Oct. 21, 2013
A new SaharaReporters investigation reveals that the National Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), another agency under the Ministry of Aviation, also purchased four Toyota Tundra vehicles for the Minister, Mrs. Stella Oduah.
Nigerians are currently up in arms about two armored cars purchased for her by another agency, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, at the scandalous rate of N225million, and many are calling for her to be fired.
Saharareporters obtained the photos of the Limousines, which were parked at the headquarters of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria (TRACON)
grounds in Abuja today.
Efforts to get the NAMA spokesperson, Supo Atobatele, to comment on the fresh allegations proved abortive as he claimed he was driving and could not speak on the wheel. When later confronted with the facts, Mr. Atobatele denied the existence of the stretch limos claiming that NAMA is a “professional agency” that provides navigational aid to aircrafts flying within Nigeria’s airspace. He hung up and switched off his phone when further told that Saharareporters had the photos.
NAMA’s CEO, Nnamdi Udo, reportedly made the purchase and ‘donation’ of the Tundras to the Minister in June 2013. The four Limousines were received in the third week of June but have never been put to use.
Last week after SaharaReporters revealed the purchase of two BMW armored cars for the Minister, her aides and later the Managing Director of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Fola Akinkuotu, claimed the vehicles were meant for VIP movement, but a former lawmaker and leader of Anti-Corruption Network, Dino Melaye, told SaharaReporters today that it is the duty of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to transport international VIPs in Nigeria.
He also revealed that the most important Aviation inspectors are teams from the ICAO who already have a Nigerian office which handles all their transactions.
SaharaReporters could not confirm if the NAMA limos are armored. It is also unclear why NAMA, an agency believed to be cash-strapped, would need stretch limos that are normally used by celebrities, to ferry international VIPS.
Meanwhile, a high-level source has confirmed to SaharaReporters that the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria, which Mrs. Oduah brags about as one of
her achievements in office, provides epileptic service. Because it often breaks down, the objective of establishing a safer national airspace is said to have been compromised. Foreign airlines are said to rely on their built in navigational equipment for air safety within the Nigerian airspace.
