The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has pledged to review complaints against auctioneers, following the recent public auction of forfeited vehicles conducted by accredited auctioneers on its behalf.
Its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, stated this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, assuring that no one would be short-changed in the process.
Oyewale explained that the commission was currently awaiting the auctioneers’ report, adding that genuine complaints from members of the public would be reviewed to ensure that ‘‘no one is short-changed in the exercise”.
He expressed the commission’s concern over reports of negative experiences from some Nigerians who participated in the auction.
“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, however, could not directly intervene while the exercise was ongoing because the process had been assigned to duly accredited and licensed auctioneers.
“This is in line with the 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,” he said.
According to him, the complaints arising from the auction are unfortunate and detract from the commission’s objectives.
He explained that the commission opted for an online auction to provide a seamless and transparent platform for millions of Nigerians interested in purchasing the forfeited assets.
He attributed the challenges to the high number of participants, which he said might have overloaded the online facilities.
“Without making excuses for the auctioneers, it is possible that the sheer number of participants in the exercise (over four million) perhaps stretched the carrying capacity of the auctioneers’ online facilities.
“This, in addition to unstable internet service in parts of the country, exacerbated the challenge.
“The commission is currently awaiting the report from 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,” he said.
According to him, those who completed the process successfully and emerged as winners would certainly be allocated their vehicles.
“The commission’s sole interest in the public auction is to ensure that the assets are disposed of in the most transparent manner and that the nation gets value for the assets.
“This cannot be compromised under any circumstances,” he said.
