Oduah-Ogiemwonyi is new aviation minister, Maina heads women affairs
From JULIANA TAIWO, Abuja
Tuesday, July 05, 2011

President Goodluck Jonathan
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President Goodluck Jonathan, has approved the assignment of portfolios and deployment of Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi (Anambra), to the Ministry of Aviation and Hajiya Zainab Maina is deployed to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (Adamawa).

Mrs. Fidelia Njeze-Akuabata was the immediate past minister of aviation while Chief Josephine Anenih was the last minister who headed the women affairs and social development ministry.

Their posting was contained in a statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.
The two ministers were among the 14 ministerial nominees cleared by the Senate last week and sworn-in by the president on Saturday, July 2, 2011.

It could be recalled that soon after the swearing-in of the ministers, the president directed 12 of them who were re-appointed to revert to their former ministries.
President had also ordered the ministers to hit the ground running, saying they had lost a month already since his inauguration on May 29.
The Senate is expected to screen more ministers today and President Jonathan has promised to swear them in immediately and assign portfolios

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/july/05/national-05-07-2011-005.html

Jonathan appears to be hell-bent (and rightly so) that the internationalization of  Enugu airport be completed in his regime. Thus, he has reposted an Igbo person to man (or is it woman) the aviation ministry. He knows that once an Igbo is not in charge, it is bye bye to an international airport for Enugu.

Igbos ''hold GEJ for work'', GEJ ''hold Igbos for work''. Smart reciprocity.

However, in appointing such a round peg in a square hole (yes she seems not to be the best fit for the job), GEJ is wrong on this one. He should have looked for a more qualified and fitting Igbo person for the aviation ministry. But I admit that some women have the passion to deliver and to prove a point. As long as she achieves the internationalization of Enugu airport,  and maintain the reduced airplane accidents that her predecessor Nteje (another SE woman) brought about, I am cool with her.

It was hell during the days of Fani Kayode and Babalola Borishade: plane crashes every other day.lol

Dumbass reasoning, will she b the first Igbo in that position?
We had Kema chikwe
Then njema

Tho this present woman I heard, Na real ajakaja woman, n even beds or has a way to GEJ's loins and heart. Hope it mms a difference.

Cos left to GEJ I bet He has forgotten he even mentioned n penciled Enugu for international airport.

I believe GEJ had been jazzed he seriously needs stronger intervention. (be it trado or prayer,) something need to b done.

Converting Enugu Airport to an international airport is a waste of money. There are too many prestige projects in Nigeria and we seem to have a peculiar thing for airports. We will see how many international flights Enugu gets.

4 Play:

Converting Enugu Airport to an international airport is a waste of money. There are too many prestige projects in Nigeria and we seem to have a peculiar thing for airports. We will see how many international flights Enugu gets.

Not to many Igbos it is not seen as a waste of money. We Igbos have many people abroad, and it would be easier if we have our own international airport.

Many of us dislike flying into Lagos.

EzeUche:

Not to many Igbos it is not seen as a waste of money. We Igbos have many people abroad, and it would be easier if we have our own international airport.

Many of us dislike flying into Lagos.

I presume you are going to force international airlines at gunpoint to fly to Enugu.

4 Play:

I presume you are going to force international airlines at gunpoint to fly to Enugu.

They go where the money is. And Igbo money is good. 

Especially our dollars, euros and pounds.

I hope to see the international airlines embrace it as soon as it ready.

But is this woman not a Yoruba(Yooroobaa . . . lol!) woman. Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, everything about the surname is Yoruba or somehow Edo or one of those Ewedu soup people lol!. Please can someone give me a lecture on the history(her story = herstory . . . lol!) of this woman.

Thank you.



NB: All my sarcastic remarks are plain sarcastic, I love Yoruba people.

saintneo:

But is this woman not a Yoruba(Yooroobaa . . . lol!) woman. Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, everything about the surname is Yoruba or somehow Edo or one of those Ewedu soup people lol!. Please can someone give me a lecture on the history(her story  = herstory . . . lol!) of this woman.

Thank you.



NB: All my sarcastic remarks are plain sarcastic, I love Yoruba people.

Does it matter if she's yoruba as long as she gets the job done.

Actually, she's from a royal family in Onitsha.

www.directory-nigeria.org/stella-oduah-ogiemwonyi-biography-sea-petroleum-and-gas.html

saintneo:

But is this woman not a Yoruba(Yooroobaa . . . lol!) woman. Mrs. Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, everything about the surname is Yoruba or somehow Edo or one of those Ewedu soup people lol!. Please can someone give me a lecture on the history(her story = herstory . . . lol!) of this woman.

Thank you.
NB: All my sarcastic remarks are plain sarcastic, I love Yoruba people.

She is married to the immediate past minister of state for works, Chris Ogiemwonyi, who is from Edo state.

If she is married to an Edo man that makes her an Edo woman.Why is now now representing Anambra state?But wait a minute.This Madueke woman who is from Bayelsa but married to an Enugu man,which state is she representing?If Bayelsa then Goodluck Jonathan is laying a bad precept for the country,putting asunder what God has joined together.He should remember in Marriage ,1+1=1

An example of why only a SE person as the aviation minister will achieve the internationalization of Enugu airport
Read what Omotoba was attempting to do to that airport here

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-363230.0.html

Another slowpoke spinning the wheel against Enugu airport

In whose interest is Enugu airport upgrade?
Friday, 01 October 2010 00:00 By [b]Wole Shadare [/b]Business Services - Business Travels


THE news last week that the Federal Government has approved the upgrade of the Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu to international status came as a shock. The decision was shocking, in the sense that the government has taken a rather dangerous path without understanding what it takes to do so.

An elated Minister of Aviation, Fidelia Akuabata Njeze, had underscored the significance of the airport to the Southeast region that has witnessed remarkable economic growth in recent years.

She highlighted the fact that “a large proportion of businesses in the region are of international dimension. With this upgrade, international travellers will be saved the added cost of going to Lagos or Port Harcourt to travel. Additionally, the safety of lives and property will be better guaranteed as less time will be spent on the roads.”

More worrisome is the fact that the Ministry of Aviation is celebrating it as an achievement without concrete steps to really match this with adequate infrastructure that will make the airport a pride that deserves the new status that is being tied it around. Or is it a case of politics where every state must have an airport, not based on commercial considerations but for the simple fact that we just need an airport?

Very soon, Oyo and Osun, Delta, Imo states will pressurise the government to upgrade the airports to international status just because they have a Minister of Aviation who is from that area. What manner of sector are we running in Nigeria? What type of policy formulators do we have? Do they really advice the government well?

Upgrading the airport to international status is a welcome development only if the several billions of naira that would be earmarked for the job would be judiciously used, but happenings in the sector clearly shows skepticism that it would be money gone down the drain.

The four major international airports are in bad shape. Not a few are of the opinion that efforts should be geared towards refurbishing them rather than embark on white elephant project.

What has the ministry done to refurbish decrepit facilities at virtually all the airports? The facilities are in shambles and seem to have defied all known solutions. What about the country’s flagship airport, the Murtala Muhammed Airport? The decay stares passengers in the face.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is in a pitiable situation, not because the management is not trying its best, but because of huge interference from government officials, including the National Assembly, coupled with generational decay that has stunted its growth.

While FAAN is owed over N15 billion by some of its concessionaires, the ministry looks the other way or at best tells the agencies that the debtors are friends of people in government. How can such an agency grow to provide world-class service? It is impossible.

The recent disclosure that the government plans to release N90 billion to upgrade the four major airports of Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt and Kano is heart warming, but we hope the fund will be channelled to the right place and not for electioneering campaign as it is being alleged in some quarters.

Again, Nigeria may indirectly be opening up its territories for foreign airlines, particularly those from the United States, which could force them to rely on the Open Skies agreement between her and U.S. to operate to the airport, thereby endangering the operations of the local airlines.

It could even make British carriers to activate the multiple designation pacts to operate to the airport without reciprocity from Nigerian airlines. Whose interest is the country protecting? Obviously, this is not in Nigeria ’s interest.

We are already witnessing one of the biggest rushes by foreign airlines to operate to Nigeria without the government equipping her own airlines to compete with these mega airlines. All Nigerian airlines put together cannot match airlines like Delta, Emirates, British Airways, even United Airlines.

To worsen the situation, United has concluded arrangement to commence direct flights to Lagos from Washington DC on December 6, 2010, in addition to Delta that has already established itself as one of the biggest airlines in the world.

It is very obvious that the government is not getting its priorities right, not with people who parade themselves as advisers to government.

4 Play:

Converting Enugu Airport to an international airport is a waste of money. There are too many prestige projects in Nigeria and we seem to have a peculiar thing for airports. We will see how many international flights Enugu gets.

To answer you directly. Many of those who fly in and out of Nigeria are Igbos, than Yoruba and the North

Read this:

Some Foreign Carriers Plan To Originate & Terminate Their Flights At Enugu
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-575467.0.html

hugooh42:

If she is married to an Edo man that makes her an Edo woman.Why is now now representing Anambra state?But wait a minute.This Madueke woman who is from Bayelsa but married to an Enugu man,which state is she representing?If Bayelsa then Goodluck Jonathan is laying a bad precept for the country,putting asunder what God has joined together.He should remember in Marriage ,1+1=1

She is representing Bayelsa. I believe, too, that her husband from Enugu would prefer that she represents Bayelsa than not representing anyone (not a minister) at all. Actually, it should not matter if Igbo women married outside represents us as long as they are qualified. However, this Oduah woman does not have a niche to show in the aviation sector. But I would love that she proves me wrong with performance.

4 Play:

I presume you are going to force international airlines at gunpoint to fly to Enugu.

You need a lot of catching up to do. Train don leave you behind since. Ndo.

4 Play:

I presume you are going to force international airlines at gunpoint to fly to Enugu.

Nobody will force them but rather clientelle market forces will force them as they will fight each other to have a slice of a huge passengers prospect.
What makes you think that I will prefer flying into Lagos/Abuja from London, then to get another flight to the East especially on the Nigerian non maintained flying-coffins  or the unsafe hours of road journey littered with dangers from bad road accidents, robbers etc, when I can fly straight into Enugu and then approx' an hour or less car journey later, I am home?

Unless I had business in Lagos or Abuja to attend to, which I don't have. How will a sane businessman from Onitsha, Aba, Orlu, Nnewi etc flying to Hong Kong with thousands of dollars/Pounds on him prefers risking the whole thing and his life on a road journey, just to catch a flight, when you can be in Enugu within minutes from your own house? While the alternatives is 8-16 hrs journey to Lagos/Abuja, then a huge expense on a hotel accommodation if you have no friend/relative in town to spend th night or you prfer sme comfort before your flight, which often are scheduled very early in the morning or very late at night.

In Nigeria, tribalism screw up some of your brains that you can never see any merit in policies outside your tribe. Some seems to derives their vitamins or even gets some orgasms, just from watching someone outide their tribe suffers.

In Biafra, will we beg to have the best things of life? I don't think so. Those that oppose Enugu international airport, I wonder how many of them will prefer a flight from Europe/America/Asia into Calabar airport and then a whole day journey on the road back home, when Lagos, Kano or Abuja is closer to home? Hypocrites!!

I tend to agree with Eziachi and co on this. I don't even see why the FG is the one who determines who gets airports and who doesn't. You'd figure market forces would be who determines that. If the SE zone can afford to have 20 airports and all are profitable, then let them have it. In contrast, if the SW zone can only afford to maintain one airport in Lagos, that let it be content with that.

Right now we have a situation in which there are many airports, but only a few are profitable (Lagos, Kano, Abuja and PH, iirc). All the rest lose money, yet are subsidized by the strong airports and the FG.

BTW, you can get international flights directly into PH (or at least you used to be able to, I dunno what the situation looks like now. . . ) So no real reason to fly into Lagos or Abuja first, unless it is just cheaper.

ekt_bear
BTW, you can get international flights directly into PH.

No an International Airport in Enugu will serve Ndiigbo and Foreign Business partner from abroad coming to the eastern part of Nigeria to trade and do business very well. We in the south east do boast of money making resources dat will definately bring in alot of investors and dat airport will be crucial to south east development. Very soon lagos will be only for the yorubas. That is all they have in the southwest. Thank you!

^^^^^^ @ekt_bear
That is how a human and a modern person should think or reason. Let every every area get the same statu but let the market forces determine its life shelf. Thank you. This has nothing to do with having an airport in my tribe but its economic benefit to the area, health/safety of passengers and common sense.

If I am returning to  scheduled meeting n Abuja or Lagos, then back to London, why on earth will prefer to fly to Enugu, just because its in my tribal enclave?
In Nigeria, common sense is a diseased word.

Calculia:

Very soon lagos will be only for the yorubas. That is all they have in the southwest. Thank you!

Hehe. Lagos alone is the 5th largest economy in sub-saharan Africa. That is no small potatoes. Tack on the rest of the SW and we might be 3rd or higher I'm content with what God has given us. It is a pretty quality territory. A bit poor in mineral resources, but otherwise excellent.

ekt_bear:

I tend to agree with Eziachi and co on this. I don't even see why the FG is the one who determines who gets airports and who doesn't. You'd figure market forces would be who determines that. If the SE zone can afford to have 20 airports and all are profitable, then let them have it. In contrast, if the SW zone can only afford to maintain one airport in Lagos, that let it be content with that.

Right now we have a situation in which there are many airports, but only a few are profitable (Lagos, Kano, Abuja and PH, iirc). All the rest lose money, yet are subsidized by the strong airports and the FG.

BTW, you can get international flights directly into PH (or at least you used to be able to, I dunno what the situation looks like now. . . ) So no real reason to fly into Lagos or Abuja first, unless it is just cheaper.

Is the SW the one maintaining Lagos airports? Is Lagos airport a state airport? It is such cocky idiocy that needs to be checked. Imo state built an ariport single-handedly without Fed help. How many airports are in SW built by a SW state?

Enugu airport-even as decrepit as it is now- is the fifth most viable airport in Nigeria and somebody is talking thrash?
Make it international and see if any Igbo cares about Lagos airport. Make it international and see if it will not compete with Lagos for flights in a matter of few years

Most of those who patronize Lagos airport out of Nigeria on daily basis are from where? SE.

Calculia:

No an International Airport in Enugu will serve Ndiigbo and Foreign Business partner from abroad coming to the eastern part of Nigeria to trade and do business very well. We in the south east do boast of money making resources dat will definately bring in alot of investors and dat airport will be crucial to south east development. Very soon lagos will be only for the yorubas. That is all they have in the southwest. Thank you!

Some like you are missing the point. There is no such thing as tribal airport, only in Nigeria. I will go to Lagos if I had business to attend in Lagos that doesn't require me to go home and its within my budget, rather than going to Enugu, when I don't need to and its expensive.
But if I am home just to rest and see my family and my wife, children and grand children are with me, I will rather pay over the odd to go to Enugu and knowing that few hours later after arrival, we are all safe at home drinking some nice palm wine with the family than to pay far less into Lagos and then risk all my household travelling back to the East.

Your sentiment is not the reason or why we wanted a full fledged int' airport in Enugu. Count me out if the reason is to make MMA or Abuja airports useless or tribal airports.

ZnO:

Is the SW the one maintaining Lagos airports? Is Lagos airport a state airport? It is such cocky idiocy that needs to be checked. Imo state built an ariport single-handedly without Fed help. How many airports are in SW built by a SW state?

Truth be told, I wish the FG would just hand over MMIA to Lagos State. Perhaps if that occurred, then there would be less need to build this new airport in Lekki. Just refurbish MMIA and make it world class, then the state can enjoy the revenues from it.

This is one of those cases where the less FG involvement, the better.

ekt_bear:

Truth be told, I wish the FG would just hand over MMIA to Lagos State. Perhaps if that occurred, then there would be less need to build this new airport in Lekki. Just refurbish MMIA and make it world class, then the state can enjoy the revenues from it.

This is one of those cases where the less FG involvement, the better.

Hand over to Lagos (SW) after using our collective money to build and maintain it? You guys sure like free food.
Let Oyo, Lagos, Osun, Ekiti, and the rest of your SW states buld their own airports like Imo did more than 20 years ago and like Delta, Akwa Ibom etc are doing today.

In the interim, all regions should have a fed-funded international airport

Hehe.

Used collective money to "build and maintain it", then the funds that airport generated used to subsidize airports elsewhere.

Somehow I suspect that your assistance is not at all desired or wanted, especially since this seems to financially have benefited the federation far more than Lagos.

Free food indeed.

Eziachi:

Some like you are missing the point. There is no such thing as tribal airport, only in Nigeria. I will go to Lagos if I had business to attend in Lagos that doesn't require me to go home and its within my budget, rather than going to Enugu, when I don't need to and its expensive.
But if I am home just to rest and see my family and my wife, children and grand children are with me, I will rather pay over the odd to go to Enugu and knowing that few hours later after arrival, we are all safe at home drinking some nice palm wine with the family than to pay far less into Lagos and then risk all my household travelling back to the East.

Your sentiment is not the reason or why we wanted a full fledged int' airport in Enugu. Count me out if the reason is to make MMA or Abuja airports useless or tribal airports.

No, someone like u is missing the point. The big idea here is to develop the southeast to the point that we do not go to order region but they come to us. Wat exactly is in Lagos for go sack that we can have in the southeast twice over.

I want all the yorubas in the southwest to have Lagos and all the igbos and south south, south east leave lagos for the east and let us see wat the place will be like in a number of years.

Lagos is wat it is today because of us and wen we leave with out resources and entrepreneur skills it will fall. Buildings do get old and outdated if that is wat u are worried about. Roads do get bad. Ndiigbo should leave lagos and lets do business in the south east and build it pain stakeingly from scratch.

ekt_bear:

Hehe.

Used collective money to "build and maintain it", then the funds that airport generated used to subsidize airports elsewhere.

Somehow I suspect that your assistance is not at all desired or wanted, especially since this seems to financially have benefited the federation far more than Lagos.

Free food indeed.

Well, your wish is what it is: a mere wish. Lagos airport is our collective heritage, like Abuja, Kano, PH and soon Enugu. No SW state will be given that airport. Build yours like other states have done. Thank you.

BTW, Lagos airport money is used to fund which airport?

Calculia:

No, someone like u is missing the point. The big idea here is to develop the southeast to the point that we do not go to order region but they come to us. Wat exactly is in Lagos for go sack that we can have in the southeast twice over.

I want all the yorubas in the southwest to have Lagos and all the igbos and south south, south east leave lagos for the east and let us see wat the place will be like in a number of years.

Lagos is wat it is today because of us and wen we leave with out resources and entrepreneur skills it will fall. Buildings do get old and outdated if that is wat u are worried about. Roads do get bad. Ndiigbo should leave lagos and lets do business in the south east and build it pain stakeingly from scratch.

Thank you. Nuff said.

ZnO:

Well, your wish is what it is: a mere wish. Lagos airport is our collective heritage, like Abuja, Kano, PH and soon Enugu. No SW state will be given that airport. Build yours like other states have done. Thank you.

Lekki Airport is in works, so have no fear on that front.

BTW, Lagos airport money is used to fund which airport?

This, again? Must I educate you on everything? Did you not learn your lesson from the Goldman Sachs/World Bank incident? Kindly do your own investigation. I am not here to feed you.