John Okiyi-Kalu
By John Okiyi Kalu
Whoever read part 1 and 2 of this note will likely be asking why will any “cabal” want to lynch our Aviation Minister and who are the arrowheads of the lynch mob?
Take a look at this extract from a February 2013 article written by a popular journalist, Dele Sobowale. It speaks for itself as well as highlight some of the conspirators.
“Of all the Ministries in the Federal Government, one, above all others, is headed by a Minister who has virtually declared war on Yoruba people in every area of her Ministry. That is the Minister for Aviation. The reason for singling her out of the several MDAs in the Federal Government is again simple. It is strategic to focus our energies on the worst offender, fight her to a standstill as an example to others that Yoruba people will not be pushed around by any transient holder of power. And she will not be the last holder of the Ministry. She will go, sooner or later. But, the war will continue……. Other Yoruba people will join Babalakin to ensure they don’t succeed. In fact, the battle will be taken to the door step of the Ministry of Aviation itself – if Madam does not stop fomenting trouble for herself.”
“Bi-Courteny Aviation Services Limited, whose Chairman is Dr Wale Babalakin SAN, as most air travelers know, was persuaded by the Obasanjo administration to build Murtala Muhammed Airport Two, MM 2; which it did. As part of the agreement, all domestic flights were to originate and land at MM2, once completed and operational. The old domestic, called General Aviation Terminal, GAT, was to be closed down; and become an integral part of MM2.”
-Dele Sobowale in the Vanguard of february 24, 2013.
(http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/02/minister-of-aviation-declares-war-on-yoruba-1/)
Will it be wrong to say that Dele Sobowale and others planned this lynching to protect Wale Babalakin’s Bi-Courtney that entered into an anti-FAAN agreement that virtually made it near impossible for the Government agency to earn revenue for at least 12 years?
Do you know that Stella’s “crime” against Bi Courtney, Sobowale et al was that she refused to extend the rubbish contract to 36 years and actually insisted on a review? Do you also know that Bi-Courteny fought Arik over it’s insistence on using GAT terminal as against MM2 and the minister further “offended” them when she refused to back their illegal demands? Do you know that she and the minister before her were threatened with “media war” and disgrace out of office if they don’t play ball? For the avoidance of doubt, all these information are available online and you can read them up.
If ever evidence was needed that the Minister’s life was threatened, Mr Sobowale’s article in February has provided evidence of a group ganging up to “show” Minister Oduah. I was initially tempted to think the whole Yoruba nation have finally ganged up against the Minister as promised by Dele Sobowale until I studied the situation more closely and found out that the members of the cabal are merely using ethnic card to secure filthy wealth for themselves. The same people didn’t even feel any qualms about using Agagu’s misfortune as lunch pad for Stella must go campaigns. Surely, the Yoruba nation I know will not be proud of Dele Sobowale, Femi Fani Kayode, Wale Babalakin, Harold Demurren, Benjamin Okewu, Capt. Edward Boyo, Omoyele Sowore and others involved in this plot.
As evidence pours into the public arena in the coming days, true sons of Oduduwa will rise against these men and help Stella Oduah overcome the aviation cabal. There is something about the true Yoruba man that rebels against injustice and conspiracy and the brothers and sisters of of Samuel Ajayi Crowther will surely not join a few evil men to entrench cabals in our aviation sector. It is just not like them. It is understandable that the Sahara Reporters, Punch and Nationa newspaper are involved in this plot but the staff of those newspapers are mostly acting for themselves or their pay masters. Majority of Nigerians in the media set up know that this is an orchestrated lynching.
We already know that contrary to the lies churned out by the lynch mob, the ex-factory price of that BMW brand of armoured vehicle is $620,000. If you factor in 35% custom duties on luxury vehicles, freight cost and supplier’s margins, the cost of the vehicle will come to about N125m. Sahara Reporters published NCAA documents show that they were bought at N127.5m each. Comparatively, we know that the Presidency budgeted N140m for each of 2 armored vehicles in 2012 while Governor Fashola of Lagos State reportedly bought 3 armored vehicles at N200m each.
It is also noteworthy that one of the “anti-corruption activists” hired to lead demonstrations against the Aviation Minister, Hon Dino Maleye, drives a bullet proof Bentley car registered in his name with about 20 other porsche cars, all custom registered in his name. This same Dino Maleye defended ex-Speaker Patricia Etteh when she allegedly used N628m to furnish her house. It is only in Nigeria that men with such “lofty” credentials are called “anti-corruption activist”. Even after they supported jumbo pay and billions of constituency project funds that apparently added some fancy cars to their massive personal car parks. Sorry Nigeria!
There is nothing to suggest that the plot against Odua is for greater good of Nigerians and I am yet to read anyone saying “remove Odua (any link with Odua group?) and planes will stop crashing in Nigeria”. If Dele Sobowale and his co-conspirators offer such assurance to Nigerians I will support reassignment of Odua to allow Sobowale’s magician to lead and even milk aviation ministry forever. Who really cares about who works where if positive objectives are achieved? But don’t tell me that ethnically driven or mafia interest can be described as a positive objective. We should actually be working against people who represent such interests. They are the enemies of Nigeria. Stella Oduah owes us the duty to fight them to stand still. We owe her the duty of standing with her in moments of crisis. Unless we are just hypocritical about change in Nigeria.
Just like in the case of Jesus Christ of Nazereth, “Pontius” Goodluck Jonathan will ultimately determine the fate of Stella Oduah. His choices are clear and includes listening to the chanting mob, washing his and presidency’s hands clean and presenting Stella as a “living sacrifice” for 2015. If he tows that path, as he did in the case of Bartholomew Nnaji and Festus Odimegwu, he must know that no reform minded person will work for his government again. Transformation agenda “ibaha”, as they say in Efik.
But if he stands up to the conspirators, he will send a clear message of touch not my reformists and do my top performers no harm. That position might not make more friends for him but it will surely re-invigorate his ministers to go for reforms and substantive performance as against sustaining the status quo of decadence. He should also understand the political angle of lynching of Stella Oduah. His political opponents will not let off after proving that his advertized top performer is a misfit for office. They will likely go after Ngozi Okonjo Iweala next.
I don’t think Mr President needs advisers to arrive at the simple projection that if Stella Oduah mentions his name in this scandal she will become an overnight heroine (progressive) of the political divide populated by hypocrites in the opposition. If he needs convincing, let him look towards Rivers, Niger and Kano to see how simple statements like “Jonathan is weak” can transform one from zero to “progressive” hero. It is therefore key for Mr President to protect Stella and ensure she stays on her job to carry out more needed reforms in our aviation sector.
Like Stella or hate her, questions remain over the handling of this lynching. If anyone had doubts that the target of the lynching was Stella, that person only need to read the initial “expose” by Sahara Reporters. Whereas all tendered documents point to NCAA making the procurement and accepting the contentious bullet proof vehicles, no single mention was made of the role or culpability of the NCAA DG and his Board. It is fairly certain that the drug addicts that sponsored the SR report were aware of civil aviation act of 2006 which purports to give the agency autonomy and protection from political interference as enjoyed by CBN whose Governor can freely donate N100m to his state government without recourse to the Minister of Finance.
The current DG of NCAA has taken ownership of the purchase of the vehicles in his last Friday press conference when he stated that his agency bought the BMWs as operational vehicles” to use in carrying local and international guests of the NCAA. “It must be noted that during such visitations, the security of members of the delegation is the sole responsibility of the host country. The vehicles are, therefore, in the pool of the NCAA for these special assignments and are available at the NCAA office and can be shown to you,” Akinkuotu said.
For all it’s worth, Akinkuotu’s statement should have been enough to change the conversation from “Oduah’s bullet proof cars” to “NCAA’s bullet proof cars”. But the lynchers in the media have ignored the NCAA opening because Akinkuotu was never the target of the sponsored lynching and the spotlight must be on Oduah to achieve agreed objectives already paid for by the mafia.
Even the allegation of corruption and over-invoicing have also been disproved by the little detail that the Presidency bought 2 bullet proof cars via 2012 budget at N140m each and Governor Fashola of APC reportedly bought 3 at N200m each. The NCAA purchase put side by side with these other procurements are cheaper at the reported rate of N127.5m. It is also noteworthy that the ordinarily loquacious APC Spokesman, Lai Muhammed, has lost his voice in this bullet proof vehicles saga. He sure knows that his sponsors have heavier logs in their eyes. Those who care should also use this link and see the price of the brand new armoured BMW from the manufactuers: http://www.diplomatarmored.com/BMW-High-Security-7-Series.html.
While I understand and associate with ordinary Nigerians, most of whom are not even online and don’t read newspapers, feeling angst at such a massive sum of money being used by those who manage their resources to buy bullet proof vehicles, the uncontested truth remains that the cost of governance in Nigeria is very high. Also the power intrigues as well as the security situation in Nigeria also make public officials, especially reform minded ones, very vulnerable to lethal attacks. Prof Dora Akunyili was attacked and almost killed while she was reforming the pharmaceutical sector. Many still suspect that the power sector cabal killed Chief Bola Ige and since then the power sector remain comatose with no meaningful reform or improvement. Even when Barth Nnaji tried to change things, he was quickly shoved aside via Aluu style media and online lynching. Today, we are generating less power than on his watch and generators are much more expensive. “Passing your neighbour” is now a more expensive venture.
Protecting vulnerable public servants is the only guarantee we have of ensuring reforms and change because when you fight corruption, corruption will fight back. (Apologies to Nuhu Ribadu).
In public procurement the devil is in due process being followed. That includes appropriate budgetary provision.
When Stella appears before the House of Representatives, she will surely have a tough task because she is a marked woman. Those after her have already poisoned the minds of Nigerians against her. The cabal after her is also well connected and liquid enough to ensure that she is given the Arunmah Oteh treatment. She should be prepared for ambush.
But before she appears before the House, she should help herself by making available to the media her written defense and the following documents:
1. A copy of NCAA 2013 budget with the armoured vehicles entriy clearly highlighted.
2. A copy of due process certificate issued for the procurement.
3. A copy of the approval document showing the endorsement by DG NCAA and other relevant documents.
5. If her response to the President as published is true, she should also bring the lease finance documents from First Bank.
If the vehicles were financed via a lease arrangement with first bank it means the vehicles belong to First bank, and not NCAA, until NCAA is able to complete the payment for it. That also mean that first bank verified the price before buying the vehicles. Liability for any “over-invoicing” actually will pass to First Bank as the buyers of the vehicle. That should be end of discussion for this issue.
Lynching the Minister online and in the media is suspicious to me. Especially when “activists” and former members of House of Rep who drive Bullet proof Bentley cars are leading the protest. I can’t seem to understand how a man who had no tangible equivalent means of livelihood that can by any stretch of imagination buy a Bentley talk less of bullet proofing same will be driving one. Who bought it for him, when and under what circumstances? If current and retired suspected crooks are going to lead our “anti-corruption” lynching of current public officials, something is wrong. Similarly, I foresee another Hembe- Arunmah scenario at the national assembly probe. The discordant relationship between Senator Hope Uzodinma and Minister Odua is public knowledge. How she will get fair hearing from his committee is something I don’t know. I would have preferred EFCC reviewing the purchases of this and all bullet proof vehicles including that of the Presidency, Fashola as well as the ones owned by almost all the 36 state governors. Let everyone tender his purchase documents to EFCC along with necessary approvals. But the House of Rep have already rushed into the matter and the Minister must necessarily appear before them. We wait.
If Oduah is sacrificed today, the aviation industry will not imporve in leaps and bounds but the cabal holding it to ransom will be emboldened to force the hands of her replacement or threaten him/her with media war like they did to Fidelia Njezie in the Bicourtney affair.
Fellow Nigerians, wash your eyes and make sure you are seeing well before you join the online and media lynch wars. The next victim might just be you.
It is also important for me to use this opportunity and speak directly with Hon Nkiruka Onyejeocha and Senator Hope Uzodinma. It is for days like this that you were elected member of house of Representative and Senator, respectively. The new Igbo nation and indeed reform minded Nigerians expect you and your colleagues to ensure that Princess Adaeze Stella Oduah walks into the national assembly on wednesday and walk out with her head held high and unbowed. We will not forgive you if she’s successfully lynched knowing that while others send people like Femi Fani Kayode to represent them in federal executive council, we send the best from the Igbo nation. Most of our representatives are people who worked with international organizations with clean records. We cannot afford to allow them to become victims of orchestrated lynching by charlatans of the federation.
I have said my own, cleared my conscience of cobwebs and I am not afraid of any Aluu mob. Come and tango with me if you dare.
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