NASS awarded N1.2 bn contract for Mark, Ekweremadu houses

Between 2013 and 2014, the management of the National Assembly  (NASS) awarded various contracts in excess of N800 million and N400 million respectively for the upgrade, renovation and provision of services to the properties sold in 2011 to the former Senate President David Mark and his Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu. Daily Trust recalls that […]

Between 2013 and 2014, the management of the National Assembly  (NASS) awarded various contracts in excess of N800 million and N400 million respectively for the upgrade, renovation and provision of services to the properties sold in 2011 to the former Senate President David Mark and his Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.
Daily Trust recalls that the FGN official Gazette No. 82, Vol. 92 of 15th August 2005 approved guidelines for the sales of FGN Houses in FCT to career public servant exempted the houses of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President and that of the Speaker as well as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps amongst others not to be sold for constitutional, statutory and administrative reasons.
However, in a dramatic twist, the then FCT Minister Bala Mohammed on with October, 2010 in a letter requested the then President, Dr. Good luck Jonathan to grant approval for the houses occupied by the leading principal officers of the NASS to be delisted from the list of essential properties and be sold to their present occupants. This was approved by the then President on 15th, November, 2010.
The Senate President house was valued at N748 million, Speaker House of Reps- N670 Million, Deputy Senate President’s was valued at N458 Million while that of the Deputy Speaker, House of Reps was valued at N348 Million. The offer letter dated 30th, November 2010 was signed by Bala Mohammed and was issued to the principal officers of the NASS.
Unconfirmed report however said that despite the houses offered to them at cost, the Senate President and his Deputy, allegedly ignored the valuation  and paid less than N60 million each for the properties.
The houses situated at No. 1 Musa Usman Street, Guru App, Abuja  FCT was offered to the past Senate President which he accepted and paid via third party RTGS transfer 21 April 2011 from an account domiciled in First Inland Bank account to an account in Oceanic Bank belonging to ADO- HOC committee on sales of FGN Houses in Abuja.
The house situated at No. 2, Jim Nwobodo Street,  Guru App, Abuja FCT was offered to the past Deputy Senate President who accepted the offer December 7, 2010 and paid via RTGS transfer on April 14, 2011 from an account domiciled in Zenith Bank account to an account in Oceanic Bank.