Stella Oduah’s Airport Upgrade And Rehabilitation Project An Elaborate Scam - Air Transport Workers Allege

Newly renovated Murtala Mohammed Airport ln Lagos is leaking
By SaharaReporters, New York
As investigations progress into Aviation Minister Stella Adaeze Oduah’s scandalous purchase of two BMW armored cars that cost N255 million, members of the National Union of Air Transport Employees have called for a proper probe of the Aviation Ministry’s airport rehabilitation projects, describing them as an elaborate scam.

The embattled minister initiated extensive airport rehabilitation and remodeling projects that have gulped billions of naira.

Earlier, SaharaReporters had reported that the air workers union had written a petition to the Nigerian Senate in July. The petition portrayed the airport rehabilitation projects as a cesspool of corruption.

In the petition, the union accused the minister of personally benefiting from two-phase projects designed for the remodeling of eleven airports in the country. The petition alleged that the minister used N7 billion from the Federal Government’s 2012 appropriations as well as another N1 billion from internally generated revenue of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), an agency under the Aviation Ministry.

Ms. Oduah had reportedly asked the Ministerial Tenders Board to approve her plan to use a two-phased rehabilitation exercise. The petition alleged that the minister had awarded consultancy jobs to three crony firms in the last quarter of 2011 without advertisement or evidence of “no objection” from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). Instead, the minister allegedly awarded the contracts with the confidence that she would retroactively obtain the certificates of “no-objection” for the crony consultancy firms that received the contracts.

The N255.7 million contracts went to Messrs. Ngonyama Okpanum and Associates; Messrs. Design Union Consulting Limited, and Messrs. Triad Associates Limited, which received N99 million, N60.9 million, and N95.5 million respectively.

The air transport workers alleged that no comprehensive reports on the consultancy services were ever presented during any meeting at the tenders’ board level.

After getting away with the questionable methods for awarding consultancy contracts, the minister reportedly boasted at a tenders’ board meeting that she had obtained President Goodluck Jonathan’s approval to adopt a selective tender method for determining the contractors to execute the upgrade and rehabilitation projects at the eleven airports in 2012.

The petitioners said Ms. Oduah cajoled the tenders’ board to approve her predetermined list of companies for the contracts. In a letter which Ms. Oduah used FAAN to write to the BPP, the minister cited “urgency” as her basis for seeking selective tender method for the upgrade and rehabilitation of airports.

“Rehabilitation and upgrade do not qualify as emergency that call for urgency,” wrote the airport workers in their petition obtained by SaharaReporters.

An executive of the Tenders’ Board told SaharaReporters that the minister and her associates “said it was for urgency that they elected the selective tender method and stipulated six months [as the duration of the projects], but it is now over two years and you can see their basis for selective tender is defeated. This is properly a case of fraud.”

Citing a violation of section 40-42 of the Public Procurement Act, the workers argued that selective tendering would be justifiable for the award of contracts that require some peculiar
expertise available only to a select few companies.

“Renovation of terminal buildings falls short of this requirement, but BPP approved it for Selective Tendering (notwithstanding),” the petition said.

SaharaReporters also saw a letter written by BPP to FAAN giving approval for the desired selective tender method on the reasons, which the workers’ petition now faults.

In a curious development, the petitioning workers disclosed that the companies listed for the selective tender were not the same companies on site. A source in the union told SaharaReporters that Ms. Oduah substituted the companies she secured selective approval for at the BPP with other ones that eventually went on the site, without going back to the BPP for fresh approval of the companies that are eventually carrying out the projects.

“It seems as if the initial companies did not settle the minister to her satisfaction, hence her decision to bring in other companies to do the job,” the unionist told our correspondent.

The workers also disclosed that the contracts, which were most likely inflated due to the undue advantage of selective award to crony firms, were yet to be completed when Ms. Oduah appeared again at the tenders’ board, seeking approval for the “second phase.”

The workers’ petition to Senate asserted that “the contracts listed in the phase-two are [a] repetition of the same contracts described in phase-one earlier approved.” They contended that the rates in Phase-Two were even more inflated.

In the petition, which the Senate leadership has failed to address since receiving it in July, the workers stated, for example, that “Zakhem Construction Nig. Ltd was awarded the contract for upgrade of [Murtala Muhammed International Airport] Lagos in the 1st phase at the sum of N920,191,147.58. Curiously, [the] same company was awarded another contract in the tune of N981,900,300.45 for ‘upgrade and rehabilitation’ of MMIA Lagos, under a spurious banner of Phase II.

"One of the documents obtained by SaharaReporters shows that the ministry quoted N270.261 million for direct procurement of an “emergency relocation” of Airside Power House/Associated Equipment at E-Wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos. The direct procurement was prepared in favor of a certain Messrs. Gamji Nigeria Ltd.

“Our minister has a tradition of starting something with [a] minimum of N255 million, just as the sham consultancy jobs for airport rehabilitation, and it is trite to remind of the N255 million BMW cars,” an air transport worker stated.

“All she seems to care about is amassing wealth for herself and her cronies while planes occasionally drop from Nigerian skies,” an Abuja-based transparency advocate said.

http://mobile.saharareporters.com/news-page/stella-oduah%E2%80%99s-airport-upgrade-and-rehabilitation-project-elaborate-scam-air-transport-wor

Fools should continue running from pillar to post. Their 1st scheme has failed, now they are trying to cook up something else. But read this.....
PRINCESS STELLA ADAEZE ODUAH IS GOING NOWHERE!
The earlier you all got it into ur oil thick craniums the better for you all.

Hmmm.I'm short of words.

When in ds country are we goin 2 have corruption-free-leaders again, whose profile will b devoid of bad reports. People dat can beat dia chests confidently dat dey truly served

Nnewi1stSon: Fools should continue running from pillar to post. Their 1st scheme has failed, now they are trying to cook up something else. But read this.....
PRINCESS STELLA ADAEZE ODUAH IS GOING NOWHERE!
The earlier you all got it into ur oil thick craniums the better for you all.

Is their any scheme that fail? You most be a foool to think that the corruption case against her has been swept under carpet. Just matters of days, you will be properly informed

abu12:

Is their any scheme that fail? You most be a foool to think that the corruption case against her has been swept under carpet. Just matters of days, you will be properly informed

You could have typed your balderash without actually calling me a 'fool', young man, be guided, i dont condone insults of any type. The next time you open your bucal cavity to spew the gibberish you just did, i'll do well to put you in your place!

This thread would soon be infested by tribalists.

They are truly out for this woman

Imagine, after billions spent, we still use buckets to drain water leaking from the roof of our airports.

STEALER oduah must go.

...and what will they do rather than talk and wish to be noticed for an appointment! Sorry she's going no whr @least there are no pot holes on d runways unlike ffk and other ministers' time.

Boss13: They are truly out for this woman

Why is it that whenever a thread on corruption involving any Igbo person is opened, people from the SE will quickly tribalize it for it not to see the light of front page? They do all within their "reach" to not only deny it of front page but also the politics section. If doesn't end in the racial and ethnic section, it's outrightly deleted.
I'm not saying other tribes are not corrupt. But none, or maybe hardly, shield any one among them that is corrupt. Tafa Balogun was accused, tried and sentenced for corruption when OBJ was the President yet no Yoruba said anything.
I won't be surprised if our moderators delete this.
Kennery de Ijoya.

Orlando Owoh: Why is it that whenever a thread on corruption involving any Igbo person is opened, people from the SE will quickly tribalize it for it not to see the light of front page? They do all within their "reach" to not only deny it of front page but also the politics section. If doesn't end in the racial and ethnic section, it's outrightly deleted.
I'm not saying other tribes are not corrupt. But none, or maybe hardly, shield any one among them that is corrupt. Tafa Balogun was accused, tried and sentenced for corruption when OBJ was the President yet no Yoruba said anything.
I won't be surprised if our moderators delete this.
Kennery de Ijoya.

You couldn't have said it better, every Yoruba youth speaks against their corrupt leaders. Very few Yoruba's defended Bode George but the tribalistic igbos would hasteningly come to defend their own and I wonder who would let them become president with this attitude.

If the new meaning of SCAM is to break some retrogressive beraucracies just to get the job done, then I think Nigeria and Nigerians need more of those scams in our airports, roads, rails, waterways, hospitals, schools, farms, power, etc. Infact, even in our religious circles. The singular crime Stella committed here was to remodel the airports too fast without waiting for all the beraucracies.
And who're those petitioning union workers? Oh, sorry, the Ife young boys and girls which FFK doled out jobs unmeritoriously to while he transiented at the aviation ministry. SR should come up with a more sophisticated strategy. This one didn't sell.

1MCN: If the new meaning of SCAM is to break some retrogressive beraucracies just to get the job done, then I think Nigeria and Nigerians need more of those scams in our airports, roads, rails, waterways, hospitals, schools, farms, power, etc. Infact, even in our religious circles. The singular crime Stella committed here was to remodel the airports too fast without waiting for all the beraucracies.
And who're those petitioning union workers? Oh, sorry, the Ife young boys and girls which FFK doled out jobs unmeritoriously to while he transiented at the aviation ministry. SR should come up with a more sophisticated strategy. This one didn't sell.

why did she have to do them fast, who is chasing her. Ooo I guess she had to hasten the shady job so as to cover her tracks Abi. There is a reason for due process, it's to stop shady deals like this.

I never knew some igbos could be this blinded from facts. Oma she oo

1MCN: If the new meaning of SCAM is to break some retrogressive beraucracies just to get the job done, then I think Nigeria and Nigerians need more of those scams in our airports, roads, rails, waterways, hospitals, schools, farms, power, etc. Infact, even in our religious circles. The singular crime Stella committed here was to remodel the airports too fast without waiting for all the beraucracies.
And who're those petitioning union workers? Oh, sorry, the Ife young boys and girls which FFK doled out jobs unmeritoriously to while he transiented at the aviation ministry. SR should come up with a more sophisticated strategy. This one didn't sell.

My brother it will take more than 10 FFK's to have oduah sacked, they'd have to employ the services of their deity that dropped from the sky(or so i was taught in elementary school ) ODUDUWA

Hmm... Can we outrightly say yes, funds for various projects are always available for most of our facilities; yet these funds are hoarded and stolen by the greedy ones? Well i still believe that stella should be properly investigated and whatever the outcome she should be dealt with accordinly. All these accusations and counter accusations springing up here and there, where them dey before? I still vividly remember arumah oteh and how she was bullied and dragged on with terrible stories which turned out to be lies and she was eventually exonerated. Pls let same procedure be duly followed with this case.

teeo:

You couldn't have said it better, every Yoruba youth speaks against their corruption leaders. Very few Yoruba's defended Bode George but the tribalistic igbos would hasteningly come to defend their own and I wonder who would let them become president with this attitude.

I've tried not to exonerate the enbattled minister of the alleged crime but you'd note a few things that have informed the position of most Igbos in this Oduah saga:
1. Sobowale had on Feb 24 2013 said in his article on Vanguard that the Yorubas have prepared to fight the minister to a standstill with all they have because of some unverifiable percieved tribal antagonism. Igbos see this saga as a clear manifestation of that rabid threat.
2. Igbos got very provoked at the corrosive vocality with which the Yorubas were asking for her summary dismissal even when she's not been given a fair hearing. Even Bode George, Tafa Balogun, etc were not jailed before their trail. Bankole is still enjoying his several tens of billion naira loot. Patricia Etteh was investigated before impeachment, and the list goes on. Why the haste to uproot Stella extra-judicially?
3. The said car was not bought in her name. It was for the use of the agency. With the plethora of threats to life which the minister recieves even from aviation workers (filled with disconcerted Yoruba folks) it may not be entirely out of place for the minister to need greater security for her. Obasanjo bought a more sophisticated auto for Dora when her life was in danger.
And, finally, I hope with this, you'd not say again that Igbos are "defending" their "corrupt" sister just on the grounds of ethnicity. I am Igbo and I'd speak against evil no matter who commits it. It'd praise good even if it's performed by someone am not in perfect friendship with.

1MCN:
I've tried not to exonerate the enbattled minister of the alleged crime but you'd note a few things that have informed the position of most Igbos in this Oduah saga:
1. Sobowale had on Feb 24 2013 said in his article on Vanguard that the Yorubas have prepared to fight the minister to a standstill with all they have because of some unverifiable percieved tribal antagonism. Igbos see this saga as a clear manifestation of that rabid threat.
2. Igbos got very provoked at the corrosive vocality with which the Yorubas were asking for her summary dismissal even when she's not been given a fair hearing. Even Bode George, Tafa Balogun, etc were not jailed before their trail. Bankole is still enjoying his several tens of billion naira loot. Patricia Etteh was investigated before impeachment, and the list goes on. Why the haste to uproot Stella extra-judicially?
3. The said car was not bought in her name. It was for the use of the agency. With the plethora of threats to life which the minister recieves even from aviation workers (filled with disconcerted Yoruba folks) it may not be entirely out of place for the minister to need greater security for her. Obasanjo bought a more sophisticated auto for Dora when her life was in danger.
And, finally, I hope with this, you'd not say again that Igbos are "defending" their "corrupt" sister just on the grounds of ethnicity. I am Igbo and I'd speak against evil no matter who commits it. It'd praise good even if it's performed by someone am not in perfect friendship with.

At least Dora wasn't attacked by Yoruba's it was her own kinsmen who attempted to assassinate her. Dora got thousands of threats but until an actual one was carried out she didn't get the "sophisticated" auto. I hope you know you can't compare the alleged threats Stella claim to be receiving to that of Dora

Nnewi1stSon: My brother it will take more than 10 FFK's to have oduah sacked, they'd have to employ the services of their deity that dropped from the sky(or so i was taught in elementary school ) ODUDUWA

Rubbish!

Orlando Owoh:
Rubbish!

You dey mind am.