House Committee Says It Rejected NCAA Budget Proposal To Buy Armored BMW Cars For N70 Million Each

The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation has ordered Aviation Minister Stella Oduah to appear before it by next Tuesday when its investigation into the armoured car scandal in the Ministry will come to an end.

The order came after the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry said Mrs. Oduah had left for Israel to sign a bilateral air agreement and would not return before Tuesday.  Mrs. Oduah travelled out on Monday night ahead of President Goodluck Jonathan who set up a probe panel to investigate her within two weeks.

The committee also confirmed at its ongoing investigative hearing in Abuja that there was no budgetary approval for the cars for the Minister.  A proposal for the two cars by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was specifically rejected, it said, even when the agency proposed to buy them for N70million each.

It would be recalled that the NCAA said it received approval from the Minister to purchase the two cars at the considerably higher cost of N255 million.

In another stunning development, the committee said the NCAA had gone ahead and bought 54 vehicles when approval was given for only 25.

With reference to Mrs. Oduah’s testimony at the hearing, the committee declared that she must appear even if she has to arrive by chartered flight.

Members of the committee also dismissed aviation ministry officials, led by the permanent secretary, who was to represent the minister, saying they lacked relevance to the hearing.  They said they would only accept a presentation from the NCAA whose director was present.

The chair of the committee, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, said the committee wanted independent presentation from the NCAA, making all others surplus to requirements. 

Mrs. Oduah is being investigated over the controversial purchase of two armoured BMW cars for N255 million by the NCAA at her request.  President Goodluck Jonathan who subsequently set up a three-man panel to probe the deal recently queried her. 

Yesterday, it emerged that she will be with Mr. Jonathan conducting officisl business during his visits in Israel.

In the 2013 budget approved by the National Assembly, under which NCAA was supposed to have purchased 25 cars, the agency said they were needed to inspect airport perimeter fences.