BEVERLY HILLS, CA, November 28, (THEWILL) – The supervising Minister for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, Thursday said the Federal Government does not have plans to sell the official residence of Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, in Tarry town, New York, USA.
She made the clarification at a public hearing on the alleged plan to sell the building.
The minister who was represented by the permanent secretary in the ministry, Ambassador Martins Uhomoibhi, said the ministry was not aware of any plan to sell the said property.
“The property in Tarry town has not been sold . Neither is there any plan to do so. To the best of our knowledge, we are not aware of any plan to sell the property,” she stated.
Explaining further, the minister said the ministry has a responsibility to preserve whatever belongs to Nigeria stressing that due to lack of funding to carry out renovation on the property, it had deteriorated.
She however disclosed that since the property was purchased in 1961 by the late Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Belewa, it had not undergone any major renovation.
On the status of the house, the minister explained that a team of architects and engineers had recommended an extensive work on the property, to the tune of $16.9 million and $12.8 million respectively.
According to her, $1.6 million was released in 2011 for the renovation of the property, but only $1.1 million was released which the contractor rejected.
She said a directive has been issued to the mission to utilise any money allocated for the renovation of the property immediately.
Earlier, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Nnenna Elendu-Ukeje ( PDP- Abia), said t the investigation was to find out if the allegations that the Federal Government intends to sell the house is true or not.
According to her, disposing government properties had always been at a loss to Nigerians, urging the ministry to ensure that subsequently, all permanent representatives reside in the residence.
In his contribution, Alhaji Usman Sarki, Nigeria’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, assured that the mission was not contemplating selling the property. “I want to assure Nigerians that the property is still under the control of the mission,” he said.
Saint Mugaga, Abuja
