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THERE was outrage on Thursday as the Senate rescinded its resolution to have the Minister of Aviation, Ms.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said, “At the executive session last week, the senators were unanimous in the decision that the resolution should be rescinded and that the minister should rather face the aviation committee.”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.
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