Update On Stella Oduah's N255m Bullet Proof Cars Scandal

President Goodluck

Jonathan and the House

of Representatives may

clash over the probe into

the purchase of two

bulletproof cars for the

Minister of Aviation, Stella

Oduah, who is very close

to the President.

"I am sure you are

aware that the

President also set up

an administrative

panel to probe this

matter. If he has

confidence in the

House of

Representatives

probe and is duty-

bound to implement

its resolution, he

would not have

bothered to set up a

separate probe

panel .

"The position of this

government from

inception has been

that the resolutions

of the National

Assembly should be

seen strictly as what

they are: they are

simply advisory and

the President is not

legally bound to

implement them."

According to findings by

Punch, Jonathan had no

intention of acting on the

recommendation of the

House of Reps committee

that probed the scandal.

The House had

recommended that

Jonathan should sack

Stella for exceeding the

official limit in approving

the purchase of the two

bulletproof cars while

sanctions were also

recommended for the

former acting Director

General of NCAA,

Nkemakolam Joyce, and

the agency’s Director of

Finance, Salawu Ozigi.

The panel also reportedly

sought for the immediate

termination of a loan

agreement of N643,088,25

to finance the purchase of

54 vehicles (including the

armoured vehicles)

between the NCAA and the

First Bank of Nigeria;

Coscharis Motors Limited

is to be asked to refund

the N255m meant for the

bulletproof vehicles while

the EFCC should

investigate the company

for alleged abuse of

waivers.

But a very reliable source

in the Presidency told

Punch on Friday that the

President was not legally

bound to act on the

recommendations. The

source said if Jonathan

had wanted to act on the

report, he would not have

gone ahead to set up his

own three-man

administrative panel to

probe the same matter.

He said, “Let us all wait

for the President’s

administrative panel to

conclude its work and see

whether he will implement

the report or not.”

Reacting to moves to

cover up the scandal,

House of Reps

spokesman, Zakari

Mohammed said, “It is the

duty of the Executive to

implement reports; if they

say they will not

implement, it is left to

Nigerians to judge.”