The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) have accused the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) of refusing to release the procurement records for the bullet-proof cars purchased for the minister of aviation, in contravention of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday, signed by MRA Programme Manager, Ayodele Longe, the organisations had asked for copies of the procurement and contract records, evidence of budgetary allocation for the procurement, evidence of advertisements inviting prospective bidders to submit bids for the procurement and a list of all bids tendered for the procurement among other documents.
The statement alleged that in response, “NCAA said it cannot release the procurement records for the purchase of the two controversial bullet-proof cars to two non-governmental organisations seeking access to them, because releasing them would undermine ongoing administrative and criminal investigations into the matter”.
It said the NCAA also argued that its budget was already published as part of the 2013 budget of the Federal Government and as such, the FOI Act does not apply to it.
The statement revealed that in a four-page reply dated November 11, 2013 and signed on behalf of the Director-General by NCAA’s Legal Adviser, Mr. E.D. Chukwuma, the Authority said it was withholding the information the associations requested for on the grounds that the exemptions in Sections 12 and 26 of the FOI Act are applicable to the request.
It said the NCAA argued that “there was, as at the date of your request, an ongoing, various legislative and administrative enforcement proceedings and criminal investigations into the same matter of purchase of BMW 760 LiHSS vehicles by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) being conducted by the Aviation Committee of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, the Committee of the Whole House of the Senate of the National Assembly, the Presidential Panel to Examine Alleged Purchase of Two (2) BMW Armoured Vehicles for the Use of the Honourable Minister of Aviation as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”
It also claimed that “Not only have the information you seek been handed over to these various bodies for the conduct of the legislative and administrative enforcement proceedings and criminal investigation referred to above, but giving same to you may compromise and/or obstruct the proceedings and investigation.”
It would be recalled that the NCAA has been in the public eye, since the purchase of several high tech vehicles including two BMW armoured vehicles for the use of the Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah.
culled from Leadership
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