Later this week, the panel set up by President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to submit its report, but the investigation by the House of Representatives has gone much further, unearthing mind-blowing facts.
One of them was that the two BMW armoured cars sold to the NCAA by Coscharis Motors were not on the list of 300 vehicles imported by Coscharis for the use of Lagos State Government, as host of the 2012 National Sports Festival. The Finance Ministry gave duty waivers for the 300 vehicles last year. This week, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala testified before the House panel that the waiver she gave did not certainly cover the BMW cars.
Lagos State Government, embarrassed that its name was being mentioned in the scandal, also issued a public statement explaining the agreement it had with Coscharis Motors on vehicles to be supplied for the 2012 Games.
The Government said it neither requested for, nor used bulletproof vehicles BMW level 7 during the 18th National Sports Festival in the State maintaining that it only requested for and got from Coscharis regular saloon cars, four wheel drive vehicles and buses in its capacity as official vehicle providers for the Sports festival.
A statement signed by the Commissioner for Youths, Sports and Social Development, Mr. Enitan Oshodi, said the State Government duly made a request to President Goodluck Jonathan for waiver of destination inspection charges and duty exemptions on 300 vehicles which were to be used for the festival.
Giving a background to the provision of the vehicles for the Sports Festival, the statement explained that following the offer of sponsorship of and provision of vehicles for the Festival by Coscharis Nigeria Limited, the State Government made a formal request to the President for waiver of destination inspection charges and duty exemptions on 300 vehicles as requested by the sponsors which was granted.
According to the statement, which sought to set straight “information making the rounds with regards to the vehicles requested from and supplied by Coscharis Nigeria Limited for use at the immediate past 18th National Sports Festival hosted by the Lagos State from November 27 to December 9, 2012”, the request was duly granted by the President leading to the issuance of a Certificate of Waiver in respect of the duty payable on the importation of the cars, by Coscharis Nigeria Limited.
“The Lagos State Government would therefore like to put it on record that documents exist to show the vehicles which were supplied and used during the 18th NSF. The vehicles requested from Coscharis who were Sponsors of the 18th NSF were limited to regular saloon cars, four wheel drive vehicles and buses to convey the 14,000 athletes and 10,000 officials who attended the games”, the statement said.
TheNEWS magazine in the following report, chronicles the various lies that have been popping up since Oduahgate broke
The Oduah Timeline
- 25 June: The car transaction started
- 13-15 August: Delivery and payment fast-tracked
- 15 October: The scandal broke out. Dati made illogical explanation
- 16 October: Obi punctured Dati’s statement
- 18 October: NCAA DG said the vehicles were to convey foreign dignitaries
- 21 October: Oduah travelled to Israel
- 22 October: Dati said APC was behind the scandal
- 23 October: NCAA denied allegations
Jonathan queried Oduah
NCAA said it had found documents on the transaction
- 24 October: Nkemakonam said the purchase was through lease and not direct financing
House asked Oduah to appear before it
- 26 October: Igbo youths protested in Oduah’s support in Enugu
- 28 October: BASA signed in Israel
- 29 October: Oduah’s appearance rescheduled
- 31October: Oduah appeared before the committee
- 1 November: Lagos State Government denies that 2 armoured BMW cars were included in the 300 vehicles imported by Coscharis Motors for the 2012 National Sports Festival
- 4 November: Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala tells the House Panel that her office did not grant duty waivers to Coscharis on BMW cars
- To be continued…
Official responses to the car purchase scandal have been characterised by a mix of lies, half-truths and distortions manufactured to save the skin of Ms. Stella Oduah, Minister of Aviation
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