Finally Stella Oduah Appeares At House Committee Hearing Over N255 Million Car Scandal

Remember this morning I posted the first hearing probe on the purchase of two armoured cars for the aviation minister, Stella Oduah, for N255 million which she was absent. Finally she appeared and below is what transpired. (Read HERE) . I will post pictures of the probe soon.
According to Premium Times the probe went like this:
11:40
The minister has finally arrived at the venue of the hearing, 100 minutes after the hearing was scheduled to kick off. The lawmakers now setting up to start the hearing.

11:56
Stella Oduah, the aviation minister has just taken her seat before the committee. The hearing begins.

12:00
Hearing committee chairperson, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, gives her opening speech, explaining the delay in starting the hearing and that the committee would be just and fair. Delay was because venue used for hearing on Wednesday had been taken over for a another hearing on Land racketeering. “This committee is out to get to the bottom of the matter. But committee is not on ‘witch-hunting’”

12:06
Onyejeocha quips on the tense mood here. “We are not mourning, there is no aeroplane crash; I want to see everyone smiling,” she says. “Feel free and relax.” The minister is about to be called upon to testify. She takes oath to say “nothing but the truth, the whole truth.”

Stella Oduah Absent During Probe And More Fresh Shocking Revealation On Coscharis Transaction

When you think the worst is over more worms are thrown up. Aviation minister did not only fail to appear before the House of Representatives Committee on the controversial N255m bulletproof cars purchased by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the NCS, Coscharis Motors and First Bank Nigeria Plc made fresh revelations on the controversial cars. From saga of a third bulletproof car imported by Coscharis to Coscharis supplies different from the ones quoted in its letter to the NSA. The story is becoming more interesting.
According to Punch Report

Manwe had complained that the committee started proceedings without first clarifying why Oduah, who is the Minister of Aviation, was absent. He said,
“We adjourned (on Tuesday)to take the minister today (Wednesday). Why is she not here? “She should have been the main issue today (Wednesday). “The absence of the minister (Oduah) is a slap on the face of the House.” Responding, Onyejeocha argued that the hearing was not about Oduah alone
She overruled Manwe and moved on to hear the officials of the Nigerian Customs Service, Coscharis and First Bank Nigeria Plc state their roles in the purchase of the cars for Oduah by the NCAA. The committee chairman later read a letter from the Ministry of Aviation in which the minister explained why she could not make the public sitting.
Onyejeocha told her colleagues that the Aviation ministry wrote to inform the committee that Oduah was on “transit” from Israel to Nigeria.
In the letter, the minister, who had allegedly failed to honour 12 invitations by the House, claimed that she would arrive in Lagos late on Wednesday and applied to appear before the committee on November 4 .

President Jonathan Places Oduah On ‘Tactical Suspension’

President Jonathan Goodluck has placed Stella Oduah on ‘tactical suspension’ hours before the signing of the Bilateral Air Service Agreement between Nigeria and Israel on Monday.
Oduah will not be allowed to attend public functions that will have the President in attendance until the three-member committee set up to investigate the matter turns in its report.

The Presidency made it clear why Stella did not sign the BASA contract basing his fact that the BASA was signed by Onwuliri because it was a matter bordering on foreign affairs.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, in an exclusive telephone interview with Punch correspondents, argued that there was no politics involved in Onwuliri signing the agreement on behalf of the government.
According to Punch

He said Nigerians should not reduce the matter to “the politics of political appointees who are all ultimately birds of passage.” The President’s spokesman said Oduah did not only attend the signing ceremony but was also involved in framing the technical details of, and in preparing the agreement along with her Israeli counterpart.

Minister Of Aviation Writes An Executive Summary On The Procurement Of NCAA Operational Vehicles

Jonathan had asked the aviation minister to give explanation on the purchase of the cars. Princess Stella Oduah, explained In a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, entitled “Executive Summary on the Procurement of NCAA Operational Vehicles,” dated October 21, 2013 explained the process of acquisition of the vehicles.
Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah,  Oduah, in the letter, first explained the position of the NCAA as the statutory regulator of the civil aviation industry:

The agency is charged with oversight responsibilities over all civil aviation operations in the country, including safety, security and strict compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS) and Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs)  

 To ensure that it carries out its statutory responsibilities effectively, it became imperative that the NCAA is fully equipped with highly specialised tools and facilities, including adequate operational vehicles to cover all 22 national airports and over 400 airstrips.  

In keeping with standard practice, provision is therefore, made annually for the replacement of obsolete, inadequate and unreliable monitoring equipment.  

The purchase of the vehicles were well captured in the 2013 budgetary appropriation alongside other specialised equipment 

They were, in the first place, meant to carry dignitaries of aviation regulatory agencies, who are on visit to the country.”

(Photos) Stella Oduah Gets Another Four Toyota Tundras From National Airspace Management Agency (NAMA)

We are still asking about the need of two bulletproof cars bought for the aviation minister Ms Stella Oduah, yet another scandal of Four Toyota Tundras  bought for her by National Airspace Management Agency another agency under the Ministry of Aviation. My question is, what is she doing with all these cars? Is she going into car business?
According to Sahara Reports

Nigerians are currently up in arms about two armored cars purchased for her by another agency, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, at the scandalous rate of N225million, and many are calling for her to be fired. The Tundras are in addition to four stretch limousine cars that were allegedly purchased for the movement of VIPs.   

Saharareporters obtained the photos of the Limousines, which were parked at the headquarters of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON) grounds in Abuja today.  

Efforts to get the NAMA spokesperson, Supo Atobatele, to comment on the fresh allegations proved abortive as he claimed he was driving and could not speak on the wheel. When later confronted with the facts, Mr. Atobatele denied the existence of the stretch limos claiming that NAMA is a “professional agency” that provides navigational aid to aircrafts flying within Nigeria’s airspace. He hung up and switched off his phone 

Stella Oduah Seeks Private Audience With President Goodluck Jonathan To Save Her Job

The embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, has commenced a high-powered lobbying to get into a room with President Goodluck Jonathan in order to beg him to forgive her and save her job.

she was sighted at the Presidential Villa in Abuja as tension by some groups worsen for her removal over the purchase of two BMW bulletproof cars bought for her by the Nigerian Civil Aviation authority. Efforts to reach the President failed because according to a source report " Mr. President was busy throughout the weekend.”
Punch reports that apart from the fuel tension from outside government circle to remove  Ms. Oduah from office, that some of her colleagues are advising her to write a resignation letter in order to save Jonathan administration further embarrassment .
Another source revealed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission may probe the bulletproof car scandal.