N255m Cars Scandal: NCAA Says It Can't Find The Documents
The controversy trailing the purchase of 2 BMW armoured cars for the
minister of aviation, Stella Oduah, has taken a ridiculous
dimension. The agency at the centre of the controversial purchase of the
vehicles and the nation’s civil aviation body - Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority (NCAA) - has denied that it has any document relating to the
acquisition of the controversial bulletproof vehicles.
The development came as indications emerged that Stella Oduah may have used the cars as a smokescreen to engage in serious money laundering, with the knowledge of higher authorities...
Armoured cars also missing in NSA’s security list
The controversial bulletproof cars for Stella Uduah are not on the national security adviser’s (NSA) official list of armoured cars available anywhere in Nigeria.
Ordinarily, no car dealer or end user, including private individuals, security agencies and government parastatals, can bring in armoured cars into the country without obtaining end user certificates from the office of the NSA in Abuja.
Reporting that no authorization certificate was ever issued to either the minister or the NCAA to procure the controversial vehicles, a source said: “We have thoroughly checked our list and I can confirm that at no time did we issue end user certificate to anyone to procure any such cars. It is likely the cars do not exist and that the documents were either forged to steal public funds.
“But if the cars indeed exist, the minister, the NCAA and Coscharis Motors will have to explain why they sneaked vehicles into our country without authorisation. It is a serious violation, and the minister and other people involved have a lot of explanations to make.”
The development came as indications emerged that Stella Oduah may have used the cars as a smokescreen to engage in serious money laundering, with the knowledge of higher authorities...
Curiously, NCAA’s denial, which came after a seven-day ultimatum given
to it by a human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), to furnish his law
firm with information pertaining to the transaction, also contradicts
its statement before the House of Reps Committee on Aviation that the
procurement of the “operational vehicles” was provided for in the NCAA’s
budget.
Falana had last week invoked the Freedom of Information Act when he wrote the NCAA director-general, Mr Fola Akinkuotu, demanding the documents, including those of budgetary approval and due process for the whole transaction as well as all the papers of past acquisition of such armoured cars.
In its reply to the request, through the NCAA legal adviser, Mr E.K Chukwuma, Akinkuotu said documents relating to the latest purchase or even previous purchases of such cars are not in their possession.
The letter reads: “I am directed to your letter dated 21st October 2013 on the above matter (Request for information on N255m armoured cars for Aviation Minister, Ms Stella Oduah) and to inform you that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority is not in possession of any document relating to the purchase of armoured cars for the Aviation Minister, Ms Stella Oduah.
“With regard to your request for records of previous purchase of armoured cars by the Aviation Ministry or NCAA, I am to inform you that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority does not have such records.”
Not satisfied, Falana noted yesterday that he would relate this latest position of the NCAA to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as a back-up to a petition he had written to it.
Falana had last week invoked the Freedom of Information Act when he wrote the NCAA director-general, Mr Fola Akinkuotu, demanding the documents, including those of budgetary approval and due process for the whole transaction as well as all the papers of past acquisition of such armoured cars.
In its reply to the request, through the NCAA legal adviser, Mr E.K Chukwuma, Akinkuotu said documents relating to the latest purchase or even previous purchases of such cars are not in their possession.
The letter reads: “I am directed to your letter dated 21st October 2013 on the above matter (Request for information on N255m armoured cars for Aviation Minister, Ms Stella Oduah) and to inform you that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority is not in possession of any document relating to the purchase of armoured cars for the Aviation Minister, Ms Stella Oduah.
“With regard to your request for records of previous purchase of armoured cars by the Aviation Ministry or NCAA, I am to inform you that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority does not have such records.”
Not satisfied, Falana noted yesterday that he would relate this latest position of the NCAA to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as a back-up to a petition he had written to it.
Armoured cars also missing in NSA’s security list
The controversial bulletproof cars for Stella Uduah are not on the national security adviser’s (NSA) official list of armoured cars available anywhere in Nigeria.
Ordinarily, no car dealer or end user, including private individuals, security agencies and government parastatals, can bring in armoured cars into the country without obtaining end user certificates from the office of the NSA in Abuja.
Reporting that no authorization certificate was ever issued to either the minister or the NCAA to procure the controversial vehicles, a source said: “We have thoroughly checked our list and I can confirm that at no time did we issue end user certificate to anyone to procure any such cars. It is likely the cars do not exist and that the documents were either forged to steal public funds.
“But if the cars indeed exist, the minister, the NCAA and Coscharis Motors will have to explain why they sneaked vehicles into our country without authorisation. It is a serious violation, and the minister and other people involved have a lot of explanations to make.”
