Reps probe alleged moves to sell UN rep's residence

By The Citizen

The House of Representatives, yesterday, commenced probe of alleged plans by the Federal Government to sell the official residence of Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, UN, in Tarry Town, New York, United States of America, USA.

This followed a motion sponsored by 19 members of the House, who described the move as ridiculous.

Highlighting the synopsis of the motion entitled Urgent Need to Forestall the Alleged Plan to Sell the Official Residence of Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the United, UN, in Tarry Town, New York, the chief mover, Yakubu Dogara, said Nigeria could not afford to sell an edifice built by the government of late Abubakar Tafawa Belewa, especially now that the country was close to having a permanent seat in UN's Security Council.

Earlier in their prayers, the members had noted that 'all the past Permanent Representatives have lived there and do have a very fond and nostalgic memories of their residence in the property and they never expressed any need, whatsoever, to rent another apartment in New York for purposes of residency.

'The said property sits on an area of over 16.6 acres of land and is located in Tarry Town in Westchester County of New York, which is an exclusive and exquisite preserve of the ultra-wealthy in New York.'

The members also expressed shock that the property, which could be repaired with about N350,000,000 due to 'a deliberate period of neglect,' was outrageously estimated to gulp N2,754,700,000, a development they saw as a move to discourage the government from carrying out the repairs and also to sell the property very cheaply.

According to them, a prospective buyer was already waiting for the signal to commence purchase processes and payment.

They alleged that the act 'seemed to be the pattern with Nigerian national landed assets all over the world, whose proceeds, after sales, never come into the coffers of the government.'