By Ken Chiwendu
Following the barrage of complaints made by some Nigerians who took part in the recent auction of forfeited vehicles, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC says it will look into the allegations.
A statement by Dele Olawale,EFCC Head of Media and Public Relations confirmed that there were” glitches” during the exercise which “was communicated to the accredited auctioneers for remedial action” but the commission could not intervene
The statement reads:
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, notes with concern the reported unsavoury experiences of some Nigerians who participated in the just concluded public auction of forfeited vehicles conducted by accredited auctioneers on behalf of the Commission.
Among the complaints received by the Commission were the inability of some citizens to access the websites of the auctioneers, being shut out from the platforms after submitting bids and outrageous bid prices, among others.
Relevant Departments of the Commission monitored the exercise and can confirm that there were glitches. This observation was communicated to the auctioneers for remedial action. The Commission could, however, not directly intervene while the exercise was ongoing because the process had been assigned to duly accredited and licensed auctioneers in line with provisions of Sections 4(a)(b) of the Proceeds of Crime ( Recovery and Management) Act, 2022 and Section 55 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
The complaints arising from the exercise are rather unfortunate and detracts from the plan of the Commission in settling for online auction which was designed to provide a platform for seamless and transparent participation by millions of Nigerians interested in purchasing the forfeited assets.
Without making excuses for the auctioneers, it is possible that the sheer number of participants in the exercise (over 4million) perhaps stretched the carrying capacity of the online facilities of the auctioneers, while unstable internet service in parts of the country exacerbated the challenge.
The Commission is currently awaiting the report of the auctioneers and assures that genuine complaints by members of the public will be reviewed to ensure that no one is short-changed in the exercise. Those who follow through the process without glitches and emerged winners will certainly be allocated their vehicles.
The Commission’s only interest in the public auction is to ensure that the assets are disposed of in the most transparent manner and the nation gets value for the assets. This cannot be compromised under any circumstance.
