The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested the managing director of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Mr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam.
The general manager, Finance, Mr. Nurudeen Segun Agbolade, was arrested alongside the managing director. The duo were whisked away by the operatives.
However, the general manager – Procurement, Olumuyiwa Adegorite and deputy general manager, Finance, Mr. Okon Davidson Akpan, were said to be at large. They were said to have been taken away at 9 pm.
Aside the provision of air traffic services, the trio’s roles are said to be very vital to the sustainability of NAMA in terms of disbursements of funds, provision and acquisition of safety related equipment and the general running of the parastatal.
A top official of the agency who alerted New Telegraph of the arrival and subsequent interrogation of the top aviation officials said Abdulsalam was about holding a meeting with Human Resources Department when the EFCC officials stormed NAMA at about 11.55am.
The source further disclosed that the EFCC officials were seeking explanation into some ‘questionable’ contract awarded to some company which were said to no have followed due process.
It is also believed, that a former managing director of NAMA (name withheld) is already reporting to the EFCC to answer to allegation particularly on total radar coverage of Nigeria, otherwise known as TRACON and other multi billion naira contracts.
In 2008, a Ministerial committee set up had indicted some top officials of NAMA, but the contractor that handled the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria(TRACON) project officially reacted to the eyebrows raised by the committee which became the subject of controversy with allegation of N13 billion fraud.
However, contrary to the alleged fraud, Thales of France that handled the project in a response cleared the Management of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency of any under-hand dealings as all that were expected to be supplied as components for the continued maintenance of the equipment supplied and installed were duly supplied to the later according to what were contained in the contact agreement signed by all parties involved.
In the forward to to the response, endorsed by Mr John Armley, the Country Director (Nigeria) of Thales International of France, specially highlighted the following points contained in the full response.
*That Thales is extremely dismayed at your(Minister’s)serious comment that records of payment are not commensurate with the services rendered under the TSSA. All services have been rendered in full and payments received by Thales are entirely in accordance with the Contract, and have been made against a “Certificate of Satisfactory Completion of the job” issued by NAMA every quarter.
*All contracted training has been provided.However,Thales is conscious of the on-going operational needs of NAMA and is fully supportive of any furtherr training that NAMA may require for the on-going operation of TRACON.
*We agree with your assessment that the Back-up or Recovery Center is not required for satisfactory performance of TRACON, however, given the unfortunately increasing threat levels and security considerations facing the world, the provision of additional redundancy and indeed disaster recovery capabilities is a natural progression to provide further redundancy measures to further secure the system in Nigeria.
