There is a certain character in Nigeria whose name has perpetually stuck to the lips of everyone in recent times. One may, most probably, have to journey back all the way to few days preceding Thursday October 3, 2013, to ascertain when this very name did not appear on the front page of notable national dailies in eye-catching headlines. The personality in question is no other than Princess Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi, the powerful woman holding brief as Minister of Aviation in this present dispensation.
Self-assuredly, one can say no other individual is more notorious in the nation’s polity than this character – at the moment, although she appears definitely not enjoying the negative spotlight been beamed over her head currently.
The October 3, 2013, earlier mentioned, was the fateful day when things started turning around for Oduah, for all the wrong reasons. When the dawn introduced daylight that Thursday morning, the skies look radiant without clues of any underlining tragedy which was to come. Moments later, rumour that another mechanical ‘bird’ has fallen soon became a major ‘Breaking News.’ Alas, it was confirmed that an Associated Airlines’ aircraft, convening the remains of late Dr. Olusegun Agagu – a former Ondo state governor – and about 20 other individuals had crashed in Lagos soon after take-off, killing 15 of the occupants. This signifies the beginning of Stella’s dilemma, so to say.
As one would anticipate in such a circumstance, the citizenry proceeded to ask questions as emotions run high. And who do you direct such tantrums to in the eventuality of a well-too-glaring systemic malady than the topmost echelon? Sadly, Princess Oduah overtly failed to do justice to this raging inferno. She rubbished her office when it was time to give a concise explanation of what might have caused the disaster.
While speaking with State House correspondents few days after the incident, she said, “We do not pray for accidents but they are inevitable,” calling it “an act of God.”
With instantaneous alacrity, this flimsy and untenable alibi elicited spontaneous reactions from Nigerians – home and abroad. And for the same Minister who broke down in tears at a press conference in the aftermath of the ill-fated crash of Dana Air flight which occurred in June, 2012, killing 163 souls in Lagos, this latest unguided idiosyncrasy smears height of foolhardiness and inability to assume confidence cum comportment in crisis situations. Hence the call was rife for her to ‘gracefully’ bow-out by resigning her appointment.
As calls for Madam Minister to vacate office gather pace, a very sickening revelation came to fore in the press about a certain – almost unbelievable – development. It involves the Minister and one of the agencies under her jurisdiction.
It was reported that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) allegedly acquired two black armoured BMW 760 Li-Hss for the Minister at the cost of $1.6m (N225m). The cars, said to have been purchased at the popularCoscharis Motors, were delivered to the buyer on August 3, 2013.
The public uproar and furore that greeted the rumour was further ballooned when it was confirmed few days later that the story was actually true, coming straight from the horse’s mouth.
In the face of heated media scrutiny, the Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, Joe Obi, confirmed the genuineness of the allegation. His words: “Yes, it is true that some security vehicles were procured for the use of the office of the Honourable Minister in response to clear and imminent threat to her personal security and life following the bold steps she took to reposition the sector.”
The spokesman noted that his boss ‘stepped’ on toes by reviewing and terminating some bogus contracts she inherited on assumption of office. He claimed “these moves disturbed some entrenched interests in the sector, and within this period, she began to receive some imminent threats to her life; therefore the need for the vehicles.”
Simply put, Nigerians practically ran berserk with infuriation at this formal acceptance of such unforgiveable display of impunity and unjustified squander. A scenario described by one-time Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, as “obscene luxury.”
Having apparently noticed that the parable of the proverbial monkey who blinds her child while trying to redress its faulty eye-ball was at play; concerned officials quickly deployed other means to arrest the suicidal effects of their conspicuous lack of acumen at effectively managing information. The Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, arranged a press conference, trying to arrest the obviously stinking eruption. This he did by presenting a diverse version of events.
According to him, the vehicles were acquired only to convey foreign officials in the aviation sector when they visit Nigeria, calling it an “international customary.”
He asserted thus: “It must be noted that during such visitations, the security of members of the delegations is the sole responsibility of the host country.” He exonerated the Minister of any involvement in the deal to purchase the cars as being peddled in the media.
Akinkuotu would have done a whole lot of repair to the battered image of his principal had he chosen to stop at just defending her. Unfortunately, his damage control project horribly went up in flames when he moved further to declare that the authorities have begun investigations into unrevealing the brain behind how the vital information found its way into the public. “So, we are in the process” he said “of trying to find the source of this leakage and I am very concerned about it.”
He proceeded by adding that he was “shell-shocked that government information and in particular, from the civil aviation authority has gotten into public purview in an illegal manner. It is criminal.”
Certain reports have unearthed one previously unknown Nicholas Edward as the man behind the veil as far as the embarrassing exposé is concerned. Though, it is difficult to confirm the authenticity of the name at the moment. This particular incursion however introduced a whole new twist to the ensuing shenanigans, distracting attention from the hub of the issue. It is nearly impossible for anyone to logically locate the existence of any nexus between two clear contradictions evolving from this given case.
In May 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan appended his signature to enliven the Freedom of Information Act, after 11 years of intense legislative process. The new law guarantees “the right of any person to access or request information, whether or not contained in any written form which is in the custody of any public officials, agency or institution howsoever described, is established.” Juxtaposing this with the reality of someone being persecuted for revealing the truth – like in this very case – is enormously imbalanced, injudicious, and irrational. The messenger has suddenly become a prime villain even when nobody cares to examine the message he bore.
It is very important, as things stand, to register that the trend of gagging information – at the expense of general public’s interests – is unbecoming of Nigerian stakeholders saddled with officialdom by making scapegoats of subordinates who see things differently.
Of late, it was alleged that Mr. Yushua Shuaib, a former spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was sacked, allegedly for authoring an article criticising Minister of Finance, Dr, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, over some appointments in the ministry. Shuaib was reportedly sent parking unceremoniously after serving 20 years in the federal civil service.
Earlier this year also, the Lagos state government barred all public officials – either politicians or civil servants – from granting interviews on the basis of “divulging official information on public policies which are still under consideration and are not yet approved for actions by government.” A section of the public alerted then that such policy is counter-productive and negates openness in the act of governance.
Back to Oduahgate, it is appalling to ponder that even as attempts are on to execute an introspect of this profligacy, an alarm was sounded by a member of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Honourable Mathew Omegara, that although proposal to acquire the cars was listed in the NCAA budget for 2013, “it was clearly deleted from the agency’s budget” upon deliberations by the Committee, he said. This means this frivolous expenditure was never appropriated for; so somebody must explain the source and legitimacy of its finance to curious tax-paying Nigerians.
It is necessary to caution, also, that struggles to politicise this very sensitive issue should be condemned in all ramifications. One must, therefore, serve a warning note to Oduah’s lieutenaunts like Mr. Yakubu Dati – the Coordinating Spokesman for all aviation agencies – that justice must be allowed to take its course. He was quoted to have linked this exposé with the 2015 general elections, in particular with what he reportedly called “the dictates of the Group of Seven governors (G7) who have demanded that Finance Minister, Okonjo-Iweala; Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Maduekwe; and Princess Oduah must go as a condition for a truce with President Jonathan.” He needs to be tutoured that such inane defence holds no water at this point.
All Nigerians of goodwill must, indeed, synergise to make sure that the inviolability of the ‘truth’ is protected. The only way to guarantee this is to protect Edward ‘the Whistle-blower’. He mustn’t be allowed to face unwarranted bullying and unnecessary harassment just for the sake of exposing the truth. The free world rose in defence of a certain Edward Snowden’s courage few months back. And now, accounts of years of United States’ illicit spying – even on her closest allies – are in public domain.
Nigerian stakeholders should be mindful that, like in times past, the world is watching to see if things would be done differently; at least this time around.
*You can follow Ajala on Twitter: @ajalatravel07
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