The Presidency and the leadership of the PDP seem to be moving in opposite directions over the fate of the embattled Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, it was gathered yesterday.
The minister is under investigation over the purchase of two bulletproof vehicles by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) at a total cost of N255million.
The nation is currently awaiting the report of the Administrative Committee raised by President Goodluck Jonathan to probe the purchase.
Sources said that while the party hierarchy led by the national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, is rooting for the minister’s removal if she is indicted by the report, some powerful forces in the presidency are working out a strategy to save her job.
The pro-Oduah forces are of the view that any action against her would rub off on the presidency and the party.
“As a politician, he is bound to take a deep look at his action before making any pronouncement,” a source said.
However, sources at the national secretariat of the PDP said the leadership of the party has told the president to weigh the implication of keeping the minister in office for the political fortune of the party ahead of the 2015 elections.
“Leaders of the party are of the opinion that the minister should be shown the way out if indicted. This is in line with our commitment to the anti-corruption stance of the current administration. There is no better way to show the world that PDP is opposed to corruption than doing the right thing in this case,” a party source said.
“The minister is not greater than the country or the party. We shouldn’t sacrifice the party for the minister. It is more convenient to sacrifice the minister for the party. Especially if she is found to have abused her office, she should be shown the way out.
“I don’t know why the president is silent on the matter, but we are aware of efforts by some people to help her keep her job at all cost. But I can tell you that the leadership of the party is determined to oppose any decision on this matter that may tarnish the image of the party and we have told the president so.”
Speaking on the matter recently, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, said the party is greatly worried by the scandal.
“We wish to assure Nigerians that whoever is found culpable shall reap in full, the bitter consequences of corruption and disservice to our dear nation. The position of our great party on corruption is unambiguous and our zero tolerance for corrupt practices abound in practical examples because our founding fathers placed utmost premium on transparent and accountable government as a fulcrum for achieving a Nigeria of our dream,” Metuh said. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
I hope metuh is not trying to play on our intelligence, bcos I do not see y the minister has not been removed all these while. That means ur party (pdp) is full of currupt members, 4 u to say some leaders in the party are shielding Oduah shows that Nigeria is not safe in the hands of such party. And to think that Mr president has been silent on the matter shows that he is not fit to rule this country.
ReplyDeleteHow can you prevaricate and be at variance over petty thievery???? This party has always been unserious and has no clear plan for the future of this nation.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that there are no decent and honourable people in Nigerian politics. I live in the UK where if such nasty scandal had occurred, two things would have happened -
ReplyDelete1. The Minister would have voluntarily stepped down to save the country, his/her Party and the Prime Minister the embarrassment and
2. The Prime Minister would have spoken to the Nation and the Press about it and remove the Minister involved as his/her authority would have been compromised and making his/her presence in Government untenable. This was well demonstrated by the Prime Minister's and the Minister's actions in the recent accusation of a Minister insulting the Downing street Police Officers.
Nearer to home Ghana also demonstrated how a good and honourable leader should behave when the President promptly removing a Minister who had made some statements that might be construed as corruption.
If this woman, Stella Oduah is honourable she would have stepped down to save her friend, the President, her Party The PDP and the Nation at large further embarassment. Her position is untenable and she has been unable to carryout any Ministerial business.
The real issue in the whole business is not the 2 cars she procured but the fact that she did it utra-vires and that the price of the vehicles were grossly inflated. We want to know who benefited from the excess money paid by the Government. As long as this minister is still in post it would be be impossible to prosecute any culpable officials . A good and Honourable President would have sacked her weeks ago.
If GEJ should sack Oduah one time then Deizani of NNPC and some few other ministers will go 20 times. That is the haculean task that kept GEJ mute.
ReplyDeleteI hope this govermt will take a bull by the horn and do the right thing; Enough of this deceit. This should not be swept under the carpet as they usually do. It is also an eye openner by extension that other ministers secretary to FG ,PS Special advisers need to be ivestigated because all of them are preaching one thing but doing another thing underneath God will save Nigerians from these.set of corrupt people
ReplyDelete