The Nigerian Senate by all accounts has lost interest in seriously probing the aviation minister, Ms. Stella Oduah and the rot in the aviation sector.
The Senate had scheduled Ms. Oduah to appear before it last Thursday, when suddenly Senate President David Mark had to leave the country for the urgent assignment of supporting the U-17 Eagles team as they faced Mexico in the finals.
The urgency of his trip took members of the public by surprise as they wondered how watching a football match could be more important than investigating the incessant air crashes in the country, and the gargantuan corruption in the agencies overseen by Ms. Oduah.
In the past few months there have been several air mishaps in Nigeria, most notably was the crash of the Associated Airlines aircraft where several lives were perished and burials are still ongoing. There was also the crash landing of a Kabo plane in Kano where two tires failed in landing and 512 people almost died or incurred life threatening injuries.
There is also the case of the collusion between Coscharis and the Ministry of Aviation to import armoured vehicles at overinflated prices. Coscharis has refused to cooperate with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran captioned it best when he said, “It is just like a cult of criminals protecting themselves. Let them allow the EFCC, ICPC or SFU to investigate it.
“There has been no tangible result from the investigations conducted by the National Assembly in this current legislative session because they have moral burden that has not been discharged.”
His comparison of the National Assembly to a cult of criminals cannot be said to be further from the truth.
Chairman of the Senate Aviation Committee, Hope Uzodinma, explained why the Senate was shifting away from giving Stella Oduah a public hearing.
Uzodinma said, “You will recall that the invitation to the minister was just in relation to the crash of the Associated airline plane. Now, during this period, fresh issues emerged which called for a holistic and well researched investigation.
“As it is the practice of the Senate, such investigation is better started from the committee and then the report will be submitted to the plenary.
“This is exactly what the Senate has done now. I think it is proper and it is in order and it is in accordance with the Senate rules.”
He added, “I don’t know where you people heard that we are giving Oduah a soft landing but what
I have just said is in order and that is the rule and that is what we are doing and that is what is authentic and that is out now from me to you.
“I told you that the invitation was just in relation to the plane crash involving Associated aircraft, the Senate became worried that there were these repeated occurrences of air crashes and that they needed to know what is happening in the sector.
“Now, being insensitive to the opinion and feelings of the people would not be good since fresh issues have emerged and that this would push us to details and so that we can carry out a full scale investigation.
“The Senate has now, in its wisdom, decided to go into full scale investigation so as to be able to look into the sector very holistically with a view to bringing to bear, a permanent solution. And that is exactly what we are going to do.”