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

Ebenzer Akinmolade (left) with Femi Falana1
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.

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