The Lagos State House of Assembly has begun an exercise to identify and recover government properties whose ownership, location or current status may not be properly documented, warning heads of ministries, departments and agencies that they could face compulsory appearance before the legislature if they fail to provide requested records.
The assembly has constituted an eight-member ad hoc committee to establish the status of both documented and undocumented properties and other assets belonging to the Lagos State Government and facilitate their recovery where necessary.
The committee, chaired by the lawmaker representing Kosofe Constituency II, Obafemi Saheed, has already begun questioning ministries, departments and agencies over assets under their custody.
Saheed said the exercise was part of the Assembly’s oversight responsibilities, particularly its duty to scrutinise government expenditure, monitor the utilisation of public funds and ensure that taxpayers’ money was applied in accordance with approved objectives.
He said the committee was not only interested in compiling an inventory of state-owned properties but also in determining what had become of them and whether they were being put to proper use.
He said, “This exercise will enable us to establish the assets owned by the state, assess their current status and determine whether they are being effectively utilised for the benefit of Lagos residents.”
The committee chairman consequently urged ministries, departments and agencies that had yet to submit the documents requested by the committee to do so without further delay and appear before it as scheduled.
He warned that the Assembly would not accept non-compliance from heads of government institutions invited to account for public assets.
Saheed said any head of a ministry, agency or institution who treated the committee’s invitation with disdain or failed to appear would be dealt with accordingly.
He added that the committee had the power to subpoena individuals and could seek the approval of the House to issue a warrant of arrest against persons who refused to cooperate with its proceedings.
Among the agencies that have appeared before the committee are the Lagos State New Town Development Authority, Lagos State Waterways Authority, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and Ministry of Tertiary Education.
Others include the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment, Lagos State Ferry Services, Lagos State Printing Corporation, Lagos State Agriculture Input Supply Authority and Lagos State Agriculture Development Authority.
During the engagements, the committee directed the agencies to provide comprehensive records of assets under their custody, including properties that may not have been formally documented.
The Assembly said the exercise was intended to enable it to identify, verify and facilitate the recovery of assets belonging to the state for the benefit of residents.
The exercise is expected to continue, with more ministries, departments and agencies scheduled to appear before the committee.
Other members of the committee present at the sitting included Jubreel Abdulkareem, Olayinka Kazeem, Samuel Apata, Sobur Oluwa and Bonu Solomon.