Chairman of the Commission, Abu Hindolo Moseray, said the 2018 report covered major activities the Commission had undertaken since his appointment six months ago. He said the Commission had tried to improve on the corporate image of the Commission through public sensitisation and collaboration with other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS).

He said the first phase of the report would provide an overview of the existing situation of the management of assets by MDAs for the period under review, with the implementation of a proposed project. He added that they had been working with MDAs to develop a National Assets Policy and compile a comprehensive National Assets Register with an integrated software.

“The Commission is collaborating with line ministries to develop a national data-base of Government Vehicles and Real Estate. This is to establish mechanism for the responsible use of government vehicles and transparent leasing of state lands, allocation and acquisition of real estate. The report also details the prospects and challenges facing the need to collaborate with these MDAs.

“The Commission believes that with this proposed project and the strengthened collaboration with MDAs, transparency and accountability in the handling of government’s assets and properties will considerably improve in the years ahead. The misuse, abuse and the seeming impunity with which government’s properties and assets are being abused will be a thing of the past,” he assured.

In his brief response, President Bio thanked the leadership of the Commission for their hard work and for putting the report together, saying that there had been challenges in accounting for what belonged to the state. He stated that with the confidence reposed in him, the leadership of the Commission was expected to provide a comprehensive national asset register so that government could properly account for state properties.

“I want to encourage you together with all the other MDAs to cooperate so that we can have the National Assets Register as soon as possible. As a Government that is particularly interested in probity, accountability and transparency, we want to be able, at the end of the day, to account for what belongs to the state, manage and account for everything that belongs to the state,” he said.