Tinubu dissolves committee on sale of federal assets

President Bola Tinubu has approved the immediate dissolution of the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on the Alienation of Federal Government Properties, bringing to an end the operations of the body established more than two decades ago to oversee the disposal of Federal Government assets.

Under the new directive, all matters relating to the committee’s activities will now be coordinated by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.

The decision was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

The PIC was established in 2000 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to supervise the privatisation, sale and lease of Federal Government landed assets under the government’s monetisation policy.

Its membership comprised the Minister of Housing as chairperson, alongside representatives of the Ministries of Transportation, Justice, Health and Agriculture, as well as the Nigeria Police Force. The pioneer secretary was Prof. P.T. Ahire, then a Deputy Director in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, while other members were drawn from both the public and private sectors.

On March 22, 2001, the Federal Executive Council approved the establishment of a Panel of Inquiry to produce a White Paper to guide implementation of recommendations relating to the committee’s activities. The panel worked for 21 months before submitting its report.

According to the Presidency, the Federal Government observed that the committee’s activities had expanded beyond its original mandate, resulting in multiple litigations across the country and making its continued existence unnecessary.

Consequently, President Tinubu directed that the committee be dissolved and that the Attorney General of the Federation assume responsibility for all outstanding matters with effect from November 5, 2025.

The Presidency also directed the former secretary of the committee, B.S. Dutsin-Ma, to cease acting on behalf of the dissolved committee and the Federal Government on matters relating to its operations.

The move is expected to centralise the handling of issues relating to the alienation of Federal Government properties under the supervision of the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.