Stella Oduah


Senate defers Oduah’s appearance to next week


Onwuka Nzeshi


The House of Representatives may hand over the officials of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Coscharis Motors and First Bank of Nigeria Plc to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigations and prosecution over the controversial purchase of two bulletproof BMW cars for the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah.

However, the EFCC has already waded into the matter and on Tuesday invited officials of Coscharis and First Bank for questioning.

The commission is expected to expand its probe to include Oduah and NCAA in the days ahead.
The House Committee on Aviation which submitted the report of its investigations to the House yesterday, was said to have recommended that these individuals and persons linked to the transaction be further grilled to establish some of the facts that the legislative panel could not get in the course of its assignment.

Although the contents of the report have not been unveiled, sources in the committee said the report indicted the officials of the NCAA for initiating the transaction and getting it approved knowing full well that it was not provided for in the 2013 budget.

In a related development, the scheduled appearance of Oduah, before the Senate did not hold yesterday.

It was alleged that this was due to the fact that the Senate President, Senate David Mark, was leading the federal government’s delegation to the final of the U-17 World Cup between Nigeria and Mexico.

Checks revealed that Mark asked that Oduah’s appearance be shifted to November 14 in order for him to be in attendance.

Oduah and heads of parastatals under her ministry were billed to face the Senate yesterday, to brief them on the state of the aviation sector, especially on the likely reason for the resurgence of air crashes and the ongoing controversy over the purchase of two armoured BMW cars, which cost N255 million.

Though the minister’s appearance was listed on the Senate’s Order Paper, “That the Senate do receive the Minister of Aviation and Chief Executives of the aviation parastatals to brief the Senate on the state of the aviation sector and the higher number of aviation incidents,” it, however, did not hold, while so many people, who had thronged the senate chamber in anticipation of her, coming went back home disappointed.

The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, explained that Mark, who was on his way to Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE), as head of federation government’s delegation to cheer the Golden Eaglets up in their match against Mexico today requested to be indulged to “personally” chair the session when the minister would face the Senate.

Consequently, the briefing was deferred to November 14, even though the minister was said to be within the National Assembly, preparatory to the briefing.

Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday approved the sum of N315,805,990,000 as the 2013 budget of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

This followed the adoption of the report of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta, which scrutinised the NDDC fiscal policy. The amount represented the exact budget the federal government presented to the National Assembly for approval.

A breakdown of the budget showed that personnel expenditure would gulp about N14.929 billion, overhead expenditure N9.040 billion, capital expenditure (internal) N2.377 billion, while projects (development) expenditure would gulp N289.459 billion.

Further breakdown showed that the revenue brought forward N67 billion, Federal Government contribution N61.347 billion, federal government contribution (excess crude arrears) N50 billion, oil companies contribution and others N125 billion, ecological funds N12.158 billion and other internally realised income N300 million.

The committee said it considered the proposal and noted that the non-project expenditure totalling N26,346,251,148.00 represented 8.34 per cent of the total proposed budget for the year as against 7.5 per cent in 2012.

The increase in percentage, the committee said, was largely due to an increase in the staff strength arising from the re-absorption of members of staff of the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) into the NDDC.

SOURCE: www.thisdaylive.com/articles/armoured-cars-house-may-recommend-ncaa-coscharis-fbn-to-efcc-for-investigation/163762/

Hmmmmm... Nija, politics n Coruption! mtchwwww

Silly things. At a point a gang of well corrupt men should start feeling ashamed beating up a woman. . Take on some real big fishes and i will take you pack of hyenas serious. Obasanjo is here. IBB is here, Anenih that shakes hands with governors while seating is here, Abubakar is buying up NEPA .. Go after just one of them and you will be taken serious. But no! You wont. You will rather rope in a harmless business man into your show of shame. If I buy a toothpick for 1 kobo and sell it for 1 million naira, na my gain! cleans the system that allowed such to happen if such ever happened, AND STOP THIS YOUR CORRUPT SELECTIVE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION. That to me is corruption too.

But tht Oduah sis take vex fine oo

owobokiri: But tht Oduah sis take vex fine oo

Na fine dem cum luk here??