N255m car scandal: No cover-up for Oduah -Presidency

The Presidency on Thursday promised that President Goodluck Jonathan will not cover up the embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah, on the N255m bulletproof cars bought for her by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, made the Presidency's position known in an exclusive interview with our correspondent.

But despite the assurances from the Presidency, Nigerian lawyers said they had no confidence in the ability of the probe panels and committees set up to bring the minister to book if found guilty.

Gulak said that the position of the President remained that whoever is found wanting, no matter how highly placed, would be sanctioned appropriately.

He said if Jonathan planned a cover-up for the embattled minister, he would not have bothered to query her and constitute an administrative probe panel to investigate the matter.

The presidential aide added that the fact that the National Assembly was also investigating the matter showed the seriousness the government attached to the issue.

He, therefore, appealed to all stakeholders to wait for the three-man administrative panel to conclude its assignment next week and see what the President will do based on the report before forming their opinions on the issue.

Gulak said, 'How can people be accusing the President of planning to cover up the minister?

'If he had planned a cover-up for her, he would not have bothered to query her. If he wanted to do cover up, the President would not have constituted a probe panel to investigate the matter.

'I can tell you authoritatively that President Jonathan will not cover up anybody.

'We should all wait for the outcome of the panel and see what the President will do. What I know is that he will not hesitate to sanction anybody found wanton, no matter how highly placed. Punch