#VAB. Stella Oduah Denies Jerking Up NCAA’S Budget To Buy Bulletproof Cars

The Ministry of Aviation Friday denied newspaper
reports which alleged that Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah
jerked up the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority's budget
for the procurement of the controversial bulletproof cars
and other operational vehicles from N240 million to N643
million.
The NCAA also claimed yesterday that it had not fully
expended the amount of money being bandied around
as the cost of the vehicles.
In a statement in Abuja, Joe Obi, the Special Adviser on
Media to the Aviation Minister said: "The attention of the
ministry has been drawn to newspaper headlines
indicating that the Ministry jerked up the NCAA budget
for the procurement of operational vehicles from N240
million to N643 million.
"The statement was credited to Mr. Joyce D.
Nkemakolam, the Director of Aerodrome and Airspace
Standards and former acting Director General of NCAA.
It is shocking that the revelation was said to have been
made during Thursday's public hearing by the House
Committee on Aviation into the circumstances
surrounding the purchase of the security vehicles bought
by the NCAA.
"Throughout the duration of the hearing, there was
never a time Nkemakolam, who made the presentation
on behalf of the NCAA, or any other official of the
agency for that matter, said the Ministry increased or
jerked up the agency's budget.
"The hearing was conducted in the open before
television cameras and in the presence of journalists
from other media outfits. Anyone with evidence
supporting the statement credited to Nkemakolam to the
effect that the Ministry jerked up the agency's budget
can come forward with such."
The NCAA in a statement on its presentation to the
House Committee on Aviation said that since the
operational vehicles were being procured on a lease
agreement, "only the sum of N46,498,362 had so far
been committed to the cars. As at date, ownership, title
documents and spare keys of the vehicles are still with
First Bank of Nigeria."
Nkemakonam who made presentation said that payment
for the vehicles was structured to be made in
installments spread across 36 months.
He explained that payment for the vehicle was meant to
be done in 36 equal instalments, out of which only two
had been paid as at the 21st October, 2013.
The payment per month, Nkemakonam said, was N23,
249, 181.00 (the Toyota and armoured vehicles
inclusive) "which would amount to N116,245, 905.00 by
the end of year 2013. According to him, this total was
still below the appropriation for operational vehicles for
NCAA for 2013.
He said N240 million was approved by the National
Assembly in the 2013 Appropriation Act for operational
vehicles.
The House of Representatives had on Tuesday ordered
an investigation into the controversial purchase of two
bulletproof cars by the NCAA.
The vehicles allegedly procured for the Minister of
Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah had caused a lot of negative
reactions across the country.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.