Loot Recovery: FCDA Directors In Secret Asset Disposal

By Jonathan IPAA, Abuja

As the March 31st 2016 deadline draws nearer, senior Directors under
the employment of the FCDA and FCTA are pushing faster to dispose of all traceable properties to avoid being confiscated by the anti graft agency.
This follows the FCT minister, Muhammad Bello’s last week directive that all members of staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration including Agencies and Departments to declare their assets before March 31st, 2016 or get them forfeited.
The ministerial directive, nationalTrail correspondent gathered, has become necessary in view of the need to ensure that all civil servants comply with the requirements of the law under the provisions of Paragraph 11 of the 5th schedule of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The directive was contained in a circular signed by the FCTA Director of Establishment and Training, Mr. S.H. Mohammed.
Our findings in the city centre reveals that there is a rush patronage by estate agents to purchase these assets from some of the powerful directors who are still in service.
Luck was not coming due to lack of cash as the Treasury Single Account, TSA bits harder for the sale of such lucrative assets.
We understand, even members of the National Assembly who are mostly the biggest buyers of such assets are not for coming as the economy bits harder.
However, FCDA/FCTA directors are among the richest in the nation’s civil servants as they most choice estates, landed properties are traceable to their spouses or cronies.
Consequently, the latest circular they believe is targeted at them given the unrelenting tempo of the President Muhammadu Buhari war against corruption.
A similar gesture is said to have kicked off at the army headquarters where top generals are made to declare their loots or forfeit them when known.
According to the FCT circular, the law provides that all Public Officers should declare their Assets and Liabilities on:
The Minister seems not be relenting on his directive that all members of staff to fill the assets declaration form and submit the acknowledgement slip to the office of the Permanent Secretary on or before 31st March, 2016.
He, however, said those members of staff who have earlier declared their assets should submit their acknowledgment slips along with others on the said date.
The worst affected are those lobbying for political appointments under the new minister. Bello is yet to appoint his six mandate secretaries as required by law.