Former
Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, was Wednesday quizzed for more than
five hours by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC).
The
ex-minister, who was embroiled in a N255 million bulletproof car scandal in the
twilight of her tenure, arrived the commission at about 10 am and left at
3.30 pm.
Sources at
the commission disclosed that she was granted provisional bail after making a
useful statement that will assist the investigation of the commission into the
procurement of the two bulletproof BMWs by the Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority (NCAA) for her personal use when she was the minister.
Her visit to
the commission came on the heels of several statements by the EFCC assuring
Nigerians that it would carry out a thorough investigation into the alleged
shoddy purchase of the two BMW cars at an outrageous price of N255 million.
EFCC's Head
of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, recently informed journalists that
given the delicate nature of the cases of which included the purchase of the
cars, the commission would have to discreetly investigate the cases before it
would make public its findings.
Uwujaren had requested that the media be patient and not to be in a hurry to seek information on cases concerning Oduah, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the unaccounted billions, among others, as investigations were still on-going.
Uwujaren had requested that the media be patient and not to be in a hurry to seek information on cases concerning Oduah, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the unaccounted billions, among others, as investigations were still on-going.
Though Oduah
was granted provisional bail, it is not certain if she would appear again at
the commission's headquarters.
Oduah was
relieved of her position in the federal cabinet when it emerged that she had
ordered the NCAA to buy two BMW bulletproof cars at the over-inflated price of
N255 million.
The outcry
over the scandal and calls for her sack prompted the House of Representatives,
whose Committee on Aviation investigated the purchase of the cars and
recommended her sack.
During the
probe, it also emerged that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)
had bought her two bulletproof Prado SUVs.
President
Goodluck Jonathan, after initial resistance, also set up a presidential panel,
which recommended her removal from office.
Although the minister professed her innocence when news broke on the issue, she was eventually relieved of her post by the president in February.
Although the minister professed her innocence when news broke on the issue, she was eventually relieved of her post by the president in February.
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