Jonathan under pressure to sack Oduah

Culled from Sunday Punch
October 20, 2013 by John Ameh, Allwell Okpi, Sunday Aborishade and Kamarudeen Ogundele
Oduah and Jonathan

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. Continue reading “Jonathan under pressure to sack Oduah”

The Oduahgate Scandal

National Mirror
Culled from National Mirror

 

by on Oct 21, 2013

Minister of Aviation and one of the trusted and close allies of President Goodluck Jonathan, Stella Oduah, is embroiled in an alleged corruption scandal involving over N225 million spent for the purchase of two BMW armoured vehicles

One of the BMW 760 armoured cars

One of the BMW 760 armoured cars

These are clearly not the best of times for Stella Oduah, Nigeria’s aviation minister and one of the kitchen cabinet members of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Just smarting from the criticisms that trailed her ministry’s handling of the fallout of the various air crashes in which several Nigerians have lost their lives; Oduah is presently embroiled in allegations bothering on corruption and profl igacy. She is being alleged to have forced Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA), one of the parastatals under her ministry to purchase two BMW armoured vehicles worth over the N225 million for her personal use.

An online news medium, SaharaReporters, had reported on Tuesday last week that the armoured vehicles were delivered to the minister in August.

The medium 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 transaction involved the NCAA, First Bank of Nigeria, and Coscharis Motors Limited and according to the report, the two black BMW 760 Li HSS vehicles with chassis numbers WBAHP41050DW68032 and WBAHP41010DW68044, were reportedly delivered to the NCAA on August 13, 2013. They were received by two store managers, F. Onoabhagbe and Y. A. Amzat, who is also the agency’s head of transport.” Continue reading “The Oduahgate Scandal”

President GoodluckJonathan Agrees To Sack Stella Oduah and Recover The N255million


3:37 PM AJETUNMOBI SHERIF BLOG
President Goodluck Jonathan has come under intense pressure from some powerful men to sack a “corrupt” and “reckless” Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, over the N255m bulletproof car scandal.

Already, President Jonathan has met with his close associates and they have concluded that Stella Oduah is a baggage that is too heavy for Jonathan to carry. “She has to go. This disgrace is too much.”

A source close to Jonathan’s inner circle in Aso Rock told Nigerian News Portal that the cash will be recovered. I hear that Stella Oduah is seriously begging Patience Jonathan to save her job and her face.

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 Stella Oduah.

The NCAA had on Friday claimed that the cars were in its possession and are used to “convey the minister and visiting foreign dignitaries.”

But this contradicted the statement of the minister’s aide, Mr. Joe Obi, who had earlier admitted that the cars were purchased because Stella Oduah’s life was in danger. Continue reading “President GoodluckJonathan Agrees To Sack Stella Oduah and Recover The N255million”

More Pressure Mounts For Sack Of Aviation Minister

Written By CKN NIGERIA on Sunday, 20 October 2013 | 6:37 am

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.

It was 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. Continue reading “More Pressure Mounts For Sack Of Aviation Minister”

“This disgrace is too much”: The voices are growing louder for Jonathan to sack Oduah

 

Calls for the minister’s removal have ratcheted up following the ministry’s admission on Wednesday that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority bought two bulletproof vehicles worth $1.6m (N255m) for the aviation minister.

According to the Punch, some presidential aides on Friday told Jonathan to remove Oduah to save the administration’s reputation.

“She has to go. We have told the President that. This disgrace is too much,” the paper, citing one of the president’s close associates, said. Continue reading ““This disgrace is too much”: The voices are growing louder for Jonathan to sack Oduah”

MW 760 armoured vehicles: Controversy trails aviation minister’s cars purchase

National Mirror

 Oct 18, 2013 |

. Cash-strapped agencies buy over 800 vehicles in June . Minister’s armoured vehicles bought on credit . NCAA personnel embark on training with own money . NUATE, CACOL insist on probe

More facts emerged yesterday on the controversial two BMW 760 armoured cars recently procured for the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.

National Mirror gathered that the two cars, procured at N255, 150,000 for the minister by the agency were on credit.

A source close to the Ministry of Aviation told our correspondent that First Bank of Nigeria Plc stood as a guarantor for the agency with Coscharis Motors Limited. More so, the document with the ref. number NCAA/DG/PROC/07/8/ COSCHARIS and dated August 13, 2013 and made available to our correspondent was signed for the NCAA Director-General, by the former acting director,Mr. Joyce Nkemakolam. The incumbent directorgeneral resumed in July. Continue reading “MW 760 armoured vehicles: Controversy trails aviation minister’s cars purchase”

Stakeholders set agenda for national confab

Culled from Sunday Mirror on Oct 13, 2013 1

…as Okunrounmu insists on ‘no-go areas’

With the inauguration of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the proposed national conference last Monday by President Goodluck Jonathan , the committee is set to draw the agenda for the conference and in doing this, it would need the inputs of Nigerians. President Jonathan heeded the advice of many Nigerians who had earlier called on him not to restrict the Committee and the conference to certain areas of the national life. Speaking at the inauguration of the committee, President Jonathan gave the committee the freedom to choose names for itself and for the conference, while he also gave the committee free hands on areas to be discussed at the conference. Jonathan, who said he had deliberately used different terms to describe the committee and the conference because he wanted the committee to select its own nomenclature, admonished it to consult widely before sitting down to develop the framework that would guide and guard the proceedings of the discussions. Also speaking, the chairman of the committee, Senator Femi Okurounmu said Jonathan’s sincerity and commitment were “further buttressed by the fact that he has not established any so called ‘no-go areas’ for his committee, thus opening up for discourse, all aspects of our present constitution and national life.” He promised that the committee would not let down Nigerians, hoping that with the conclusion of the assignment and the national conference that would follow, “even those who were once skeptical and critical of the idea of a national conference will have become persuaded of its merits and benefits to our nation.” With this sound of optimism, Nigerians are willing to set agenda for the committee and in essence, for the national conference that will come up later.

Continue reading “Stakeholders set agenda for national confab”

Discordant tunes over National Conference

 

Culled from Saturday Mirror
by on Oct 12, 2013

Prior to the commencement of the present democratic dispensation in May 29, 1999, one of the issues highly canvassed was the convocation of a national conference. The conference, incidentally, was one of the recommendations of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) for the military government before transferring of power to any civilian administration.

However, the then Head of State, Gen. Abdusalam Abubakar, was not able to convene such before passing the baton of leadership to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 1999. With the return of civilian administration in 1999 and the birth of the Fourth Republic, the agitation for a national conference resurfaced again as it became a common song on the lips of many elder statesmen, ethnic nationalities leaders, pro-democracy groups and human rights activists.

Therefore, when President Goodluck Jonathan, on October 1, 2013, during the 53rd Independence Day nationwide broadcast declared the intention of his administration to convene a national conference, many expressed enthusiasm. This is because many saw the president’s initiative as a path way to fulfilling the long dreams of many Nigerians who have been looking forward to opportunities for Nigerian people to sit at a round table to discuss on the future of the country. Continue reading “Discordant tunes over National Conference”

‘Don’t send national confab’s outcome to NASS’

Nigerian Tribune

  • Thursday, 17 October 2013 04:52

THE Coaliton Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), has differed with President Goodluck Jonathan, on sending the outcome of the national conference to the National Assembly.President  Jonathan, on Tuesday, had said that he would forward the outcome of the national conference to the National Assembly, so it would form an integral part of the ongoing constitution amendment.

Reacting to this development on behalf of the coalition, its executive chairman, Mr Debo Adeniran, stated that the conference may not be necessary if its outcome would be subjected to the whimps and caprices of the National Assembly.

He said: “Sending the outcome of the Sovereign National Conference to the National Assembly for ratification defeats the purpose completely. The final decision should rest with the people. If the conference must hold, its outcome must be ratified by Nigerians through a referendum, as anything short of this is no longer a conference of the people, but an imposition. Sending the outcome of the conference to the National Assembly to incorporate in the constitution amendment project would amount to a great waste of resources, time and effort and will make it just a conference. Continue reading “‘Don’t send national confab’s outcome to NASS’”