Close associates of President Goodluck Jonathan are said to be pressuring him to sack Aviation minister, Stella Oduah. A source close to the Presidency said the minister had cause untold embarassment to his administration.
“She has to go. We have told the President that. This disgrace is too much,” one of the president’s close associates said.
Mr. Ibuchukwu Ezike, Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) said that the minister’s acceptance of the vehicles amounted to taking a bribe and neglecting her duties.
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.”
Debo Adeniran, the Executive Director of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) called for the arrest and prosecution of the minister.
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.”
Joe Okei-Odumakin, President of Campaign for Democracy called on a thorough investigative effort by the EFCC.
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.”
Also members of the House of Assembly weighed in on calls for her prosecution and sack.
Chairman, House Committee on Financial Crimes, Drugs/Narcotics, Mr. Adams Jagaba called on President Jonathan to urgently ask the minister to step aside.
Jagaba said it was the “highest level of corruption in a government that is fighting corruption.”
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.”