The Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, on Monday said none of the 22 airports contracts awarded by the ministry could be linked with corruption.
The minister, in a statement issued by her Special Adviser on Media, Mr Joe Obi, in Abuja, said all awarded contracts for the remodelling of the airports went through due process.
Oduah said people should not have any biassed mind that the contracts were not duly awarded.
“To be sure, all contracts in the ministry for the remodelling of the airports and other critical infrastructure and equipment followed due processes.
“We are all aware of the prescribed rules and regulations guiding award of contracts, these are the relevant laws in the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007.
“It would therefore be misleading to insinuate that the contracts were awarded without normal and due process, through a Selective Tendering Process.
“There is something we call selective tendering, this is a lawful procurement procedure as enunciated in the Act,” Oduah said.
The minister said the reason why the ministry opted for the selective tendering option was because the present administration met aviation infrastructure, especially the terminals in a dilapidated state.
She said that a state of emergency was required to rehabilitate the infrastructures, and the selective tendering provision in the Act was the only option to follow.
She said that security-related contracts were not announced because they were not subject to open competitive bidding in order not to compromise the entire process.
She further said that the security equipment that was ordered by the ministry was not an off-the-shelf item.
“The equipment is to be custom-made and manufactured specifically to suit our purposes.
“Letters of Credit have been opened for this contract and they are currently being manufactured. Soon, the equipment will be delivered for installation.
“We re-state that, all contracts were awarded in accordance with the provisions of the PPA and received Certificates of No Objection from the Bureau of Public Procurement,” Oduah said. (NAN)
