EFCC To Probe Oduah’s N255m Car Deal

Despite the attempt by the Nigeria Civil
Aviation Authority (NCAA) to divert
attention away from the N255 million spent
procuring two armoured cars for the
Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, her
troubles refuse to go away as the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
may have decided to probe the deal.
Sources informed THISDAY that the
commission has started making preliminary
investigations into the contract and could
start probing the exorbitant purchase of
the cars that was believed to have bypassed
due process.
Since the story broke that the NCAA bought
two BMW 760 LI armoured cars for the use
of the minister, there has been a growing
clamour for President Goodluck Jonathan to
sack her if she fails to resign.
However, the NCAA Director-General, Dr.
Fola Akinkuotu, denied that the cars were
for the minister, saying that the agency
bought them for operational purposes.
“The cars are operational vehicles used in
the various operations of the NCAA
transporting the minister and aviation
related foreign dignitaries as part of its
operations,” he had said at a news
conference at the weekend in Abuja.
Besides the EFCC, which has launched a
preliminary probe into the purchase of the
two bulletproof cars for the minister, the
House of Representatives has indicated its
readiness to investigate the transaction as
soon as it returns from Sallah break.
However, the Senate has not taken any
decision yet on the controversial
transaction.
Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on
Aviation, Senator Babayo Gamawa, told
THISDAY yesterday that the issues needed
to be put in proper perspectives before a
decision could be taken on it.
According to him, the first step to take was
to visit the Bureau for Public Procurement
(BPP) as well as the audit department to
find out if the purchase of the car actually
followed due process and whether a proper
audit was done before the delivery of the
cars.
Gamawa, who represents Bauchi North
Senatorial District in the Senate, noted that
it was necessary to check if due process
was really observed before the purchase.
He made the remarks bearing in mind that
attention had not been concentrated on
whether due process was observed at all
for the purchase or not.
The senator, who declined to give an
official reaction to the controversial deal,
said it would not be right for him to
comment on the issue when the upper
chamber had not adopted a resolution on
the matter.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/efcc-
moves-to-probe-oduah-s-n255m-
armoured-car-deal/162309/

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