Nigerians have expressed shock
and indignation over the trip to Israel by Stella Oduah, the embattled minister
of aviation, who is under probe following the BMW car scandal rocking her
ministry.
Oduah jetted out of Nigeria on
Tuesday and is with President Goodluck Jonathan in Israel to sign the Bilateral
Air Services Agreement,BASA, with the jewish state.
Many prominent Nigerians who
spoke on the issue said they were outraged that a minister under such a
monumental financial scam could be allowed to travel out of the country along
with a president who had just queried her.
They said Nigeria seems to be
turning into a banana republic.
According to activist Joe
Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise, Oduah’s trip to Israel is condemnable
and offensive.
“It is highly condemnable and it
shows how insensitive the minister is. At a time when she should be sober and
when she should be explaining herself to the Nigerian people, she has decided
to throw caution to the wind by travelling to Israel. It shows the arrogance of
our public office holders,” she said.
She warned: “We want to sound a
note of warning that Nigeria is being turned into a banana republic and we may
need to go back to the trenches. We warn the probe committee to do a
painstaking job.”
Ganiat Fawehinmi, wife of the
late human rights crusader, Gani Fawehinmi, said she is scandalised at Oduah’s
trip with Jonathan.
“It is shocking that she could
be allowed to travel with the president at this time and it is only in Nigeria
that such a thing can happen,” Mrs. Fawehinmi said.
“By now, she should have been
dismissed because all fingers are pointing at her and she has not come out to
deny it,” she added.
Mrs. Fawehinmi said the purchase
of the two BMW cars at the whopping sum of N255 million is taking place at a
time Nigerian students have been forced to stay home for almost four months due
to alleged cash crunch.
“All the money being wasted by
public office holders should have been put together and invested in our
universities.”
According to Comrade Ibuchukwu
Ohabuenyi Ezike, Executive Director, Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, Oduah’s
trip to Israel is not surprising in a highly corrupt country like Nigeria.
“We are not surprised at what
Oduah did because Nigerian authorities since I999 have paid lip service to
fighting corruption and crushing impunity.
“Rage by Nigerians without
practical actions to chase away this class and reclaim our society will change
nothing. The world is watching this ignoble act that brings shame on our people
and society,” he said.
/ If you missed any of Stella Oduah story check by clickin HERE + others issues you will like to know about. We give latest news and that is why we are VIEWGIST/
According to Achike Chude,
Deputy Chairman, Joint Action Forum, JAF, Nigerians are outraged at the amount
of money spent to keep a minister of the Federal Republic safe.
“But we have become less
ambitious when it comes to corruption. It would appear that when we try to
bring the multi billion naira crooks down and fail, then we try harder to bring
the multi million naira crooks down,” he said.
To Debo Adeniran, Chairman
Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, Oduah’s trip shows that Jonathan is
not serious about fighting corruption.
“From all indications, it is
clear that the President aids and abets corruption, if not Oduah won’t have the
effrontery to boycott the National Assembly panel for a trip to Israel,”
Adeniran said, adding: “Nigerians shouldn’t be surprised if Oduah is not
punished at the end of the day.
According to Senator Babafemi
Ojudu, the setting up of an administrative panel of inquiry by the Presidency
to investigate the allegation against Oduah is a wild goose chase and another
waste of time and dubious waste of the resources of the Nigerian nation.
Ojudu, in a statement in Abuja,
said there are several financial crimes and corrupt practices agencies which
are constitutionally empowered to carry out such investigations and make their
reports available to the President.
He wondered why the president
would set up a panel of inquiry, which colouration already tells a lot about
the conclusions it would reach, to usurp the powers of these agencies.
Ojudu argued that the only
reason for such a panel is because Jonathan does not have the stomach to really
allow a proper investigation of the allegations against Oduah who had been said
to have played a pivotal role in the president’s electoral victory in 2011.
Ojudu contended that judging
from previous committees that were set up in similar fashion, it would appear
that the Jonathan presidency was pooling another wool over the eyes of
Nigerians.
President Jonathan, departing to
Jerusalem for pilgrimage on Wednesday, set up a three man panel to probe the
N255 million BMW cars scandal involving Stella Oduah.
Reuben Abati, Special Adviser to
President Jonathan who made the announcement to journalists after the meeting
of the Federal Executive Council, also confirmed reports that the President
also issued a query in which explanation was demanded from the Minister over
the car scandal yesterday.
The three-man administrative
panel of enquiry that will probe Oduah will be chaired by the immediate past
Head of Service of the Federation, Alhaji Isa Bello Sali.
The other members include Sambo
Dasuki (retd), the National Security Adviser and Air Vice Marshall Dick
Iruenabere (retd).
The Committee, according to
Abati will investigate whether the procurement of the vehicles followed due
process, the purposes the vehicles were procured for and other incidental
matters.
The secretariat of the panel
which has two weeks to complete its assignment will be provided by the office
of the NSA.
—Source: PM News
No comments:
Post a Comment