Culled from Saturday Mirror

by TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE on Oct 26, 2013 |

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has differed with the All Progressives Party (APC) on the party’s decision to boycott the planned national dialogue. CACOL, in a statement made available to Saturday Mirror by its chairman, Comrade Debo Adeniran, averred that it was wrong for APC to draw conclusion when the committee set up to organise it had just begun work to fashion out the modalities for the conference. Continue reading “CACOL differs with APC on boycotting national dialogue”

Culled from National Mirror

by TOLA AKINMUTIMI, GEORGE OJI, OLUSEGUN KOIKI, TORDUE SALEM AND TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE on Oct 23, 2013 |

. Bureau of Public Procurement sidelined in purchase . CACOL petitions EFCC, calls for probe

The National Assembly has directed its Committees on Aviation to investigate the purchase of two bulletproof armoured BMW cars at the cost of N255m ($1.6m) for the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Aviation is also to probe the motive behind the minister’s refusal to approve flights by certain airlines to Kano and Abuja airports. The probe followed the unanimous approval of a motion on the floor of the House yesterday, following the resumption of the lawmakers from the Sallah break. Continue reading “N255m armoured cars: Senate, Reps order probe”

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”

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”

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”

National Mirror

. 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”

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”