Senator Oduah denies allegations of $1.2m London house

A National Assembly member, Sen. Stella Oduah, has discredited allegation that she purchased a 1.2 million dollars house in England while previously serving as the Minister of Aviation, saying it is untrue.

Speaking during a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja on Thursday, Oduah described the allegation made in an online publication was false with lack of any foundation.

The online medium had reportedly alleged the senator of acquiring the property under another name and that the ownership of the property was uncovered when she attempted to rent it out in March, 2017.

Oduah described as “unfortunate’’, the medium’s penchant for continual publication of falsehood about politicians and people in government.

“Of course, the allegation is not true, it cannot be true.

“It is unfortunate that we have a country where journalists will copy a story without verifying the authenticity of that story.

“When you read my statement on it later, then it will be for you to make up your mind. But, categorically it is untrue and it is unfair,’’ she said.

The lawmaker recalled that the same online medium had reported that she purchased two BMW cars when she was minister.

She therefore accused the medium of only publishing lies, adding that the vehicles were property of the Federal Government, which she never bought for herself or took away when she left the minister.

According to her, that was the same way they carried a story about bullet proof cars; bullet proof cars were never bought by me, not even by the agency they alleged.

“In fact, bullet proof cars were never a transaction that was not approved.

“They were two vehicles that were on hired purchase by the agency and the ministry directed that because of the need as proposed by the agency, they should go ahead and do the hired purchase.

“Suddenly, for the online medium, hired purchase turned into procurement; I don’t know if there is a similarity between hired purchase and procurement.

“So, I now realise and symphatise with anybody that works or tries to work for government, because you will have the likes of Sahara Reporters thrive on making your life difficult.

“I rise above that at all times because I know that what they say is never the truth, particularly on my case, it is not true.

“It cannot be true; why will I purchase vehicles on hired purchase and then it is on the ministry’s and agency’s name, why?

“That same vehicle, I never drove it for one day and when I was leaving the ministry, I didn’t take it along with me?

“The question should be `where are those bullet proof cars today?” she said.

Oduah blamed the negative reports on persons who were unhappy with her efforts to revive the nation’s aviation industry when she served as the minister.