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Tag: Stella Oduah

  • N255m bullet-proof BMW: ‘It’s FG’s vehicle, not mine’ Stella Oduah clears self

    Former Minister of Aviation, Sen. Stella Oduah, says she is unaware of any probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on any matter allegedly concerning her.

    She was reacting to media report that she had been invited by the anti-graft agency for questioning over a N225 million bullet-proof BMW allegedly purchased her when she was a minister.

    The car was said to have been bought by one of the agencies under the aviation ministry.

    But, Oduah told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday that there was no basis upon which she could be probed, saying that the vehicle did not belong to her.

    “To start with, I do not know where any letter on the probe is because nobody has invited me, and as far as I know, there is nothing and there cannot be anything on the invitation for the purchase of a BMW.

    “I did not buy a BMW; I have never bought a BMW. The BMW is a property of the government, and it is still in government care.

    “The car is with the agency that bought it.

    “The agency is still using it, and so, why will the car which belongs to government and in the care of government and being used by government, be an issue for me?

    “I have since left the ministry,” she said.

    She said that the reports were the handiworks of persons, who were not comfortable with the tremendous achievements she made in the aviation sector and wanted to tarnish her image.

    The former minister said that when she was appointed, Nigerian airports were in poor states and could be compared to motor parks.

    She said that no effort by anyone, including her predecessors in the ministry, could be compared with she did to reposition the aviation industry for the period she was the minister.

    Oduah, now a lawmaker, challenged anyone to do a comparative analysis of the sector before she became minister, while she was minister and after she left as minister.

    “I think some people are not just comfortable that what we did in aviation is unimaginable.

    “What we did in aviation was so far-reaching that it had never been done before; it was unprecedented.

    “To get into the lounge where people sit was impossible; most motor parks were better than what we had at the airport, whether in Lagos, Abuja or Sokoto.

    “We took them on and efficiently, and in a very timely manner, changed every one of them and made Nigeria airspace safe,’’ she said.

    She said safety of Nigerian passengers was made a priority while she held sway, adding that landing gears, flight gadgets, and every single thing was functioning to make Nigeria’s airspace recognised by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

    “I challenge anybody to just do a spreadsheet; how aviation was before, how I made aviation and how aviation is today.”

     

  • Court freezes 21 bank accounts belonging to Oduah, companies

     

    A Lagos Federal High Court has restrained Stella Oduah and Sea Petroleum and Gas Company Ltd., from making any withdrawal from its account and those of three other companies domiciled with 21 banks.

    The other companies include Sea Shipping Agency Ltd, Rotary Engineering Services Ltd, and Tour Afrique Company Ltd.
    The court issued the orders over an alleged indebtedness of the defendants to the sum of about $16.4m and N100.5m.

    Also, the court issued an order directing the said commercial banks harbouring the assets of Stella Oduah and the four companies to sequestrate their indebtedness as at November 2016.

    The court ordered that same should be kept in an interest yielding account in the name of the chief Registrar of the Federal court, pending the determination of the suit filed before the court to recover the debt.

    The order of the court was sequel to an affidavit deposed to by Business Manager of Sterling Bank Plc., Mr Segun Akinsanya, filed and argued before the court by its Counsel, Mr Kemi Balogun (SAN).

    In the affidavit, Akinsanya averred that on Oct. 8, 2012, the bank granted a lease /Cabotage Vessel Finance Facility (CVFF) to Sea Petroleum and Gas Company in the said sums to finance one unit 5,000 MT tanker vessel.

    He averred that the loan was secured by an unconditional personal guarantee of the companies’ director, Princess Stella Oduah.

    Akinsanya also averred that same was supported by a statement of her net worth, legal mortgage of two properties worth N135bn, and a power of Attorney of the tanker vessel in favour of Sterling Bank.

    Also in support was a fully executed standing payment order and tripartite remittance agreement between First Bank plc, Sterling Bank and Stella Oduah.

    It was further averred that on June 27, 2013, Sea Petroleum Company requested and was granted additional facilities in the sum of about $450,000 for post delivery expenses.

    He said that also granted was about $993, 000 to meet the requisite conditions in securing the release of the tanker.

    Also, he averred that upon the persistent failure of the defendants to liquidate their indebtedness, Sterling Bank instructed its counsels to recover the debt.

    He said that in spite of several reminders, and demands, the defendants had failed and refused to liquidate their indebtedness which had culminated to $16.4m, and about N100.5m as at November 2016.

    Akinsanya also averred that the defendants were also greatly indebted to a number of banks and had conceded a number of assets to AMCON who had stepped into the shoes of those banks.

    He averred that there was imminent risk of the defendants dissipating the assets of the companies.

    The plaintiff urged the court to grant the order restraining Stella Oduah and other directors of the companies from withdrawing money from the account of the companies domiciled with 21 banks pending the determination of the debt recovery suit.

    In an ex -parte application filed and argued before the court by Balogun, he stated that it had been difficult to serve court processes on the defendants.

    The Presiding Judge, Justice Abdulaziz Anka consequently ordered that court processes be advertised in National Newspapers.
    Meanwhile, Stella Oduah and her companies urged the court to discharge the order made against them.

    They also filed a preliminary objection to the suit and urged the court to strike out the suit for lack of jurisdiction.

    However, Anka fixed March 20 to decide whether or not to vacate the order.

     

    NAN