* House summons Princess Oduah
Probe by the House of Representatives into the purchase of Bullet-proof cars by the Aviation Ministry, began on Thursday, with the Bureau for Public Procurement saying the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) did not follow due process in the alleged purchase of the controversial two BMW armoured cars for the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah.
BPP stated this during a presentation at the one day public hearing, organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation to look into the allegation which has generated so much commotion in the polity in the last few weeks.
Also, the House Committee on Aviation summoned the Minister of Aviation to appear before it unfailingly next Tuesday to explain her role in the scandalous car purchase saga.
It would be recalled that the House had on Tuesday, mandated its Committee on Aviation to investigate the matter and report to it within one week. This was sequel to a motion by the Minority Whip of the House, Samson Osagie,
At Thursday’s the hearing, Ayo Aderigbigbe, a deputy director at the BPP, who represented the Director-General of the agency, Engr Emeka Eze, told the Committee that the Bureau was neither involved in the transaction by the NCAA nor the Ministry of Aviation.
He said the action of the NCAA in respect of the purchase of the said vehicles was outright violation of the provisions of the Act establishing the Bureau.
Moreover, he said any goods worth more than one hundred million naira is beyond the approval limit of the NCAA, and must go to the Federal Executive Council for approval.
Also, the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Rep Nkiruka Onyejiocha and other members of the Committee accused the NCAA of violating the provisions of the 2013 Appropriation Act as well as the the Constitution of the country, which stipulated the way and manner public funds should be spent.
While interrogating the Director-general of NCAA, Mr Joyce Nkemakolam and the former acting DG of the agency, Captain Fola Akintokun on the purchase of operational vehicles for the establishment, it was discovered that the agency went beyond what was appropriated for it in the year 2013 budget.
Jerry Manwe, Matthew Omegara, Zakari Mohammed and others observed that the National Assembly appropriated the sum of N240 million for NCAA for the purchase of 25 operational vehicles in the 2013 budget, but regretted that the officials of the agency went out of their way to commit the um of N643 million for the purchase of 54 cars in contravention of the Act.
The lawmakers, who were visibly agitated and thoroughly grilled the NCAA management team lamented that Mr Nkemakolam demonstrated serious disregard for the National Assembly by neglecting its legislations. They were angry that he made approvals that were contrary to Acts of Parliament.
Not satisfied with the presentation and responses of the officials of NCAA, the Committee mandated them to come back on Tuesday October 29 with relevant documents, including bank statements from their operational accounts with the First Bank, Sterling Bank, UBA, FCMB, Zenith Bank and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.