The House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Assets has called for the arrest of the Director of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) over the sale of two helicopters. This comes after the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, was urged to take over the investigation into the alleged indiscriminate sale.
The two helicopters, initially purchased at $2.4 million, were sold for $1.2 million.
Committee Chairman Ademorin Kuye highlighted concerns over the lack of due process in the sale.
The Committee requested a detailed list of assets and their current status but found NCAT’s responses unsatisfactory.
Kuye noted that the information provided was insufficient and did not meet the Committee’s requests.
The use of an unlicensed auctioneer for the sale raised further questions.
The auctioneer failed to provide adequate responses to the Committee’s inquiries.
Musa Alkali, the Coordinator of Nigerian Army Aviation, revealed that a request to use the helicopters for counter-terrorism efforts was denied.
Alkali called for the recovery of the sold helicopters.
Committee member Midala Balami stated that the documents presented were false, indicating deeper issues with the sale process.
n December, the House launched a broader investigation into the state of public assets across Nigeria.
The Committee’s mandate includes recovering assets worth trillions of naira and investigating the reasons behind the hurried sale of public assets without proper approval, particularly those sold just before the end of Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2023.
This move underscores the government’s commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency in the management of public assets.
The involvement of the Inspector General of Police may lead to legal proceedings against those found culpable in the irregular sale.
The recovery of the helicopters and other misappropriated assets could follow, reinforcing the government’s stance on asset mismanagement.
This investigation highlights the critical need for stringent oversight and adherence to due process in the management and disposal of public assets in Nigeria.
