The motion titled “Urgent Need to Forestall the Alleged Plan to Sell the Official Residence of Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, UN, in Tarry Town, New York.

Speaking on the motion, Dogara, said Nigeria could not afford to sell an edifice built by the government of late Abubakar Tafawa Belewa, especially now that the country was close to having a permanent seat in UN’s Security Council.

Members  who spoke for the motion noted that “the past Permanent Representatives to UN have all lived there and do have a very fond and nostalgic memories of their residence in the property, adding that they never expressed any need, whatsoever, to rent another apartment in New York for purposes of residency.”

The motion further observed that,“The said property sits on an area of over 16.6 acres of land and is located in Tarry Town in Westchester County of New York, which is an exclusive and exquisite preserve of the ultra-wealthy in New York.”

The members said building requires some repairs occassioned by “a deliberate period of neglect.” They however expressed shock that the repair which should cost about N350,000,000 was being estimated to gulp N2,754,700,000, a development they saw as a move to discourage the government from carrying out the repairs and also to sell the property very cheaply.

They expressed worry that a prospective buyer was already waiting for the signal to commence purchase processes and payment.

They alleged that the act “seemed to be the pattern with Nigerian national landed assets all over the world, whose proceeds, after sales, never come into the coffers of the government.”