Bulletproof car scandal: Sack Oduah now, House tells Jonathan

By The Rainbow

The House of Representatives on Thursday asked President Goodluck Jonathan to review the appointment of the Aviation Minister, Ms Stella Oduah, over the controversial purchase of the two bullet proof cars.

The House's position followed its finding that the minister breached the 2013 Appropriation Act by approving expenditure of over N643m for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to procure 54 vehicles this year.

According to the House, this is a clear violation of her  approval limit as a minister which is  N100m.The House  endorsed the report of its  Committee on Aviation, which investigated the purchase of the bulletproof cars.

The committee had recommended that the 'President to review the continued engagement of the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, for having contravened the Appropriation Act, 2013 and the approved, revised threseholds by exceeding the Ministry of Aviation's approval limit of N100m by the purchase of 54 vehicles valued at N643m.'

The House further directed the ministry   and the NCAA  to  terminate all the transactions relating to the bulletproof cars because they 'were neither provided for in the Appropriation Act, 2013, nor was due process followed in their procurement.'

It also directed  that 'all money so far spent on the entire transactions should be recovered by the Ministry of Finance and paid back into the Consolidated Fund of the Federation.'

The House further directed that Coscharis Nigeria Limited, which supplied the controversial cars, should be investigated on the 'issue of waiver' and also to determine the 'exact cost of the two BMW vehicles.' The lawmakers also ordered that the  company should pay the value of the waiver to the Federal Government.

It also pounced on the the former Acting Director-General of the NCAA, Mr. Nkemakolam Joyce, and the Director of Finance, Mr. S. Ozigi,  who were recommended for sanctions  in accordance with the Civil Service Rules 'for deliberately breaching the Appropriation Act, 2013, and other extant laws of the federation.'