Senator Stella Oduah has denied an allegation that she
bought a 1.2 million dollars house in England while she
was Minister of Aviation. Oduah, a serving House of
Representatives member, came under serious scrutiny
after a report surfaced, alleging that she used public funds
to purchase the house.
Speaking to Source on Thursday, Oduah said;
“Of course, the allegation is not true, it cannot be true. It
is unfortunate that we have a country where journalists will
copy a story without verifying the authenticity of that
story.When you read my statement on it later, then it will
be for you to make up your mind. But, categorically it is
untrue and it is unfair,”.
The lawmaker recalled that the same online medium had
reported that she purchased two BMW cars when she was
a minister. She further stated that the vehicles belonged to
the Federal Government, which she never bought for
herself or took away when she left the minister.
According to her, “that was the same way they carried a
story about bullet proof cars; bullet proof cars were never
bought by me, not even by the agency they alleged.
In fact, bullet proof cars were never a transaction that was
not approved.They were two vehicles that were on higher
purchase by the agency and the ministry directed that
because of the need as proposed by the agency, they should
go ahead and do the higher purchase.
Suddenly, for the online medium, higher purchase turned into
procurement; I don’t know if there is a similarity between
higher purchase and procurement.So, I now realise and
symphatise with anybody that works or tries to work for
government, because you will have the likes of Sahara
Reporters thrive on making your life difficult.
I rise above that at all times because I know that what they
say is never the truth, particularly on my case, it is not true.It
cannot be true; why will I purchase vehicles on higher
purchase and then it is on the ministry’s and agency’s name,
why?
That same vehicle, I never drove it for one day and when I
was leaving the ministry, I didn’t take it along with me? The
question should be `where are those bullet proof cars today?”
