News
Multi-million naira assets rot away as Ministry of Water Resources fails to hold auction
Assets valued at millions of naira are rotting away at various locations across the country after the planned auction of the items by the Ministry of Water Resources failed to hold.
The items, including unserviceable earth-moving machines and other heavy-duty industrial equipment, had been abandoned at various sites by the ministry for several years, where they have been overtaken by weeds.
Many of the machinery are located at the Gurara Dam in Niger State, as well as Upper and Lower Benue in Doma, and across other sites.
Ekwutosblog reports that the ministry had in a publication dated August 20, 2025, signed by Moses Jo-Madugu, Chairman of the Board of Scraps and Unserviceable Items Committee, announced plans to auction the items.
However, it was gathered that the planned auction was stalled due to alleged conflict of interest among senior ministry officials.
Speaking on the development, President of the Nigeria Association of Auctioneers, Musa Kurra, suggested that the ministry is not sincere about the planned auction.
Kurra said the ministry appeared to be playing games, adding that the officials have refused to follow the due process.
‘’Since August 20, 2025 when the ministry published an advertorial about the planned auction of the heavy-duty machinery and other scraps and unserviceable assets, the officials have kept mum. They refused to release further information about the auction.
“First, the advert is defective and vague; it was supposed to invite auctioneers to submit applications for appointment to sell on their behalf, but this was not done. Also, there were supposed to be second and follow-up adverts for the announcement of dates and location of sales to the public, but this was also not done. Everything is done in secrecy.
“Worse still, they are not involving auctioneers who, by law, are legally mandated to supervise the auction processes. What we learnt is that they have been taking some contractors to the sites where the assets have been left abandoned for several years to rot away. This equipment was bought at millions of naira, but, unfortunately, they were abandoned under the sun and rain and allowed to go bad,” Kurra said.
He accused the ministry’s officials of frustrating the Federal Government’s move to recover money from the abandoned assets.
Kurra further insisted that the auctioneers must be carried along in the disposal of the items, as stipulated by law.
“Now that the government can recover some money from these assets, the ministry has been playing hide-and-seek and refusing to provide clear information on the auction exercise.
“This is unacceptable to the Nigeria Association of Auctioneers. We demand that the right thing be done. The ministry of Water Resources must carry us along, provide the necessary guidelines and ensure that the process leading to the auction and the auction itself are transparent and credible. Our objective is for the government to get value from the auction,” he stressed.
Efforts to get the comments of relevant officials of the ministry concerning the stalled auction were not successful on Tuesday.
Former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami says Economic and Financial Crimes Commission operatives forcefully evicted him and his family from their Abuja residence despite ongoing court proceedings over the property’s forfeiture.
He described the action as unlawful and vowed to challenge it in court.
The governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde, has approved a N10,000 transportation allowance as a palliative for the state workforce to cushion the effects of the increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State chapter, Kayode Martins, in a statement released on Monday, March 23, disclosed that the governor has granted the request of the union on the issue of transportation allowance.
The statement read
“Following the intervention and formal request made by the State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) earlier this morning, the state government has approved a N10,000 transportation allowance for all workers in the state.
The newly approved allowance is set to take effect from April 2026, providing much-needed relief to workers grappling with rising transportation costs amid current economic challenges.
This development comes as a direct response to sustained advocacy by the state NLC, aimed at cushioning the impact of increased living expenses on the workforce.
Further details on implementation are expected to be communicated by the relevant government authorities in due course.”
News
Former Acting Accountant-General of the Federation bags 72years imprisonment for diverting N868.46 million security funds
Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, March 23, convicted and sentenced Chukwunyere Nwabuoku, former acting Accountant-General of the Federation (AGoF), to a 72-year jail term without an option of fine.
DailyTrust reports that in the judgment delivered, Justice Omotosho held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had been able to prove the nine-count money laundering charge beyond reasonable doubt.
According to the judge, the defendant is hereby convicted as charged.
Justice Omotosho convicted Nwabuoku in all the nine counts and sentenced him to eight years imprisonment in each of the counts, making 72 years.
The judge, however, ordered that the counts shall run concurrently.
Justice Omotosho, who described Nwabuoku’s act of diverting funds meant for security and defence while he served as Director of Finance and Account in the Ministry of Defence as “appalling,” commended the EFCC for being detailed in its prosecution.
The judge observed that the evidence of the 9th prosecution witness that Nwabuoku voluntarily refunded part of the siphoned money of over N200 million during investigation was not controverted by the defence.
Nwabuoku served as the Director of Finance and Accounts in the Ministry of Defence between 2019 and 2021. He became acting Accountant General of the Federation in May 2022.
IMO STATE LABOUR PARTY DESCENDS INTO FACTIONAL WAR
EFCC evicts Malami from Abuja home amid forfeiture dispute
Fuel price hike: Gov Makinde announces N10,000 transport support for workers
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