While Nigerians are still grappling with the show of shame involving Hon. Farouk Lawan, Huhuonline.com understands that another group of lawmakers, saddled with oversight functions, have also been linked with another bribery scandal.

Our check shows that the lawmakers overseeing the joint House and Senate committee on Aviation are involved in two million dollars bribery- for- approval scandal.

Huhuonline.com ongoing investigation on the level of involvement of the lawmakers revealed that the sum of $2 million was shared by the lawmakers for the approval to draw from the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) fund to sail through.

Findings revealed that many of the lawmakers in the National Assembly, who benefited from the $2 million BASA  largesse,had during the annual recess traveled overseas with their families to spend from the ill-gotten money.

The sum of $1 million gratification was given to each of the committees in order to fast track the approval of the BASA fund, according to sources within the aviation sector who spoke under anonymity.

Both committees had over a fortnight held series of closed door meetings, but failed to make public details of their deliberations.  Sen.Uzodima  and his counterpart from the House of Reps, Nkiru Onyejeocha, led proceedings at the close door meetings with other members of the committee

However, the Senate, Thursday, rejected the report of the Senate Committee on Aviation headed by Sen. GoodHope Odidika Uzodinma for undisclosed reasons.

Thus far, a total sum of $11,820,386.81 has been withdrawn from the BASA Account as at first week of August 2012 and paid to contractors on the remodelling and renovation exercises.

All the requests for the payment were signed by George Uriesi, FAAN managing director  and Harold Demuren, Director General of NCAA,after which Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Aviation instructed CBN to release the fund.

Huhuonline.com learnt that  $2m bribery  was to ensure seamless approval of the proposal for the withdrawal of the fund to the operators of domestic airlines. This revelation, however, contradicts previous testimonies given at the recent investigative public hearing by the joint committees of both chambers.

Prior to the public hearing, Stella Oduah, Minister of Aviation Minister, denied embezzling either part or whole of the $74 million US dollars Bilateral Air Service Agreement funds meant for the renovation and upgrading of facilities at the nation’s airports.

Describing the allegation as unrestrained campaign of calumny and dissemination of outright falsehood against her.

 Oduah said, “Some versions of the mischievous publications quote non-existent figures of the BASA fund in the region of hundreds of millions in US dollars allegedly missing or utilized without approval and due process certification from the relevant authorities.”

A statement signed by the Special Assistant to the minister, quoted the minister as saying, “the entire sum in the BASA fund stands at $74 million.”

“Out of this, former Aviation Minister, Fedelia Akuabuta Njeze sought and obtained approval from the presidency and the National Assembly for the utilization of $60 million (about N7.5 billion) from the fund for the rehabilitation of infrastructure at the nation’s airports in line with the Civil Aviation Act 2006.”

“It must however be noted that this sum could not be accessed before the end of her stewardship.”

“Worried by the scale of infrastructure deficits at the nation’s airports, the current Aviation Minister initiated fresh processes to access the already approved $60 million from the BASA fund to form part of the resources required to execute the remodeling of 11 airports across the country in the first phase.”

“Like her predecessor, all relevant approvals from the Presidency and the National Assembly were obtained to access and utilize the fund to address the huge infrastructure challenge in the sector. So nothing could be farther from the truth; and it indeed smacks of sheer mischief to insinuate that the fund had been accessed and utilized without following due process. Reconstruction work at the 11 airports is over 90 percent completed and will be due for commissioning soon.”

Source:huhuonline.com