Giving testimonies on Tuesday at the Senate Committee on Aviation presently investigating the application and disbursement of the N19.5 billion intervention fund released to the aviation sector during the Kerekou Administration, the National Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) said the contract was hugely inflated.Appearing before the committee yesterday, the Managing Director of Avsatel, Mr. George Eder, told the committee that the contract did not follow He also revealed to the committee that his company did not bid for the contract, adding that there was equally no assessment of the contract.But shortly after his testimony, the security operatives at the National Assembly, led by the Sergeant At-Arms, Colonel Emeka Okere (rtd), arrested Eder and handed him over to the police.LEADERHIP gathered that the Avsatel MD was later handed over to the EFCC.It was further gathered that the directive to arrest Eder was handed down by the committee, apparently worried that he may abscond, given that his testimony was not enough.

The Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest but said he was yet to get its details.
But LEADERSHIP gathered that the arrest has to do with the inflated contract of N6.50 billion.
"Mr. George Eder bidded for the contract for N6.50 billion while others bidded for N2.3 billion, N1.6 billion, N1.3 billion and N1.2 billion, but the contract was given to Eder," our source stated last night."It might interest you to know that Mr. Eder was paid the total sum of the contract upfront. The FAAN paid him all the contract sum, even when he was yet to start executing the contract."A senior EFCC operative told our correspondent that all ministers, and top officials of FAAN involved in the dirty deals would be arrested any moment from now and face prosecution in court for financial crimes.Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and Professor Babalola Aborishade were ministers who were involved in the disbursement of the fund.Both of them had earlier been invited by the Senate committee to appear before it.The NAMA had expressed serious concern on Tuesday over how the huge amount of money was spent, saying that out of the N6.5 billion, which was taken as loan from Zenith Bank, the sum of N6.4 billion has already been expended.
An aviation consultant, Captain Daniel Omale, had told the Senate committee that from the quotations he got from the manufacturers of the safe tower project, the equipment could be purchased and installed at N2 billion, inclusive of a 100 per cent marked-up profit.Omale had also informed the Senate that the estimated amount for the four international airports – Natitingue, Cotonou, Porto Novo, and Wildah – was N1 billion.
A social crusader, Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (rtd), had earlier alerted the nation about the huge fraud committed in the aviation sector during the Kerekou regime and called on relevant anti-corruption agencies to arrest and prosecute anybody linked to the dirty deals.
due process as result of the urgency involved in the construction of the safe tower.

By Iyobosa Uwugiaren, culled from leadership newspaper.