SAHARA REPORTERS investigation
reveals that the National Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), another
agency under the Ministry of Aviation, also purchased four Toyota Tundra
vehicles for the Minister, Mrs. Stella Oduah. Nigerians are
currently up in arms about two armoured 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.
Another picture and more of the story after the break ...
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 when
further told that Saharareporters had the photos.
NAMA’s CEO,
Nnamdi Udo, reportedly made the purchase and ‘donation’ of the Tundras
to the Minister in June 2013. The four Limousines were received in the
third week of June but have never been put to use. Last week
after SaharaReporters revealed the purchase of two BMW armored cars for
the Minister, her aides and later the Managing Director of the Nigeria
Civil Aviation Authority, Fola Akinkuotu, claimed the vehicles were
meant for VIP movement, but a former lawmaker and leader of
Anti-Corruption Network, Dino Melaye, told SaharaReporters today that it
is the duty of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to transport
international VIPs in Nigeria. He also
revealed that the most important Aviation inspectors are teams from the
ICAO who already have a Nigerian office which handles all their
transactions.
SaharaReporters
could not confirm if the NAMA limos are armoured. It is also unclear
why NAMA, an agency believed to be cash-strapped, would need stretch
limos that are normally used by celebrities, to ferry international
VIPS. Meanwhile, a
high-level source has confirmed to SaharaReporters that the Total Radar
Coverage of Nigeria, which Mrs. Oduah brags about as one of her
achievements in office, provides epileptic service. Because it often
breaks down, the objective of establishing a safer national airspace is
said to have been compromised. Foreign airlines are said to rely on
their built in navigational equipment for air safety within the Nigerian
airspace.
Culled from Sahara Reporters
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