The preposterous position is contained in a press statement titled, “APC Demonstration: Unmasking the Face Behind The Mask”. In it, Mr. Dati claimed that the APC as well as members of a splinter group of the Peoples Democratic Party were behind the expose on Ms. Oduah’s scandalous misuse of public funds in the purchase of the BMWs as well as a series of other sleazy car deals.
A source within the Presidency told SaharaReporters that the minister’s sudden new posture reflected her desperate effort to hang on to her job at all costs. “The best hope for Madam [Ms. Oduah] is to convince Mr. President that she is taking the heat for him—and that he is the ultimate target of the reports,” said the source.
Mr. Dati’s error-riddled statement also claimed that the vehicles purchased at Ms. Oduah’s behest were obtained via “higher-purchase,” an apparent reference to “hire-purchase,” a system of spreading payments for goods over a period of time. He also claimed that the agency had not even commenced payment.
However, the documents earlier obtained by SaharaReporters, which broke the scandal, expose Mr. Dati’s latest claims as a blatant attempt at public deception. Documents that were earlier posted on our website reveal that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) included a letter from the NCAA dated August 13, 2013 and signed by the agency’s acting Managing Director, J.D. Nkemakolam. The letter asked for the delivery of the BMW armored cars. Mr. Nkemakolam then requested that Coscharis Motors Limited submit its account information for “immediate payment” upon delivery of the vehicles.
On August 14, 2013, the Group Financial Comptroller of Coscharis sent a letter to the NCAA submitting the account number 2018912995 belonging to the car sales firm at the First Bank of Nigeria. The same day, according to several sources at the aviation agency, the minister ordered two NCAA store managers to sign papers certifying that the cars had been delivered.
SaharaReporters has since found out that the staff of the transport unit who signed the “delivery document” never saw the vehicles. In fact, no official of the NCAA has since stated that he or she ever saw the two controversial cars purchased at a scandal cost of approximately $800,000 each.
Saharareporters confirmed that the account number above belongs to Coscharis Motors.
Earlier today, SaharaReporters disclosed that, as soon as Coscharis received payment for the cars from a loan secured from First Bank in the name of the NCAA, the auto sales firm gave Ms. Oduah more than N100 million as kickbacks. A source at the car dealership stated that Ms. Oduah and Coscharis owner, Cosmos Maduka, have been friends for a long time.
Below is the text of Mr. Dati’s press statement:
APC’S DEMONSTRATION: UNMASKING THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK
The poorly organized circus show by APC strongman, Dino Melaye, has finally unmasked the masquerade dancing under the mask. The phantom linkage of the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah to the purchase of official vehicles by NCAA has assumed a comical dimension as every car, bus and van in all the aviation agencies now allegedly belong to the Honourable Minister of Aviation.
No mention is made of the fact that, of all the documents paraded for the vehicles, none mentioned the name of the Honourable Minister of Aviation. This is not with-standing the fact that the NCAA has come out to clarify the issue that entered into the transaction.
Indeed, Nigerians are mischievously sold the lie that the cars have been paid for – meanwhile they were purchased on higher purchase and payments are yet to even commence.
Nigerians must brace up for more misinformation on this matter as very soon, pictures of trains and ships will soon be published as belonging to the Honourable Minister of Aviation.
Nigerians must also note that the main target of this sinister plot is President Goodluck Jonathan who must be stopped from running for re-election in 2015, in line with the dictates of the G7, who have demanded that Okonjo Iweala, Alison Madueke, and Princess Oduah must go as a condition for a truce (?).
These same spoilers mounted and orchestrated campaign for the removal of other shinning stars. And now, they have turned their searchlight on Princess Stella Oduah, another rising star of this administration. Should they be allowed to succeed this time?
To the discerning mind, their ultimate target is not Princess Stella Oduah, or the other Ministers but the 2015 re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan. They will stop at nothing to achieve their aim.
The revolution embarked upon by Princess Stella Oduah has gradually turned around our fortunes and placed Nigerian aviation on the centre point of African Aviation.
On assumption of office, she gave voice and protection to Nigerian passengers who were short-changed by some foreign airlines, through discriminatory fare policies. The NCAA was mandated to investigate such allegations and the affected airlines were asked to refund affected Nigerian passengers the excess fares.
She initiated a policy removing import duties on aircraft spare parts, in order to reduce the cost of aircraft maintenance, enhance flight safety and increase profitability in airline business.
She provided enabling environment for local airlines to purchase new aircraft and by so doing, reduce the number of old aircraft in their fleet.
The process of floating a National Carrier which is a source of our national pride, has virtually been completed under her care.
Princess Stella stood up against the British Airports Authority’s attempt at reducing Arik Air’s allocation slot at London Heathrow by threatening to reduce the slot of British Airways at Murtala Muhammed Airport. British Airports Authority was forced to halt that move to the benefit of Arik.
The Automation of revenue points in all parastatals under the Ministry of Aviation in order to minimize fraud and increase the revenue profiles of these parastatals is already yielding results.
The Minister held the first ever Aviation Road-show in three Continents of the world to sensitize major aviation stakeholder to the availability of huge investment opportunities in the country’s aviation industry. This ultimately resulted in the signing of an MOU between the Nigerian and Chinese Governments for the construction of five new International terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Enugu and Port-Harcourt. Work has already commenced.
The formulation of the Aviation sector Master plan (Aviation Road-Map) encompassing such significant programs as Airport Remodeling Project, Aerotropolis, Perishable Cargo Initiative etc. that have transformed the aviation landscape in Nigeria.
Yakubu Dati
Coordinating GM of Aviation Parastatals
http://saharareporters.com/news-page/bmw-scandal-aviation-minister%E2%80%99s-new-line-blame-opposition-fraud-reports
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