Afric TV - News Summary...
- APC criticised Jonathan's handling of the corruption scandal rocking the Ministry of Aviation, saying the most valid option would have been to relieve the minister, Ms. Stella Oduah.
- The party wondered why Jonathan would engage in a diversionary and exculpatory strategy of setting up a panel to investigate the scandal, when there are statutory bodies that are supposed to do so.
Afric TV - Newsmail Report...
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised President Goodluck Jonathan's handling of the corruption scandal rocking the Ministry of Aviation, saying the most valid option would have been to relieve the minister, Ms. Stella Oduah, and other culpable officials of their duties.
The party also condemned in strong terms the arrest of former House of Representatives member, Mr. Dino Melaye, over the Oduahgate scandal in Abuja, saying the police, by their action, had signalled that they will protect corrupt public officials.
Melaye, who offered himself for arrest Wednesday, was released a few hours later on the same day and commended the police for their civility and professionalism.
The party cautioned against any move by the aviation ministry to use politics as a cover for the egregious corruption scandal surrounding the illegal purchase of two armoured cars at the cost of N255 million for Oduah.
“There is precedence on how to handle such a matter. In case the president has forgotten, his then boss, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, sacked Adenike Grange and Gabriel Aduku, Minister of Health and Minister of State for Health, respectively, for spending part of the ministry's unspent budget.
“The Permanent Secretary and other top officials of the ministry were also suspended when the issue broke. No panel was set up before this action was taken,” it said in a statement issued yesterday by APC’s interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
The party said it was most unconscionable for anyone to blame the supposed opposition to Jonathan’s re-election in 2015 as the reason for the widespread outcry against the monumental corruption and abuse of office engendered by the aviation ministry scandal.
It added that the opposition, in particular, should not be blamed for the justifiable indignation of most Nigerians to the corruption scandal.
While debunking the blame on the opposition by the coordinating spokesperson for the aviation ministry, Yakubu Dati, APC said the defence offered by the ministry was nothing but a winding postulation on the scandal.
“What Dati and his co-spin doctors tried to do is to play on President Jonathan's insecurity as far as the 2015 elections are concerned. This is very insulting not only to Nigerians but also to President Jonathan himself, and it will not sell.
“After all, attempts to blame the opposition for the lingering ASUU strike has also failed. In any case, what is the business of a public servant, who is supposed to be apolitical, about whether a president is re-elected or not?
“We in the APC have not joined the fray over the Oduahgate scandal since it broke because we thought this was a straightforward case of corruption and abuse of office that should be summarily dealt with. But President Jonathan has again failed to live up to expectations, thus allowing all manners of clowns to seek to pull the wool over the eyes of Nigerians in the name of defending the indefensible,” APC said.
The party wondered why Jonathan would engage in a diversionary and exculpatory strategy of setting up a panel to investigate the scandal, when there are statutory bodies that are supposed to do so.
“While many may argue that President Jonathan is only following ‘due process’ in dealing with the issue, we counter that he is only seeking to buy time while hoping that the issue will die down.
“The composition of the panel set up by the president itself supports our stand. It is doubtful if any of the members will act against what they perceive to be the ‘interest’ of the president on the issue,” it said.
APC also condemned in strong terms the arrest of Melaye and other protesters over the Oduahgate scandal in Abuja, saying the police, by their action, have signalled that they will protect corrupt public officials.
The party said the reasons given by the police, obstruction of traffic and disturbance of public peace, were apparently cooked up to justify their shameful act.
“The Nigeria Police must learn to operate in accordance with the best practices around the world. Elsewhere, the police will offer protection to peaceful protests, the type that Mr. Melaye led in Abuja, and ensure that their protests are not hijacked by hoodlums, like the hired pro-Oduah protesters who reportedly attacked those protesting against corruption and abuse of office.
“This is not what is expected of a police force that is maintained with taxpayers’ funds, and all those involved in harassing and arresting the anti-corruption protesters must bow their heads in shame,” APC said
However, the police on Wednesday released Melaye, who was arrested after he led a protest against Oduah.
The Melaye-led protest resulted in a non-violent clash between his group and pro-Oduah protesters.
Speaking to the press yesterday, the former lawmaker said the Commissioner of Police in FCT was very civil and exhibited professionalism in the discharge of his duties.
He said: “I was released about 5.30 pm; I was taken to the Department of Criminal Investigation, then taken back to the Commissioner of Police after keeping me for a while in the office of the Commissioner of Police (Operations).
“From there, I was moved to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (CID) and from there to the State Criminal Investigation Department; I was later transferred to the CP.
“The man just said I should go. Nothing more, they didn’t ask me anything and that was all. He pleaded with me concerning the way the Area Commander treated me. I must confess that the CP in FCT was very civil and nice.”
Despite Melaye’s release, the Oduahgate scandal showed no signs of going away as Nigerians yesterday expressed shock and indignation over the trip to Israel by the embattled aviation minister.
Oduah jetted out of Nigeria on Tuesday and is on the president’s delegation 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 fire over the scandal and who should have willingly resigned was allowed to travel out of the country along with a president who had just queried her.
They said Nigeria seem to be turning into a banana republic, reported P.M. News yesterday.
According to activist Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise, Oduah’s trip to Israel was 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 was scandalised at Oduah’s trip with Jonathan.
“It is shocking that she was 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 had taken place at a time Nigerian students have been forced to stay at home for almost four months due to a revenue shortfall.
“All the money being wasted by public office holders should have been put together and invested in our universities,” she said.
According to Comrade Ibuchukwu Ohabuenyi Ezike, Executive Director, Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Oduah’s trip to Israel was 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.
Also, Achike Chude, Deputy Chairman, Joint Action Forum (JAF), said Nigerians were 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.
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