Oduah Cars: Okonjo-Iweala Approved N10.1m Custom Duty Waiver

Embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah

More cans of worms were thrown up  on Wednesday in Abuja  during  the public hearing  by  the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation on the controversial N255m bulletproof cars purchased by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

But the woman at the centre of the scandal, Ms Stella Oduah, dared the committee   as she again reneged on her promise to honour an invitation earlier extended to her.

Her absence however  led to  a near  disagreement between the Committee Chairman, Mrs. Nkiruka Onyejeocha, and a member, Jerry Manwe.

Manwe had complained that the committee started proceedings without first clarifying why Oduah, who is the Minister of Aviation,  was absent.

He said, “We adjourned  (on Tuesday)to take the minister today (Wednesday). Why is she not here?

“She should have been the main issue today (Wednesday).

“The  absence of the minister (Oduah) is a slap on the face of the House.”

Responding, Onyejeocha argued that the hearing was not about Oduah alone.

She overruled Manwe and moved on to  hear  the officials of the  Nigerian Customs Service, Coscharis and First Bank Nigeria Plc  state their roles in the purchase of the cars for Oduah by the NCAA.

 The committee chairman  later read  a   letter from the Ministry of Aviation  in whicn the  minister explained why  she   could not make   the public sitting.

Onyejeocha   told her colleagues that the Aviation ministry wrote to inform the committee that Oduah was on “transit” from Israel to Nigeria.

In the letter,  the minister, who had allegedly failed to honour 12 invitations by the House,  claimed that she would arrive in Lagos late on Wednesday and  applied to appear  before the committee on November 4.

• Oduah must appear today, says committee

But, Onyejeocha   directed that the minister   must appear on Thursday (today).

She  said, “If she fails again, we take it that she does not want to appear. We are saying this in the spirit of fair hearing.

“Thursday (today)  is  sacrosanct and we will turn in our report whether she comes or not.”

The  committee had on Monday  issued a statement in which it insisted that  the minister must appear before it on Wednesday.

It warned that it would not hesitate to take necessary actions against her if she  failed to turn up on Wednesday.

The House spokesman, Zakari Mohammed, had also told The PUNCH on Tuesday, that sanctions that could be imposed on the minister if she failed to appear before  the committee, included issuing a bench warrant to facilitate her arrest by security agents.

• Fresh revelations on the deal

But even with her absence, the committee,   the NCS,  Coscharis Motors and First Bank Nigeria Plc  made fresh revelations  on the controversial cars.

Among the fresh revelations made public at the hearing  was  the  difference in the chassis numbers of the cars inspected by the committee members and those in the transaction documents between the NCAA and Coscharis.

Another  is  how the  Federal Ministry of Finance and the National Security Adviser were made   to believe that the  two vehicles  were for   the 18th  National Sports Festival (Eko Games 2012) hosted by Lagos State.

 The  Customs Service was the first to blow the lid when it told the  committee   that no duty was paid on the cars because Coscharis obtained a duty exemption certificate from  the Federal Ministry of Finance.

According to the Customs, the government lost N10.1m  due to the waiver, which covered 300 vehicles, including the two  controversial bulletproof  cars.

The Deputy Comptroller-General (Modernisation and Economic Relations), Mr. Manasa Jatau, who testified before the panel, disclosed that the Ministry of Finance granted the waiver after Coscharis wrote that it wanted  to import 300 assorted vehicles for the EKO Games.

 He added that the “end beneficiary” of the cars, including the two bulletproof  vehicles  was the Lagos State Government.

However,he hinted that  the waiver was later used as a cover to import the bulletproof cars to evade the payment of import duty.

He revealed that there was also a third bulletproof car imported by Coscharis.

The Customs chief who did not name the owner of the third bulletproof car,  added  that the office of the NSA  issued a security clearance for the two bought for Oduah.

Asked whether a waiver granted for a specific purpose, could be transferred to a different end-user, he replied, “To the best of my knowledge, end-user certificate is not transferable.”

The DCG   said, “N10.1m was the duty payable on the 300 vehicles; but no duty was paid because there was an import exemption certificate issued by the Federal Ministry of Finance.

 “The waiver was for a period of one year.

“The waiver showed there were 300 vehicles for the sports festival, hosted from November to December, 2012.

“Only three of the vehicles were bulletproof and the NSA gave security certificate for their clearance.”

 Coscharis Motors was represented at the hearing by its Chairman, Mr. Cosmos Maduka, and the Managing Director, Mr. Josiah Samuel.

 The company admitted that it got a waiver to import vehicles for the games, saying that “it is the usual practice for government to approach us to supply vehicles for major events.”

 However, efforts by the committee to establish how the waiver was used to cover the bulletproof cars, did not yield results.

 Samuel parried questions and chose rather to advertise BMW cars to members at the hearing.

• Coscharis accused  of connivance

The committee however accused the company of conniving with  the NCAA to inflate the cost of the cars. But Coscharis denied the accusation.

On the price of the cars, Samuel claimed that the BMWs were “7 Series, B7” security cars, which were costlier than their equivalent quoted by “independent amourers” on the Internet.

He argued that the cars in question had factory-fitted armour, as against buying a plain car before taking it to an independent firm to rebuild.

 The Managing Director  stated that the factory price for the grade of BMW cars it supplied   the NCAA was €418,000, excluding  other charges.

 On how the company gets and utilises duty waivers, Josiah said most times, the waivers would come too close to the date of the event they were meant to cover.

 “So, what we do is that we sign a Memorandum of Understanding with government to release the vehicles we have in our showroom.  We then use the waiver to replace the vehicles we have supplied”, he added.

But, his response angered   Manwe, who accused Coscharis of committing “fraud.”

Manwe said a quotation he received  from an American firm showed that the same car sold for N42m.

He  said,  “We are not fools; you have been taking us for a ride.

“You imported the cars without paying duty, why are you selling one for over N127m?  Are your own bulletproof cars manufactured in the moon.

“You got a waiver to import cars for the National  Sports Festival, but you ended up using it to import bulletproof cars for  the NCAA.

 “You have been lying to us. You ripped off the people of Nigeria through the NCAA.

 “That is the summary of what is before us here, so what are you saying?”

But, Maduka protested, saying his company did a legitimate transaction.

 He said the whole scandal was “politically-motivated” for reasons he could not explain.

 Maduka added,  “We followed all the processes required.  We sold vehicles to the NCAA and First Bank financed it.

“We were interviewed by the SSS(State Security Service), the NSA; we didn’t do any wrong.”

 • More drama

But, more drama played out when the Aviation Committee’s Sub-Committee on Inspection, reported that the armoured cars Coscharis supplied were different from the ones quoted in its letter to the NSA.

The committee had visited the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport on Tuesday to inspect the cars.

However, members discovered that the chassis numbers were different from the ones quoted in the transaction documents.

The leader of the inspection team, Mr. Ahmed Chanchangi, said, “We sighted the cars at the airport yesterday (Tuesday).

“The chassis numbers do not correspond with what you said you supplied. It looks like Nigeria was shortchanged here again”, he stated.

However, Maduka disagreed and insisted that a member of his staff ought to have accompanied the team to the airport to ascertain the  cars they inspected.

The discrepancy in the chassis numbers was left unresolved.

• Our role –First Bank

First Bank which  was the  financier of the transaction,   confirmed that it entered into a loan agreement, “not lease agreement” with the NCAA.

The head of the bank’s Lagos Mainland branch, which handled the transaction, Mr. Seyi Ojefeso, recalled how the NCAA approached the bank for a loan to purchase vehicles for its management staff.

Ojefeso claimed that it was possible that the NCAA “got it mixed up” when it  described it as a lease agreement.

He explained that the NCAA applied for a total loan package of N643m to finance the purchase of  54 vehicles.

For the bulletproof cars, he said there was a Coscharis proforma invoice attached to the application in the value of N255m.

He added, “We offered an auto loan to the NCAA in May to purchase cars for its management staff.

“The application was for N643m; we financed the purchase of the cars based on the application they submitted to us.”

The committee observed that the original request of the NCAA to the Minister of Aviation  was N564m, but First Bank eventually approved a loan of N643.

 When asked to explain how the difference came about, Ojefeso said only the NCAA could answer the question since N564m was not in the agency’s communication with the bank.

• FAAN also bought cars for Oduah

The Senate Committee on Aviation  also said  that four of the   202  ‘operational’  cars   bought by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria for its top officials are armoured vehicles.

It added    in Abuja on Wednesday, that  two of the armoured vehicles were for the Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah and two for the Managing Director of FAAN,  Mr. George Uriesi.

“FAAN did confirm that among the operational  vehicles they purchased, four of them are armoured vehicles, two for the Managing Director  and two for the minister,” the committee Chairman, Senator Hope Uzodinma, told journalists on the sidelines of the investigation  into the crises in the aviation industry.

Uriesi had while appearing before the panel on Tuesday  said  the  operational  vehicles included two Lexus limousines   and two Toyota  Prado jeeps.

But the  FAAN chief did not state who the armoured vehicles were bought for. He   said the limousines were bought  for  N60m each and not  N70m being insinuated.

Uriesi, who   said  he did not have details of the cost of the Prado jeeps, also claimed that the  vehicles were still in the custody of the bankers wthat  funded their  purchase.

He  also  did not give the names of the     persons / company(ies)  that ordered the vehicles  and those they were meant for.

But   Uzodinma  told  journalists on Wednesday that   Uriesi  had confirmed on oath that FAAN   bought operational vehicles.

He said, “Investigation is still on-going and it will not be fair for me to preempt the outcome.

“We told them to go back and put everything in writing and make  comprehensive statements on all vehicles purchased. Until they come back on Monday, we cannot rush into conclusion.

“The MD FAAN said they did a funding arrangement with a commercial bank.This investigation will be a very deep one so that at the end of the day, we do a holistic approach and look at how the sector will be repositioned so that all anomalies will be corrected.”

The Director-General of the Nigeria Metereological  Agency,  Mr. Anthony Anuforom;  and his counterpart in the Accident and Investigations Bureau, Captain Muhtar Usman, told the committee that  they  were not involved in the purchase of armoured vehicles.

The Uzodinma-led  committee will also  inspect theN255m bulletproof cars bought for Oduah by the  NCAA before the end of the week.

Dangote more powerful than Jonathan, other African leaders — Forbes

The founder, Dangote group, Aliko Dangote, has been named by Forbes magazine as the 64th most powerful person in the world.

The survey also put him as more powerful than all African heads of state, including President Goodluck Jonathan.

The 56-year old Kano born richest man in Africa is the only African on the first 70 names on the list, closely followed by Sudanese born telecoms magnate, Mo Ibrahim.

Mr. Dangote and the founder of Oracle, Larry Ellison (number 58) are the latest billionaire-entrepreneurs to join the list alongside 27 CEOs.

The businessman has a networth of $16.1billion and diversified interests in cement, sugar, flour, salt, petrochemicals, oil and gas.

The self-made billionaire announced in May his ambition to overhaul Nigeria’s petroleum industry, with plans to build Africa’s largest petroleum refinery in the country at estimated cost of $2billion.

The 2013 list, which was released on Wednesday featured no African President while 17 other heads of state that run nations with a combined GDP of some $48 trillion made the list.

Russian President, Vladmir Putin topped the list as the most powerful man in the world ahead of American President, Barack Obama, whilst the general secretary of the Communist Party of China Xi Jinping, made the top three.

This is the first year that Putin is wearing the crown. Obama has been on the top of the list for every year with the exception of 2010, when Hu Jintao, the former political and military leader of China, was No. 1.

According to Forbes, “the Most Powerful People in the World list is an annual snapshot of heads of state, financiers, philanthropists and entrepreneurs who truly rule the world.”

“It represents the collective wisdom of top FORBES editors, who consider hundreds of nominees before ranking the planet’s top 72 power-brokers – one for every 100 million people on Earth — based on their scope of influence and their financial resources relative to their peers.”

There are nine women on the list; representing 12% of the world’s most powerful. Recently elected President of South Korea, Geun-Hye Park joins other female heads of state German Chancellor Angela Merkel (No.5), Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff (No. 20) and de facto head of India Sonia Gandhi (No. 21).

Forbes notes that two of the world’s most important NGO’s are run by women: Christine Lagarde (No. 35) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Margaret Chan (No. 59) steers the World Health Organization.

Six pregnant girls freed in baby factory raid

The Nigerian police have raided a baby factory in the oil city of Port Harcourt and arrested a woman accused of harbouring six pregnant girls, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.

“We rescued six girls last week at different stages of pregnancy from an illegal maternity home in Port Harcourt,” Joy Elomoko of the Imo State police told AFP.

She said the youngest of the girls was 14, without disclosing the ages of the others.

“We have also arrested the proprietress of the clinic and she is assisting us in our investigation,” she said.

Elomoko said the raid on the Port Harcourt home followed the arrest of a girl with a baby in nearby Owerri on October 15.

“A lady was found in suspicious circumstances with a day old baby and after interrogation she confessed that she gave birth to a baby in Port Harcourt,” the police spokeswoman said.

Elomoko said police detectives followed the girl to Port Harcourt where six expectant mothers were found in a clinic run by a woman.

“The woman could not produce any document authorising her to operate the clinic and she was subsequently arrested,” she said.

She said the girls also told police that they were being kept in the home to make babies which would be sold to willing buyers.

Elomoko said the suspect would be taken to court after police investigation.

Nigerian police have uncovered a series of alleged baby factories in recent years, notably in the southeastern part of the country. Baby boys can sell for a price of around $250 (180 euros), baby girls for slightly less.

Human trafficking, including the selling of children, is the third most common crime in Nigeria behind fraud and drug trafficking, according to the United Nations

Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer, but poverty is widespread across the country and most of the estimated 160 million people still live on less than two dollars a day.

ASUU strike: Police tear gas protesting UniAbuja lecturers

ABUJA – The Nigerian Police Force Wednesday, tear-gassed  members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, University of Abuja branch as they mobilise for their protest into the streets of the Federal Capital City, Abuja.

Eyewitnesses said that the lecturers had gathered at the mini-campus of the university at  Gwagwalada for the protest when suddenly policemen and plain clothes security personnel took over the entire arena and prevented them from the embarking on the protest.

Speaking to journalists, the zonal Chairman of ASUU, Dr. Clement Chup said ASUU sent a letter to the Commissioner of Police at Gwagwalada to notify  him of their  protest but was surprised when they were prevented by Police from entering into campus.

According to him, “We members of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU of University of Abuja had actually planned to carry out a peaceful demonstration today . What we planned was to have a community marching just to march through some major streets in Abuja, to sensitize the public on the essence of our strike. You will agree with me that the strike that has been on for the past four months now is a cause for worry for everybody. We wanted to tell members of the public we are on strike because  the Federal Government have refused to implement the agreement they had with our members since 2009.

“But unfortunately when we got to the campus this morning (Wednesday), we were prevented from entering the campus by Policemen. When they prevented us from entering the campus we sat down helplessly outside the gate, just chatting and trying to put heads together, the Policemen came around and tear gassed us several times to disperse us”.

File: Police Officers Shooting Tear Gas to dispel the Mammoth crowd

Chup continued, “We were wondering why, a security agent that are supposed to provide security for law abiding citizens would turn around and begin to oppress the same people they are suppose to provide security for. It was really a cause for worry, even as they threw over 13 canisters of tear gas at us. Some of us were soaked in the tear gas and one of us who has asthma condition was rushed to the hospital.

“We insisted that it is our right, so at the end of the day, we were able to carry out our protest at a point in front of the university gate. When they tried to stop us and they didn’t succeed, they now allowed us to carry out our protest at the gate where we displayed our banners, sang our solidarity song and left”.

Nyiam: Dialogue committee apologises to Oshiomhole

Comrade Adams Oshiomhole

The Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue has apologised to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State over the unruly behaviour of one its members, Col. Tony Nyiam (retd).

Nyiam had led some participants at the conference which held in Benin, on Monday, to shout down the governor when he was making his presentation.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Femi Okurounmu in a letter  titled, “Dialogue Committee condemns unruly behaviour,” apologised to Oshiomhole.

It  read, “The Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue wants to put it on record that we noted the sad incident at today’s (Monday) interactive session with Nigerians from the South-South held in Benin City, Edo State.

“The committee wishes to state its unequivocal commitment and that of its members to the principles of democratic discourse. Although we take special exception to the unruly conduct of one of our members who joined the crowd in shouting down the Comrade Governor of Edo State, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, while he was giving his remarks, the session continued and ended peacefully.”

Okurounmu in the letter dated October 28, 2013, continued, “We want to emphasise that the committee will listen to all shades of opinions in the areas of its mandates and will not henceforth condone the kind of unacceptable behaviour we witnessed in Benin City.

“The committee wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the government and people of Edo State for providing support to the committee in its assignment in the state.”

Meanwhile, Nyiam has denied resigning his membership of the committee.

Nyian in a telephone interview said, “I have not told anybody publicly that I have resigned.”

Also, some Edo youths under the aegis of Ariababho Youth Association have declared Nyiam persona non grata in the state, following his outburst at the sitting of the dialogue committee in the capital and called on the President to urgently replace him.

Dialogue: Edo rowdy meeting vindicates us, says APC

National Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed

The All Progressives Congress on Tuesday said the disruption of Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s presentation on the proposed national dialogue in Benin on Monday, was a vindication of its position on the issue.

The party said this in a statement by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

The party stated that it “strongly condemned the sponsored disruption of Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s presentation” during the meeting of the Senator Femi Okurounmu-led Presidential Advisory Committee on National Dialogue.

It described the act as “despicable and a vindication of the party’s decision not to be part of the proposed conference.”

The statement read in part, “The truth is that, in proposing the conference, the government had no sincerity of purpose, did not believe in engaging in any dialogue with anyone but itself and has only used it to distract the attention of Nigerians from the total absence of governance and sense of direction by the Jonathan Administration.

“This is why we refused to participate in what is nothing but a sheer deceit. We have already been vindicated even before the start of the conference.”

It expressed shock that the governor of a state hosting a meeting of the advisory committee could be so “primitively treated.”

The party also said, “Even if they have no respect for the person of Governor Oshiomhole, couldn’t they have at least shown respect for the office he is occupying?

“If a person in the calibre of Governor Oshiomhole, with his antecedents and prominent role in the national political discourse, cannot be allowed to air his opinion on any issue, what then will happen to ordinary citizens?”

It commended Oshiomhole for “his maturity and decency,” which he demonstrated  in his handling of the situation, despite the “indignity meted out to him.”

Agric Minister Adesina, make Forbes’ Africa Person of the Year shortlist

• The Minister of Agriculture is the only government official to make the list.

Three members of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Economic Management team were on Tuesday named among several Africans shortlisted for the 2013 Forbes Africa Person of the Year award.

The shortlist released by the United States-based business website, comprised three Nigerians, one South African and one Zimbabwean.

They included Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture, Akinwunmi Adesina, for his vision in making Nigeria a self-sustaining, food-producing nation, which hopes to register over 20 million farmers by 2015; Africa’s richest man and President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, whose net worth has significantly increased on the back of his continued business successes in various sectors of the continent’s economy, including oil and gas, petro-chemicals, transport and haulage, manufacturing and commodities.

Also included are Jim Ovia, who is the Chairman of the Zenith Bank Group, reputed as West Africa’s second largest financial services provider focused on helping grow Africa’s budding ‘techpreneurs’; Strive Masiyiwa, founder of global telecoms group, Econet Wireless, was also shortlisted for using Capernaum Trust to educate tens of thousands of Zimbabwean orphans, and South African mining magnate, Patrice Motsepe, for his plans to give away more than half his fortune over the next five years.

The awards will be presented in Nairobi, Kenya at the beginning of December this year.

An official voting is also open to the public to make their selection of the individual they deem most worthy of the Person of the Year title.

The Person of the Year Awards celebrate ‘the individual who, for better or worse, has had the most influence on events of the year gone by’ and Forbes Africa has welcomed the participation of the public in what is fast becoming one of the most momentous and anticipated annual events in Africa,” managing editor of Forbes Africa magazine, Chris Bishop, said.

“Every year, we are excited to decide the Forbes Africa Person of the Year. We want to honour the big hitters of the continent who are making a difference in people’s lives and we hope that in doing so, it will inspire others,”

DJ apprehended with 52 wraps of cocaine

Iwunze Magnus

Officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, have apprehended a 36-year-old Disc Jockey with powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine weighing 855 grammes.

In a statement on Tuesday by the NDLEA Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, the suspect, Iwunze Magnus, with a South African passport number 460709224, was said to have boarded an Iberia flight from Costa Rica enroute Madrid.

He was found to have ingested 52 wraps of cocaine at the arrival hall of the airport, three of which he had excreted on the plane during the flight.

NDLEA Airport Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar confirmed the arrest.

He said, “Three wraps of substances weighing 190 grammes that tested positive for cocaine, were, during a routine search, found in Magnus’s pockets. He had excreted them during the flight from Costa Rica.

“He also tested positive for drug ingestion and while under observation, Magnus excreted 49 wraps that also tested positive for cocaine. In all, he had 52 wraps weighing 855 grammes of cocaine.”

Magnus said, “I am a disc jockey and I have my music studio in Johannesburg, where I have lived with my wife and kid since 1997.

“I had wanted to settle the debts I incurred during the burial of my late brother. In an attempt to pay the balance of N300,000, I fell into the hands of drug traffickers who lured me into the trade. They were to pay me $2,500, if I had succeeded.” Magnus is a native of Ibitolu in Imo State.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade,  said, “I understand the suspect had a South African passport. I have ordered a thorough investigation into the case. I also wish to appeal to members of the public to resist any attempt to smuggle and abuse drugs. Magnus will be charged to court at the conclusion of our investigation.”

Nigeria not broke but cash-strapped –DG Budget, AGF

Director-General, Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Bright Okogu

The Director-General of Budget Office of the Federation, Dr. Bright Okogu, and  the Accountant- General of the Federation, Mr. Jonah Otunla, told a National Assembly Committee on Tuesday that Nigeria was not broke but was currently cash-strapped.

Okogwu and Otunla said this when they appeared before the Senate and House of Representatives Joint Committee on Appropriation and Finance  during consideration of the 2012-2014 Medium Term Expenditure Framework.

The MTEF was forwarded to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan preparatory to the 2014 budget presentation in November. The committee  is headed by Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

Responding to a question  from a member of the committee,  Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, on the insinuations that the country was broke, Otunla said, “Nigeria is not broke but it’s currently having cash flow problems.”

Also Okogwu said though, “the nation is currently experiencing cash flow problems from time to time; it does not suggest that it is broke.

“Nigeria is not broke. We may have cash flow problem. But countries like Greek and Spain are broke. They are now approaching their international neighbours for bail out, but Nigeria has not done that and are nowhere near that situation.”

The Central Bank Deputy Governor, Mrs. Maria Alade, who represented the CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi, at the joint sitting was, however, evasive when she was asked the same question.

She said, “Since the AGF and the DG Budget, have answered that Nigeria is not broke, that was also the position of the CBN.

“As bankers of the Federal Government, it is not our duty to tell the nation whether it is broke or not, but we can tell her the amount it has in accounts at anytime. But since the AGF and the DG, Budget have clearly declared that Nigeria is not broke, we in CBN also believe so.”

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has written the Senate, requesting permission to present the 2014 Budget.

The President, in a two-paragraph letter dated October 23, 2013, to the Senate President, David Mark, said he was seeking permission to address the “Joint Session of the National Assembly on the 2014 Budget.”

The letter to the Senate President, made available to newsmen read,” I write to crave your kind indulgence to grant me the slot of 12:00 noon on Tuesday, 12th November 2013, to address a Joint Session of the National Assembly.”

Anger as Oduah takes credit for BASA

Embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, broke her seven-day silence on social media on Tuesday, amidst backlash over the N255m bulletproof cars bought for her by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

In a post on Twitter and Facebook, Oduah took credit for the signing of the much-publicised Bilateral Air Services Agreement with Israel.

Oduah, who was a member of the President’s entourage to Israel for this year’s Christian pilgrimage, had been prevented at the last-minute from signing the Bilateral Air Services Agreement with Israel.  In her stead, Minister of State I, Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, signed the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government.

But Oduah said the BASA signing was ahuge endorsement and product of the reforms which she championed in line with the Goodluck Jonathan administration’s Transformation Agenda.

The message on her Facebook wall read,  “BASA between Nigeria and the State of Israel had been problematic for decades, with several aviation ministers and successive governments failing in attempts at putting pen to paper.

“The signing is a significant feat for the present administration and a huge endorsement of the Transformation Agenda of the present government as represented in the reforms championed by Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, in the sector.”

But the message sparked off some angry reactions from Nigerians who have been calling for her resignation or outright sacking by the President over allegations of corruption, abuse of office and financial recklessness in the N255m car scandal.

Some Nigerians who wrote on her Twitter and Facebook pages on Tuesday asked her to hurriedly return home to answer for the allegations levelled against her, with a view to setting the records straight.

According to them, Oduah was wrong to be frolicking around and taking credit for an agreement in the circumstance where she has yet to clear her name in the car scandal.

Writing on the minister’s Facebook wall, a particular follower of hers, David Letam, described Oduah’s statement as another “frivolous jamboree” and stated that she should have been worried about the accusations against her.

“I want to congratulate the minister on this landmark achievement in signing the BASA with Israel. However, the honourable minister should come home to clear her name in this N255m car scam. The safety of Nigerians on the air is paramount than this frivolous jamboree,” Letam wrote.

An angry Twitter user, Donan Joshua, asked, “Na you sign am? See as she de talk am as if na she sign am! Madam, come back home and tell us about the money and the N255m bulletproof cars bought for you.”

One Sam Aremu said on Facebook that it was disappointing that the minister still had the guts to be commenting on national issues in spite of the facts in the public domain about the scandal rocking her ministry.

Aremu said, “If Aviation workers are protesting against Oduah’s N225m bulletproof cars, surely Nigerians are not happy about the whole thing. On her return, President Jonathan should call Oduah into his office, look straight into her beautiful blue eye and say to her romantically – ‘You are fired.’

Another respondent on her Facebook wall, with the name Tg Ibhaze, described Oduah as a bad example of womanhood and urged her to lead a good life.  Ibhaze stated, “So shameful that Nigeria celebrates people like this madam in the first place. I really love you and the good work you started in reconstructing our airport.

 “But by now you should have overlooked some things and be a good example. But as a princess and the daughter of a traditional ruler, you should know better to be a good example. Madam, please change.”

Also, one Kevin Jephthah-Ibennah  observed that the car scandal amounted to extravagance in office and noted that she should have tendered an apology to Nigerians rather than taking glory for the BASA.

Jephthah-Ibennah  said, “Why did you spend so much money on purchasing such cars? Don’t you know it’s extravagance?  If  I were your son, I would have advised you to return the money or better still sell and return the money with the sales proceeds as well as apologise to Nigerians because what you have done amounts to stealing.”Embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, broke her seven-day silence on social media on Tuesday, amidst backlash over the N255m bulletproof cars bought for her by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

In a post on Twitter and Facebook, Oduah took credit for the signing of the much-publicised Bilateral Air Services Agreement with Israel.

Oduah, who was a member of the President’s entourage to Israel for this year’s Christian pilgrimage, had been prevented at the last-minute from signing the Bilateral Air Services Agreement with Israel.  In her stead, Minister of State I, Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, signed the agreement on behalf of the Federal Government.

But Oduah said the BASA signing was ahuge endorsement and product of the reforms which she championed in line with the Goodluck Jonathan administration’s Transformation Agenda.

The message on her Facebook wall read,  “BASA between Nigeria and the State of Israel had been problematic for decades, with several aviation ministers and successive governments failing in attempts at putting pen to paper.

“The signing is a significant feat for the present administration and a huge endorsement of the Transformation Agenda of the present government as represented in the reforms championed by Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, in the sector.”

But the message sparked off some angry reactions from Nigerians who have been calling for her resignation or outright sacking by the President over allegations of corruption, abuse of office and financial recklessness in the N255m car scandal.

Some Nigerians who wrote on her Twitter and Facebook pages on Tuesday asked her to hurriedly return home to answer for the allegations levelled against her, with a view to setting the records straight.

According to them, Oduah was wrong to be frolicking around and taking credit for an agreement in the circumstance where she has yet to clear her name in the car scandal.

Writing on the minister’s Facebook wall, a particular follower of hers, David Letam, described Oduah’s statement as another “frivolous jamboree” and stated that she should have been worried about the accusations against her.

“I want to congratulate the minister on this landmark achievement in signing the BASA with Israel. However, the honourable minister should come home to clear her name in this N255m car scam. The safety of Nigerians on the air is paramount than this frivolous jamboree,” Letam wrote.

An angry Twitter user, Donan Joshua, asked, “Na you sign am? See as she de talk am as if na she sign am! Madam, come back home and tell us about the money and the N255m bulletproof cars bought for you.”

One Sam Aremu said on Facebook that it was disappointing that the minister still had the guts to be commenting on national issues in spite of the facts in the public domain about the scandal rocking her ministry.

Aremu said, “If Aviation workers are protesting against Oduah’s N225m bulletproof cars, surely Nigerians are not happy about the whole thing. On her return, President Jonathan should call Oduah into his office, look straight into her beautiful blue eye and say to her romantically – ‘You are fired.’

Another respondent on her Facebook wall, with the name Tg Ibhaze, described Oduah as a bad example of womanhood and urged her to lead a good life.  Ibhaze stated, “So shameful that Nigeria celebrates people like this madam in the first place. I really love you and the good work you started in reconstructing our airport.

 “But by now you should have overlooked some things and be a good example. But as a princess and the daughter of a traditional ruler, you should know better to be a good example. Madam, please change.”

Also, one Kevin Jephthah-Ibennah  observed that the car scandal amounted to extravagance in office and noted that she should have tendered an apology to Nigerians rather than taking glory for the BASA.

Jephthah-Ibennah  said, “Why did you spend so much money on purchasing such cars? Don’t you know it’s extravagance?  If  I were your son, I would have advised you to return the money or better still sell and return the money with the sales proceeds as well as apologise to Nigerians because what you have done amounts to stealing.”

Yoruba movie star, Janet Atayero Oluseye is dead

Fast rising  actress, Janet Atayero Oluseye,  has passed away.

The 32 year old actress, who got married just a year ago, to Olalekan Oluseye, died on Wednesday 23th of October, 2013.

We gathered that she died of pains on her foot after being bed-ridden for months.

She couldn’t walk with for months and subsequently her condition deteriorated even though she was treated in the hospital and with some spiritual measures. She eventually died on Wednesday and has since been buried.

Until her death, she was a member of the Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioner (ANTP), Ibadan chapter.

Oduah in another car scandal, faces Reps panel today

The embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah, has been linked to    another car purchase scandal.

This time, Oduah is said to have also approved the procurement  of two Lexus Limousine cars and two Toyota Prado jeeps.

The minister  is expected to appear before the House Committee on Aviation which is investigating the purchase of two  BMW bulletproof  cars for her by the Nigerian Civil  Aviation Authority at N255m.

 But during the sitting by the Senate Committee on Aviation which is probing the crisis in the Aviation industry, the   Managing  Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria , Mr. George Uriesi,  said the  Lexus Limousine cars and Toyota Prado jeeps were in the custody of a bank.

Uriesi, who   said the limousines were bought  for  N60m each , added that  he did not have details of the cost of the Prado jeeps.

He explained that the bank whose name he did not give,    funded the purchase of the four vehicles.

The FAAN  chief told the six-member committee that  while Oduah gave the approval, somebody whose  name  he failed to mention, signed on his (Uriesi) behalf.

An obviously enraged Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Mr. Hope Uzodinma, lambasted  him  for receiving approval from the minister instead of the Federal Executive Council.

 He was therefore ordered to  appear again before the committee on Monday with details of the transactions.

Uriesi, who was  said to have   sweated  in the air-conditioned room while the session lasted, was   also asked to bring along with him,  details of other vehicles   bought for  the agency’s  directors.

The  Senate  panel also resolved to  inspect the N255m bulletproof cars parked at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Meanwhile, members of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation are set to  quiz  Oduah on Wednesday(today) over the controversial bulletproof  cars.

The minister, who  was  summoned  by the committee to appear before it on Tuesday, had written ,  explaining that she had travelled to Israel to sign the Bilateral Air Service Agreement between Nigeria  and Israel.

On Monday, the committee  headed by Mrs.  Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said Oduah would  now appear on Wednesday and not  Tuesday as ealier scheduled.

It claimed that  the decision was to give all stakeholders the opportunity to prepare their documents.

But the   committee    warned that it would not hesitate to take necessary actions against Oduah if she failed to turn up today (Wednesday).

As of  10pm on Tuesday, it was unclear if Oduah, who was on Monday accused by  the  House Committee on Public Procurement of shunning similar invitations 12 times, had returned from Israel.

As part of its preparations for the hearing,  a five-member sub-committee of the Onyejeocha-led Aviation panel  on Tuesday discreetly inspected the controversial bulletproof  cars at   the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

 A source privy to the visit, informed The PUNCH that the aim was to “truly establish that the cars were bought.”

 The source added, “This is an investigation and you do not leave anything to chance.

 “The idea of the inspection team was to go to the location and physically see the cars.

 “All these will form part of the final report to the House.”

 When   contacted, Onyejeocha    confirmed that a team visited the airport to inspect the cars.

 She, however, parried questions on the details of what the team saw.

 The committee chairman  said, “Yes, it is true that we set up a committee to go and inspect the cars.

 “The committee went to the airport but they have not reported back to us.

 “If you are interested, come to the hearing tomorrow, please, PUNCH.”

 A senior official of the NCAA, who accompanied the sub-committee to the airport  said the lawmakers “saw the two bulletproof cars .”

The source added, “They   were satisfied. Some of them even stated that people were beginning to insinuate that  there were no cars. So, I think people can now ask the House members whether there are cars or not.”

Asked if  the committee members  were also shown the limousines parked at the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria site at the airport, the official said, “I don’t like joining issues, because people are beginning to write what they like.

“The cars we are talking about here are the bulletproof cars and not limousines.”

The House spokesman, Zakari Mohammed, said sanctions that could be imposed on Oduah if she failed to appear before the Aviation committee included issuing a bench warrant to facilitate her arrest.

He said, “What the committee will do is to apply to the Speaker (Mr. Aminu Tambuwal) for a bench warrant to be issued for her arrest.

“Once that is done and the speaker approves it, the Inspector-General of Police will be directed to arrest her and bring her before the committee.”