bandol: The Bulletproof Saga, Why Aviation Ministers Case Will Never End - By Malik Shabazz, Abuja.

1. For some time now Stella Oduah has come under intense attacks by people I prefer to call "aviation ministry cabal". Those attacks climaxed after the opening of Enugu International Airport with allegations of ethnic cleansing in the Aviation ministry flying here and there. Falsified figures were bandied about and even the acting DG of NCAA then came under attack as one of her "ethnic plants".

That line of attack ended only after reports were leaked by officials of aviation ministry showing the ethnic composition of the Ministry. It became clear that the particular ethnic group of origin of her accusers control more than 64% of the staff strength of the ministry, including NCAA. Of course the Acting DG of NCAA was later replaced by Captain Fola Akinkotun in May 2013. The attacks slowed down, especially with the key sponsor fighting on other fronts to defend his libido and past drug lives.

2. Immediately after the crash of the Agagu aircraft, the same aviation cabal went to town with calls for the sack of Stella Oduah for "failing to prevent the accident".

As you probably now know, the Black Box of that aircraft was promptly recovered and analyzed in Nigeria (not overseas as it used to be under past ministers) and we read the recorded on board argument between Captain, Yakubu Abdulrahman, and the first officer. In summary, the first officer felt the aircraft should not take off while the Captain overruled him and took off. The plane crashed as warned by the first officer.

This report failed to receive enough media attention even after the Commissioner of AIB, Muktar Usman, made them public in a news briefing. Obviously the crash can be attributed to pilot error as against a Minister's error as we were made to believe.

A similar incident happened the next day in Sokoto when an aircraft from Kano en-route to Saudi Arabia was making a stop over in Sokoto to pick other passengers. The Pilot was instructed by the Control tower to land on runway No 15, but he ignored the experts advise and choose to land on a narrow runway N0 5, which nearly wasted over 250 pilgrims on board. All these incidents has nothing to air safety in Nigeria, but human error that little care and efforts should have prevented their occurrence. The same gangs went on air calling for the aviation Ministers head.

3. When this report of purchase of two bullet proof vehicles broke via their sponsored media outfit, all the documents tendered showed clearly that the Purchase Order was issued by NCAA, the cars received by NCAA warehouse personnel and payment made via NCAA's account. Amazingly, no single mention was made in that report of the NCAA Director General and his Board that approved the purchase. Instead we read a screaming caption that said Aviation minister "pressured" NCAA to buy the cars. (The re-broadcasters even went a step further and claimed the planes were bought at N230b).

Not even one single evidence was presented to show "pressure" by the Minister except information provided by "unnamed sources".

4. By virtue of Aviation act 2006 NCAA enjoys autonomy which protects the agency from political influence. That autonomy is similar to same enjoyed by Sanusi Lamido Sanusi led CBN.

To endorse an expenditure of N115m per vehicle, the Board of NCAA must have approved and signed. That Board is led by the DG of NCAA who is also a necessary signatory before such massive amount can be released from the account of the agency.
I personally read same DG NCAA telling the world on Monday that the agency is very liquid and have been fulfilling it's financial obligations including sending staff on foreign training regularly.

[Note carefully, that unlike before, we now have an Aviation accident investigation Lab at Abuja that can analyze Blackboxes. Under past ministers we sent blackboxes to America for analysis].
Obviously that's an improvement under Odua's watch. There are many others including improved Radar coverage, provision of night landing equipment, upgrade of Lagos, PH and Abuja airports. (When next you visit PH international airport kindly take pictures of the new expanded terminal that is about 90% complete).

5. We read about the 2011 purchase of 3 bullet proof vehicles by Governor Fashola of Lagos at N600m. That makes the cost of each vehicle at N200m. The NCAA purchased bullet proof vehicles at a cost of N115m each. The Osun state Governor bought theirs above this same figure and over 33 other state governors.

As you are aware, most ministers and other public officials keep vehicles at Abuja, Lagos and possibly their home state. When the President or senior govt officials visit Lagos from Abuja (or Abuja from Lagos), they don't fly escort vehicles in but rather use the ones available at the location. Almost all public officials including legislators and Abuja frequenting governors are involved in this. Does this explain the purchase of 2 vehicles instead of one for the Minister of Aviation? My guess is that one of the vehicles is in Lagos while the other is in Abuja.

6. Are there threats to the life of Stella Odua from the cabal that controls Nigeria's aviation industry? I can't say with certainty.
But if the well funded and unrelenting media and online attacks on her since last year is anything to go by, I will readily think there are people out there who wish that she is removed at all cost. Dora Akunyili's case is a pointer too. Is it better to wait until she is killed before measures are taken to protect her?

7. Was the procurement of the car done outside budget? Was due process followed as expected? Was the car a bribe or gift to the person of the Minister? Is there any known Nigerian law breached in the course of the procurement? Was the transaction over-invoiced? Did the purchase meet the ordered materials? Do we have reasons to believe that the delivered car is tokunbo or even substandard? Is the supplier, Coscharis, who supplied to the other governors, a bonafide dealer in such vehicles?

Answers to the above posers will show us if laws have been broken in the course of the purchase. And if there is any shred of evidence that laws have been broken, I support arrest and prosecution of all those involved in the purchase, from the DG NCAA, his Board, the supplier to the minister.

8. If the issue is morality of spending such a huge amount on protecting a Minister, then I will urge us to take note of existence of precedence.

The governors of the 36 states have bullet proof cars. That includes states governed by opposition parties. Is it the case that their lives are more valuable than that of a Federal Minister? At least 5 ministers use bullet proof official cars.

Can we truly say those ministers occupy more sensitive positions than the minister of Aviation haunted daily by the aviation cabal who fought her to stand still over the reforms in the sector as well as the internationalization of Enugu Airport?

9. Finally, can we say the Minister has enjoyed any special privilege through the purchase of the cars?

If she leaves office will she return home with the two cars? Will the same vehicles not be made available to the next minister of aviation who might well be the chosen candidate of the aviation cabal?

I eagerly look forward to your response tomorrow but I have formulated these issues for you to take note of in reaching your position.

It is my position that if we truly feel a crime has been committed we should try those involved as against online and media ambush. It is also my position that the right starting point for such probe should be the DG NCAA who is in the best position to give flesh to the allegation of "pressure".

Any online/media ambush that conveniently keeps DG NCAA out of the picture looks like selective fixation and it suggests a hidden agenda to me. by Malik Shabazz, Abuja. -

4chi: Shama maliga has come up with another moniker. Malik shabazz. Werey, very soon you will call yourself Osama bin something. Okoro I recommend the latest treatise from ozodi Thomas ozodi on " igbos lying and it's negative consequences" for your reading pleasure

bandol: The Bulletproof Saga, Why Aviation Ministers Case Will Never End - By Malik Shabazz, Abuja.

1. For some time now Stella Oduah has come under intense attacks by people I prefer to call "aviation ministry cabal". Those attacks climaxed after the opening of Enugu International Airport with allegations of ethnic cleansing in the Aviation ministry flying here and there. Falsified figures were bandied about and even the acting DG of NCAA then came under attack as one of her "ethnic plants".

That line of attack ended only after reports were leaked by officials of aviation ministry showing the ethnic composition of the Ministry. It became clear that the particular ethnic group of origin of her accusers control more than 64% of the staff strength of the ministry, including NCAA. Of course the Acting DG of NCAA was later replaced by Captain Fola Akinkotun in May 2013. The attacks slowed down, especially with the key sponsor fighting on other fronts to defend his libido and past drug lives.

2. Immediately after the crash of the Agagu aircraft, the same aviation cabal went to town with calls for the sack of Stella Oduah for "failing to prevent the accident".

As you probably now know, the Black Box of that aircraft was promptly recovered and analyzed in Nigeria (not overseas as it used to be under past ministers) and we read the recorded on board argument between Captain, Yakubu Abdulrahman, and the first officer. In summary, the first officer felt the aircraft should not take off while the Captain overruled him and took off. The plane crashed as warned by the first officer.

This report failed to receive enough media attention even after the Commissioner of AIB, Muktar Usman, made them public in a news briefing. Obviously the crash can be attributed to pilot error as against a Minister's error as we were made to believe.

A similar incident happened the next day in Sokoto when an aircraft from Kano en-route to Saudi Arabia was making a stop over in Sokoto to pick other passengers. The Pilot was instructed by the Control tower to land on runway No 15, but he ignored the experts advise and choose to land on a narrow runway N0 5, which nearly wasted over 250 pilgrims on board. All these incidents has nothing to air safety in Nigeria, but human error that little care and efforts should have prevented their occurrence. The same gangs went on air calling for the aviation Ministers head.

3. When this report of purchase of two bullet proof vehicles broke via their sponsored media outfit, all the documents tendered showed clearly that the Purchase Order was issued by NCAA, the cars received by NCAA warehouse personnel and payment made via NCAA's account. Amazingly, no single mention was made in that report of the NCAA Director General and his Board that approved the purchase. Instead we read a screaming caption that said Aviation minister "pressured" NCAA to buy the cars. (The re-broadcasters even went a step further and claimed the planes were bought at N230b).

Not even one single evidence was presented to show "pressure" by the Minister except information provided by "unnamed sources".

4. By virtue of Aviation act 2006 NCAA enjoys autonomy which protects the agency from political influence. That autonomy is similar to same enjoyed by Sanusi Lamido Sanusi led CBN.

To endorse an expenditure of N115m per vehicle, the Board of NCAA must have approved and signed. That Board is led by the DG of NCAA who is also a necessary signatory before such massive amount can be released from the account of the agency.
I personally read same DG NCAA telling the world on Monday that the agency is very liquid and have been fulfilling it's financial obligations including sending staff on foreign training regularly.

[Note carefully, that unlike before, we now have an Aviation accident investigation Lab at Abuja that can analyze Blackboxes. Under past ministers we sent blackboxes to America for analysis].
Obviously that's an improvement under Odua's watch. There are many others including improved Radar coverage, provision of night landing equipment, upgrade of Lagos, PH and Abuja airports. (When next you visit PH international airport kindly take pictures of the new expanded terminal that is about 90% complete).

5. We read about the 2011 purchase of 3 bullet proof vehicles by Governor Fashola of Lagos at N600m. That makes the cost of each vehicle at N200m. The NCAA purchased bullet proof vehicles at a cost of N115m each. The Osun state Governor bought theirs above this same figure and over 33 other state governors.

As you are aware, most ministers and other public officials keep vehicles at Abuja, Lagos and possibly their home state. When the President or senior govt officials visit Lagos from Abuja (or Abuja from Lagos), they don't fly escort vehicles in but rather use the ones available at the location. Almost all public officials including legislators and Abuja frequenting governors are involved in this. Does this explain the purchase of 2 vehicles instead of one for the Minister of Aviation? My guess is that one of the vehicles is in Lagos while the other is in Abuja.

6. Are there threats to the life of Stella Odua from the cabal that controls Nigeria's aviation industry? I can't say with certainty.
But if the well funded and unrelenting media and online attacks on her since last year is anything to go by, I will readily think there are people out there who wish that she is removed at all cost. Dora Akunyili's case is a pointer too. Is it better to wait until she is killed before measures are taken to protect her?

7. Was the procurement of the car done outside budget? Was due process followed as expected? Was the car a bribe or gift to the person of the Minister? Is there any known Nigerian law breached in the course of the procurement? Was the transaction over-invoiced? Did the purchase meet the ordered materials? Do we have reasons to believe that the delivered car is tokunbo or even substandard? Is the supplier, Coscharis, who supplied to the other governors, a bonafide dealer in such vehicles?

Answers to the above posers will show us if laws have been broken in the course of the purchase. And if there is any shred of evidence that laws have been broken, I support arrest and prosecution of all those involved in the purchase, from the DG NCAA, his Board, the supplier to the minister.

8. If the issue is morality of spending such a huge amount on protecting a Minister, then I will urge us to take note of existence of precedence.

The governors of the 36 states have bullet proof cars. That includes states governed by opposition parties. Is it the case that their lives are more valuable than that of a Federal Minister? At least 5 ministers use bullet proof official cars.

Can we truly say those ministers occupy more sensitive positions than the minister of Aviation haunted daily by the aviation cabal who fought her to stand still over the reforms in the sector as well as the internationalization of Enugu Airport?

9. Finally, can we say the Minister has enjoyed any special privilege through the purchase of the cars?

If she leaves office will she return home with the two cars? Will the same vehicles not be made available to the next minister of aviation who might well be the chosen candidate of the aviation cabal?

I eagerly look forward to your response tomorrow but I have formulated these issues for you to take note of in reaching your position.

It is my position that if we truly feel a crime has been committed we should try those involved as against online and media ambush. It is also my position that the right starting point for such probe should be the DG NCAA who is in the best position to give flesh to the allegation of "pressure".

Any online/media ambush that conveniently keeps DG NCAA out of the picture looks like selective fixation and it suggests a hidden agenda to me. by Malik Shabazz, Abuja. -