Embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella
Oduah, could not appear before the senate on
Thursday as scheduled because Senate
President David Mark was absent at plenary.
The minister has therefore been directed to
come before the senate Thursday next week
when Mark is expected to personally lead the
probe of the minister over the crisis in the
aviation industry, especially the recent crash
of an Associated Airlines plane conveying the
corpse of ex-Ondo State Governor Olusegun
Agagu from Lagos to Akure.
Our correspondent learnt on Thursday that
the minister and her aides were already on
their way to the senate when they were told
that their appearance had been shifted to next
week.
Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, based on
the Order Paper, had asked his colleagues to
receive the minister and other aviation
executives who were invited to brief the
senate on state of aviation sector and the
higher number of aviation incidents.
But the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike
Ekweremadu, informed his colleagues that the
minister and her team would not be received
again on Thursday because Mark was not
available.
Ekweremadu said Mark had signified his
intention to personally preside over the
session before he travelled to the United Arab
Emirates as the head of the Federal
Government delegation to render moral
support for the country’s Under-17
footballers, Golden Eaglets, who will play in
the final of the global tournament in Dubai on
Friday (today).
He said, “I think we should oblige the Senate
President that opportunity to preside over the
session because he was passionate about it
and he would have been around today but for
the last minute national assignment given to
him.”
Ndoma-Egba therefore moved another motion
for the postponement of Oduah’s visit to
Thursday while the Minority Whip, Senator
Ganiyu Solomon, seconded him.
It will be recalled that Oduah could not
appear before the Senate on Wednesday
during plenary because she sought a last
minute permission from the Senators to
attend the weekly Federal Executive Council
meeting.
Oduah had been summoned by the upper
legislative chamber to explain her roles in the
ill-fated crash involving a 23 year – old
Propeller aeroplane on the fleet of the
Associated Airlines, last month.
The senators, it was learnt, would also be free
to ask the minister specific questions on the
purchase of two armoured cars at N255m.
The Senate Committee on Aviation on Monday
postponed indefinitely a public sitting where
officials of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority
were already seated to answer questions on
the controversial purchase.
http://www.punchng.com/news/marks-absence-stalls-oduahs-appearance-before-senators/

1st 2 comment.
@topic, why did they nt fix a neutral date with her wen they wuld b free?

Investigation into this scandal should be carried out soon,and whoever is indicted,should face the law. No more postponement.



By the way,how come the Minister still attend the Federal Executive Council meetings even though she is under investigation?