Bullet Proof Cars: Oduah insists NCAA didn't violate law
Oduah, who made the statement on Thursday when she appeared
before the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, debunked the claim
that the cars were bought for her.
The minister has been in the eye of the media over the
purchase of the cars valued $1.6 million (N255 million).
``Honourable members, another falsehood in the public domain
relating to this lease financing arrangement are that the NCAA purchased two
bullet proof vehicles for me as the Minister of Aviation. This is
totally false.
``The two numbers security and safety BMW vehicles which the
NCAA acquired are for security and safety as appropriated by the National
Assembly in the 2013 budget in item six. 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.
" We reiterate that the NCAA purchased two numbers
security vehicles for the operations of NCAA in line with monies approved for
the NCAA under the appropriation Act passed by the National Assembly,” the minister said.
“Honourable chairman, as we are all aware, what necessitated
this public hearing were the events that followed as false and malicious online
publication that I had compelled the NCAA to purchase for me two BMW bullet
proof cars at the cost of $1.6 million.
“Let me state, emphatically from the onset that the
allegation concerning the purchase of
two numbers bullet proof cars for me by the Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority is false in its entirety. 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.
She said that the claim was an orchestrated attempt to
discredit her and her team in the good work she had done to transform the
aviation sector.
On whether NCAA spent monies not proved by the Appropriation
Act of 2013, Oduah explained that NCAA, conscious of its enforcement roles,
always obeyed rules and regulations of government.
“Honourable chairman, NCCA, as a result of the daily
interaction with the law in its regulatory and enforcement roles, is at all
times and in all matters conscious of its obligations of complying with the law
and all extant 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).
Oduah said that “the section prohibits the spending of
monies from any fund of the federation except as appropriated by the National
Assembly."
She, however, 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.
In his presentation, the former Acting Director-General of
NCAA, Mr Joyce Nkemakolam, who supervised the purchase of the cars, said that
he did not violate the Appropriation Act
2013.
Members of the committee had accused Nkemakolam of violating
the 2013 Appropriation Act.
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.
But Nkemakolam insisted that it was a lease agreement that
the NCAA entered into with First Bank to buy the vehicles.
In her remark, the Chairman of the committee, Nkiruka
Onyejiocha, said that the committee had given fair hearing to all the invited
agencies and persons.
She gave an assurance that the committee would “do justice
to the report of the investigation.
Comments
Post a Comment