Former minister of aviation Princess Stella Oduah has been quizzed by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the purchase of two armoured BMW cars for N255million during her tenure as minister.
LEADERSHIP gathered that Oduah, who was relieved of her duties as a minister on February 12, 2014, was grilled for over five hours.She walked into the EFCC headquarters in Abuja about 10am and left about 3:30pm. Sources at the EFCC also confided in LEADERSHIP last night that Oduah made useful statements and was granted administrative bail.
The EFCC operatives were said to have informed the ex-minister that the commission would later invite her to make certain clarifications as the investigation progresses.
When contacted, EFCC’s spokesman Wilson Uwujaren confirmed the development but refused to give further details on the matter.
Oduah had, in October last year, agreed that two armoured BMW cars were bought for her safety following threats to her life as she had stepped on toes because of the reforms she had carried out in the aviation sector.
However, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which is under the Ministry of Aviation, claimed that it did not purchase the cars but leased it from Coscharis Motors and that the transaction followed due process.
According to the documents obtained by online news portal saharareporters, the transaction for the purchase of the two BMW vehicles began in June 2013 but the request for their delivery and payment were hurriedly done between August 13 and 15, 2013. The two black BMW Li HSS vehicles had chassis numbers WBAHP41050DW68032 and WBAHP41010DW68044 respectively and were delivered to NCAA on August 13, 2013.
The furore raised by the armoured cars led to accusations in some quarters that President Goodluck Jonathan was lenient on corruption, especially when his ministers are involved. The National Assembly waded in the matter and, after hearings, advised President Jonathan to relieve Oduah of her duty as minister.
President Jonathan set up a three-man panel to look into the matter. The panel comprising a former head of service of the federation, Alhaji Sali Bello (chairman), Air Vice Marshal Dick Iruenebhere and national security adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) made recommendations which included the removal of heads of departments and agencies under the ministry as they were indicted as cronies of the minister who couldn’t check her actions.
On March 4, the managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, George Uriesi; the managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, Nnamdi Udoh; the director-general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency, NCAA, Fola Akinkuotu; and the rector of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, Mrs Chinyere Kalu, were relieved of their duties.
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