe the controls are in the bush. But we have brought that bush to the office. In fact, there’s a training going on now. They call them the Young Surveyors Forum.”

In addition, Adebomehin highlighted efforts to give the school a facelift, making it more appealing to prospective students.

“So, if you are going to take a bride, you want a good bride. Ditto for the school. Let the school be something that is attractive to people who are coming in. So, right from the entrance, we put in a new gate so that people will know it is a school. After that, we put in an electronic device and painted the buildings, let me say, with a guest house. So that if you are a visitor there today, you have a place to stay.”

On the issue of quackery in the field of surveying, the Surveyor General warned against impersonation and illegal practices.

Adebomehin reassured the public of his office’s commitment to ensuring professionalism in the field of surveying while supporting the government’s drive to recover abandoned properties globally.

“For you to be a surveyor, you must have a certificate and a seal. But if you are not a surveyor, and you’re carrying out the job of a surveyor, and you go by extension signing a survey plan, it’s a great offense in Nigeria. And there’s an ethics committee that deals with that, and if the person is found wanting, he may find himself on his way to jail.”

Reiterating the seriousness of the offense, he added, “It’s a serious offense to impersonate a surveyor. It’s an automatic jail term.”