NCAA DG, others earn N4.2bn yearly

 

Director-General, NCAA, Mr. Fola Akinkuotu

The Director-General of the troubled Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, nine directors of the agency and 956 other members of staff earn N4.2bn as salaries and allowances annually.

This personnel cost represents 27.92 per cent of the annual budget of the NCAA, which stood at N15.3bn this January.

The “Certification” page of the NCAA’s 2013 budget, which our correspondent obtained in Abuja on Sunday, read, “The management of the NCAA, under the supervision of the Minister of Aviation, is hereby authorised to spend the sum specified in the schedule outlined here from the funds of NCAA during the year ending 31st December, 2013, not exceeding N15,316,850,000.”

A copy of the document was also lodged with the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation investigating the N255m bullet-proof cars the NCAA bought for the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah.

The agency has nine directors on its payroll, taking home N164.07m yearly. This is broken down into N18.6m (basic salary) and N142.4m (allowance).

The DG earns a total pay package of N22.6m, sub-divided into N2.9m (basic salary) and N19.9m (allowance).

The DG and nine top directors earn a combined annual pay of N186.7m every year.

The NCAA has 699 of its workers on salary GLs 7-13, who earn a combined salary of N1.9bn yearly.

This is broken down into N426.6m (basic) and N1.4bn (allowance).

There are 95 workers on GL 7; 168 on GL 8; 139 on GL 9; 76 on GL 10; 141 on GL 12; and 80 on GL 12.

Similarly, 200 senior officers on GLs 14-17, earn a combined sum of N1.7bn annually.

The break down indicates N245.7m as basic salary and N1.4bn as allowance.

The NCAA also has 67 members of staff on GL 14; 62 on GL 15; 52 on GL 16; and 19 on GL 17.

At the lowest rung of the ladder are 56 workers on GLs 4-6, collecting a total of N68.7m as a pay per annum.

This group’s basic salary is N13.1m, while the allowance is N53.6m per year.

A further breakdown indicates that the 67 members of staff on GL 14 earn a combined pay of N315.6m, while the 62 on GL 15, earn N597.6m and the 52 on GL 16, take home N584.1m.

The 19 senior officers on GL 17 earn a total of N282.4m, bringing the total pay package for this category (GLs 14-17) to N1.7bn per year.

The same applies to the 95 workers on GL 7, who earn a total of N171.7m, while the 168 members of staff on GL 8 take home N363.2m and the 139 on GL 9 collect N347.08m.

The 76 members of staff on GL 10 earn N222.1m, while the 141 members of staff on GL 12 take home N548.5m and another 80 employees on GL 13, earn N331.09m per annum, bringing the overall total for this category (GLs 7-13) to N1.9bn.

As for the 12 employees on GL 4, they earn N12.7m, while the 22 on GL 5, earn N26.06m and the 22 on GL 6, take home N29.9m, bringing the total for the category (4-6) to N68.7m per annum.

FG persecuting rebel govs, others –New PDP

Abubakar Baraje

Members of the  New Peoples Democratic Party   on  Sunday  alleged that they were being persecuted by agents of the Federal  Government.

They  said the agents had been using   “unconstitutional means” to achieve their selfish goals.

In a  statement made available hours before the seven rebel governors in the New PDP and other leaders of the group met in Abuja on Sunday  evening, they gave examples of  how  the  agents had in the past few weeks been  using a well co-ordinated and systematic plot to traumatise, annihilate and cripple them  economically and politically.

The statement by their  National Publicity Secretary,    Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, added that  the  acts amounted to    flagrant disregard  for Chapter IV, Section 33 – 45 of the  1999 Constitution that guarantees “our fundamental human rights as Nigerians.”

A part of the statement reads , “Contrary to the provisions of Chapter IV Sections 42, 43 and 44 of the 1999 Constitution which guarantee our rights as Nigerians to acquire and own property in any part of the country, our national secretariat and most of our state secretariats have been sealed off   by the Police on the orders of those in power.

“This is despite the fact that we still have a court case against Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and the  National NWC  of the PDP.

“Two weeks ago, the Federal Capital Territory Administration in its overzealous  effort to please President Goodluck  Jonathan marked our   closed  national secretariat for demolition on the laughable excuse that it was originally approved as a residential building.”

It said before it  acquired the house, it was being used by another political party, the National Democratic Party as its national secretariat without the FCTA complaining that it was against the Abuja Master Plan.

The group  also named the sealing  off  of the Adamawa State Governor’s  Lodge   in Abuja  as one of the negative actions taken by the government.

 The lodge was being used   as temporary national secretariat of the New PDP when it was sealed off by the FCTA  on the same excuse of violating the Abuja master plan.It has however been reopened.

Besides,  the New PDP   mentioned  Kwakwanso , Senator Aisha Al-Hassan,   Saraki, Danjuma Goje, Rotimi Amaechi  and Abubakar Baraje, as some of its leaders who have suffered humiliation from the government.

It added that  the government was already using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to hound  many of its members.

The New PDP said,   “ Mr.  Timipre Sylva, the former Governor of Bayelsa State, and  Saraki are two foremost examples.

“We understand that the worst is yet to come as this unserious organ masquerading as an anti-graft agency would soon be unleashed on all our key members in both the Senate and House of Representatives in an operation code-named ‘Operation Coerce Them Back to Tukur.’

“On its part, the Nigeria Police, which has abysmally  failed to find a solution to the menace of Boko Haram, kidnapping, assassination and other criminal acts ravaging the country, has been given a fresh mandate to frame up our members and term them criminals in order to keep them at bay.”

The factional PDP  therefore    appealed  to Jonathan “to be a statesman and caution these dogs of war before they do irreversible damage to our dear country.”

The   Baraje-led faction of the ruling party was to meet 8pm on Sunday at the Sokoto Governor’s Lodge in  Asokoro, Abuja but had to shift the venue to Kano State Governor’s Lodge out of suspicion that the police might storm the venue.

 At the  Kano State Governor’s Lodge,also in Abuja, they  discussed  briefly  and rose without issuing a statement. Eze however assured that that would be done on Monday(today).

Two of  the seven rebel   governors in the New PDP – Abdulfatah  Ahmed of Kwara and Aliyu Babangida of Niger – were  absent.

Governors  Sule Lamido of Jigawa; Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto  State;   Kwakwanso; Murtala Nyako of Adamawa,  and Amaechi        were however present.

A source at the meeting said,  “The members of the group were aware that policemen could be asked to storm the venue (Sokoto Governor’s Lodge) of the meeting  That   was why we  decided to relocate to  another venue (Kano Governor’s Lodge).

 “But at the end of the day, we had  a useful deliberation and I can tell you that we reached some meaningful conclusions. Those conclusions would be made known to Nigerians soon.”

Also at the meeting were former governor of Kebbi State and minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration during the government of  late President Umaru Yar’adua, Senator Adamu Aliero; former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki; former governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje; Former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu;   Baraje; the  Deputy Chairman, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja; the Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; National  Vice-Chairman, North -West, Ibrahim Kazuare; Kassim Shettima, among others.

It was the first time the group would be meeting since  a Federal High court sitting jn Abuja ruled that the Dr. Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee of the PDP  remained  the authentic NWC of the party.

Also, at the same time, the Independent National Electoral Commission had  said  the Tukur-led NWC was the one it recognised.

Another  source at the meeting however told our correspondent that the faction was yet to decide on which of the political parties to defect to if  negotiations  with the leadership of the PDP failed.

 He said, “We have agreed that we are not going to the PDM and that any political party we might defect to, negotiations with such party would be done collectively and not by individual.

“But I can tell you that we have ruled out the PDM. You can see that we are being pushed out of the PDP. We are going to be decisive soon on what we are going to do.”

Mark’s comment ridicules Onosode – ASUU

Deacon Gamaliel Onosode

The Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, University of Ibadan chapter, has condemned the statement of Senate President David Mark on the competence of those who negotiated the 2009 agreement with ASUU on behalf of the Federal Government.

The union said the Senate President’s remarks ridiculed the leader of the Federal Government’s team, Deacon Gamaliel Onosode.

It therefore demanded an apology for Onosode.

Mark had last Wednesday derided the government’s negotiators, saying ASUU took advantage of their ignorance.

“They (ASUU) found that those who were sent there (government negotiating team led by Onosode) simply didn’t know their right from their left,” the Senate President had said when the strike by ASUU came up for debate on the floor of the senate.

At the end of a congress held at UI on Friday, the chapter chairman of ASUU, Dr. Olusegun Ajiboye, asked Mark to tender an apology to Onosode, saying the elder statesman deserved respect from Nigerians.

He said, “Onosode is a man of proven integrity, and impeccable character. He deserves better than the colour painted of him by the Senate President. The Congress respects the personality of Onosode, an alumnus of the University College Ibadan, who has served as the Chairman of governing councils of UI and University of Lagos and a successful businessman who has served the country in various intervention capacities.

“The congress condemns these disparaging comments and demands that the Senate President apologises to this elder statesman. Can we actually trust these characters to midwife any intervention with a bias and myopic construction myth makes right? Where else in the world are senators earning bogus allowances as we have in the National Assembly? We challenge the Revenue Allocation, Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission to publish salaries and allowance of the senate president for Nigerians to see how patriotic he is to the true state of the economy.”

Ajiboye also asked the upper legislative house to be alive and sensitive to national issues, saying President Goodluck Jonathan, who was then the Vice President when the agreement with ASUU was signed, instructed the government team to sign the agreement.

He also said that Mark’s statement smirked of disbelief about his knowledge of national issues as he was already the head of the senate when the agreement was signed.

Meanwhile, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has sent a petition against the Federal Government to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights over the ongoing strike by university lecturers.

The petition was sent to the committee through the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay, on October 25, 2013 and signed by its Executive Director, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni.

SERAP in the petition described the inability of the government to honour its agreement with ASUU as a fundamental breach.

It said that though the government in 2009 agreed with ASUU to improve the governance structures and funding for the operation of universities across the country but that conditions of service for members of the country’s universities remained poor.

The group asked the UN Committee to “demand that the Nigerian government should urgently and fully implement its agreement with ASUU and ensure sufficient funding of universities across the country.”

It added, “The Committee should put pressure on the government to promote, protect and fulfil the right to education for the sake of millions of Nigerian children that continue to be denied this fundamental human right.

“As the UN Committee has stated, states must take deliberate, concrete and targeted steps as clearly as possible towards meeting the obligations recognised in the covenant. But the persistent refusal by the government to sufficiently fund the country’s universities, and honour its own agreement to ASUU is a deliberate retrogressive measure, and shows lack of good faith.”

We don’t have armoured cars purchase documents – NCAA

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has denied having any documents relating to the  two BMW bulletproof cars it bought for the Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah.

The denial came two days after Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), gave seven days ultimatum to NCAA to supply his law firm with the information.

Falana’s request, dated October 21, 2013, was made on the strength of the provisions of the Freedom of information Act.

But a copy of the reply to the request dated October 23, 2013 by the NCAA Director-General, Mr. Fola Akinkuotu, was obtained by our correspondent on Sunday.

In his reply through the NCAA Legal Adviser, Mr. E.K Chukwuma, Akinkuotu also claimed not to have in the possession of the NCAA any documents relating to previous purchase of such cars.

The reply read, “I am directed to your letter dated October 21, 2013 on the above matter (Request for information on N255m armoured cars for Aviation Minister, Ms Stella Oduah) and to inform you that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority is not in possession of any document relating to the purchase of the armoured cars for the Aviation Minister, Ms Stella Oduah.

“With regard to your request for records of previous purchase of armoured cars by the Aviation Ministry or NCAA, I am to inform you that the  Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority does not have such records.”

But Falana, in a telephone chat with our correspondent on Sunday, said he was going to request the Attorney-General of the Federation to prosecute the NCAA DG.

He said, “Since copies of the documents on the Oduahgate are available the DG has wilfully violated the provisions of the FoI Act, I am sending a request to the Attorney-General of the Federation to prosecute him without any delay.

“Since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has commenced investigation pursuant to my petition, I am also forwarding the DG’s letter to the Commission for necessary action.”

Falana, had in his letter, written on his behalf by a lawyer in his law firm, Mr. Adedotun Isola-Osobu, asked Akinkuotu to supply his chamber with detailed information on the vehicles.

The SAN had  predicated his request on the claim by Akinkuotu during a press conference on October 18, 2013, that the NCAA indeed bought the cars for the minister.

In his letter to the NCAA, Falana had asked Akinkuotu to supply records of previous 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 letter read, “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.”

The NCAA had admitted to have spent   a whopping $1.6m (N255m) on the two cars. The purchase of the cars had since ignited calls for the removal of the aviation minister.

Aviation crises: Nigerians shun domestic air travel

Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah

The crises in the aviation industry have taken a toll on activities at the domestic terminals of the Lagos airport, with airline officials lamenting low patronage in the past few days.

Some airline officials told our correspondent in confidence on Monday, that the passengers seemed to have developed apathy towards air travel, stressing that they might have become scared of flying following recent developments in the industry.

The officials confirmed that some passengers had called in to cancel earlier bookings, while most of the aircraft taking off from both the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 and the General Aviation Terminal to various destinations in the country  have had to depart with fewer passengers on board than usual.

Analysts say the development is a setback to the operators because flying with fewer passengers can make the airlines run at a loss.

An official of one of the major carriers told our correspondent that the airline has had to reschedule some of its flights in the past two weeks due to dwindling patronage and in order not to run at a total loss.

The official, who asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the subject, said, “Lately, activities have not been going on as usual; we have noticed a general reduction in patronage. At first, we chalked it up to the fact that the summer is over and people may be travelling less at this period; but further investigations have shown that some customers appear a bit sceptical about air travels for the time being.

“Perhaps, this is as a result of the number of mishaps that have been recorded in the Nigerian airspace in the last few weeks. As a result of this, we have had to adjust our flying times in a few cases to ensure that we are able to accommodate more passengers, while running fewer schedules, this is in an attempt to assist the management to break even.”

On Thursday, October 3, 2013, an Associated Airline plane crashed in Lagos shortly after taking off, killing 15 out of the 20 passengers on board.

Twenty-four hours after, a Kabo Airlines’ Boeing 747-400 plane carrying 512 pilgrims made an emergency landing at the Sokoto airport with deflated tyres and damaged the airport’s Instrument Landing System.

On October 7, 2013, the Federal Government suspended the operations of Dana Airlines once again, citing the need to carry out an operational audit on the carrier.

On Sunday, October 13, an IRS Airlines’ Fokker 100 plane carrying 99 passengers also made an emergency landing at the Kaduna airport after developing hydraulic problems mid air.

A passenger, Mr. Uche Igbokwe, told our correspondent at the MMA2 terminal on Monday, that he had come to see if he could get a refund for a flight he had earlier booked.

He said, “I am a businessman who lives in Lagos, but I shuttle between Abuja and Lagos two or three times every month. I actually booked a ticket for a flight to Abuja towards the end of last month to fly on Wednesday, but the air crashes and near crashes witnessed in recent times have become worrisome to me.

“My family advised me to use the road transport option for the time being, until things are a bit settled in the industry, and I seem to agree with them. So, I have come to see if I can reclaim at least some of my money. I know the road option is some distance, but I will have to manage until things improve in the aviation sector.”

An aide to a principal officer of the National Assembly, who pleaded not to be named, said he had stopped travelling by air to any destination in the country, but was now embarking on his journeys by road because of the “unsafe state of aviation” in the country.

Corroborating this, the Chief Executive Officer, Gadeshire Travels and Tours, Mr. Olugbenga Adebayo, said there had been reduced bookings for local flights by passengers.

He said, “Well, we have noticed that there is this phobia, which our customers did not use to exhibit before. It is not really that most of them do not want to fly again, but they are now being very choosy about the kind of flight they want to get on.

“If they do not see big airline carriers, they will refuse to fly and will rather take the road option. And you know that currently, we have limited carriers with big capacities in the country.

“We believe it may be as a result of all the issues we have been having in the Nigerian airspace lately, and this seems to be the little challenge that we are facing in the local aviation sector for now, but it is not affecting international travels.”

Over 100 buildings demolished for Ogun road projects

Scenes of the demolition at Yakoyo ...on Monday.

No fewer than 100 buildings were demolished on Monday and countless persons displaced when the Ogun State Government embarked on its road expansion project.

The demolition, which began around 9am, affected structures on both sides of the Ojodu/Alagbole road at Yakoyo and the Sango/Ijoko road all the way down to Ogba-Ayo.

Shops, residential buildings and shanties were lost to the demolition which was carried out to clear structures within 22.7 metres from the road. It was said to have lasted well over six hours.

At Ogba-Ayo along Ijoko road, a shopping complex housing over 70 shops, two petrol stations and scores of residential buildings were destroyed. As of 4pm, Sango residents, whose buildings had also been marked for demolition, were seen hurriedly moving their valuables in preparation for the demolition that would continue on Tuesday (today).

Some landlords and few of the residents at Yakoyo lamented the demolition of their buildings without adequate notice to prepare them for the exercise.

They alleged that the Governor Ibikunle Amosun administration did not compensate them or map out a resettlement plan for the people affected by the demolition.

The owner of a two-storey building at Yakoyo, Mr. Nuhu Aruwa, said he built his house with the money he had saved from 35 years service as an officer of the Nigeria Customs Service.

He said, “I have been living here for the past 26 years. I am a retiree and I manage a paint manufacturing company here. Early last year, the Bureau of Land and Survey came and marked our houses, saying it wanted to expand the road and that people should file their claims for compensation.

“We told them to let us know how they intend to compensate us. At least, my present house is worth N50m.

“Later in September this year, the ministry officials said we should await letters of acquisition and after we agreed on the value of our houses, we could move out.

“They said they would pay us first before we would move out.”

Aruwa, who hails from Kogi State, said he was awaiting the letter when he was told that his house would be demolished on Monday morning.

He said, “No kobo has been paid, no alternative has been provided and they now say I should move out. Move to where? Are we goats? We have children schooling here. Do we terminate their academic programmes? I have served this nation for more than 35 years. I am now retired, and they want to take all I have built in my whole life away from me.”

Another landlord, Mr. Moshood Yusuf, said he built his house in 1986 and caters for his15 member family  with the money he makes from rents.

He said the state governor disappointed residents when he visited the area a day to the demolition, without interacting with the landlords to know how they felt.

He said, “The permanent secretary and governor came here yesterday (Sunday). Amosun merely walked with his entourage from Alagbole to Yakoyo Bus-stop without talking to anybody. And all he said was that work would start today and left.”

It was learnt that many of the landlords were confused because their buildings had been marked three different times.

A source said the state government had said initially, that it would only clear structures within 5.2 metres distance from the road. This was later increased to 13 metres and then 22.7 metres.

Many residents were caught unawares by the demolition and appealed for time to evacuate their property. Others protested the demolition and were seen making frantic calls to officials of the state government.

It was observed that some residents were not at home when the caterpillar began pulling down some structures.

Around 9.30am, an officer from the Bureau of Lands addressed a group of landlords.

The unidentified officer said, “All I will advise you is that you should take the pictures of your property and take to the Bureau of Lands for documentation. The issue of forms and letters do not concern the governor. Once he comes and gives orders that work should begin, we must begin to work. If there is any report that nothing has been done, they could send in policemen and I don’t want that here. Just get evidence that you are the owner of the house.”

As the demolition continued, some of the residents wept.

A resident, Rukayat Moshood, said, “We didn’t know it would happen like this. It was too sudden. At first, we were told it would only affect the shops and a little part of the building. Then the governor came yesterday and said work would begin. We don’t know where we are packing to now; we have no idea.”

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Kayode Ademolake, told our correspondent on the telephone that the residents were opposed to change in the state.

He said, “They were served two years ago and even in the last three months, we still reminded them. But you know that even if you give some people 1,000 years, they will still continue to be there. When development is about to take place, there will be resistance, so we are not surprised.

“No responsible government will however continue to watch a road that has been degraded for over 30 years without doing something about it.

“Some of these people don’t even have proper documentation for their houses, and yet the government is ready to compensate them for their losses.”

Falana demands information on bulletproof cars from NCAA

Mr. Femi Falana

LAGOS lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, on Monday asked the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to within seven days release information on the purchase of the two BMW bulletproof cars it bought for the Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria argued that the Managing Director of NCAA, Mr. Fola Akinkuotu, was mandatorily required to release the requested information by the virtue of the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.

In his letter to NCAA, Falana asked the NCAA boss to supply copies of “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 a lawyer in his law firm, Mr. Adedotun Isola-Osobu.

In the letter, Falana also asked Akinkuotu to supply records of previous 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 letter read, “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.”

The NCAA had admitted to have spent   a whopping $1.6m (N255m) on the two cars. The purchase of the cars had since ignited calls for the removal of the aviation minister.

Another Aviation Agency Bought 4 Toyota Tundras For Minister Oduah, Alongside Four Limousines For VIPs

Stretch limousines parked at TRACON headquarters in Abuja

Stretch limos bought for VIPS by NAMA

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.

 The Tundras are in addition to four stretch limousine cars that were allegedly purchased for the movement of VIPs.

 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.

UK to repatriate 267 Nigerian prisoners

British Prime Minister David Cameron

Hundreds of Nigerian criminals will be sent home to serve out prison sentences under a deal set to be struck by ministers within weeks.

Talks are continuing into reaching a compulsory prisoner transfer agreement, which could see more than half of the 534 criminals from Nigeria currently in UK jails repatriated.

UK Prisons Minister, Jeremy Wright, toldMailOnline how ‘more foreign prisoners must serve their sentences in their own countries.’

Ministers have been ordered to step up efforts to end the scandal of more than one in eight prisoners being from overseas.

British Prime Minister, David Cameron vowed to end the practice of the British taxpayer picking up the bill for criminals with no business in the UK.

The Prime Minister said in 2010 that he would ‘personally intervene’ to send more foreign criminals home.

Britain has even made clear it would pay to build new prisons in countries like Nigeria to speed up the process of sending foreign criminals home. Up to £1m has been promised to upgrade Nigerian jails, including a new wing at Kirikiri Prison in Lagos.

But to date little progress has been made. When the coalition was formed there were 11,135 foreign prisoners in UK jails, and this figure has fallen by just three per cent since to 10,786.

Each felon costs an average of around £40,000 a year to keep inside.

Last week it was announced that notorious Liberian warlord Charles Taylor is to serve his 50-year sentence for war crimes in the UK.

A prisoner-transfer agreement was struck with Albania earlier this year to ‘free up space in prisons here and reduce the cost to the British taxpayer’.

It was the first major bilateral prisoner transfer agreement with a country outside the European Union.

There were around 250 Albanians in UK jails in June this year.

But securing an agreement with Nigeria would be seen as a much more significant breakthrough.

Latest figures show there were 534 Nigerian nationals in British jails, 485 men and 49 women.

Nigerians account for one in 20 of all foreign prisoners, putting the country fifth in the league table of nations whose citizens have been jailed in the UK.

Justice Minister Mr. Wright said, “I am clear that more foreign prisoners must serve their sentences in their own countries.

“That is why we are currently working with the Nigerian Government on a compulsory prisoner transfer agreement to increase the number of prisoners who are transferred.

“Legislation allowing Nigeria to enter such an arrangement was passed earlier this year by the Nigerian Parliament. We are now working with them on the text of a final agreement.”

Overflowing jails abroad have made it increasingly difficult to deport prisoners to their own country.

It is argued that by paying for building new jails or making existing ones more ‘comfortable’ so they approach British standards, will be repatriated.

Deal: David Cameron, who promised to help Nigeria improves its jails, hopes to strike a deal with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan

Deal: David Cameron, who promised to help Nigeria improves its jails, hopes to strike a deal with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan

In April Mr. Cameron said, “When people are sent to prison in the UK we should do everything we can to make sure that if they’re foreign nationals, they are sent back to their country to serve their sentence in a foreign prison.

“And I’m taking action in Government to say look we have strong relationships with all of the countries where these people come from.

“Many are coming from Jamaica, many from Nigeria, many from other countries in Asia.

“We should be using all of the influence we have to sign prisoner transfer agreements with those countries. Even if necessary frankly helping them to build prisons in their own country so we can send the prisoners home.”

Fake Jonathan ADC arrested for demanding ram from monarch

Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye

The police in Ogun State have arrested a fake Army Colonel, Hassan Ayinde, for allegedly soliciting  a ram from the traditional ruler of Agbado in Ifo Local Government of the state, Oba Adedayo Shyllon, to celebrate the Eid-el Kabir festival.

Fifty-year-old Ayinde, who hails from Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State, was arrested at the palace of the monarch in Agbado on Monday around 2pm when he claimed to be a Colonel and the Aide De Camp to President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, the monarch became suspicious when the ‘Colonel’, begged him for money to purchase a ram for the sallah.

Adejobi said, “Shyllon immediately informed the police of his suspicion and Ayinde was subsequently arrested. During interrogation, Ayinde confessed that he resorted to impersonating an Army Colonel to eke out a living after his dismissal from the Air Force.

“The suspect claimed to have attended the military school in 1979 and was posted to Zuru in Kebbi State as a lance corporal. He also claimed to have attended the Nigerian Defence Academy between 1980 and1985.”

Adejobi added that the fake colonel claimed to have worked with the Presidency in 1997 before he was dismissed in 1999 with the rank of a Wing Commander.

He said the suspect, who claimed to be residing within the premises of the National Defence College, is currently being held in custody and would be charged to court at the end of investigations.

Adejobi said, “The command therefore warns members of the public to be wary of such fraudsters, who might want to strip them of their hard-earned money. Ogun State residents are advised to inform the police of suspicious characters.”