which investigated the purchase of
two armoured BMW cars for the
aviation minister, Stella Oduah at
the rate of N255m has submitted
its report.
Oduah should face the consequence of
spending public money on unbudgeted
expenditure such as the purchase of the
cars: a three-year jail term and a fine of
N100, 000. These are part of
recommendations of the report of the
House Committee on Aviation.
The report reads:
"That the contract for the purchase of
the cars was not listed in the budget by
NCAA, the agency compelled by the
minister to make the purchase, and was
not listed by the Federal Airports
Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the
Nigerian Airspace Management Agency
(NAMA).
"That spending public funds on
unbudgeted projects attracts three
years in jail and a fine of N100, 000 as
stipulated by the ICPC Act."
"The minister's poor supervisory role
led NCAA into unilaterally appropriating
funds against next year's budget. The
above is an indirect contempt of
parliament, even so that the president
and commander-in-chief has not
submitted to the National Assembly the
2014 Appropriation Bill."
"The minister has not addressed why
the NCAA paid a price tag that auto
dealers in the US and UK described as 'a
rip-off'. It is a fact that each of the BMW
cars should cost no more than $
167,000 which is approximately N36
million.
"Aviation minister approved NCAA's
request to procure 55 operational
vehicles valued at N564.665 million;
there is no evidence to show that the
Hon. Minister presented NCAA's request
to FEC for its approval. Further, the
attempt to procure now and pay later is
against the extant laws of the
federation."
They therefore recommended that "the
President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria should review the continued
engagement of the Hon. Minister for
Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, having
contravened the 2013 appropriation
and approved revised thresholds by
exceeding her approval limit of N100m
with the purchase of 54 vehicles valued
at N643m".
On the finding of the panel that the cars
allegedly purchased were different from
the ones they inspected, the legislators
recommended that the "Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
and other relevant anti-corruption
agencies further investigate the
discrepancies and the chassis number
DW68032 of the vehicles on the one
reported to be delivered and the one
inspected by the committee, and, if
found wanting, prosecute all persons/
institutions involved in the
transaction".
The report also asks the company from
which the cars were purchased,
Coscharis Nigeria Limited, to pay the
value of the waiver for the two BMW
armoured cars, having been found to
have lied about the federal government
giving it waiver on the cars.
It states: "Coscharis Nigeria Limited
should be investigated on the issue of
waiver, source and exact cost of the two
(2) BMW vehicles supplied to NCAA. It
should be made to pay the waiver value
into the treasury account.
"Coscharis Motors Limited claimed that
the Federal Ministry of Finance granted
it import duty, VAT, ETLS, CISS and port
charges waiver to import two (2)
bulletproof BMW armoured cars. This
claim is false."
The lawmakers also found that there
were: "No copies of advertisements or
solicitations for bids published in at
least 2 national newspapers and the
website of NCAA as well as any
procurement journal. No copies of bids
submissions registers and duplicate
copies of receipts issued to bidders on
submission bids. No minutes of public
bidding for technical and financial
proposals, including list of CSOs and
professional observers. No copies of
bids evaluation by the sub-technical
committees of the Tenders Board, and
copies of minutes of meetings of the
Tenders Board approving the winning
bidder."
Source: Leadership
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