The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority on Thursday told the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation that the Ministry of Aviation approved the controversial purchase of the N255m bulletproof cars for Ms Stella Oduah.

The Director of Aerodrome in the NCAA, Mr. Joyce Nkem-Akonam, made this known during the committee’s public sitting in Abuja.

Nkem-Akonam, who handled the transaction as the acting managing director of the NCAA, had made spirited efforts to defend the purchase.

He told the committee members that since “Leased financing, not direct financing, was adopted to procure the vehicles,” the agency breached no law.

When asked if leased financing was not a commitment that the NCAA would still pay for the vehicles, he said it did not mean that it was extra-budgetary spending.

Facing a barrage of questions from the committee members, he later said the NCAA got approval from the Aviation ministry.

• BPE faults NCAA, says it wasn’t contacted

But, the Bureau for Public Procurement faulted him when it disputed the claim that the contract for the cars followed due process.

An official of the BPP, who represented the Director-General, Mr. Ayo Aderigbigbe, told the committee that no ministry had powers to approve any expenditure above N100m.

“A ministerial tenders board can approve expenditure of N100m and below, but if it is above N100m, it must go before the Federal Executive Council,” he explained.

The BPP official also surprised the committee members when he disclosed that the agency was never contacted by the NCAA over the car purchase.

He said, “We have nothing to forward to the committee on this matter. We have no information on the purchase of the two vehicles or the contract in question.”

The Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Fola Akintuotu, had earlier told the committee that he was not in charge of affairs when the transaction took place.

He said he assumed duties on August 14, after the expenditure had been done.

But there was a mild drama when the committee asked him whether the earlier explanation of the minister’s aide (Joe Obi) that the cars were bought because the life of Oduah was in danger was correct.

“I can’t speak for the SA(Special Adviser) to the minister,” he responded.

Again, he was asked whether a minister was entitled to the type of protection the cars were meant to serve.

To this, he said, “I believe that is a hypothetical question and I cannot answer it.”

The Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Fola Akintuotu,
had earlier told the committee that he was not in charge
of affairs when the transaction took place.
He said he assumed duties on August 14, after the
expenditure had been done.
But there was a mild drama when the committee asked
him whether the earlier explanation of the minister’s
aide (Joe Obi) that the cars were bought because the life
of Oduah was in danger was correct.
“I can’t speak for the SA(Special Adviser) to the
minister,” he responded.
Again, he was asked whether a minister was entitled to
the type of protection the cars were meant to serve.
To this, he said, “I believe that is a hypothetical question
and I cannot answer it.”

N1bn committed to cars by NCAA
These included the controversial N255m bulletproof
cars.
The total budget approved by the National Assembly for
NCAA’s vehicles this year is N240m.
The National Assembly’s figure (N240m) is for 25
vehicles, excluding the two bulletproof cars.
The Aviation committee, which worked on the budget of
the agency, had rejected the NCAA’s request to buy the
bulletproof cars.
The NCAA later side-tracked the National Assembly to
seek the approval of the Ministry of Aviation to
purchase the cars.
More revelations indicated that the NCAA applied to buy
each of the bulletproof cars at N70m.
However, it later opted to pay N127.5m for each car,
totalling N255m for the two.
This brought the “extra-budgetary” expenditure of the
NCAA on vehicles this year to N643.1m.

The committee, which is headed by Mrs. Nkiruka
Onyejeocha, said the “NCAA clearly committed an
illegality and breached the 1999 Constitution by
spending without appropriation by the National
Assembly.”
The committee later ruled that Oduah must appear
unfailingly on Tuesday.

The APC, in a statement by its Interim National Publicity
Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said it was most
unconscionable for anyone to blame the opposition for
the widespread outcry against “the monumental
corruption and abuse of office engendered by the
scandal.”

Codedeben: Don't you people understand simple english?
This is purely "an attack from our detractors, APC" and its an "Act of God". SIMPLE!


This Akintuotu guy has sold out. He must be an APC member

When Fed Govt can not afford striking lecturers money, just imagine how much a single ministry was planning to spend on just vehicles alone. How many ministries do we have? Imagine each of them spending 1b naira only on UTILITIES.
You can see why we shouldn't blame the presidency for wanting to spend 1b naira on feeding.
when number of jobless graduates. Increases exponentially every 3 months.

This Onyejeocha check her background, she must be an Ofemmanumanu married to an Ibo person. She's an embarrassment to her tribe for saying this (oh pardon me I must have comprehension problem cos she said NCAA. Meanwhile, NCAA is autonomous, so the minister shouldn't be roped into this, she and her ministry wouldn't have had anything to do with the purchase)


Please someone should tell this man to go and sit down or does he want to be reminded that Fashola also bought 3 200million naira jeeps (maybe from Innoson since there's no documented proof)?

You people should leave this Madam alone, she has not done anything out of the ordinary. All these need to be done before we can actualise our dream of having more international airports in the country. Stop witch-hunting her. You should understand she has done what no1 has done, not even Prof. Dora or Okonjo.


I weep for the future of this country. We need leaders with conscience! And citizens who would always say NO to unpatriotic moves by our leaders irrespective of their ethniciity or religion.

:
. But there was a mild drama when the committee asked Fola Akinkuotu whether the earlier explanation of the minister’s aide (Joe Obi) that the cars were bought because the life of Oduah was in danger was correct.

“I can’t speak for the SA(Special Adviser) to the minister,” he responded.

Again, he was asked whether a minister was entitled to the type of protection the cars were meant to serve.
To this, he said, “I believe that is a hypothetical question and I cannot answer it.”

Codedeben: Don't you people understand simple english?
This is purely "an attack from our detractors, APC" and its an "Act of God". SIMPLE!


This Akintuotu guy has sold out. He must be an APC member

When Fed Govt can not afford striking lecturers money, just imagine how much a single ministry was planning to spend on just vehicles alone. How many ministries do we have? Imagine each of them spending 1b naira only on UTILITIES.
You can see why we shouldn't blame the presidency for wanting to spend 1b naira on feeding.
when number of jobless graduates. Increases exponentially every 3 months.

This Onyejeocha check her background, she must be an Ofemmanumanu married to an Ibo person. She's an embarrassment to her tribe for saying this (oh pardon me I must have comprehension problem cos she said NCAA. Meanwhile, NCAA is autonomous, so the minister shouldn't be roped into this, she and her ministry wouldn't have had anything to do with the purchase)


Please someone should tell this man to go and sit down or does he want to be reminded that Fashola also bought 3 200million naira jeeps (maybe from Innoson since there's no documented proof)?

You people should leave this Madam alone, she has not done anything out of the ordinary. All these need to be done before we can actualise our dream of having more international airports in the country. Stop witch-hunting her. You should understand she has done what no1 has done, not even Prof. Dora or Okonjo.


I weep for the future of this country. We need leaders with conscience! And citizens who would always say NO to unpatriotic moves by our leaders irrespective of their ethniciity or religion.

Codedeben: Don't you people understand simple english?
This is purely "an attack from our detractors, APC" and its an "Act of God". SIMPLE!


This Akintuotu guy has sold out. He must be an APC member

When Fed Govt can not afford striking lecturers money, just imagine how much a single ministry was planning to spend on just vehicles alone. How many ministries do we have? Imagine each of them spending 1b naira only on UTILITIES.
You can see why we shouldn't blame the presidency for wanting to spend 1b naira on feeding.
when number of jobless graduates. Increases exponentially every 3 months.

This Onyejeocha check her background, she must be an Ofemmanumanu married to an Ibo person. She's an embarrassment to her tribe for saying this (oh pardon me I must have comprehension problem cos she said NCAA. Meanwhile, NCAA is autonomous, so the minister shouldn't be roped into this, she and her ministry wouldn't have had anything to do with the purchase)


Please someone should tell this man to go and sit down or does he want to be reminded that Fashola also bought 3 200million naira jeeps (maybe from Innoson since there's no documented proof)?

You people should leave this Madam alone, she has not done anything out of the ordinary. All these need to be done before we can actualise our dream of having more international airports in the country. Stop witch-hunting her. You should understand she has done what no1 has done, not even Prof. Dora or Okonjo.


I weep for the future of this country. We need leaders with conscience! And citizens who would always say NO to unpatriotic moves by our leaders irrespective of their ethniciity or religion.

Codedeben: Don't you people understand simple english?
This is purely "an attack from our detractors, APC" and its an "Act of God". SIMPLE!


This Akintuotu guy has sold out. He must be an APC member

When Fed Govt can not afford striking lecturers money, just imagine how much a single ministry was planning to spend on just vehicles alone. How many ministries do we have? Imagine each of them spending 1b naira only on UTILITIES.
You can see why we shouldn't blame the presidency for wanting to spend 1b naira on feeding.
when number of jobless graduates. Increases exponentially every 3 months.

This Onyejeocha check her background, she must be an Ofemmanumanu married to an Ibo person. She's an embarrassment to her tribe for saying this (oh pardon me I must have comprehension problem cos she said NCAA. Meanwhile, NCAA is autonomous, so the minister shouldn't be roped into this, she and her ministry wouldn't have had anything to do with the purchase)


Please someone should tell this man to go and sit down or does he want to be reminded that Fashola also bought 3 200million naira jeeps (maybe from Innoson since there's no documented proof)?

You people should leave this Madam alone, she has not done anything out of the ordinary. All these need to be done before we can actualise our dream of having more international airports in the country. Stop witch-hunting her. You should understand she has done what no1 has done, not even Prof. Dora or Okonjo.


I weep for the future of this country. We need leaders with conscience! And citizens who would always say NO to unpatriotic moves by our leaders irrespective of their ethniciity or religion.

Temismith: Hmm what a man can do............

oyb: abeg where are deridegull sincerenika papabrowne and co to come and spin this

more acrobatics from the defenders of nigeria's best aviation minister ever

Codedeben: Don't you people understand simple english?
This is purely "an attack from our detractors, APC" and its an "Act of God". SIMPLE!


This Akintuotu guy has sold out. He must be an APC member

When Fed Govt can not afford striking lecturers money, just imagine how much a single ministry was planning to spend on just vehicles alone. How many ministries do we have? Imagine each of them spending 1b naira only on UTILITIES.
You can see why we shouldn't blame the presidency for wanting to spend 1b naira on feeding.
when number of jobless graduates. Increases exponentially every 3 months.

This Onyejeocha check her background, she must be an Ofemmanumanu married to an Ibo person. She's an embarrassment to her tribe for saying this (oh pardon me I must have comprehension problem cos she said NCAA. Meanwhile, NCAA is autonomous, so the minister shouldn't be roped into this, she and her ministry wouldn't have had anything to do with the purchase)


Please someone should tell this man to go and sit down or does he want to be reminded that Fashola also bought 3 200million naira jeeps (maybe from Innoson since there's no documented proof)?

You people should leave this Madam alone, she has not done anything out of the ordinary. All these need to be done before we can actualise our dream of having more international airports in the country. Stop witch-hunting her. You should understand she has done what no1 has done, not even Prof. Dora or Okonjo.


I weep for the future of this country. We need leaders with conscience! And citizens who would always say NO to unpatriotic moves by our leaders irrespective of their ethniciity or religion.

Neyova: .

dheaven: You guys should leave this woman alone the money is too small compare to the billions others had been stealing.