Embattled Aviation Minister, Princess
Stella Oduah, has got the snub of her political
career in far-away Israel, it was learnt
yesterday.
President Goodluck Jonathan reportedly turned
down the minister’s request for an
appointment.
The minister is on the president’s entourage to
that country.
Sources in Jerusalem said that Oduah made
several attempts to have a one-on-one
discussion with Jonathan to explain her role in
the N255m armoured cars procurement
scandal by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority
(NCAA).
The cars were said to have been purchased for
her personal use as she was said to be under
security threat due to ongoing reforms in the
aviation sector.
Since the news broke out, pressures have
mounted on the President to relieve her of her
job.
Before his pilgrimage to Jerusalem on
Wednesday, Jonathan announced the
inauguration of a three-man committee to
probe the procurement and determine if due
process was followed.
A source on the entourage of the President said
it would have been out of place for Jonathan to
meet with Oduah when the panel he set up is
yet to begin sitting or clear her of alleged
involvement in the scandal.
The source said: “I can tell you that the minister
has not and will never meet with the President
here in Jerusalem. This is not to say that she
has been found guilty, but it is just fair that the
President does not send the wrong signal that
may influence the report of the panel.
“We were under strict instruction to prevent the
minister from having access to the president for
the days we would be spending here. It is,
therefore, wrong for anybody to assume that
the minister and the President would resolve
the issue of the car purchase here. There is
nothing like that. I would not describe it as
shunning the minister, but it is just something
to do.”
Meanwhile, members of the House of
Representatives Aviation Committee probing
the purchase of the two armoured vehicles by
the NCAA yesterday flared up at officials of the
agency for allegedly evading some questions.
The committee turned down an attempt by the
NCAA to bring in a financial expert to answer
questions on the deal.
Committee Chairman Nkiruka Onyejeocha told
the authority’s acting Director General Joyce
Nkemakolon: “As acting DG and chief
accounting officer, you did not deem it fit to
consult a financial expert while making your
decision to procure the two vehicles.It is too
late in the day to now call in a financial expert.”
The committee also did not take kindly to the
documents presented by the management of
the agency to back up its case.
It said the documents did not look real.
Onyejeocha said: “This matter won’t end here
because when we come to the papers, going by
what you submitted to us, most of them are
more or less pro-forma invoices and some look
like they were downloaded from the Internet,
not real receipts.
“We are going to ask you to bring the receipts
of all the transactions you have done in NCAA
from January to date because we have not
seen anything to show us that they are the real
receipts.
“This will not end here.If we cannot get the bulk
of what we are looking for from you, we are
going to send our own people to go and look at
your records from January to date.
“It is after we are in possession of those
documents that we can now call on your
financial expert because what you submitted is
not the true reflection of what actually
happened over the period.”
A member of the probe panel, Mathew
Omegiara, accused the acting DG of showing
disrespect to the panel by suggesting that the
organisation’s Director of Finance, Mr, Ozigi,
should respond to some questions on the deal.
The Rep snapped: “You are learned enough to
know that you can’t spend above certain limits
and also that the minister cannot give approval
beyond certain limits.”
The NCAA, in the documents submitted to the
committee, disputed claims by the Bureau of
Public Procurement (BPP) that its purchase of
the two cars breached regulations.
The NCAA insisted that it adhered to the
procurement laws in the deal.
The BPP had said the purchase, having been in
excess of N100million, ought to have been
approved by the Federal Executive Council
(FEC) and not the Ministerial Tenders Board.
However, the aviation agency insisted
yesterday that the Appropriation Act 2013 was
not breached as what was required to pay for
the two vehicles is below the appropriated
benchmark for the year.
Besides, it noted that towards the effective
implementation of its statutory regulatory
responsibilities , it is imperative that it is fully
equipped with highly specialized tools and
facilities, including adequate operational
vehicles to cover all 22 national airports and
over 400 airstrips.
It said: “To acquire the vehicles, lease financing
was adopted. Lease financing is one of the
ways of acquiring fixed assets in both public
and private sector organizations. NCAA
embarked on lease financing in line with
prudential cash flow management.
“Leasing improves cash flow and enables an
organization enjoy an asset before fully paying
for it. This approach minimizes the effect of
initial capital outlay that occurs if outright cash
purchase is embarked upon.”
It explained that having identified the need for
the controversial cars,it wrote a letter on April
15,2013 to the Ministry of Aviation to seek
approval for the procurement. “On the 25th’ of
April, 2013, Federal Ministry of Aviation
conveyed approval for the acquisition of the
operational vehicles through lease financing.
“On the strength of the above letter of approval
from Federal Ministry of Aviation, the list of all
banks in Nigeria was obtained on 7th May,
2013 and were circulated with a Request for
Expression of Interest on the financing of the
lease. E01 was adopted because the
procurement is two sided. First, the financier
would have to be selected before the supplier is
determined. “This is in line with procurement
best practices. “On 24th May, 2013 the
Request for Expression of Interest (EOT) was
publicly opened and minutes of the opening
exercise were documented. “The Evaluation of
the Expression of Interest was held on 31st
May, 2013 during which First Bank PIc, Union
Bank Pic and Stanbic IBTC emerged
responsive. “ It said that the three banks were
invited on June 10 to submit financial
proposals with First Bank emerging the highest
rated responsive bidder. That was followed by
receipt of invoices from “a credible motor
vehicle dealers during which only Coscharis
Limited quoted for BMvV Armoured Vehicles.
“On 28 June, 2013 NCAA Parastatal Tenders
Board approved the selection of First Bank for
the Lease Financing as well as Metropolitan
Motor Vehicles and Coscharis for the supply of
the vehicles. “This approval is predicated on
the due process documentations so far done.
“Between 8th July, 2013 and August, 2013
various meetings were held with First Bank,
contract agreement was signed and necessary
documentations were carried out. “On 13th
August, 2013, suppliers of the vehicles were
contacted on the instance of First Bank.
“Payment for the vehicles is in 36 equal
monthly instalments, out of which only two
have been paid as at 21 October, 2013.”
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