Federal lawmaker representing Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State, Honourable Leko Gambo, has explained the rationale behind his motion seeking the transparent and equitable allocation of forfeited estates linked to former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, to vulnerable Nigerians.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Wednesday, Gambo said his motion before the National Assembly was informed by the need for accountability and fairness in the distribution of the recovered properties, which were handed over to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in May this year.
According to him, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended under Sections 88 and 89, empowers the National Assembly to make laws and exercise oversight over persons, authorities, and Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) that handle public funds and assets.
He said, “Oversight is to ensure accountability, which is fundamental in all legislative oversight functions, and that is what informed me in bringing this motion. The motion basically talks about the need for transparent and equitable allocation of forfeited houses, which were handed over to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in May this year.”
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The lawmaker noted that nearly six months had passed since the properties were transferred to the ministry, adding that it was important to ensure that the assets do not end up in the hands of a privileged few.
“For me, from May to date is about six months, which is a very long time, and as a responsible representative, I came up at the National Assembly so the few elite will not take advantage of those houses,” he said.
He did a comparison with the Shehu Shagari administration’s low-cost housing programme for low-income earners, saying his motion similarly seeks to prioritise civil servants, internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by natural disasters, and other vulnerable Nigerians.
“I was specific in my motion, I suggested that these houses should be prioritised and given to low-income earners, who we can find in the civil service. I also suggested that we should consider IDPs affected by natural disasters and vulnerable Nigerians,” Gambo explained.
He emphasised that the welfare of citizens, including access to shelter, remains a constitutional responsibility of government at all levels.
“What I am emphasising is basically INEC’s mention of a transparent and equitable process whereby it will be all-inclusive. The House emphasised that we agree with the suggestion they made, but we want the House to be fully aware of the process of selecting those individuals who are going to be beneficiaries,” he said.
Source: Channels TV
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