Nigeria’s embattled aviation minister, Stella Oduah, will not resign and those who claim the House of Representatives had called for her resignation or sack should go back to school, she said on Tuesday in Lagos, southwestern Nigeria.
Oduah said federal lawmakers had neither indicted her nor called on President Goodluck Jonathan to sack her.
Rather, she said, what the House recommended was for the presidency to review some of the things in the aviation sector.
The minister, who inspected remodelled facilities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, was asked by a journalist if she would resign following federal lawmakers recommendations to President Jonathan.
She replied,
” I think it means you don’t read or you probably don’t understand English because I read it too. What is there is that Mr. President can and should review. That is what they said there. Probably, you should go back to school.”
Oduah’s statement left a mammoth of journalists who had thronged the airport bewildered.
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| Oduah on an inspection of Lagos airport |
The House endorsed the report at a Plenary last Thursday.
The report concluded that for approving cars that were not budgeted for in 2013 and for an amount far above the approval limit of the ministry, Oduah had broken the law.
It said the minister committed the breach by approving expenditure of over N643 million for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to procure 54 vehicles this year.
The House noted that her approval limit as a minister was N100 million.
The House asked President Goodluck Jonathan to decide whether he should continue to retain her services as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
A major recommendation of the committee, which was adopted, read, “The House urges the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to review the continued engagement of the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, for having contravened the Appropriation Act, 2013 and the approved, revised threseholds by exceeding the Ministry of Aviation’s approval limit of N100m by the purchase of 54 vehicles valued at N643m.”
The endorsement of the report by the House elicited a prompt response from Oduah, who described the action as premeditated and with a hidden agenda.
“We are shocked and disappointed that in spite of the deluge of representations and evidences provided by the Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah and all invited stakeholders on the matter, the House would reach conclusions that have only confirmed that there was a hidden Agenda in the entire exercise from the beginning,” said Joe Obi, Odua’s spokesperson.
Speaking on the remodelled airport, Oduah assured that the airport would be commissioned before the end of first quarter of 2014.
“We want to be able to start the usage of all these facilities by first quarter of next year. What is very key is that passenger travelling experience will be very very different,” Oduah said.
She added: “It will be the way it should be; it means you have the comfort, you have the safety and you have the security and most importantly as you’ve seen we’ve increased the capacity which means you have ample space to really do what you are supposed to do.”
On the national carrier, she said she encountered a bit of a challenge.
“We are trying to rectify that challenge. I think we will do it very soon but the important thing is that we want to give Nigerians a national carrier that we all aspire to have. That that will be a true representation of all of us, that that can be bought from the market. That that will be professionally and efficiently managed,” she said.
She didn’t go into details about the challenge, told journalists they don’t need to know about the issue. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Obviously, Jonathan f**ks Oduah.if we add that to fetish adventures to ensure r invincibility what we get is brash talk.
ReplyDeleteDs woman is a criminal, she does not deserve to be a minister. But I know for sure that one day u will account for all ds if not b4 man,it will be b4 God. From Concerned Nigerian
ReplyDeleteThis divorce woman is surely giving out her pus*y to win the heart of the president. She can't just be bragging.
ReplyDeletefoolish talk from you safari. you talk like your mater OBJ who cannot substantiate his claims. maybe one day posterity wil judge you for anyhow talks.
ReplyDeleteThis woman, is as a matter of facts taking the peace,she should resign before it becomes an issue for Mr.PRESIDENT,the president should sack her,if she is not shagging the people above to giver the authority to brag,abi na her papa work or her papa employ her,EZE U.K
ReplyDeleteMr president b4 is too late: dis woman must be sack, in order not to allow any body 2 rubish ur govt. Act wisely
ReplyDeleteWhy should she resign? since she is modellimg after her masters i e president & National Assembly
ReplyDeleteOduah obviously it is U, who do not understand ENGLISH LANGUAGE. The HOUSE recommended that Ur continual stay as minister of air disaster shld be REVIEW. Since U are the head of this sector, of what use is the "review" if the CORRUPT head is not "REMOVED"?
ReplyDeleteGEJ is using a method of blocking all avenues that enhance corruption to fight corruption;(exemplified in the former minister of power resignation) which is good. He is not the type that is waiting for somebody to stray so that he can hammer him. You cannot keep bones under the custody of a dog nor can you give roasted fish to a rat to keep.
ReplyDeleteAvenues of corruption are:
1. giving somebody position of umpire in a match in which he is one of the key contestant.
2.Poor remuneration of employee handling assets worth more than 100 times his salary.
3.Allowing person of questionable character to handle sensitive post.
Why should she resign? since she is modellimg after her masters i e president & National Assembly
ReplyDelete