N255m cars scandal: Falana gives NCAA seven days ultimatum to provide clear information on oduah armoured vehicles

Frontline Activist and Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi
Falana, SAN, has added his voice to the crisis
currently rocking the aviation sector.
The ace legal practitioner called on the embattled
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, to within
seven days release information on the acquisition
of the two BMW bulletproof cars it bought for the
Minister of Aviation, Ms;. Stella Oduah.
Falana further asked that the Managing Director of
NCAA, Mr. Fola Akinkuotu to as matter of urgency
release the requested information by the virtue of
the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
Falana in the letter urged the aviation industry to
supply “all the documents relating to the purchase
of the cars, including budgetary approval and due
process for the entire transaction”.
The letter dated October 21, 2013, was written on
behalf of the activist by one Mr. Adedotun Isola-
Osobu, one of his lawyers.
The letter reads, “In
your press conference
at Abuja held on
Friday, October 18,
2013 you did admit
that the Nigerian Civil
Aviation Authority
actually bought the
controversial
armoured cars and
that ‘it is customary
to convey the minister
and visiting
dignitaries in security
vehicles whenever
they are in Nigeria’.
“In the light of your
claim at the said press conference we are
compelled to request you to make available to us
certified true copies of the documents relating to
the purchase of the cars, including budgetary
approval and due process for the entire
transaction.
“Since you claimed that it is customary to
purchase such cars for aviation minister and
visiting foreign dignitaries you are also requested
to provide the records of previous purchase of
armoured cars by the aviation ministry or the
NCAA.
“Take notice that you are mandatorily required to
supply the requested information within seven
days of the receipt of this letter by virtue of the
provisions of the Freedom of Information Act,
2011.”
Falana in the letter also urged Akinkuotu to supply
records of former purchase of such cars if indeed
it was customary for the NCAA to purchase such
cars for the Aviation Minister and visiting foreign
dignitaries.
The NCAA has come under fire for spending a
whopping $1.6m (N255m) on the two cars it
purchased for its Minister, Stella Oduah.