MASERU-A Nigerian national who has lived in a government house for more than three decades has been ordered to vacate the property with immediate effect. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday instructed Faruk Idris, a land surveyor who first came to Lesotho in 1991, to leave the Hills View government house, saying he had been staying there illegally since his employment contract expired.
PAC chairperson ‘Machabana Lemphane-Letsie told Idris that he was no longer employed by government and had failed to provide proof of a valid contract. “You are no longer employed by the government, or at least you failed to provide your employment contract before this committee. As a result, we are instructing you to vacate that government house immediately,” Lemphane-Letsie said.
Idris arrived in Lesotho in 1991 under a two-sided agreement between the two countries and joined the Ministry of Local Government. As part of the deal, the government provided him with accommodation. Although his initial contract ended in 1993, he was recalled by the Ministry of Public Service under a special arrangement.
In 2016, Idris joined the Maseru City Council (MCC) as a land surveyor and later became Principal Surveyor, a senior post he held until his contract expired in March this year. The PAC, however, heard that his contract had already expired in 2022 and that an extension given by then-Principal Secretary Neo Liphoto was irregular because the PS had no authority to hire or extend contracts.
The Prime Minister’s Government Assets Recovery Task Team (GASARTT) told the committee that Idris had ignored repeated requests to vacate the house. Advocate SeengMatšosa, who leads the task team, said Idris had also defied a 2017 court order that directed him to leave the property and pay M12, 920 in rental arrears.
“I would like to bring to the attention of this committee that there is a court order directing Mr. Idris to vacate the house but he never obeyed it,” Matšosa said. The recovery team, established in 2023, is tasked with investigating and reclaiming state assets that have been Mismanaged or fraudulently occupied.
Idris admitted before the PAC that he did not have a residence permit, explaining that without a valid employment contract he could not apply for one. He pleaded with the committee to allow him to stay until December, saying he had nowhere else to go. “With these 34 years I have committed to this country, I never intended to break the law. I only ask for more time to prepare myself,” he said. But the committee refused, saying he had been given ample time over the years.
Idris also claimed that MCC owed him salaries from April 2023 to March this year, saying he was verbally instructed to continue working under the terms of his previous contract. The committee dismissed his claims, saying he had been working illegally since 2022 and that he might in fact owe the MCC for salaries he received after his contract expired.
The case has highlighted broader concerns about the poor management of government houses and assets. Auditor General Mathabo Makenete has repeatedly warned that many government ministries do not keep proper asset registers, leading to mismanagement and abuse. PAC members said Idris’ long stay in a government house without authority showed how state property was being misused. The committee instructed the recovery team to take over the house and ensure it is handed to the rightful beneficiaries.
