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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has shut down the secretariat of the dissolved Ad-hoc Committee on the Sale of Federal Government Houses (SFGH) in the FCT, ending its operations with immediate effect.
The move, announced by the FCT Administration on Wednesday, effectively transfers the responsibility for handling issues relating to the sale of Federal Government houses from the defunct committee to the Department of Land Administration.
The warning comes as the FCT Administration seeks to establish a clear administrative channel for transactions involving Federal Government houses, while preventing unauthorised individuals from exploiting the former committee’s name.
In a statement by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike also approved the creation of a dedicated division within the Department of Land Administration to take over the functions previously handled by the dissolved committee.
The development is expected to provide a new administrative structure for dealing with applications, transactions and other matters concerning the sale of Federal Government houses in the nation’s capital.
The committee had been constituted as an ad-hoc body to handle the sale of Federal Government houses in the FCT. Although it completed its assignments, its secretariat was retained to address issues arising from its activities.
According to the FCT Administration, however, that arrangement has now come to an end.
“With the formal closure of the Secretariat, the general public is enjoined to henceforth approach the Department of Land Administration on all issues relating to sale of Federal Government Houses in the FCT,” the statement said.
The administration also issued a warning to members of the public to be wary of individuals attempting to exploit the dissolution of the committee to defraud prospective buyers or members of the public seeking information about government houses.
It specifically warned against individuals parading themselves as officials, staff or members of the former committee or its secretariat.
“The Committee and Secretariat no longer exist,” the FCT Administration stated, urging members of the public to disregard anyone claiming to be acting on behalf of the defunct body.
The FCT Administration said all matters concerning the sale of Federal Government houses should now be directed to the Department of Land Administration and not to the dissolved committee or its former secretariat.
