Outrage as Senate makes U- turn on Stella Oduah

Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah
THERE was outrage on Thursday as
the Senate rescinded its resolution to
have the Minister of Aviation, Ms.
Stella Oduah, appear before its
members over the October 3
Associated Airlines' plane crash in
Lagos.
Oduah is now to appear before the
Senate Committee on Aviation
alongside the Chief Executive Officers
of the aviation agencies under her
ministry.
The Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-
Egba, who moved a motion for the
lawmakers to have a rethink on the
invitation of the minister, had argued
that the action was based on the
Senate Standing Order 53 (6) which
empowers it to reverse its decisions.
He also explained that the decision
was earlier reached at an executive
committee meeting of the Senate last
week.
Senator Ganiyu Solomon, who
seconded the motion, said, "At the
executive session last week, the
senators were unanimous in the
decision that the resolution should
be rescinded and that the minister
should rather face the aviation
committee."
There was however deafening silence
when the Senate President, David
Mark, called for comments from the
senators and none of them offered
any contrary opinion.
When Mark requested votes from
his colleagues on whether to approve
or reject the prayers contained in the
motion, all of them voted in support.
The Senate decision came on a
day that one of the victims of the
Associated Airlines' plane crash and
the Ondo State Commissioner for
Culture and Tourism, Mr. Deji Falae,
was buried in Akure.
Ndoma – Egba had last week
informed his colleagues that Oduah
and the executives of the aviation
agencies would be received during
Thursday's plenary.
But the Deputy Senate President,
Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who
presided over the session last week,
had said the minister and her team
would not be received because Mark
was leading the Federal Government
delegation to support the Golden
Eaglets in the United Arab Emirates.
He said the Senate President had
signified his intention to personally
preside over the session on Thursday
(today).
The Chairman of the Senate Aviation
Committee, Hope Uzodinma, later
explained why the senators made
a U-turn on their earlier decision to
have Oduah appear before them
during Thursday's plenary.
He said the action would enable the
Senate to carry out a thorough
investigation into other issues
affecting the Aviation ministry and
its agencies instead of limiting the
probe to the October 3 plane crash.
Uzodinma said, "You will recall that
the invitation to the minister was just
in relation to the crash of the
Associated airline plane. Now, during
this period, fresh issues emerged
which called for a holistic and well
researched investigation.
"As it is the practice of the Senate,
such investigation is better started
from the committee and then the
report will be submitted to the
plenary.
"This is exactly what the Senate has
done now. I think it is proper and it is
in order and it is in accordance with
the Senate rules."
He described as untrue, insinuations
that the Senate leadership was under
tremendous pressure from the
Presidency to give Oduah, a soft
landing.
The committee chairman said, "I
don't know where you people heard
that but what
I have just said is in order and that is
the rule and that is what we are doing
and that is what is authentic and that
is out now from me to you.
"I told you that the invitation was just
in relation to the plane crash
involving Associated aircraft, the
Senate became worried that there
were these repeated occurrences of
air crashes and that they needed to
know what is happening in the sector.
"Now, being insensitive to the opinion
and feelings of the people would not
be good since fresh issues have
emerged and that this would push us
to details and so that we can carry
out a full scale investigation.
"The Senate has now, in its wisdom,
decided to go into full scale
investigation so as to be able to look
into the sector very holistically with a
view to bringing to bear, a
permanent solution. And that is
exactly what we are going to do."
Asked when Nigerians should be
expecting the committee to invite the
minister, Uzodinma said, "well, the
timetable will be worked out as soon
as we meet at the committee level.
"We have a meeting this Thursday
(yesterday) afternoon at the
committee level just to design a
template for that."
It was however gathered that
decision of the Senate to reverse
itself might not be unconnected with
the fact that its leadership was not
favourably disposed to embarrassing
her.
Investigations revealed that highly
placed individuals had been mounting
subtle pressure on the Senate
leadership since it resolved to invite
Oduah to the plenary.
It was learnt that the leadership of
the Senate felt that many outspoken
senators, especially those in the
opposition camp, might seize the
opportunity to ask questions or make
comments that might further
embarrass the minister and the
Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal
Government.
A source in the Senate , who pleaded
to remain anonymous, said, "From
the look of things, the leadership of
the Senate was not too keen about
sanctioning the woman."
Asked why none of the Senators made
any comment when Mark offered
them the opportunity, the source
replied, "Everybody had read Mark's
body language and felt that making
comments could attract sanctions.
"The Senate president, according to
his deputy, had during plenary last
week Thursday said he would want to
be present when the minister would
appear. So how come the tone
changed suddenly?"
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi
Falana (SAN), and the Chairman,
Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Bar
Association,Monday Chima, however,
flayed the U-turn by the Senate.
They said the move was part of the
plan by the Senate and the Presidency
to sweep the matter under the carpet.
In separate interviews with one of
our correspondents, the two lawyers
argued that what ought to have
been done was to sack the minister
and order the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission to investigate her.
Falana said, "The economic and
financial crimes involved in the
Oduahgate scandal are too grave to
be swept under the carpet. Neither
the plenary nor the aviation
committee of the Senate can
exonerate the minister from the
scam.
"In view of her indictment by the
Bureau of Public Prosecution and the
House Aviation Committee, Oduah
has lost all moral right to remain a
public officer. President Jonathan
should relieve Nigeria of the odium by
sacking her without any further ado."
Ubani described the various
committees that had since been set up
by the Presidency, the Senate and the
House of Representatives as
rigmarole aimed at giving Oduah a
soft-landing.
He said, "It is a way of giving this
woman a soft-landing because it is not
their responsibility to investigate
crime. Crime has been alleged, so it is
the EFCC or ICPC(Independent
Corrupt Practices and Other-Related
Offences Commission) that should
investigate her."
The Chairman, Coalition Against
Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran,
said the decision by the Senate was
akin to taking a corruption case "to
the burial ground."
Adeniran said, "It is just like a cult of
criminals protecting themselves. Let
them allow the EFCC, ICPC or SFU to
investigate it.
"There has been no tangible result
from the investigations conducted by
the National Assembly in this current
legislative session because they have
moral burden that has not been
discharged."
Also, the President of the Campaign
for Democracy, Dr. Joe Okei-
Odumakin, said the people of Nigeria
were "more at rage" over the Senate's
latest decision.
"It is strongly condemnable. Impunity
will be on the rise again as a result of
this" she said in a telephone
interview in Lagos.
Meanwhile, the administrative
committee set up by President
Goodluck Jonathan to investigate
Oduah's role in the controversial
bulletproof cars has remained silent,
three days after its deadline expired.
The panel's chairman, Alhaji Isa
Bello, has remained evasive since
members started their secret
meetings in the office of the National
Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki
(retd.), who is also a member of the
committee.
Bello did not answer all the calls
one of our correspondents made to
his mobile telephone on Wednesday.
He also did not reply to a text
message sent to him on the reason for
the delay in submitting the panel's
report.
Since the committee started work,
Bello has not be seen publicly in the
Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The PUNCH had reported on
Monday that the presentation of the
report might also be kept away from
public glare.
A Presidency source had told The
PUNCH that the President might shun
the verdict of the House Committee
on Aviation which indicted the
minister and some officials of the
NCAA.
The source said Jonathan would
rather base his decision on the report
of the panel he set up than aligning
with the lawmakers on the matter.
http://www.punchng.com/news/outrage-as-senate-makes-u-turn-on-stella-oduah/