Stella Oduah, Aviation Minister
The House of Representatives Tuesday ordered an investigation into the controversial purchase of two armoured BMW 760 Li cars by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah. It gave the order after debating the issue following a motion moved by the Minority Whip, Hon. Samson Osagie.
The procurement of the cars for the use of the minister has generated an outcry in the last one week, particularly in the face of conflicting reports on its actual cost and the motives for the purchase.
There has been a sustained campaign since the story broke for the minister to resign her position for encouraging profligacy by an agency under her watch or be fired by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Before the House announced its intention to probe the transaction, which a lawmaker described as illegal, on the grounds that there was no provision in the 2013 budget for the procurement, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed that it had beamed its searchlight on the car deal.
However, it was gathered that given Oduah’s ties with the presidency and the pivotal role she played in Jonathan’s electoral victory in 2011, this may slow down the pace of investigation into the purchase of the two bulletproof cars bought at N255 million.
But the spokesman for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Yakubu Dati, linked the campaign against the minister to an alleged plot to stop the president from running in the 2015 presidential election, if he chooses to do so.
In addition to ordering an investigation into the N255 million car deal, the House also ordered another investigation into the alleged barring of Qatar Airlines and other foreign airlines from operating from the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
No comments:
Post a Comment