President Goodluck Jonathan may disagree with the House of Representatives in terms of the probe into the controversial two bulletproof cars acquired for the Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah, by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
It has been learnt by the journalists that the President may be very objective in his judgment and may discard the report of the House Committee.
Stella Oduah had earlier appeared before the House Committee earlier and defended herself with all proofs that due process as specified in the Public Procurement Act was followed.
Anyway, the House had recommended that Jonathan fires the minister of aviation for going beyond the official limit she was to approve for any purchase and to sanction the former acting Director General of NCAA, Nkemakolam Joyce, and the Agency’s Director of Finance, Salawu Ozigi.
The panel has also recommended for the immediate termination of a loan agreement of N643, 088,25 to finance the purchase of 54 vehicles (including the armoured vehicles) between the NCAA and the First Bank of Nigeria; Coscharis Motors Limited is to be urged to return the N255m meant for the bulletproof vehicles.
However, an insider source in the Presidency has disclosed that President Jonathan is free to either act on the recommendation or not.
The source revealed that the essence of another Committee as set up by Jonathan was to look at the case objectively and from a more neutral angle, saying that Jonathan’s intention from the onset was not to act on the report.
He said, “I am sure you are aware that the President also set up an administrative panel to probe this matter.
“If he has confidence in the House of Representatives probe and is duty-bound to implement its resolution, he would not have bothered to set up a separate probe panel.
He claims that the resolutions of the National Assembly are simply advisory and Jonathan is not legally bound to implement them.
The House is equally not oblivious of the fact that the president is not legally bound to implement its report.
Reacting to this, House spokesman, Mr. Zakari Mohammed said, “It is the duty of the Executive to implement reports; if they say they will not implement, it is left to Nigerians to judge.”
“In plenary, we shall take a formal position on the matter. We will respond to the Presidency appropriately. We would have been surprised if they accepted to implement the report.”
Mohammed also blamed the Presidency for failing to implement other House resolutions. According to him, 36 bills passed by the National Assembly are awaiting presidential assent.
Source: Daily Post
