The statement issued yesterday by Mr. Supo Atobatele, General Manager, Public Affairs Department of NAMA said: "The attention of NAMA has been drawn to frivolous, malicious and mischievous reports being bandied by an online news outfit to the effect that the agency bought four limousines along with other brands for the Ministry of Aviation or its leadership."
According to Atobatele: "We hereby make it categorically clear to the public that this evil story, as being promoted is patently false in its entirety and is calculated to put the agency and the office of the honourable minister into disrepute."
"For the avoidance of doubt, the said limousines belong to a concesssionaire who is running a VIP shuttle service for non-scheduled operators.
"The said vehicles were never on the inventory of NAMA and we would like to declare with all emphasis that we do not run ground services as we are statutorily an air navigation service provider," he continued.
Within one week, the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation which was mandated to investigate the car scandal is supposed to submit the report of its findings to the House for further deliberation.
This was following a motion brought to the floor of the House by Rep Samson Osagie, APC, under matters of National Importance and seconded by Rep Sehu Gusau, APC representing ZamfaraState.
Osagie had argued in the motion that investigations into the purchase of $1.6million bullet-proof BMW cars by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for the Minister of Aviation, pursuant to Section 88 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) has become mandatory.
The Edo legislator further explained that "given the poverty and unemployment ravaging our dear nation and its people, it will be absurd, unthinkable and indeed unpatriotic for an agency of government to connive with its political head to incur such an expenditure simply for the comfort and safety of one public officer."
"Over the past four weeks, the nation has been inundated with the news of the purchase of $1.6m BMW bullet-proof cars by the NCAA for the Hon. Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah."
He observed that "the furore generated by the said matter has left tongues wagging on the sincerity and objectivity of this administration's stand on fight against corruption which was again re-emphasized by Mr. President's nationwide broadcast on October 1, 2013″.
The Minority Whip of the House further stated that "the RMAFC has elaborate recommendations as to the way public officers including Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are to be catered for in terms of salaries and emoluments, housing and motor vehicles, which recommendations have been passed into law by the National Assembly."
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