The National President of the Nigeria Auctioneers Association (NAA), Alhaji Musa Kurra, has accused some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of violating due process in the disposal of seized and public properties, alleging that the practice is depriving the Federal Government of substantial revenue.
Kurra made the allegation on Thursday in Abuja during a press briefing, where he maintained that government agencies responsible for seized or forfeited properties are required by law to engage qualified valuers to determine the value of such assets and appoint licensed auctioneers to conduct their disposal.
According to him, rather than following the prescribed process, some government agencies have created internal structures to conduct auctions themselves.
He specifically accused the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of conducting auctions through what he described as an illegal “Direct Auction Administration Department”, insisting that auctioneering should be carried out in accordance with existing laws and through duly licensed auctioneers.
Kurra alleged that some auction exercises had resulted in public properties being sold below their actual value, thereby denying the government the revenue that could have been generated from the transactions.
He called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to investigate the alleged practices, warning that continued violation of the established procedures could not only result in significant revenue losses but also damage the image of the administration.
“Most ministries and agencies have become auctioneers on their own. They don’t care about the due process anymore. This is not good for the government,” Kurra said.
He maintained that the association’s members have a statutory role to play in helping government generate revenue through the lawful disposal of seized and forfeited assets.
Kurra said there were properties worth billions and potentially trillions of naira whose disposal, if properly handled, could generate significant revenue for the government.
He urged the President to examine the allegations, saying the association was prepared to provide documents to support its claims.
The NAA president also addressed the leadership crisis within the association, insisting that there was no ambiguity regarding the legitimacy of his administration.
He cited a judgment of the National Industrial Court in Bauchi which, according to him, directed the association to hold an Annual General Meeting and conduct an election.
Kurra said the election was subsequently conducted in Abuja on October 20, 2020, adding that the tenure of the elected executives was four years.
He maintained that the judgment had neither been challenged nor appealed and therefore remained valid.
He also dismissed the legitimacy of another faction claiming leadership of the association, describing persons parading themselves as executives under the opposing faction as impostors.
According to him, the leadership dispute remains before the court and is expected to come up again in November.
Addressing a separate judgment obtained by the opposing faction, Kurra said the matter concerned the powers of trustees to appoint a caretaker committee.
He alleged that the opposing group’s continued activities amounted to contempt of court and disclosed that his lawyers had been instructed to commence contempt proceedings.
Kurra further challenged members of the opposing faction to make their court judgments public, insisting that his administration remained legitimate.
He alleged that the opposing group had continued to present itself to government ministries and agencies as the authentic executive of the association.
The NAA president said another election would be conducted in 2027 and urged members to allow the legal process to take its course.
The allegations concerning government auctions have not, in the material reviewed for this report, been independently established by the relevant government agencies.
