Dubai: Beautiful City,Beautiful Girls

Dubai is a place to be. And that could be an understatement. It is my first time in the United Arab Emirates, the country that prides itself as the home of the world.
Everything here is heavenly. The roads are just wonderful. It is a beautiful haven. Coming from Lagos to this part of the world has been an eye-opening experience. Everything is just too fine here to be true for a Lagosian like me, where dirt is a stark reality of life. On the roads, their cars are a sight to behold. They love white cars a lot.
Everywhere you go you see clean white cars gliding through the roads. And the white cars are such a beauty to behold.
In Lagos, people avoid white cars because of dusts and mud on the roads.. A  colleague here  was so taken aback after seeing these clean white cars  that he wondered aloud if these same cars can remain in such excellent condition in Warri, Enugu, Lagos and other Nigerian cities.
Fine city, fine girls, but don’t touch
We are in the United Arab Emirates, touted as a tourist and business destination of the world. Fine things abound here. This is a place where citizens of the world work, live and play. But there is a limit to everything that you see here. These people have their rules, which are not clearly laid out. You get to understand them when you act contrary to their rules.
A tip of it was gotten yesterday when we attempted to check into a hotel in Deira, a little bit outside the city  Dubai.
After formailsing everything, two of my colleagues, went up to check the rooms, leaving me and another at the lobby. My friend sighted a beautiful lady, some seats away from us. He admired her. As I made my way upstairs, I was compelled to say hello to the lady and she responded with “I’m fine”. She later told me that she’s from the Comoros.. My friend, who works for a television station in the Niger Delta, now came around and as I introduced him to the lady, he stretched out his hand for a handshake but the lady did not offer hers.
He did not know that he was being watched by the receptionist, who later charged at him angrily for trying to shake the hand of the lady.
At that moment, he canceled our booking, telling us to go and look for another hotel elsewhere. He said in the city, you can admire the girls but you dare not touch them in public. We tried to plead for leniency but he was adamant. To him, my friend had crossed the line and deserved no mercy but to go out. He also told us that we were not spared from the punishment. I was shocked and as we made our way out, someone told my friend that Dubai is a fine city with fine guys but you don’t touch them in the public. Lesson learnt.

By John Egbokhan
Vanguard

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BMW SCANDAL: Stella Oduah Responds To Querry From The Presidency

ABUJA—Embattled Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, who is facing separate probe panels set up by President Goodluck Jonathan as well as the National Assembly over the purchase of N255 million armoured cars has written the president to explain her side of the story.

The President on Tuesday issued query to her to explain her role in the purchase of the armoured cars.

In her response which Vanguard obtained exclusively, the minister said procurement of the cars followed due process and was provided for in the NCAA 2013 budget.

Defence

In her defence titled: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ON THE PROCUREMENT OF NCAA OPERATIONAL VEHICLES, she wrote: “The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, is the statutory regulator of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Industry.


Aviation Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah

Consequently, the NCAA is charged with oversight responsibilities over all civil aviation operations in the country, including safety, security and strict compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices, SARPs, and Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, NCARs.

2. Towards the effective implementation of its statutory regulatory responsibilities, therefore, it is imperative that the NCAA is fully equipped with highly specialised tools and facilities, including adequate operational vehicles to cover all 22 national airports and over 400 airstrips. In keeping with standard practice, provision is therefore made annually for the replacement of obsolete, inadequate and unreliable monitoring equipment.

3.In the 2013 budgetary appropriation, provision was made for the procurement of specialised equipment (including operational vehicles) to complement and in some cases replace obsolete ones.

Furthermore, the fact that NCAA, as the regulator of the industry, often plays host to dignitaries from ICAO, IATA, US FAA, AFRAA, AFCAC BAGASO, CANSO, ACI and a host of others makes it necessary to have specialised operational vehicles.

4.With regard to the procurement of additional operational vehicles (including BMW Security Vehicles), the following due process was observed:

(I) By letter dated April 15, 2013, NCAA officially requested authorisation from the Federal Ministry of Aviation to procure 56 operational vehicles through lease financing. This option was proposed to the ministry to enable the NCAA make 36 monthly payments based on receipts from Internally Generated Revenue, IGR.

Approval

The Ministry therefore granted due approval.

(ii)Based on the ministry’s approval, the NCAA invited Expressions of Interest from all Banks in Nigeria for the financing of the said vehicles. EOI was adopted because the procurement is two sided. First, the financier would have to be selected before the supplier is determined. This is in line with procurement best practices.

(iii) On May 24, 2013, the response received from the various banks to the Expression of Interest, EOI, request was opened publicly and minutes of the opening exercise was duly documented. During the EOI opening exercise, NCAA got commendation from one of the Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, approved by BPP who were invited for the opening exercise.

(iv) The evaluation of the expression of interests was held on May 31, 2013 during which First Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc and Stanbic IBTC emerged most responsive. On the June 10, 2013 the above three banks were invited to submit Financial Proposals. Thereafter, First Bank emerged the highest rated responsive bidder.

(v)Between June 20 and 25, 2013, invoices were received from various accredited motor vehicle dealers during which only Coscharis Motors Limited quoted for BMW Security Vehicles.

Tenders Board

(vi) On June 28, 2013, NCAA Parastatal Tenders Board approved the selection of First Bank Ltd for the Lease Financing as well as Metropolitan Motor Vehicles and Coscharis for the supply of the vehicles. All necessary approvals were duly sought and obtained accordingly.

(vii) Between July 8, 2013 to August, 12, 2013 various meetings were held with First Bank Ltd, contract agreement was signed and necessary documentation executed.

Your Excellency is respectfully invited to note:

(i) The crucial statutory role of the NCAA in regulating civil aviation operations in the country, including safety, security and strict compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs).

(ii) The need for NCAA to be fully equipped with highly specialized tools and facilities (including operational vehicles) to enable the effective implementation of its statutory functions.

(iii) The procurement of specialized operational vehicles is duly provided for in the NCAA 2p 13 (IGR) Budget and the need for adopting instalmental lease payments over36rionths.

(iii) That Due Process was followed in the procurement of the said operational vehicles.

Please your Excellency my continued loyally and esteemed regards.

Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, OON, Honourable Minister.

SOURCE : VANGUARD

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Some members of the Ojukwu family have asked the Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Bianca Ojukwu, to show proof that she was legally married to the late Ikemba of Nnewi, Chukwuemeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu.

In a 19-paragraph statement of defence filed by Ojukwu Transport Limited and seven others before Justice Funmilayo Atilade of the Lagos High Court, the family equally demanded proof from Bianca that her two sons, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu are biological sons of Odimegwu- Ojukwu.

The other defendants are Prof. Joseph Ojukwu, Engr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu, Dr Patrick Ojukwu, Arc. Edward Ojukwu, Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and Mrs. Massey Udegbe (doing business under Massey Udegbe & Company).

Bianca had in suit No: LD/1539/2012 filed on behalf of her two under-aged children, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu (claimants), wants the court to declare that her children are entitled to the possession and occupation of the property known as No. 29, Oyinkan Abayomi Street, Ikoyi Lagos, until the harmonisation of the management and administration of the assets of the first defendant (OTL).

At the resumed hearing of the suit yesterday, counsel to Bianca and her children, was not in court which necessitated Justice Atilade to adjourn the suit till December 10 for adoption of written addresses on a Motion on Notice seeking to restrain the defendants from the property in dispute.

Bianca’s children had through their lawyer; Chris Ezugwu, prayed the court to declare as illegal the threat of forceful ejection from 29, Oyinkan Abayomi Street, by the defendants.

In addition, they urged the court to declare that they are entitled to possess the following property, namely: No 13, Hawksworth Road, Ikoyi (now known as No. 13 Ojora Road); No 32A, Commercial Avenue, Yaba, Lagos; No 30, Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos; No. 30, McPherson Avenue, Ikoyi.

Bianca’s children said throughout the period their father was struggling to retrieve the properties from the government, the second to the seventh defendants “never played any role in the struggle nor contributed financially or otherwise to the realisation of the struggle.”

Besides, the claimant is asking for an order of court restraining the defendants, their agents or privies from interfering with the claimants’possesion and control of the properties.

But, in their statement of defence, the 1st to the 7th defendants through their lawyer, George Uwechue, SAN, averred that the subscribers of the memorandum of association of Ojukwu Transport Limited (1st defendant) at incorporation in 1952 were L. P. Ojukwu and Betram Chukwuemeka Obi, adding that the late Chukwuemeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu and one Prof. Joseph Ojukwu (2nd defendant) were later appointed as directors in 1953.

They stated that late Chukwuemeka Odimegwu- Ojukwu thereafter ceased to be a director of the company prior to the Nigerian civil war and was reappointed as a director on December 16, 2005 while the 3rd and 4th defendants were appointed directors in 1954 and 2005 respectively.

They added that the claimants’ statement of claim contained tissues of lies and distorted facts alleging that Bianca who instituted the suit, “being greedy felt that she could hold unto the company’s properties

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