Sunday, October 20, 2013
IF YOU LIVE IN A GLASS HOUSE, DON'T THROW STONES ... Revealed: Why APC has kept silent on Stella Oduah's Bulletproof car scandal ... UP APC.
AS mounting outrage trails the purchase of two BMW armoured vehicles for the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, for N225 million, Elombah.com investigation has exposed the reason
behind the silence of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the raging matter of the ruling party's $1.6 million dollar car scandal at the aviation ministry. Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji
Fashola and his political Godfather, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu two
years ago took delivery of new acquisitions; two N600 million
bullet-proof Jeeps.
The cars are customized- by special order It is however believed that the Lagos state government footed the bill for the cars.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) is
known to issue condemnatory press releases at the flimsiest of excuse,
the last being their statement describing as the height of insensitivity
the decision by First Lady Patience Jonathan to receive an Honorary
Doctorate award in far away South Korea, even as Nigeria’s public
universities have remained shut for many months under the watch of her
husband.
In a statement issued in Lagos three days ago by its Interim National
Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said if the First
Lady and her advisers had been perceptive enough, they would have known
that embarking on such a jamboree at this time is an assault on the
sensibilities of Nigerians in general, and the students who have been
marooned at home for almost four months in particular.
Critics ask why in this reported purchase of two BMW armoured cars
amounting to 255 million naira for personal use by the Aviation
Minister, Ms Stella Oduah the opposition part has kept mum. The Ministry
of Aviation excruciatingly confirmed that the Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority (NCAA) bought the cars for the Minister.
Source identified Fashola and Tinubu's purchase as three bullet proof
cars- Jeeps- with bomb detector apparatus and surveillance cameras.
Findings revealed that two of the purchase are with Governor Fashola for
official usage as the helmsman of Lagos state. Asiwaju Tinubu is said
to have one to his name as party leader.
The brand of the bullet proof cars is identified as Toyota Prado Jeep.
The cost of each jeep- including handling, registration, insurance and
other fees- is two hundred million naira. The three jeeps are valued at
six hundred million naira. This is double the amount spent by Ms Stella
Oduah in the current bullet-proof jeep scandal.
The three automobiles were reportedly bought for Asiwaju Tinubu and Governor Fashola on grounds of 'security'.
Insiders say that the two political figures have not gone public with their jeeps for fear of attracting public opprobrium.
Angry Nigerians say Stella Oduah’s corruption and profligacy should not
be condoned at a time the country appears too broke to pay university
teachers.
Anti-corrupt crusaders and opposition politicians, on Thursday expressed
outrage over the purchase of two BMW armoured vehicles for the Minister
of Aviation, Stella Oduah, for N225 million by an agency under her
supervision.
Special Assistant to the Minister on media, Joe Obi, in a media
interview confirmed the vehicles were purchased for her principal to
protect her from “imminent threats.”
She was reported to have compelled the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, to buy the vehicles for her.
Anti-corruption campaigners and politicians, condemned the purchase of
the armoured vehicles and demanded the minister’s immediate resignation
and a subsequent probe of the transaction.
Leader of the Anti-Corruption Network, ACN, Dino Melaye, said his
organisation had already briefed its lawyers, who he said would file a
suit against Ms. Oduah on Monday.
He said his organisation had conducted investigation into the matter and
found out that there was no threat to the minister’s life as claimed by
his media aide.
Mr. Dino also said the vehicles could have been purchased for far less the amount they were purportedly procured.
“This government promotes, massages, embraces corruption,” an angry Mr.
Melaye, a former member of the House of Representatives, said in a
telephone interview with our reporter.
“There are two questions to ask – was the N225 million appropriated by
the National Assembly? Does the purchase of the vehicles not negate the
monetisation policy, which says that only the President, Vice president,
Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, their
deputies and a few other public officials should have official cars? If
she does not fall into this category, why did they purchase the vehicles
for her?
“They claim there was a threat to her life. There was no threat to
Stella Oduah’s life. Even if there was a threat, we have done our
investigation and we discovered that those vehicles cost less than N100
million.
“You are spending N225 million at a time you claim there is no money for
ASUU, at a time you cannot pay statutory allocations to states.
“Jonathan administration is the most corrupt administration in Nigeria.”
Ezenwa Nwagwu, Convener of Say No Campaign, Nigeria, SNCN, asked the anti-graft agencies to wade into the scandal immediately.
He wondered if the N225 million used to purchase the vehicles were
appropriated, insisting that the NCAA officer(s), who authorised the
release of the money, should be penalized.
Mr. Nwagwu added, “We have lost about 200 citizens to sheer incompetence
and add salt to injury, we are being told that a cash-strapped agency
under her had to cough out that amount of money to provide armoured
vehicles.
“In saner climes, she would have resigned. But here we are treated to half truths and excuses
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