THE leader of the Anti-corruption
Network, Mr. Dino Melaye, has said members of the group, will storm the
headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Aviation in Abuja to demand
the sack of the Aviation Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah on Wednesday.
Melaye, a former House of
Representatives member, told our correspondent on Monday that they would
also demand that the minister should refund the N255m used in
purchasing two armoured BMW cars.
He said, “We are going to be mobilising
Nigerians to ask for her sack and to also ask that the money be refunded
to the government coffers.”
Melaye added that the ACN had petitioned
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission urging the
anti-corruption agency to probe the aviation minister.
When contacted, the Director, Research
and Documentation of the Network, Mr. Ebenezer Oyetakin, also said the
protest was necessary because of the heightened level of corruption
being perpetuated by Nigerian leaders.
He said, “We are going to be involved in
a massive protest against the minister of aviation because they have
taken corruption to a new level that is so shameful and is disgracing
our country in the international community.
“Definitely the two armoured cars were
over-inflated because we reached out to Germany and the United States
and we got our own actual price. Come to think of it, the cars were
2003 models and they were supposed to be much cheaper.”
Oyetakin claimed that the money used in
the purchase of the cars were not budgeted for, stressing that the
reckless spending by public office holders must be stopped.
He added, “Secondly, the money they used
to buy these products was not budgeted for. They were not appropriated
for. So it is recklessness of the highest order. The whole thing did not
follow due process.
“The government often complains that it
does not have money to settle ASUU and if they pay them the economy will
collapse. Now tell me, where is the morality to negotiate with the
striking lecturers when there is so much wastage in our system? And this
particular one is too callous.”
The controversy surrounding the purchase
of the two armoured BMW 760 Li cars for N255m for the use of the
minister had deepened further, with conflicting information on who gave
approval for the transaction.
An online news medium, SaharaReporters,
had last week reported that the minister forced one of the parastatals
under her, the NCAA, to buy two bulletproof cars for her use.
It was reported that the armoured BMW cars, valued at about N127m each, were delivered to the minister in August.
Documents obtained by the medium showed that the transaction for the purchase of the vehicles started in June.
After initial denials, the Special
Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Aviation, Mr. Joe Obi, who
confirmed the development exclusively to our correspondent on Wednesday,
said the vehicles were purchased to protect the minister from some
external threats
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