The House of Representatives yesterday affirmed that the Aviation Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah flouted the 2013 Appropriation Act by approving expenditure of over N643 million for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to purchase 54 vehicles.
The House noted that her approval limit as a minister was N100m.
The lawmakers also noted that the agency [NCAA] purchased two bulletproof BMW cars at the cost of N255m without the approval of the National Assembly.
This, they said breached the appropriation and public procurement laws as it was neither budgeted for by the federal government nor was it publicly advertised and bided for.
In view of the above, the House recommended that President Goodluck Jonathan should reconsider retaining the services of Ms. Oduah as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Lawmakers arrived at the decision during plenary on Thursday as they considered and endorsed the report of the House Committee on Aviation, which investigated the controversial purchase of the bulletproof cars.
An important recommendation of the committee, which was adopted states: “The House urges the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to review the continued engagement of the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, for having contravened the Appropriation Act, 2013 and the approved, revised thresholds by exceeding the Ministry of Aviation’s approval limit of N100m by the purchase of 54 vehicles valued at N643m”.
The House also directed the Ministry of Aviation and NCAA to terminate all the transactions pertaining to the bulletproof cars because they “were neither provided for in the Appropriation Act, 2013, nor was due process followed in their procurement”.
The House further urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to probe other officials involved in the scam and the car supplier, Coscharis Motors, owned by Mr. Coscharis Maduka.
