Bullet-proof cars:Senate wavers over Oduah

Embattled Aviation Minister Stella Oduah got another reprieve from the Senate yesterday when she was told to face a committee, instead of the whole Senate, to answer questions on the crisis in the aviation sector.The Senate on October 8 decided to invite her to brief lawmakers following the Associated Airlines plane crash in Lagos days […]

Embattled Aviation Minister Stella Oduah got another reprieve from the Senate yesterday when she was told to face a committee, instead of the whole Senate, to answer questions on the crisis in the aviation sector.
The Senate on October 8 decided to invite her to brief lawmakers following the Associated Airlines plane crash in Lagos days earlier, but in the meantime the bullet-proof cars purchase scandal blew open.
The Senate has not opened a formal investigation of the N225 million BMW cars purchase, but senators were expected to raise the matter with the minister had she appeared before them.
However, when the Senate convened yesterday, it voted to rescind the initial decision asking Oduah to face the whole 109-member Senate, and instead referred her to the committee on aviation headed by Senator Hope Uzodinma.
No specific reason was given for the sudden change of heart, which was unanimously approved following a motion moved by Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba.
This was the second time the Senate would be standing down the invitation to Oduah.
She was first scheduled to appear last week but this was postponed to yesterday because Senate President David Mark was away at the time.
Mark, who had travelled to the United Arab Emirates, had said he would personally chair the session with Ms. Oduah, according to Ndoma-Egba.
The wavering by the Senate came as the investigation of the bullet-proof cars purchase instituted by President Goodluck Jonathan enters the fourth week even though it was supposed to have been done in two weeks.
At yesterday’s session, Ndoma-Egba came via order 53(6) of the Senate rules to move a motion asking the Senate to rescind its decision on inviting the aviation minister to brief the whole Senate plenary session.
He said the Senate had at an earlier “executive session resolved that the briefing be now held before the Senate Committee on Aviation.”
Before putting the motion for a voice vote, Senate President Mark asked if any senator had any comment but there was silence.
The Senate therefore voted unanimously to rescind the initial decision on Oduah’s appearance. She is now, along with all chief executives of aviation parastatals, to brief the aviation committee at a date not yet stated.
Although no senator opposed this during the session, a ranking senator who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity said the decision was taken because of pressure from the Presidency and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said the Senate “leadership came under serious pressure from the Presidency and the PDP not to allow the minister to be humiliated when she appears before the Senate in live television.”
The senator lamented: “It’s this kind of decision that makes Nigerians not to take us as a serious parliament because you don’t take such a big decision and then come back to say rescind it. We are making ourselves a laughing stock and that is why the executive never takes us seriously.”
Ms. Oduah is enmeshed in a scandal over the N255 million bullet-proof cars bought for her official use by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Process of buying the cars allegedly flouted procurement regulations, and the prices are widely considered outrageous.
The minister had earlier appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation where she denied any wrongdoing.
Speaking to journalists after the Senate session yesterday, Aviation Committee chairman Hope Uzodinma (PDP, Imo), said there was nothing wrong with the decision on Oduah.
He added that his committee has now been empowered to conduct a holistic investigation into the aviation sector.
But Uzodinma did not say when Oduah will appear before the panel, saying the committee would meet later yesterday to decide a time table on the investigation.