The Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Nigerian Movement for Probity and Accountability, (NMP) made a call to the incoming President, Bola Tinubu to revisit sales of Federal Government properties in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between 2005 and 2007.

The organization made the call in a statement jointly signed by Mr Bako Isaac, its National Coordinator, Malam Garba Kaoje, National Secretary, and Alhaji Salisu Abdulkadir, the Director of Publicity, in Abuja on Friday, May 19, 2023.

According to the statement, the government properties worth about N32 billion were allegedly sold under controversial circumstances within the three years in FCT.

Moreover, it added that the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai was among those dragged to court over the matter when he left office as Minister of FCT.

“As a responsible Civil Society Group committed to monitoring activities across the country, we, the Nigerian Movement for Probity and Accountability, NMP rising from an emergency meeting on Thursday, May 18.

 “El-Rufai at the time understood that the Federal Executive Council under the former President Olusegun Obasanjo approved guidelines for the sale of Federal Government properties in the FCT which the transaction under the El-Rufai was questionable, with regards to remitting the sum of N32 billion into the coffers of the Federal Government at the time.

 “At the time legal proceedings were initiated against El-Rufai by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission between 2018 and 2019, he had become the Executive governor of Kaduna State, hence, he enjoys immunity which the anti-graft agency could only investigate and not prosecute him.

 “This was confirmed by Justice Binta Nyako vide the Federal High Court ruling on Nov. 20, 2019, where she held that, “no court would stop the EFCC from investigating anyone in line with its constitutional mandate.

“The NMP recalled that, while the economic crimes investigation was progressing, the governor rushed to the court through the Suit: FHC/ABJ/CS/60/09 seeking the court’s determination whether, as the then FCT minister he had complied with the guidelines approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for the sale of Federal Government Houses between May 2005 and May 2007.