By Ralph Simeon Sesay
The Chairman, Commission of the National Assets and Government Property Commission (NAGPC), Mr. Abu Hindolo Morseray, has called on all stakeholders dealing in the management and security of Government assets and property to come on board and assist the Commission.
In an exclusive interview with nightwatch, Mr. Hindolo disclosed that the Commission has the mandate, as provided for in the National Assets and Government Property Commission Statutory Act of 1990, to establish and maintain a National Register of all national assets and Government’s property, serves as custodian of such register, reports on the allocation and use of various assets, reviews and revises the master register of national assets as and when necessary, in collaboration with the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, monitors and reports on the state of various national assets and Government property to the President together with appropriate recommendations, among others.
The Commissioner further disclosed that his Commission has been getting the cooperation of the Sierra Leone Roads Safety Authority (SLRSA) and the Ministry of Lands and the Environment in terms of update on government vehicles and lands across the country.
He expressed disappointment on not being able to appropriately retrieve Government buildings and other physical properties largely because the Police have not been cooperative towards this direction.
The composition of the National Assets and Government Property Commission has provided for the Inspector General of Police or his representative as a member.But how is that the Commission has not been able to get the cooperation of the Police in carrying out its constitutional mandate is a million dollar question.
The Commission, according to its Chairman, is also constrained with vehicles and other necessary equipment to carry out its constitutional mandate as provided for by the Statutory Act of 1990.
The National Property and Government Assets Commission, according to the Statutory Act of 1990, is supposed to monitor and report on the state of various national assets and Government property to the President together with appropriate recommendations.The Commission has presented it 2018 report to President as part of its statutory mandate amidst the numerous challenges it continues to face in executing it role.
No disposal of any national assets or Government property shall take place without prior consultation with the Commission.
It is also provided for, by law that the Commission shall make an annual report on the state of the national assets and Government property in the Master Register, which report shall be laid before Parliament.
Mr. Hindolo stated that his Commission is constrained in terms of getting the requisite support from Ministries, Departments and Agencies, who are the custodians and daily users of Government property and assets. This is, he went on, is coupled with the fact that he has not been able to operate effectively due to lack of adequate human resources and logistical capacity.
The Commission under the leadership of Mr. Hindolo Morseray is prepared to fully recover and document all government buildings across the country and recommend for their immediate rehabilitation. This will make Ministries, Agencies and Departments on rent to quit such private places and occupy these rehabilitated buildings thereby saving government huge sums of money.
The Government of Sierra Leone has got a large number of abandoned buildings across the country. Most of these buildings are in a very dilapidated state and some have been encroached upon by squatters and other hooligans.
Many Government buildings are also at the moment in the hands of private individuals and there is no available information to state that these are properties of the Government of Sierra Leone.
Many Sierra Leoneans are of the view that capacitating the Government Assets and Property Commission, to be able to properly account for and manage all assets and property belonging to government, would ease the burden on government.
He called on President Bio to consider providing adequate support to the operations of the Commission amidst the meager resources of the state.This according to him is with a view to restore sanity in the management and effective documentation of all government property and assets across the country.
The Commission pursuant to the Statutory Act of 1990 has powers to summon and examine any person with a view to making inquiries into any information it may have received regarding government assets.
As it stands, the Commission is very much constrained to exercise such powers largely due to the lack of the necessary logistics and also support from the multiple stakeholders in the process especially the Sierra Leone Police.
To Recover Govt. Property & Assets … Commissioner Demands Strong Political Will
