The Gang Up Against Stella Oduah, By Ore Kingsley

Premium Times - 11 hours ago

Opinion



It is highly outrageous to buy two vehicles, any kind of vehicles for N255 million.  Yet, in saying this, let it be known that it is also outrageous for mainstream media to rely on reports of online media, which most of the time are laced with gossips and rumours, for serious aviation reports. Now that Nigerians are outraged about the exaggerated reports on the purchase of the vehicles, the facts of the matter have been eclipsed as the first report always finds a listening ear.

But it is good to deliberate on the motive behind the report and preceding reports before this last one. Princess Stella Oduah as Minister of Aviation has jolted the apple cart. In her strive to make desired changes in the sector, she has excavated the status quo. There are certain trends that have defined the aviation sector. There are always since 1999 those who use lopsided agreements and contracts to milk the aviation agencies. There are also those who use aviation related associations to sustain their lives and the aviation union executives rely on agency heads and succeeding ministers to make money in the sector.

Stella came and changed all that. These people were denied their source of material life by Stella and these are people behind the forces that coalesced against her.

It is said in the industry that two people before 2011 made noticeable changes in the sector. One was Peter Igbenedion who was the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) during the Abacha years. In retrospect also, kudos goes to Mrs. Kema Chikwe who was also the Minister of Aviation in the first tenure of Chief Obasanjo as Nigerian President. Story had it that she was pressured to leave, just as Stella is being pressured now and that when she was eased out, broom was used to sweep out her footsteps from her office. But when she left, the same people acknowledged and still acknowledge that before Stella, Kema Chikwe was the best performing Minister of Aviation since civilian rule in 1999.

When Oduah was appointed, there were three subsisting agreements that were controversial. One of them was Maevis which was managing the revenue of FAAN. FAAN said that the agreement was lopsided against the agency to the extent that the agency did not know how much accrued in its coffers as Maevis every month gave it a hand out, a situation where a principal is being handed over money by its contractor. The agreement, to the agency was obnoxious and it was eating its revenue and hampering development of the 22 airports under its management.

Three Ministers came when the agreement was enforced, including Felix Hyat who just witnessed its unveiling, Babatunde Omotoba who was there when FAAN workers started crying out against the agreement and alleged rip of FAAN by the agreement. He did nothing. Felicia Njeze came and smiled away few years later without doing anything about it. Stella came and did something. She revoked the agreement!

She was attacked with all kinds of arsenal, including media and court scud missiles. She remained unshaken. Other Ministers did not have the courage to do anything because of the Giant Eagle that facilitated the agreement and the agreement was aimed to rip off the agencies and empower some individuals.

Another agreement was the Pan Express agreement which gave the company the right to collect revenues from cargo and pay FAAN certain amount of revenue every month. That agreement was easily eased out because it did not come from the Big Eagle. Ironically that was the only decent agreement that was drawn not to strip FAAN its revenue; in fact, before the company started work, that source of cargo revenue for FAAN was in limbo, but it was done away quickly as soon as contrived agitation against it started.

Then the big masquerade of agreement which is still subsisting: the Bi Courtney concession agreement to build the domestic terminal in Lagos which initially was given for 12 years and was later extended controversially for 36 years without the expected approval of the Federal Executive Council, as Obasanjo recommended when the letter for the extension was presented to him by the then Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode. In the letter requesting for the extension, Obasanjo responded, “No.” That it should be taken to FEC for approval. The approval never took place and since then Bi Courtney has done everything possible to use the courts to get the extension and it remains at best controversial.

How did Oduah cross the way of Bi Courtney? The company realising that it did not have enough apron to park aircraft in MMA2, claimed that the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) belonged to it and pointed out a clause in the agreement that said no other domestic airport terminal should be built in Lagos without deferring to Bi Courtney. Oduah defiantly made it clear that GAT which she dismantled and rebuilt under one year, did not belong to Bi Courtney.

Then there was the AIC Limited which claimed that many years ago a portion of land meant for expansion of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos terminal was given to the company to build hospitality facility. But for years nothing was done at the portion land and recently with terror threats and the inevitable need to have another terminal at the Lagos airport, it became unrealistic to build such facility at that portion of land. Stella Oduah overruled that quest.

The highly placed, powerful people behind these companies have been injured by the Minister. But her purpose is obvious: that for the aviation industry to develop and progress there must be an end to these rip offs and that the assets that are meant for Nigerians should not be coveted by a few highly placed people at the expense of over 160 million Nigerians. The war has been drawn. Stella Oduah must go!

The Foot Soldiers

As stated earlier, the labour union leaders and some association executives rely on aviation agency heads to sustain their existence. A former Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) kept the Aviation Round Table (ART) leaders on a payroll. Other agencies like FAAN, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) give them contracts. But these contracts stopped when Oduah became the Minister. In protest, the attacks against her came in torrents to the extent that the President of ART, Captain Dele Ore at one time alleged that Oduah threatened to kill him. Some aspects of the media made a savoury of it.

Two major associations in the sector, the Air Transport Service Senior Staff Association (ATSSSAN) and the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) have fought and won many wars, so they are feared in the industry. So their leaders became very powerful, so whenever they needed money they would call a press conference and attack one agency or another or the existing Minister. They would be placated, of course with “gifts” to keep them quiet for some time. This shameful trend has continued to this day.

That was why a wise former Director General of NCAA decided to keep the ATSSSAN president permanently in his payroll. He gave his wife a job in NCAA; bought him a car and many times a year sponsor him to overseas training with large estacode. He fully bought his loyalty. The same ATSSSAN president capitalised on the labour feuds with airlines and agencies to fix his other siblings at Aero Contractors and NAMA.

So the major problem of Oduah is that she left this group of people in the lurch. There is the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) whose officers are permanent because for over 12 years it never conducted elections. The Assistant Secretary General of the association, Mohammed Tukur has used that platform to sustain his life in the industry. He became a propagandist. This became apparent when he and others in AON fought against Arik Air in favour of Bi Courtney, when Arik Air insisted that it was not going to operate from MMA2, the new terminal built by Bi Courtney.

Curious people then were asking: Is AON fighting for the welfare of the airlines of that of Bi Courtney. Many journalists who were shocked by that shameful act did not write the story. Today, it has ceased to surprise anybody because the man is unpretentious that he is a paid propagandist. As he campaigned against Oduah today, he can campaign for her tomorrow.

Stella Oduah underestimated this force or she had pre-empted them. But she must have believed that she would win most of them over by her development strides. In under two years Oduah changed the face of many airports in the country. She rebuilt many and expanded others. She completed what remained of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria, provided the most sophisticated weather reading equipment for the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, and acquired low level wind shear equipment, the weather Doppler radar and low level wind shear alert system which have been installed in all the airports. These equipment ensure that accurate weather data are given to the pilots. Recently the Minister acquired modern equipment for the Accident Investigation Bureau that in less than one week after the Associated flight crash the preliminary report of the accident was out.

The Minister who is expected to be praised by these “activists” who presumably love the industry because they have spent most of their years there, have nothing now but derision for her. They described her remodelling of the airport terminals as mere paint work. They said she has not done anything in the industry and they have concentrated in characterizing her only legacy in the industry as “slippery tiles.”  But above all, and this is the critical point,  they also accuse her of  what they now characterise as “chopping” alone.

That is the crux of the matter: she “chops” alone. That is also the grouse the members of the National Assembly: the Minister of Aviation is “chopping” Alone. They believe that for awarding all these contracts for the remodelling of airport facilities that so much money must have accrued to her. Who will question that when it has always been the trend in Nigeria?

Oduah must have realised by now that many people who talk about development in the aviation industry are really not interested in development; they are interested in their pockets. And as she had closed all the doors against them to make money from “their industry” what does she want them to do? Clap for her for improving the airports. In fact, Captain Dele Ore in his anger and frustration, allegedly said she must go now; that the armoured car bought for her “will not save her.”  That was a veiled threat. That also showed how desperate they are!

There are two issues that must be pointed out. If Stella Oduah is removed it means the old, status quo which is anti-development has triumphed and it can be predicted that as the airport terminals where work is going on presently are, so they will remain for many years to come. It has happened in the past. If Oduah is left to do her job, this attack will continue but at the end Nigerians will have better airport facilities and improved air transport sector to show for her efforts.

Captain  Kingsley, an aviation consultant, sent in this article from Lagos.
http://premiumtimesng.com/opinion/146961-stella-oduah-must-punished-ore-kingsley.html

I am confused - did she over invoice or not ?

Only in Nigeria - where we celebrate criminality

It is highly outrageous to buy two vehicles, any kind of vehicles for N255 million. Yet


OYA ,STOP THERE.
THERE IS NO NEED TO JUSTIFY CRIMINALITY

blacksta: I am confused - did she over invoice or not ?

Only in Nigeria - where we celebrate criminality

Dino melaye have stated he bought his for 96m.Oduah's jeeps are for a higher model. I don't think the price variation is muchconsidering the fact that coscharis would want to make more profit selling to a govermant agency

bloggernaija: It is highly outrageous to buy two vehicles, any kind of vehicles for N255 million. Yet


OYA ,STOP THERE.
THERE IS NO NEED TO JUSTIFY CRIMINALITY

have you condemed fashola who spent N600m on the purchase of similar vehicles

One long piece of annoying trash full of regurgitated nonsense.
Which of these people, the so called Stella's enemies forced her to illegally acquire the cars at outrageously astronomical prices?

Captain Ore Kinglsey, our new emergency aviation expert, tell us how Stella's enemies forced her against her wish to acquire these cars or shut up forever.

it is know fact that the god father`s in the aviation are trying hard to witch hunt the woman and it will not work.

blacksta: I am confused - did she over invoice or not ?

Only in Nigeria - where we celebrate criminality

did she buy the two cars? Is NCAA not independent of Aviation Ministry.

Stella Oduah underestimated this force or she had pre-empted them. But she must have believed that she would win most of them over by her development strides. In under two years Oduah changed the face of many airports in the country. She rebuilt many and expanded others. She completed what remained of the Total Radar Coverage of Nigeria, provided the most sophisticated weather reading equipment for the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, and acquired low level wind shear equipment, the weather Doppler radar and low level wind shear alert system which have been installed in all the airports. These equipment ensure that accurate weather data are given to the pilots. Recently the Minister acquired modern equipment for the Accident Investigation Bureau that in less than one week after the Associated flight crash the preliminary report of the accident was out.

The Minister who is expected to be praised by these “activists” who presumably love the industry because they have spent most of their years there, have nothing now but derision for her. They described her remodelling of the airport terminals as mere paint work. They said she has not done anything in the industry and they have concentrated in characterizing her only legacy in the industry as “slippery tiles.” But above all, and this is the critical point, they also accuse her of what they now characterise as “chopping” alone.

It's all getting clearer.

Those (we know them) who have appropriated the Aviation Industry to themselves are at the root of this witch-hunt. If GEJ knows what is best for him, he should simply call their bluff. I also urge the Aviation Minister to STAND HER GROUND! These people will keeping coming at her nonetheless, but she must not give in to their cheap blackmail.

vizboy: it is know fact that the god father`s in the aviation are trying hard to witch hunt the woman and it will not work.

who is witch hurting who? Abeg she should face d panel and explain herself. Buying such cars 4 protection from who? They are all criminals.
Corruption start frm d grassroot, not until u get 2 d national level. When u brake trafic rules, u comited a crime dereby making u a criminal. Every1 have d capacity 2 b a leader but hw many people ar prepared b4 ocupyin a positn

You are invited to be a part of the Excellence in Leadership Conference, 2013. The theme is "Corruption- Free Leadership" from the 6th November 2013 - 8th. For more info, try this link: http:///65C0FAOLuD

chukwudi44:

have you condemed fashola who spent N600m on the purchase of similar vehicles

evidence or it didnt happen

Segeggs: evidence or it didnt happen

And what exactly are you accusing Stella Oduah of? Please enlighten us.

chukwudi44:

have you condemed fashola who spent N600m on the purchase of similar vehicles

Repeating that garbage over and over again does not make it the truth.
Fashola is a chief executive (the sovereign of a state) and a competent administrator with an assembly to put him in check.
Whatever spending the Lagos state governor does is budgeted for in the state's budget.
Once approved by the assembly,becomes the law.
As a chief executive of a state,he is entitled to as much protection as is necessary .
However,unlike the crude poloticians,he hardly uses sirens and at times ,get stuck in the Same Lagos traffic as the common man
He is also assisted by serious professional (not career civil servants) ,some of whom are your kinsmen .

she resulted to ethnicity and its working
some of my Igbo brothers are now defending her.
when a SW politician steals,his Yoruba brothers will still defend him.
all these will happen while corruption strives.
How convenient it is for thiefing politicians!

Anyone know why this is not on the FP?
Abi NL's court of public opinion nor dey allow for balanced hearing ni?

stunning4real: who is witch hurting who? Abeg she should face d panel and explain herself. Buying such cars 4 protection from who? They are all criminals.
Corruption start frm d grassroot, not until u get 2 d national level. When u brake trafic rules, u comited a crime dereby making u a criminal. Every1 have d capacity 2 b a leader but hw many people ar prepared b4 ocupyin a positn

You are invited to be a part of the Excellence in Leadership Conference, 2013. The theme is "Corruption- Free Leadership" from the 6th November 2013 - 8th. For more info, try this link: http:///65C0FAOLuD

you talk as if you dont know the way nigeria politics is played. Witch hunting is part of nigeria politics and it shouldnt be new to you

anonimi: Anyone know why this is not on the FP?
Abi NL's court of public opinion nor dey allow for balanced hearing ni?

Obviously it doesn't sooth someone's nefarious agenda. Well, let me not be quick to say. **Off to the complaint thread with the link**

Capt. Dele Ore ?...this name sounds familiar..wait is this not the same man who said Entry of Ethiopian airline into Enugu airport will kill aviation industry..
www.nairaland.com/1482435/entry-ethiopian-airlines-into-enugu

Now look at his words here

Clap for her for improving the airports. In fact,
Captain Dele Ore in his anger and frustration, allegedly
said she must go now; that the armoured car bought for
her “will not save her.” That was a veiled threat.

This means that the author of this article is not making wild allegations.Now the picture is getting clearer...Stella is going nowhere!

bloggernaija:
Repeating that garbage over and over again does not make it the truth.
Fashola is a chief executive (the sovereign of a state) and a competent administrator with an assembly to put him in check.
Whatever spending the Lagos state governor does is budgeted for in the state's budget.
Once approved by the assembly,becomes the law.
As a chief executive of a state,he is entitled to as much protection as is necessary .
However,unlike the crude poloticians,he hardly uses sirens and at times ,get stuck in the Same Lagos traffic as the common man
He is also assisted by serious professional (not career civil servants) ,some of whom are your kinsmen .

I agree with you that the assembly is there to put Fashola in check for the account of Ogbeni Ojuyobo, JagaBANDIT of Bourdillon.
So long as the Assembly people dey chop dem own like this one for Ogun state:

ICPC summons Ogun Speaker, others for N168m scam

The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Suraj Adekunbi, is to appear before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission on Monday (today) over an alleged N168m car scam.

The Speaker and the other principal officers of the House, our correspondent gathered, were invited to the ICPC Abuja headquarters over an alleged contract inflation in the purchase of 28 Toyota Avensis cars for the 26 members of the Assembly.

Adekunbi is to appear before the commission along with the Clerk of the House, Mr. Muyiwa Adenopo, deputy clerk and other principal officers of the Assembly.

Our correspondent learnt that the commission was acting on a petition written against the leadership of the Assembly by an unidentified person.

A source close to the House, who pleaded anonymity, said the Speaker and others had already received the letters of invitation from the ICPC.



More from:

http://www.punchng.com/news/icpc-summons-ogun-speaker-others-for-n168m-scam/

vizboy: you talk as if you dont know the way nigeria politics is played. Witch hunting is part of nigeria politics and it shouldnt be new to you

Exactly what is becoming clearer as more details of this story unfolds.
That was how Professor Grange was hounded out as Minister of Health.

Those who accused me of stealing were in a hurry to get me out of office — Prof. Grange

OCTOBER 19, 2013 BY ADEOLA BALOGUN, BOSEDE OLUSOLA-OBASA 4 COMMENTS

A former Minister of Health, Adenike Grange, opens up for the first time after the N300m scandal that forced her out of office. She spoke with ADEOLA BALOGUN and BOSEDE OLUSOLA-OBASA

You were appointed minister of health by late President Umaru Yar'Adua, what did you plan to achieve in the sector?

It was God's design that I was made minister of health. Quite frankly, I wasn't the kind of person they were looking for. I was not a politician, but I understood that at that point, they wanted a change in the sector. They needed a technocrat, who could engineer the change. I took up the challenge. The first thing I felt I could do was to carry out a situation analysis. I was lucky to have found a plan showing areas needing reform; so I studied it, identified the gaps and how to fill it. The health sector is complex because of all the areas involved - logistics, administration and so on. These are not all under the minister's control, but the most pressing for me then, was health personnel. But I discovered that there are more health workers under the states and the local governments than there are under the Federal Government. It's an arrangement that made things difficult. At that time, only Katsina State had a state primary health care agency and it promoted closer health services to the people. I recommended it for all the states. My mentor, Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti advocated the training of community health care workers, which is a fantastic idea. There is need for better interaction between the state hospitals and primary health care centres. Ondo State seems to have captured that in its Abiye programme. Lagos State is also doing so well.

But you hardly had settled down before you were forced to leave office as minister...

Yes, and that is my regret. It is my biggest regret that certain things happened and that shouldn't have been blown up in a way to get me out of office. That is my greatest regret.

But why did you share in the unspent budget that should have been returned to the treasury?

It is a lie; I did not share any money. The money that was being spent was for recurrent expenditures. The remaining should have been returned on December 31 and that was done. We got a certificate from the accountant general to prove that.

So where did the N300m story come from?

I don't know.

How much did you share?

I didn't share anything. That is why I was eventually cleared and exonerated by the court. That is why after I was cleared, nobody cared to make noise about it anymore. The people had moved on to something else. Let me tell you the truth - I didn't share any money. Other people might have shared money, but I did not share any money. I can't tell.

You claimed that you were misled by some civil servants working with you. Is it true?

The civil servants were supposed to come up with the budget covering what they were to buy. They brought it to the ministerial level to be headed by the permanent secretary, who would have seen that everything was in place before recommending it to the minister to sign and that was what happened. I got the budget covering three quotations and I signed. After signing, I didn't hear anything about the issue anymore because I wasn't supposed to find out whether they bought the things or not. That is a job for the permanent secretary, who is the accounting officer. Whatever I could have had was related to allowances which the civil servants should have. I wrote to the establishments to confirm if they should have allowances and they said yes. But to say that I hid money to share was a height of insult to me. I didn't go to the office for the money. The money in that place wasn't attractive to me. It was N10m that I was actually supposed to have taken.

You mean you got N10m out of the N300m?

No, there was no N300m anywhere. The total money to my knowledge was about N84m.

So what about the N300m that was reported stolen?

I don't know where that came from. The media reported what they had to say without even checking.

Are you saying that the amount you signed was N84m and not N300m?

Yes.

So, to what can you link the N300m scandal?

All I know is that when I was chosen, the professionals were happy. I don't know who was unhappy.

After being forced out of office, you must have thought through to know where things went wrong. Haven't you?

Oh yes. I know why it went that way. It was not supposed to be my trouble. But those who were conspiring came together and felt they had an opportunity to get rid of me. They made it my trouble. It is amazing that the problem started three months after the documents had been audited and certified okay. It was worked on by the internal and external auditors. How did they come up with this after three months?

For more:
http://www.punchng.com/politics/hots...e-prof-grange/

anonimi:

Exactly what is becoming clearer as more details of this story unfolds.
That was how Professor Grange was hounded out as Minister of Health.

well this time it wont work. She is there to stay

bloggernaija:
Repeating that garbage over and over again does not make it the truth.
Fashola is a chief executive (the sovereign of a state) and a competent administrator with an assembly to put him in check.
Whatever spending the Lagos state governor does is budgeted for in the state's budget.
Once approved by the assembly,becomes the law.
As a chief executive of a state,he is entitled to as much protection as is necessary .
However,unlike the crude poloticians,he hardly uses sirens and at times ,get stuck in the Same Lagos traffic as the common man
He is also assisted by serious professional (not career civil servants) ,some of whom are your kinsmen .

So fashola can spend N600m on cars and it is okay be cause he is entitled to protection whereas stella spends N255m and heavens wants to fall? SMH for the monumental hypocrisy inherent in your posts

I find it disheartening and annoying that we find it very difficult to condemn any act of criminality in dis country without sentiment. Its even more shameful that Stella Oduah has resulted to d ethnic card and has succeeded in gaining support of her clan when they should all be condemning the act. This is common more common with d igbos but every tribe in dis nation is guity of this tribal sentimental affiliations. Our future as a united entity in this nation is indeed very bleak.

awodman: C[b]apt. Dele Ore ?...this name sounds familiar..wait is this not the same man who said Entry of Ethiopian airline into Enugu airport will kill aviation industry..
www.nairaland.com/1482435/entry-ethiopian-airlines-into-enugu

Now look at his words here


This means that the author of this article is not making wild allegations.Now the picture is getting clearer...Stella is going nowhere!

[/b]

My brother, you have seen it na. I pity the gullible who just rush to join the bandwagon of anti Oduah. Gradually, the truth will come out.

The source of Oduah's travails are much much clearer now. I remember her face-off with bi-courtney and the wall of interests she is up against.

When I look back at this woman's career and success as an entrepreneur with her SPG oil business I honestly begin to doubt that she would need to "chop money" by inflating prices of 2 cars. The way our country's structured, a minister can position his/herself and make billions via proxies from the same industry.

For those claiming she is playing the ethnic card I am waiting to see someone cite just ONE EXAMPLE of this

Even though they shall gather,but they shall scatter, thus says the Lord!

Who doesnt know that this woman's travails is more than meets the eye ? Many people arent happy that she's been fixing the shithole airports in this country, they arent happy that she has stopped their "business as usual" choppings. Its all so glaring but her traducers are banking on the herd mentality syndrome which afflicts majority of their supporters, where JUMP will get an answer of HOW HIGH. They say she's playing the ethnic card to preserve her job meanwhile they are the KINGS of the ethnic card casino. Should she go ? The decision is not up to me or any one of us here. Most of us dont even know the entire details of this BMW saga & therefore it is only wise that she should be given a chance to explain/defend herself.

Oh My God!!!!

Things are now getting clearer. So this woman had been right all along about the threat on her life. So this is what has been going on in the Aviation Industry?

I hereby fully, completely and wholeheartedly retract my initial comment on this brewing controversy where I berated the honourable Minister.

I declare now that I am solidly behind you as go on with this battle against these evil creatures and enemies of progress and could care less whether you bought the cars for $1.6Million or $3.8 Million as no amount of money is too much to protect life. Please add two more armoured Porsche Cayenne to the former if you could.

Imagine someone saying "no armoured cars would protect you". If anything ever happens to Mrs Oduah, Igbos everywhere should declare unbridled war on any yoruba appointed to any government post.

God speed Minister.

vizboy: it is know fact that the god father`s in the aviation are trying hard to witch hunt the woman and it will not work.

keep quiet jo. If she was a yoruba you would have condemned her.

If Stella must go then fashola must go too

Nigeria is doomed!

Criminality can be justified so far one criminal caught with incriminating evidence is not the only criminal out there.

If indeed there is heaven, no one, I repeat no deserves to make heaven from Nigeria . We are all candidate of hell. Why? Because there is no moral justification for putting the petty criminals in prison. We should set everyone free including killers. Bokoharam deserves amnesty too asap.

All I see are people supporting crime based on ethnic sentiment by pointing fingers at another criminal.

In saner climes, they will deal with whoever is caught and continue investigation on other suspects immediately.

If everyone claims witch-hunt in the face of incriminating evidence, then we will continue going in circle. Tinubu and Fashola deserves to go to jail if all these incriminating evidence posted online are indeed true. Using them as a reason why nothing should be done on The aviation ministers case is just PATHETIC