The Kano State chapter of the Nigerian Association of Auctioneers (NAA) has disclosed that the state government is losing close to N1 billion every year due to failure to auction old and used public property.
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Speaking to journalists in Kano, the association’s secretary, Mr. Isah Deneji, said several valuable items removed during renovations and reconstruction of government facilities including electronics, air conditioners, furniture, roofing sheets, and interlock tiles, are often taken away illegally instead of being properly auctioned.
He alleged that in a recent case, about 20 air conditioners disappeared during the renovation of the Government House, adding that similar incidents have become common as workers and others help themselves to state-owned materials.
Deneji stressed that the state is losing around N1 billion annually to theft, whereas the items could have been auctioned to generate revenue for the government.
The auctioneers called on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to instruct the Ministry of Finance to resume public auctioning of property that has been declared obsolete. According to Deneji, this would discourage theft, improve accountability, and boost internally generated revenue for the state.
Reacting to the allegations, the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Marwan Ahmad, clarified that his ministry is not in charge of auctioning state property, stressing that the responsibility lies with the Ministry of Finance. He, however, condemned the reported thefts and warned against the unlawful removal of government assets at project sites.
