By: Sunday Oyewole It emerged on Thursday that the embattled Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah actually approved the purchase of the controversial two BMW Li Series armoured cars by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) at a cost of N255 million.
This revelation came to the fore at the opening of the public hearing being organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation.
The NCAA also admitted that the purchase was not approved by the National Assembly but maintained that the cars are not meant to serve the minister.
The legislators were also told that the NCAA in its memo to the minister quoted N70 million each, but eventually paid N255 million instead of N140 million for the two cars.
However, the Director General of NCAA, Fola Akinkuotu, declined comment on the purchase, saying that the vehicles had been paid for before he assumed office in August this year.
But Joyce Nkemakolam, who was the acting Director-General of the NCAA when the purchase was initiated and executed, confirmed ministerial approval for the purchase of the vehicles.
Nkemakolam, also told the committee that though the National Assembly approved the purchase of only 25 operational vehicles, the NCAA in executing the 2013 budget bought 54 in all.
The lawmakers were told that the total sum approved in the 2013 budget for purchase of vehicle was N240 million but the agency has so far spent N643 million to purchase operational vehicles.
The Acting DG, added that the vehicles purchased for 2013 were funded by a bank and that payments, on the vehicles including the bullet-proof vehicles were being made to the bank on monthly installment of N23 million.
In the document submitted to the committee, the agency admitted further that the 2013 budget approved for 5 Toyota Hilux Pickup, 10 Toyota Corolla cars, 5 Toyota Lancruiser Jeeps, 3 Toyota Hiace Buses all at a cost of N240 million but eventually bought 54 vehicles through the bank lease for the sum of N643 million which was financed by the bank.
It was also discovered by the committee that the financing agreement between the agency and the bank showed that the NCAA was to repay the sum with an interest of about N500 million to be paid on the N643 million within the repayment plan date of 36 months.
Two months installments on the repayment, the agency said, has been made to the financing bank.
The Aviation Committee recalled that the House granted approval for the purchase of security vehicles, but added that they are meant to monitoring the perimeter fences of the airport.
The committee also reminded the agency that its initial 2013 budget proposal only contained the request for bullet proof vehicles which was rejected at the point of budget defence.
Also testifying, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) told the committee that the NCAA did not obtain permission from the BPP before awarding the contract.
The BPP also faulted the claim by NCAA that the lease agreement entered into by the NCAA and the financing bank did not need approval of BPP, as earlier claimed by the NCAA.
According to BPP, since the transaction involves government fund one way or the other, the BPP by law, must be involved in the process of the contract award. The Minister and the supplier Chosharis are expected to appear before the committee on Tuesday.
