The
committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to probe the N255m
bulletproof car scandal in the aviation ministry has indicted the
Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah.
It was gathered in Abuja on Sunday
that the report of the presidential committee tallied with some
findings of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation on the
scandal.
In October, there were reports that with
the approval of the minister, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority
purchased two bulletproof BMW cars at an allegedly inflated rate of
N255m.
The development sparked a countrywide controversy with many Nigerians and groups calling for her sacking.
The House subsequently mandated its Committee on Aviation to probe the allegation against the minister.
On December 19, 2013, the House
endorsed the report of its committee and agreed that the minister
breached the 2013 Appropriation Act.
It therefore asked Jonathan to review
Oduah’s appointment for approving expenditure of over N643m for the
NCAA to procure 54 vehicles last year.
The spokesperson for the House, Mr. Zackary Mohammed, had explained that the lawmakers wanted the minister sacked.
He said, “The word ‘review’ here means a
change in status. It is a mild way of saying that Mr. President should
sack the minister.”
Although Jonathan confirmed the receipt
of the report of the presidential committee chaired by a former Head of
Service of the Federation, Alhaji Sali Bello, he had yet to make a
pronouncement on it.
Other members of the presidential panel
included the National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki and
Vice-Marshal Dick Iruenabhere.
It was learnt on Sunday that the
panel, like that of the House, also discovered that the minister’s
approval for the cars exceeded the N100m limit.
A top government source, who disclosed this to The PUNCH on Sunday, said although the committee indicted Oduah , it did not say whether she should be sacked or not.
But sources told The PUNCH that
there was every likelihood of the President using the cabinet shake
-up that would follow the presentation of his ministerial list to the
National Assembly to relieve himself of the moral burden of Oduah’s
continued presence in his government.
One of the sources said Jonathan did
not take any action on the matter when the issue was raging last year
because it was not in his character to be seen as being stampeded into
taking any decision.
He said, “Those who know oga knows that
he is not the kind of person that can be stampeded into taking a
decision. That was why he remained calm in the face of the public calls
for the minister’s sacking last year.
“As it is now, since he is planning a
cabinet shake-up, he may use the opportunity to ease the woman out.
After all, during shake-up like the one being planned, he owes no one
any explanation. He has the power to hire and fire.”
SOURCE: www.punchng.com
No comments:
Post a Comment