Stella Oduah, the Minister of Aviation who is embroiled in scam allegations first reported by SaharaReporters, today categorically denied all of them, heaping the blame on her aides and SaharaReporters.
In a written testimony she read at a hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, she said of the spending of monies by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority of the spending of N255 million on the purchase of luxury armoured vehicles for her private use, “IT IS NOT TRUE THAT
THE NCAA HAS SPENT SUCH AMOUNT OF MONEY ON PURCHASE OF VEHICLES. It is also NOT TRUE THAT THE NCAA HAS PURCHASED 2 BULLETPROOF BMW VEHICLES FOR THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF AVIATION.”
Without calling SaharaReporters by name, she described our reports as both “inaccurate and innocently misguided,” but that she understood the urgency and aggression “considering the sources the information was breaking from.”
She then went on to throw her aides under the speeding train.  “Sadly, other than the conjecture, [SaharaReporters] has not supported this inflammatory [report with any rational basis,” she told the committee.  “As a matter of fact, their justification and confirmation which they brandish is nothing but the erroneous responses of my aides.”
It would be recalled that the purchase of the cars was confirmed by staff of the Ministry.
“You may recall that there have been attempts at clarifying issues pertaining to this particular procurement,” Mrs. Oduah said. “In the process, some of the issues were further muddled up. I mention in this regard the first attempt at clarifying the issue by the Coordinating Spokesperson for the parastatals when he was first confronted with the allegation, without recourse to the Minister or the Principal Officer of the Ministry and its Agencies, described the information as a mere rumour.

“This was followed by the statement of my S.A Media who was himself guided by his own perception of the duties and challenges of my office and possibly, even the danger to the person and office of the Minister. This is made evident by the fact that his statement focused on my personal security and safety without recourse to procurement process and policy file to which he had no access.”
Mrs. Oduah explained that rather than the NCAA having purchased the two controversial cars, what the agency did was “to plan for the acquisition of vehicles for next three years within the MTEF through a LEASE FINANCING ARRANGEMENT with First Bank Plc.”
In her account, “Under this arrangement, NCAA would have paid N100 Million by the end of fiscal year 2013. The sum is below the appropriated amount of N240 Million and LESS than what is required for FEC approval. It would appear that what the NCAA has done within the framework of the MTEF and its desire to be prudent, is to plan its budget in a manner that the cash flow of the Authority is able to accommodate spending.”
The Minister also blamed naysayers in the aviation sector for her predicament, saying that efforts to bring change to the aviation sector are being resisted by entrenched interests that have been ripping off the nation.
“We have had to put our foot down in order to halt the rape of our national patrimony. We have had to confront forces that have held the sector hostage. My team and I will not fold our arms and complain and not lift a finger to do anything. We dared to act; we have indeed acted, convinced that it was in the national interest to do so.”
In that endeavor, she declared, “The purveyors of the rot and corruption that has characterized the sector have continued to fight back every inch of the way. The latest false and wicked allegation of purchase of 2 nos bulletproof cars for me by the NCAA is one of such fights to discredit my team and give the impression that our reforms lack credibility.”
It will be recalled that in his testimony on Wednesday, Cosmas Maduka, the Chief Executive of Coscharis Motors which sold the vehicles, described the transaction as falling within due process, but he did not allude to a lease arrangement for them, or a N100m downpayment from NCAA for 2013.
This is critical because on Tuesday when members of the Committee inspected the vehicles, they openly stated that the chassis numbers were different from those specified in the communication between NCAA and Coscharis.  This means that switch-and-bait manoeuvres may have been made to present a separate set of vehicles that match a leasing arrangement.
While the Minister and the Committee are preoccupied with the original two overpriced luxury cars, several more vehicles have been traced to the shenanigans going on in the Ministry of Aviation.
On Wednesday, Investigative Reporters In Aviation (IRA) said it had found that six cars, not two, were actually purchased by the Minister through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)
“Our work as IRA revealed that while Nnamdi Udoh of NAMA bought two BMW, Joyce Nkemakolam (Acting DG) of NCAA bought two BMW, and Mr. Uresi George of FAAN bought two bullet-proof American specs limousine for the Minister of Aviation,” Mazi Kanayo Ochei, and Kenneth Uti said on behalf of the group.
On October 21, SaharaReporters also further reported that NAMA had also purchased four Toyota Tundra vehicles for Mrs. Oduah in addition to four stretch limousine cars that were said to have been bought for the transportation of VIPs to the Ministry.  NAMA later said the vehicles, which have been in its premises for months, belonged to a private charter operator.
Similarly, ongoing investigation by SaharaReporters confirmed yesterday how the Minister compelled the FAAN to borrow a huge amount from First Bank to buy her two bullet-proof cars.
Several sources at FAAN and First Bank told SaharaReporters that the Managing Director of FAAN, George Uriesi, conspired with Ms. Oduah to obtain a loan of N1.3 billion, part of which was used to buy 205 cars for several staff members, directors as well as board members of the agency.
Concluding her 4039-word address to the committee today, the Minister did not say a word about NAMA or FAAN, but insisted that NCAA has not spent any money which was not appropriated by the National Assembly, but only N52million on ALL the vehicles acquired through the Lease Financing Arrangement with First Bank.
“We further reiterate that the NCAA DID NOT purchase 2 nos bullet proof vehicles for me as the Honourable Minister of Aviation. We reiterate that the NCAA purchased 2 nos security vehicles for the operations of the NCAA in line with monies approved for the NCAA under the Appropriated Act passed by the National Assembly,” Mrs. Oduah said.
It is to be noted that the House committee, which rounded up its hearing today, expressed public anger when the Minister failed to show up yesterday, causing the members to adjourn until today to allow the aviation Minister to attend.
During questioning today, committee member Jerry Manwe asked Mrs. Oduah who was using the cars, given that she had claimed they were not for her.
“Anyone can use any car in the pool,” her former Director General of the NCAA answered for her.
Reminded that the National Assembly rejected armoured cars in the budget that she was defending, the Minister responded, “NCAA will answer that.”
While the committee has focused on the two cars on which we first reported, which are also the subject of the probe panel set up by President Goodluck Jonathan, it is to be noted that the various reports that have been made about other purchases are not being addressed by any agencies of the government in both the executive or the judiciary.
Mr. Jonathan’s panel has about four days to submit its report.  It is unclear if Mrs. Oduah, who was in Israel with Mr. Jonathan and panel member Ret. Col. Dasuki for close to one week, has testified before it