Tinubu Dissolves FG Property Sale Committee Amid Mounting Legal Disputes

President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate dissolution of the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on the Alienation of Federal Government Properties, bringing to an end a body established more than two decades ago to oversee the sale and lease of federal assets.

The President also directed that all matters relating to the committee’s activities be transferred to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, with immediate effect.

The decision was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the Presidency, the committee had exceeded its original mandate, with its activities giving rise to multiple litigations across the country.

“After careful consideration, the Government has noted that the activities of the PIC had extended beyond its original mandate, resulting in multiple litigations across the country,” the statement said.

Established in 2000 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Presidential Implementation Committee was created to implement the Federal Government’s monetisation policy by supervising the privatisation, sale and lease of government-owned landed properties.

The committee comprised representatives from key ministries, departments and agencies, including the then Ministry of Housing, which served as chairman, as well as the ministries responsible for Justice, Transportation, Health and Agriculture. It also included representatives of the Nigeria Police Force and selected public and private sector stakeholders.

Prof. P.T. Ahire, then a Deputy Director in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, served as the committee’s pioneer secretary.

On March 22, 2001, the Federal Executive Council constituted a panel of inquiry to investigate issues arising from the committee’s operations and produce a white paper. The panel reportedly spent 21 months on the assignment before submitting its report for government consideration.

Explaining the latest decision, the Presidency said the committee’s continued existence was no longer necessary in view of the legal disputes linked to its operations.

Tinubu directed that the Attorney-General of the Federation should henceforth coordinate all matters relating to the dissolved committee.

The President also instructed the committee’s former secretary, B.S. Dutsin-Ma, to immediately cease representing the dissolved committee or the Federal Government in any matter connected with its activities.

The move is expected to centralise the handling of all pending issues relating to the sale and disposal of Federal Government properties under the Office of the Attorney-General, as the administration seeks to streamline asset management and address the legal challenges surrounding past transactions.