EFCC To Probe Oduah’s N255m Car Deal

Despite the attempt by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to divert attention away from the N255 million spent procuring two armoured cars for the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, her troubles refuse to go away as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may have decided to probe the deal. Sources informed THISDAY that the commission has started making preliminary investigations into the contract and could start probing the exorbitant purchase of the cars that was believed to have bypassed due process. Since the story broke that the NCAA bought two BMW 760 LI armoured cars for the use of the minister, there has been a growing clamour for President Goodluck Jonathan to sack her if she fails to resign. However, the NCAA Director-General, Dr. Fola Akinkuotu, denied that the cars were for the minister, saying that the agency bought them for operational purposes. “The cars are operational vehicles used in the various operations of the NCAA transporting the minister and aviation related foreign dignitaries as part of its operations,” he had said at a news conference at the weekend in Abuja. Besides the EFCC, which has launched a preliminary probe into the purchase of the two bulletproof cars for the minister, the House of Representatives has indicated its readiness to investigate the transaction as soon as it returns from Sallah break. However, the Senate has not taken any decision yet on the controversial transaction. Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Babayo Gamawa, told THISDAY yesterday that the issues needed to be put in proper perspectives before a decision could be taken on it. According to him, the first step to take was to visit the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP) as well as the audit department to find out if the purchase of the car actually followed due process and whether a proper audit was done before the delivery of the cars. Gamawa, who represents Bauchi North Senatorial District in the Senate, noted that it was necessary to check if due process was really observed before the purchase. He made the remarks bearing in mind that attention had not been concentrated on whether due process was observed at all for the purchase or not. The senator, who declined to give an official reaction to the controversial deal, said it would not be right for him to comment on the issue when the upper chamber had not adopted a resolution on the matter.