Jonathan under pressure to sack Oduah

President Goodluck has come under intense pressure to sack
the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, over the
bulletproof car scandal rocking the ministry.
The call for the minister's removal followed the ministry's
confirmation on Wednesday that the Nigerian Civil
Aviation Authority bought two bulletproof vehicles worth
$1.6m (N255m) for the minister.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered on Friday that the president's
associates have told him to remove Oduah to save the
reputation of his administration.
"She has to go. We have told the President that. This
disgrace is too much," one of the president's close
associates told one of our correspondents.
An online news medium, SaharaReporters, had reported on
Tuesday that the armoured vehicles were delivered to the
minister in August.
It reported that documents in its possession showed that the
transaction for the purchase of the two BMW cars started in
June, but the request for the delivery and payment for them
was fast-tracked between August 13 and 15, 2013.
The NCAA on Friday said the cars were in its possession
and are used to "convey the minister and visiting foreign
dignitaries."
This contradicted the statement of the minister's aide, Mr.
Joel Obi. who had earlier admitted that the cars were
purchased because Oduah's life was in danger.
Following the development, civil society groups, on Friday,
called on President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately sack
and order the prosecution of Oduah.
Leaders of the Civil Liberties Organisation, Coalition
Against Corrupt Leaders and Campaign for Democracy,
who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH in separate interviews,
said the minister's acceptance of the cars, amounted to
receiving a bribe to neglect her duty, leading to the loss of
lives in plane crashes that had occurred during her tenure.
The Executive Director of CLO, Mr. Ibuchukwu Ezike,
described the minister's action as evidence of the level to
which impunity had grown among public officers because
of the Federal Government's inability to fight corruption.
Ezike demanded that Oduah be sacked and prosecuted.
He said, "If this happened in climes where laws are obeyed;
where the credibility of processes is respected, such public
officer is sacked and prosecuted. We believe that what has
happened is enough reason for the minister, not only to be
removed, but to be prosecuted.
"But these things happen and nothing is done. That is why
we have been saying that the government of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria is not interested in fighting
corruption."
Similarly, the Executive Director of CACOL, Mr. Debo
Adeniran, said Oduah and her accomplices should be sacked
and prosecuted for corruption and negligence of duty.
He said, "Not only should Oduah be sacked, she and her
accomplices should be promptly arrested, investigated,
prosecuted and actually punished for such heinous crime.
What she did is like taking a bribe from NCAA, which
means she will no longer be able to maintain standard in
aviation sector. And when standards are not maintained, all
you get is that ordinary Nigerians are killed in plane
crashes.
"The woman (Oduah) should be prosecuted, not only for
corruption, but also for gross negligence, which led to the
NCAA not taking adequate precautionary measures on the
flights that have crashed during her tenure, killing about
300 people."
Also, the President of CD, Joe Okei-Odumakin, demanded
that the bulletproof car scandal be thoroughly investigated
by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Okei-Odumakin said in order to stem impunity in the
system, the minister should be sacked, prosecuted and
punished.
She said, "We have been following the developments in the
aviation sector, but with this colossal waste of public funds
and the arrogance with which the explanation was given,
we ask that Oduah should step aside.
"We want to use this opportunity to call on the EFCC to
thoroughly investigate the scam and ensure that all those
who are involved in purchasing the vehicles and the
minister herself are prosecuted."
In their reaction to the scam, members of the House of
Representatives, also demanded that the minister and the
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority be probed.
Senators, however, opted for a more cautious approach to
the issue; as most of them declined comments when
contacted.
The representatives, who were favourably disposed to a
probe, however, differed on the approach to the
investigation.
The Chairman, House Committee on Financial Crimes,
Drugs/Narcotics, Mr. Adams Jagaba, said President
Goodluck Jonathan "must urgently ask the minister to step
aside" to allow for free investigation into the scandal, while
the Minority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila,
suggested that the investigation should be done with caution
"by ensuring that Oduah's constitutional right to fair
hearing is not denied her."
Jagaba, who expressed shock over the development,
described it as the "highest level of corruption in a
government that is fighting corruption."
Urging Jonathan to suspend Oduah immediately, the
lawmaker said the minister should answer certain questions
immediately.
He asked her to tell Nigerians why she needed "this
protection by spending heavily to buy bulletproof cars."
Jagaba also asked the minister to explain why she needed
more protection than Jonathan or the presiding officers of
the National Assembly.
He added that Jonathan must prove to Nigerians that there
were no "super-human ministers" in his cabinet by directing
Oduah to step aside.
He spoke further, "This is corruption at its highest level.
"Who is Oduah afraid of that she needs that level of
protection? Is she saying that she needs more protection
than Mr. President, Vice-President, Senate President and
Speaker of the House of Representatives?
"We have the Ministry of Petroleum Resources that is
generating our revenue. We have the Ministry of Finance;
are the ministers in these ministries demanding Oduah's
level of protection?
"That ministry (aviation) is due for probe. There has to be
a thorough investigation into how she spent all the billions
allocated to the sector under her.
On his part, Gbajabiamila observed that much as the
"allegation is a national embarrassment," he would want the
minister to be accorded her constitutional right to fair
hearing.
"It's a national embarrassment. Unfortunately, the EFCC
cannot look into it as demanded by most Nigerians because
now we hear the EFCC is broke. Cry, my beloved
country."
Similarly, the House spokesman, Mr. Zakari Mohammed,
said, "The House is interested in knowing the relevance of
the cars because tax payers' money is involved. Is she Mr.
President to drive in N255m bulletproof cars? Anything
that is of interest to our constituents, we are also
interested."
In the Senate, the Chairman, Senate Committee on
Information and Media, Eyinnaya Abaribe, told SUNDAY
PUNCH that it would be too hasty to offer an opinion on
the scandal because the matter was before the Upper
Legislative chamber.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Victor
Lar, did not pick calls made to his mobile phone neither did
he respond to a text message sent to him.
Similarly, Senators Babafemi Ojudu, Ganiyu Solomon, and
Ayo Akinyelure declined to comment on the issue when
one of our correspondents contacted them on the telephone.
In spite of public call for probe, the nation's anti-graft
agencies have kept sealed lips on possible investigation into
the scam.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's
spokesperson, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, only said, "EFCC
does not give advance notice to conduct any investigation".
When also contacted, the spokesperson for the Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission,
Mr. Folu Olamiti, declined comment.
"No comment for now," he stated in a text message to one
of our correspondents.
PUNCH