Capt. Fola Akinkuotu,
the Director-General, NCAA disclosed at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, that
the Federal Government was concerned about how the information of the two BMW
armoured cars bought for Aviation Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah, valued at N225m, by
the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority got leaked to the public.
He said, “I am
not saying that this particular information should not be put in the public
domain. But how it was obtained is the concern. If somebody breaks into an
office and makes copies of official documents, then the break-in has become
criminal.
“So we are in
the process of trying to find the source of this leakage and I am very
concerned about it. Because this information may look trivial but there are
other information that we have that are confidential and it is only fair for us
to respect the confidentiality of information. I am not saying that they broke
into our office, but they obtained the information illegally.”
Akinkuotu who
said he was “shell shocked that government information and particularly
information from the civil aviation authority has gotten into public purview in
an illegal manner. It is criminal! However, what has been done has been done,
but I think when such information is gotten, you should have come to the agency
to ask. We are not shy to take your questions.”
Akinkuotu who tried to compare the leakage to that
Snowden of the United States that ran away after leaking confidential
information, adding, “He (Snowden) went on the run after putting such
information in the public domain. The sources of the leak I don’t know, but
yesterday, I issued a circular to all staff on this issue. I will read a little
part of the circular: ‘Without prejudice to the nature and the purpose of this
act, you should know that leakage and ultimate publication is a matter of great
concern to the authority.’
It will be recalled
that Mr. Joe Obi, the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Aviation confirmed
on Wednesday 16, October 2013, in a telephone conversation confirmed that vehicles were purchased to protect the minister from
some external threats.
“Yes, it is true
that some security vehicles were procured for the use of the office of the
honourable minister in response to the clear and imminent threat to her
personal security and life following the bold steps she took to reposition the
sector.’’ Joe said.
The two black
BMW 760 Li HSS vehicles which its request for the delivery of and payment for was
fast-tracked between August 13 and 15, had chasis numbers WBAHP41050DW68032 and
WBAHP41010DW68044, and were reportedly delivered to the NCAA on August 13,
2013, were bought from Coscharis Motors
Limited in Lagos. In the transaction involved the NCAA, First Bank of Nigeria.
Since the
report, of this shady transactions leaked to the public, Nigerians have expressed
anger over the purchase with stakeholders and that the vehicles’
costs were grossly inflated and a waste of the nation’s scarce resources
especially in a sector that is poorly funded and which had recorded a series of
air crashes in recent times. They also call on the nation’s anti-corruption
agencies to investigate the issue.
Nigerian elder statesman
Pa Joseph Fagbola’s comments on this
matter can be described as the best
caption of how far our beloved country economy have been milking by our greedy,
selfish, self-centred, callous leaders since independence.
‘’The explanation of
Captain Fola Akinkuotu that the two cars were bought for dignitaries from IACO,
IATA, US Federal Aviation Authorities, etc, is a creepy cover-up
and it is not only sour, but it also. It is like a "tale told by an idiot,
full of sound and fury, signifying nothing" (as William Shakespeare would
say).
It only shows how the tax-payers money is stolen and stashed away by people in power and their cronies, and accomplices, as well as how our common wealth is squandered in uncontrolled importation of all kinds of useless merchandise from all corners of the globe. Indeed, it is a study in how public funds are embezzled through inflation of contracts to increasing army of party-loyalists, and patrons’’ He said.
It only shows how the tax-payers money is stolen and stashed away by people in power and their cronies, and accomplices, as well as how our common wealth is squandered in uncontrolled importation of all kinds of useless merchandise from all corners of the globe. Indeed, it is a study in how public funds are embezzled through inflation of contracts to increasing army of party-loyalists, and patrons’’ He said.
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