NO SERVING MINISTER OWNS AVIATION COMPANY —MINISTRY

THE Federal Ministry of Aviation has denied claims by the chairman, House Committee on Anti-corruption, Values and Ethics, Honourable James Abiodun Faleke, that serving ministers own companies handling aviation contracts across Nigerian airports.

The special assistant to the Minister of Aviation, Joe Obi, in a reaction to an interview by Honourable Faleke, published in the Sunday Tribune, said “we declare unequivocally that none of the companies handling the aviation contracts is owned by a serving cabinet minister.”

The minister’s spokesman said “it is equally false that the same contractor handling the remodeling works at the Enugu airport is the same contractor handling the Kano and Port Harcourt projects, as claimed by Faleke.”

He added that “for the avoidance of doubt, we declare here that three different contractors are handling projects at the three airports. The companies are Interbau Nig. Ltd for Port Harcourt airport; Archivisual Solutions Ltd for Kano airport and Obis Associates Limited for Enugu airport.”

According to him, “it is also misleading to allege that the contractors have no pedigree. Evidence from the completed works at the Mallam Aminu Kano and Akanu Ibiam International airports clearly indicate that the contractors have the capacity and capability to handle the projects.”

He said “it is also not true that most of the contractors were paid since December 2012 and are yet to commence work. All contractors who won the bid to execute the remodelling projects for Phase Two of the programme have since mobilised to site and work is progressing according to schedule.

“On the security strategy contract and allegation that it was awarded through a selective tendering process, we wish to note that as a matter of procedure, sensitive security contracts are not subjected to open competitive bidding, in order not to compromise the integrity of the security infrastructure.

“Most importantly, we wish to stress that all contracts awarded in the aviation ministry under the remodeling programme followed due process and no objection certificates were duly secured from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) for contracts.”

Obi, however, noted that Faleke’s comment was unfortunate, adding that “the outcome of the proposed probe, judging from the press conference and other public comments of the chairman, have already been predetermined,” going by his statement that the committee “will expose everybody involved in the aviation corruption even before the commencement of the probe.”

Source: Tribune