The Minister of Aviation, Mrs Stella Oduah, has said that Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) acted under the provisions of the law in the purchase of two bullet proof cars.
The minister has been in the eye of the media over the purchase of the cars valued N255 million(6 million dollars).
``The title documents which are in the names of NCAA/ First Bank Plc as well as spare keys of all the vehicles purchased under the lease financing arrangement are currently with First Bank of Nigeria plc as is the case with such arrangement and best practice.
The committee noted that whereas N240 million was provided for NCAA to buy 25 operational vehicles, the agency bought 54 vehicles at a total cost of N643 million.
Friday, 1 November 2013
Mrs Stella Oduah, who made the statement when she appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation on thursday, denied the claim that the cars were bought for her personal use.
She said that it was totally false that the two security and safety BMW vehicles which was bought by NCAA was part of the National Assembly budget in the year 2013 item six.
“Sadly, other than the conjecture, the publication has not supported this inflammatory statement with any rational basis.
``As a matter of fact, their justification and confirmation which they brandish, is nothing but erroneous responses of my aides,” the minister said.
The minister of Aviation said that the claim was an attempt to discredit her and her team in the good work she had done to transform the aviation sector., Oduah explained that NCAA, conscious of its enforcement roles, always obeyed rules and regulations of government.
“The NCAA is therefore conscious of its obligations relating in particular to appropriation and will never spend monies that have not been appropriated by the National Assembly.
“It is in this regard, therefore, that NCAA, within the framework of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework , approved by the National Assembly as a planning tool, planned its budget.
“This is with regard to acquisition of operational and other security and safety vehicles for the next three years,’’ Oduah said..
She said NCAA was "in a manner compliant with Section 80 (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
Mrs Stella Oduah said that “the section prohibits the spending of monies from any fund of the federation except as appropriated by the National Assembly."
She also apologised to the committee, for her inability to appear before it initially, adding that her action was not intended to disrespect the committee but necessitated by her official engagement in Israel.
When the legislators reminded the minister that her approval limit as provided by the law, was N100 million but that she approved over N500 million for the purchase of vehicles by NCAA in violation of the law.
She denied violating the law in any way, noting that her actions were within the provisions of the law.
Members of the committee had also accused Nkemakolam who saw to it that the vehicles were purchased of violating the 2013 Appropriation Act.
But Nkemakolam insisted that it was a lease agreement that the NCAA entered into with First Bank to buy the vehicles.
The Chairman of the committee, Nkiruka Onyejiocha in her remark , said that the committee had given fair hearing to all the invited agencies and persons
