Corruption: Ghana sacks minister as Jonathan
keeps Oduah on
NOVEMBER 12, 2013 BY AKEEM LASISI
54 Comments
President Goodluck Jonathan
The fight against corruption has assumed a new
dimension in Ghana as President John Mahama has
sacked the Deputy Minister of Communications,
Victoria Hammah, for allegedly making a statement
that suggested that she could be corrupt.
On Thursday, a taped conversation that Hammah had
with someone, in which she allegedly said she would
not leave politics until she had made $1m, leaked. By
Friday, she was sacked by the government.
This is coming at a time that Nigerians are
impatiently awaiting a decisive step by President
Goodluck Jonathan over the role of the Aviation
Minister, Stella Oduah, in the purchase of two
armoured vehicles at a mind-boggling cost of about
N255m.
Ghana’s decision appears to have reminded
concerned Nigerians that by geographical standards,
their country and Ghana are neighbours. They have
also shared some historical moments, so much that
they can sometimes be regarded as political allies.
But despite such affinities, both countries are far
from being on the same page when it comes to the
treatment of corruption.
Although Hammah had not carried out the intention
credited to her in the said tape, she was fired
nonetheless. In the tape circulating online, she
appears to have said, “If you have money, then you
can control people.”
Interestingly, Hammah and Oduah are said to have
played similar active roles in the elections of their
respective principals. According to a BBC report,
Hammah had, ironically, also openly expressed
disgust at corruption months back.
“In August, she said there was a lot of pressure on
her to steal public money because people thought
that, as a minister, she was rich. She described such
demands as obnoxious,” BBC quotes Ghanaweb
news site as saying. She is said to have added that
“corrupt politicians are the reflection of a corrupt
society.”
Apart from the fact that Oduah has confessed to
giving the approval when she appeared before the
House of Reps Committee on Aviation that probed
her and other parties involved, two other limousines
bought by FAAN has been linked to her. Yet, she is
still a minister in the Jonathan cabinet.
The highest that President Jonathan has done is to
set up a probe panel in which many people have little
or no confidence. Many observers may not have any
problems with the integrity of the members of the
committee. Rather, people are bothered about the
sincerity of the President, the political will to deal
with the situation and the fact that nothing concrete
had come from similar probe panels in the past.
Indeed, some are tempted to describe the Nigerian
government’s backyard as a cemetery of reports of
other similar earlier panels.
The fear assumed more substance considering a
report that Jonathan might not think highly of the
House of Assembly’s recommendation that Oduah be
sacked.
Reacting to the development, the Governance
Manager of the Action Aid International Nigeria, Obo
Effanga, notes that although every President has the
latitude to choose who he appoints or retains as a
minister, he must always consider the feelings of the
people he governs on an issue like the ‘Oduahgate’.
Effanga says, “Another issue is that when you are
talking about fighting corruption, there should be
evidence that every step you have taken points
towards that. The experience we have had with
committees also shows that they take time to
complete their work. It also takes another long time
for the President or whoever is involved to act on the
committees’ reports.
“On this bulletproof cars matter, we have wasted a
lot of time, and we have yet to take a decision on it.
One of the issues we need to address is: Were they
provided for in the budget? Who approved the
purchase? Does the person have the authority to do
so? Whoever committed a crime in the whole matter
should be made to face the punishment due to
anyone in that circumstance. The President has
delayed too much on the matter.”
He adds that it is wrong to give the impression that a
political office is meant for a particular person, who
must remain there no matter the circumstance.
Lagos-based lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, also notes that
the Oduah-Hammah story shows contrasting political
cultures in Nigeria and Ghana. In a telephone
interview with our correspondent, he argues that
what Ghana has done shows that it has a political
culture that listens to the yearnings of the people.
He says, “It shows that Ghana has a culture of
decency. It shows that in Ghana, anybody who has
done something indefensible cannot hold political
offices. It depicts that theirs is a culture that does
not accommodate indecency.
“On the other hand, the development shows that we
have a political culture that accommodates
indecency in Nigeria; a culture in which you can grab
whatever you can for yourself without being
responsive to the yearnings of the people. It shows
clearly a corrupt culture and culture of brigandage. It
shows that those in government can go away with
blue murder. They can steal anything and go away
with it.”
Aturu decries the working of what he calls a cultic
committee in the Odua scandal, saying that any
committee who Nigerians do not know when it is
holding its meeting and who it is talking to is a cultic
one.
According to him, the step the aviation minister took
in the purchase of the car amounts to recklessness of
the highest order.
He says, “That tells you why we are where we are. It
is a wake-up call to Nigerians: We must insist on the
right thing. We must stop people perpetuating this
culture of impunity and brigandage.”
Human right activist and President of the Campaign
for Democracy, Joe Okei-Odumakin, salutes Ghana for
having made ‘giant strides’ in sanitising its clime.
But she is sad that Nigeria has not shown any sign of
seriousness in this regard.
“One salutes Ghana for efforts it is making. No
wonder, the country has continued to make steady
progress. In our own clime, impunity continues to
thrive. Even when the matter of the scandalous
purchase of the bulletproof cars had become public
knowledge and source of public outrage, some of our
people embarked on a journey to Israel, including the
indicted person. We had probe panels working on the
issue, we have the relevant agencies, like the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, yet
everyone embarked on the journey to Israel.
“There must be enough political will to sanitise
Nigeria. There is so much poverty, unemployment,
insecurity and other problems in the country. Yet,
someone is spending so much money on cars. This
culture of impunity must stop. What is happening in
Ghana should serve as a clarion call to Nigeria.
President Jonathan must act now because justice
delayed is justice denied,” Okei-Odumakin adds.


www.punchng.com/news/corruption-ghana-sacks-minister-as-jonathan-keeps-oduah-on/

Ghana has also removed fuel subsidy so when will Nigeria do the same? Is Tinubu Punch not aware of that? When will Punch start a marathon of articles on the benefit of removing fuel subsidy, following the Ghana example? I guess they wont because its is not in the political interest of Tinubu?

Sincere 9gerian: Ghana has also removed fuel subsidy so when will Nigeria do the same? Is Tinubu Punch not aware of that? When will Punch start a marathon of articles on the benefit of removing fuel subsidy, following the Ghana example? I guess they wont because its is not in the political interest of Tinubu?

mumu9gerian, it seems tinubu is your nightmare.


STEALER oduah must go.

You guys should start getting your facts right before commeting on issues, that Ghan's minister wasn't sacked because of corruption. I will simply quote my post on that thread here.

collynzo2: Here is a transcript of the leaked conversation.
.
http://m.peacefmonline.com/pages/politics/politics/201311/179920.php
.
Some of the key issues:
* She suggested the president, through one of his appointees, met with the judges before the supreme court ruling and got the verdict in their favour.

* She claimed one of the female ministers slept with several men from the ruling party before getting her ministerial appointment.

* She said she had a target of $1 million to make in her political career.

Now which of these three issues is the most powerful reason to sack her from the president's point of view?

Go here and get details of why she was sacked.
www.nairaland.com/1509905/ghanas-minister-sacked-over-1m/5#19416795

collynzo2: You guys should start getting your facts right before commeting on issues, that Ghan's minister wasn't sacked because of corruption. I will simply quote my post on that thread here.

Dont mind the clowns. As usual, they have embarked on cherry picking. They have chosen to highlight only areas of interest to their masters- Tinubu and Buhari

Sincere 9gerian:
Dont mind the clowns. As usual, they have embarked on cherry picking. They have chosen to highlight only areas of interest to their masters- Tinubu and Buhari

The thing is a surprise to me o! Let me quote another of my post on that thread.

collynzo2: Thanks for this. I've read through most of the comments and you are the only one who seems to see it from my angle. Some Nigerians are very objective and analytical when it is a Nigerian issue, but when it is any thing foreign they lose all objectivity and become sentimental. If it were Jonathan, they would have asked ''why was he in a haste to sack her without investigating, what was he trying to hide''? In that same tape she also accused the president of rigging the elections and influencing the supreme courts ruling on the petition, isn't that a bigger reason to sack her? Do any of the posters blasting Jonathan because of this honestly believe he wouldn't have sacked any minister who accused him of such even though in a supposedly private discussion?

^^ Thanks for highlighting all the issues. I have always maintained that every report from the evil axis of Sahara Reporters, Tinubu Punch, Premium Times and Tinubu Punch should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Why should any sane human expect Jona, the leader of the robbery gang, to discipline his gang member? This man has a history of criminality which has been embedded in him.

From the criminal regime of Alams to the Malabo scam, he has always been a crook.

President Mahama of Ghana has no time setting up a useless committee to investigate a deputy minister unlike that doofus of a president we are cursed with in Nigeria.

Ghana is a leading light in Africa when it comes to tackling corruption. Well done President Mahama.

Otueke retardeen getting schooled over and over again.

ballabriggs: Why should any sane human expect Jona, the leader of the robbery gang, to discipline his gang member? This man has a history of criminality which has been embedded in him.

From the criminal regime of Alams to the Malabo scam, he has always been a crook.

Gbam !!! GEJ is as corrupt as they come. He is the conductor of the orchestra of corruption in Nigeria. This is why every recommendation to tame corruption has been rejected outright by GEJ. The man is such a crude joke that decent folks can only pray we never see another like him leading us in an age when Africans around us are gaining sensible leaders who do not disgrace their nation daily with "a scandal a day" brazen shamelessness.

The Oduah saga is a disgrace to Nigeria and we all know GEJ does not "give a damn". Pointless therefore , under this President, to compare Nigeria to other sane Nations. If we are not entertaining Farouk-Otedola 'James Bond' brouhaha we are dealing with Orasanye-Otti-Ribadu Nollywood drama. A suspected fuel subsidy scammers is even contesting to be a Governor while a Senator in court for links with terrorism is on totally unrestricted bail and 'swaggering' about !!! I could go on all day.

GEJ has totally rendered Nigeria a theatre of the absurd yet the nation that is now bigotry and bias personified will ensure he is not in short supply of avid supporters regardless of the fact that his many wrong and condemnable conducts are the sort that will simply not be tolerated anywhere else on earth. 'Goodluck' to Nigeria. Nigerians deserve what they get.

GEJ is not ready to fight corruption. Let's just leave it at that. I don't even know what else to say after reading disgusting and shameful comments by Insincere 9gerian. Smh

a country that is ready fight corruption take a proactive action like Ghana did.
i promise you if this happen the Nigeria GEJ will set up a committee to investigate if the voice is really that of minister.

Sincere 9gerian: Ghana has also removed fuel subsidy so when will Nigeria do the same? Is Tinubu Punch not aware of that? When will Punch start a marathon of articles on the benefit of removing fuel subsidy, following the Ghana example? I guess they wont because its is not in the political interest of Tinubu?

smh.. I wonder how this relates to the topic.

kokoA: smh.. I wonder how this relates to the topic.

But you don't wonder how GEJ and Stella Odua relate to the topic.

Serial hypocrite.

emmddy:
i promise you if this happen the Nigeria GEJ will set up a committee to investigate if the voice is really that of minister.

funny but true.
Another committee to investigate if she gave the so-called speech while held at gunpoint or after enough "highness"

A probe on who released the leaked video/voice note.

A commission of inquiry to oversea all the committees.

. . .More papers for the ekpa seller.

ifyalways: funny but true.
Another committee to investigate if she gave the so-called speech while held at gunpoint or after enough "highness"

A probe on who released the leaked video/voice note.

A commission of inquiry to oversea all the committees.

. . .More papers for the ekpa seller.

in the end they will invite voice detector expatriate from oversea to analyse the voice if is that of a minister, and they will say no.
the following day labaran maku will say is the hand work of APC to rubbish their transformation agenda. naaja I hail o

Ghana was recently rated the 3rd most corrupt country in the world and is not a good model for Nigeria to follow. Besides the young minister was caught on tape and there is no direct evidence to link stella with d 'hoax' car purchase. Tinubu punch go and rest