Oduah’s N255m armoured cars document leak: Sack, redeployment loom in NCAA, others The last may not have been heard of the controversies trailing the acquisition of two BMW760 armoured cars valued at N255m for the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, by the cash-strapped Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA. A source close to our correspondent said that following the revelation of the scam last week, the Federal Government through the Ministry of Aviation is set to descend heavily on some suspected workers in the agency. Our source said that part of the plans was to embark on massive retrenchment of some workers who the authority felt were close to the past leadership in the agency. Also, apart from the imminent sack, our correspondent learnt that some of the workers would be redeployed outside the state to some remote parts of the country to serve as a deterrent to others. When our correspondent visited the agency yesterday, palpable fears were written on the faces of some of the workers as no one was sure of the next step that the government would take. The Director-General, NCAA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, had vowed last weekend that the management would unravel the whistleblower, saying that the documents were obtained illegally from the agency. He said: “I am not saying that this particular information should not be put in the public domain. But how it was obtained is the concern. If somebody breaks into an office and makes copies of official documents, then the break-in has become criminal. “So we are in the process of trying to find the source of this leakage and I am very concerned about it. Because this information may look trivial but there are other information that we have that are confidential and it is only fair for us to respect the confidentiality of information. I am not saying that they broke into our office, but they obtained the information illegally.” Sources said that the infighting among Jonathan’s cabinet is responsible for the leak of the purchase of Oduah’s cars. There were reports that a female minister was behind the leak of the documents. The minister purportedly behind the leak had once been accused of having a private jet, which was being leased to top functionaries of government. The female minister, according to sources, was embarrassed by the leak and vowed to pay Oduah back, whom she suspected was behind the publication. Oduah’s two armoured cars are worth more than five presidential limousines used by United States President, Barrack Obama. Each of Obama’s security limousines cost $300,000. The minister’s expensive car is also more expensive than the car used by the British Prime minister, David Cameron. Cameron’s armoured Jaguar XJ X351 car costs £200,000 (about N52 m) while Oduah’s car was bought for $800,000 (N127.5m) each. Uruguayan president, José Mujica, drives a 1987 Volkswagens Beetle worth $1,300. NCAA had on August 13, 2013 through a letter signed by the Acting Director- General, Mr. Joyce Nkemakolam, purchased on credit the two armoured cars at N255m from Coscharis Motors Limited while First Bank Plc stood as a guarantor for the agency. Several Nigerians, including aviation analysts, have condemned the purchase of the cars at a time the NCAA could not send its staff for training and retraining. Several commentators have called for the removal of the minister on the grounds that the decision to buy such expensive security cars for her contradicted the problems the sector has recorded recently. In a bid to unravel the whistleblower, NCAA last week set up a committee to investigate the movement of the documents and on whose desk it leaked to the public. This has, however, created tension within the agency as workers who spoke under anonymity expressed the fear that the management might use the opportunity to sack innocent people. It was also gathered that the sack might also be extended to other aviation parastatals where some key people believed to have stepped on toes might be included. The sack if eventually carried out may create more tension in the sector as the action may be interpreted to mean intimidation. A civil society group, Socio- Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, had on Sunday called on President Jonathan to sell the controversial cars. In a statement by its executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, SERAP also asked the president “to publicly assure Nigerians that the whistleblower that leaked the information of the two BMW armoured cars bought for Oduah will be fully protected from any harassment, intimidation or persecution by the authorities.” The organisation said it would offer “free legal services to ensure full protection and safety of the whistleblower in line with international standards. We appeal to the whistleblower to get in touch with our organization, and assure whoever this may be of our full support and confidentiality. The whistleblower should be celebrated and not persecuted.” And in what appears to be an ethnic dimension to the saga, the Igbo Youth Movement, IYM, yesterday threatened to deal with any person or group posing a threat to the job of Oduah. The Igbo youths said they were aware of a plot by some people to demonstrate for the removal of the embattled minister and asked them to desist from doing so as their acts would not be condoned. IYM said it was regrettable that disgruntled businessmen in pursuit of political vendetta prefer to use unemployed youths as “cannon fodder.” In a statement in Enugu yesterday by its National President, Elliot Ukoh, the group also said that the criticisms against Oduah were politically motivated. Its members claimed they were aware that all the businessmen whose concession and lease agreement in the sector were either cancelled or terminated in the public interest were behind Oduah’s present travails. “Their belief is that once she is out of the way, the old order would return where they would continue to feather their nests,” the group said. Ukoh said those behind Oduah’s woes are not fighting for Nigeria, “neither are they fighting for the Nigerian people.” On the armoured cars, he said: “The cars in question were procured by the NCAA as part of their operational vehicles and put in the pool of the agency. “The cars are neither registered in the name of the minister nor that of the Ministry of Aviation. “Our daughter is innocent in this whole campaign of calumny and we solidly stand by her. We also resist all attempts to pull her down for no justifiable cause.” The Senate and House of Representatives may today commence investigation into the purchase of the armoured vehicles. A principal officer in the House, who pleaded anonymity, told National Mirror that the lawmakers have no option than to probe what has become a scandal. The Senate spokesman, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe has given indication that the upper chamber of the National Assembly will look into the matter. The nation’s anti-graft agencies – Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC may also launch a probe into the purchase of the cars by NCAA.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 22:47:39 +0000
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