NCAA Denies Purchase Of N250m Official Car

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has denied media reports of purchase of 2022 Toyota Landcruiser (70th Anniversary Edition) worth over N250 million.

This is even as the aviation agency threatened to sue the publisher of the online medium if the story is not taken down.

Recall that over the weekend, an online medium, Daily Nigerian reported that the “a few months after appointment as acting director-general of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo is enmeshed in alleged financial recklessness, violations of government procurement regulations, and gross abuse of office.

“DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the top aviation regulator had proposed to spend N3,000,000,000 on purchase of vehicles; N4,317,070,233 on “international transport”; N3,310,009,756 on “local transport and travels for training” and; N8,342,547,767 on “travels and transport”.

“But soon after his appointment as acting DG on December 13, 2023, Najomo went on a spending spree, purchasing a 2022 Toyota Landcruiser (70th Anniversary Edition) worth over N250 million, which was not even captured in the budget.”

Reacting to this, the director of public affairs and consumer protection, Michael Achimugu said there is nowhere around the world where the NCAA has paid for any vehicle since the resumption of Captain Najomo as head of the agency.

He further explained that all the directors at the agency have not been given any official vehicle since resumption of office.

On the approval and payment for training, Achimugu said, “due to the nature of the job of the NCAA, the staff will always undergo training and re-trainings. Training has been approved and payments made and the staff involved will go for the training when the time comes. The only reason for the delay is because of the ban on foreign trips by the president. Once the ban is lifted, they will go for their training.”

While commenting the achievements of the director general in the last four months, Achimugu said Captain Najomo has effected the “payment of backlog of Housing (rent) arrears to all staff that had accumulated from 2019, among others.”