Lagos Lawmakers Launch Initiative to Recover Government-Owned Properties

The Lagos State House of Assembly has set up an eight-member ad hoc committee to identify, document and facilitate the recovery of government-owned assets across the state.

The committee is also tasked with determining the status of both documented and undocumented properties and other assets belonging to the state government.

Speaking on Friday, the committee’s chairman, Obafemi Saheed, said the exercise was part of the Assembly’s oversight function aimed at strengthening accountability and ensuring the proper management of public resources.

Saheed explained that the committee would examine government spending, track the use of public funds and verify that taxpayers’ money was being deployed for its approved purposes.

“This exercise will help determine the assets owned by the state, assess their current conditions and establish whether they were being effectively utilised for the benefit of residents,” he said.

He called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, that had yet to submit the required documents to do so promptly and honour their scheduled appearances before the committee.

The lawmaker warned that heads of MDAs and other institutions that ignored invitations or failed to take the proceedings seriously would face appropriate legislative sanctions.

According to him, the committee could subpoena individuals and seek the Assembly’s approval to issue arrest warrants against those who refused to comply with its directives.

Agencies that had appeared before the committee included the Lagos State New Town Development Authority, NTDA, Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA, and Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA.

Others were the Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture; the Ministries of Basic and Secondary Education, Tertiary Education, and Wealth Creation and Employment; Lagos State Ferry Services; Lagos State Printing Corporation; Lagos State Agriculture Input Supply Authority; and Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority.

During the sessions, the committee sought explanations from the agencies and directed them to submit detailed records of all assets in their custody, covering both documented and undocumented properties.

The exercise is intended to establish the ownership and condition of government assets, verify their utilisation and facilitate the recovery of properties for the benefit of Lagos residents.

The committee is expected to continue its assignment, with additional MDAs scheduled to appear before it.

Other lawmakers present at the meeting were Jubreel Abdulkareem, Olayinka Kazeem, Samuel Apata, Sobur Oluwa and Bonu Solomon.