The House of Representatives had received the report on the purchase of two BMW bulletproof cars by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority yet have refused to consider same.
It is saddening that such case of gross corruption is not given top priority. The cars were bought at the cost of N255m allegedly for the personal security of the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah. But the minister had denied that the cars, which were not appropriated for in the 2013 budget by the National Assembly, were for her.
The House Committee on Aviation, which investigated the controversial transaction, had submitted its report to the House on November 6.
Snippets of the report indicated that the committee established some “infractions” against Oduah. According to insiders, the panel headed by a lawmaker from Abia State, Mrs. Nkiruka Onyejeocha, recommended that it would not be a wise idea for President Goodluck Jonathan to continue to retain the services of Oduah in his cabinet. A National Assembly source said, “A major finding of the committee is spending without approval.
“Nobody approved N255m for them to buy bulletproof cars. The total budget the National Assembly approved for the NCAA to procure 25 vehicles was N240m and bulletproof cars were not included. “The minister and the NCAA went on their own to commit taxpayers to an expenditure of over N643m, buying 54 vehicles. “The minister cannot approve any expenditure beyond N100m. “Besides, there was no evidence of due process compliance in the transaction; the cost of the bulletproof cars were inflated because at most each should not have cost more than N36m.”
Investigations showed that more than two weeks after the committee laid the report, no further action had been taken on it. The report of a committee is useless until it is considered by lawmakers in the Committee of the Whole. The recommendations can either be rejected or adopted.
When they are adopted, the House passes them as a resolution and transmits to the President for implementation. However, findings indicated that the zeal with which lawmakers conducted the investigation into the scandal had died down since the report was laid before the House.
“The zeal appears to have died down.
“This was an assignment the committee conducted speedily because they wanted to meet the deadline of one week set by the House,” a member of the House of Representatives who pleaded anonymity. The Chairman of the committee on Rules and Business, Mr. Albert Tsam-Tsokwa, told our correspondent that the Aviation Committee had done its job of conducting the investigation, but clarified that it was the duty of the House to decide when it chose to consider any of its reports.
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