UPDATE(YOU HAVE CASE TO ANSWER, REPS TELL AVIATION MINISTER):It appears there is more to be heard from the purchase of armoured cars controversy which is rocking the aviation ministry, with the Aviation Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah in the line of fire as the House of Representatives have referred to the Public Procurement Act, saying there is need to ensure that those who flout the act are punished to serve as a deterrent to others . The Chairman of the House Committee on Public Procurement, Olajumoke Okoya-Thomas while speaking in Abuja on the investigation of the House into the controversial procurement of two armoured cars by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, noted that no agency can claim ignorance of the requirements of the act. The House of Representatives is bent on setting the record straight despite directives by the presidency in setting a 3-man committee to look into the process of purchasing the armoured vehicles. It will be recalled that the Aviation Minister responded to the controversy insisting that the procurement of the two armoured BMW cars at the cost of N255 million followed due process. According to the minister, provision was made in the 2013 budget for the procurement of the vehicles along with other specialised equipment, to complement or replace obsolete ones. Part of Ms. Oduah’s response, says “towards the effective implementation of its statutory regulatory responsibilities, it is imperative that the NCAA is fully equipped with highly specialised tools and facilities, including adequate operational vehicles to cover all 22 national airports and over 400 airstrips.” This conclusion by the House of Representatives is culled out of its directive to its committee on aviation to investigate the controversy surrounding the purchase of the two exotic armoured vehicles by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) which are said to be for the Minister, as members of the committee on aviation said the committee had not approved that expenditure in the agency’s budget. The conclusion to investigate was reached after a debate on a motion of urgent national importance by the minority whip Samson Osagie who brought up the matter during plenary. The lawmaker said given the poverty in the land, it was unpatriotic for an agency of government to incur such expenditure for the comfort and safety of one public officer. The Minister in her response agrees with the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Fola Akinkuotu who reacted to media reports on the circumstances surrounding the procurement of two vehicles by the agency after the purchase began generating so many reactions from groups and Nigerians alike. The NCAA D.G. stated that the cars are operational vehicles used in the varied operations of the NCAA including transporting the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah and aviation-related foreign dignitaries. He also said the purchase of the two cars which cost N255m followed due process and the NCAA remains focused on enforcing standards and promoting safety in line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 14:15:39 +0000
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