Revealed:Stella Oduah Approved Purchase Of N255m Bulletproof Cars – NCAA

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority on Thursday told the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation that the Ministry of Aviation approved the controversial purchase of the N255m bulletproof cars for Ms Stella Oduah.

The Director of Aerodrome in the NCAA, Mr. Joyce Nkem-Akonam, made this known during the  committee’s public sitting  in Abuja.

Nkem-Akonam, who handled the transaction  as  the acting managing director  of the NCAA,  had made spirited efforts to defend the purchase.

He told the committee members that since     “Leased financing, not direct financing, was   adopted to procure the vehicles,” the agency  breached no law.

When asked if  leased financing was not a commitment that the NCAA would still  pay for the vehicles, he  said  it did not mean that it was extra-budgetary spending.

Facing a barrage of questions from the committee members, he later said the NCAA got approval from the Aviation  ministry.

But, the Bureau for Public Procurement faulted him when it disputed the claim that the contract for the cars followed due process.

An official of the BPP, who represented the Director-General, Mr. Ayo Aderigbigbe, told the committee that no ministry had powers to approve any expenditure above N100m.

“A ministerial tenders board can approve expenditure of N100m and below, but if it is above N100m, it must go before the Federal Executive Council,” he explained.

The BPP official also surprised the  committee members when he disclosed that the agency was never contacted by the NCAA over the car purchase.

He said, “We have nothing to forward to the committee on this matter. We have no information on the purchase of the two vehicles or the contract in question.”

The Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Fola Akintuotu,  had  earlier told the committee that he was not  in charge  of affairs when the transaction  took place.

He said he assumed duties on August 14, after the expenditure had been done.

But there was a mild drama when the committee asked  him whether the earlier explanation of the minister’s aide (Joe Obi) that the cars were bought because the life of Oduah was in danger was correct.

“I can’t speak for the SA(Special Adviser)  to the minister,” he responded.

Again, he was asked whether a minister was entitled to the type of protection the cars were meant to serve.

To this, he said, “I believe that is a hypothetical question and I cannot answer it.”

He wondered why Jonathan would engage in a diversionary and exculpatory strategy of setting up a panel to investigate the scandal, when there were statutory bodies  empowered by law  to do so.

Mohammed  said, ‘’There is precedent on how to handle such a matter. In case President Jonathan has forgotten, his then boss, President Umaru   Yar’Adua(late), sacked Adenike Grange and Gabriel Aduku, Minister of Health and Minister of State for Health respectively, for spending part of the ministry’s unspent budget.

“The Permanent Secretary and other top officials of the ministry were also suspended when the issue broke out. No panel was set up before this action was taken.”

Also,  the TMG said it was shocked at the shameful and embarrassing transaction and acquisition of the   armoured cars for Oduah.

It said it was even more shocking that at a time like this when Nigerians  had been calling  on  Jonathan to sanction the minister, he found it comfortable to make   her  a leading member of his entourage to Israel on pilgrimage.

The TMG, in  a statement by its Chairman,  Ibrahim Zikirullahi, and Publicity Secretary, Eddy Ezurike ,  said it was “not at all surprised at the rash  response by the minister to the purported ‘query’ issued   her by the President.”

It added, “Given our governance system, it may well be the person issuing the query is the same person providing answers.”

The TMG urged the anti-corruption agencies in the country  to quickly   investigate “this financial and executive recklessness”  in  the aviation sector

In Lagos, the   Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders   described  the probe  panel     as diversionary.

The Executive Chairman, CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, in a statement on Thursday, alleged that the panel was meant to divert the attention of Nigerians from the issue at stake.

He said, “The panel is just another attempt to sweep the scandal under the carpet. Nigerians now know better that the probe panel is a way to douse the heat that has followed the revelation of Oduah’s shenanigans in the Aviation sector.

“The panel itself is another way of wasting the scarce resources and man-hour that could have been deployed into doing something more meaningful. All these diversionary panels make a mess of President Jonathan’s purported fight against corruption.”

Punch