Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has received resounding commendations from auctioneers for its successful assets’ disposal exercise, which was deemed “transparent”.
This was contained in a press statement released on Saturday by Demola Bakare, spokesperson of the commission.
The exercise, held on Thursday at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja, saw 40 auctioneers in attendance, with 26 of them winning various categories of assets, including plots of land, buildings, and vehicles.
The Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Department (POCD) of the Commission organized the balloting exercise, which was open to companies that had submitted expressions of interest.
However, out of the 119 companies that applied, more than half were disqualified for not meeting the required criteria.
According to the Acting Director of POCD, Mr. Michael Agboro, the auctioneers who made it to the balloting process were “partners with the Commission to ensure that the government gets value for forfeited assets”.
He emphasized that the assets were seized from individuals who had stolen from the common heritage, and that the auctioneers were responsible for selling these assets to help the government recoup its losses.
The balloting exercise itself was a transparent process, with 40 envelopes dropped into a ballot box for participants to pick their ballot and display to the audience and officials. Photos of the items won by the successful auctioneers were also displayed alongside.
The assets were divided into 20 lots, with four moveable assets situated at the Commission’s headquarters and the rest located in various states, including the Federal Capital Territory, Gombe, Nasarawa, Akwa-Ibom, Ekiti, Kaduna, Sokoto, and Rivers States.
In a notable highlight of the event, the winners signed a register against their company name to show their acceptance of the assets. This exercise is a significant step towards ensuring transparency and accountability in the disposal of forfeited assets.
