Embattled
Minister of Aviation, Mrs Stella Oduah, was on Wednesday conspicuously
absent at the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting held at the
Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Oduah is currently in the eye of the storm over the purchase of two bulletproof cars for her by the Nigerians Civil Aviation Authority. The vehicles are valued at a whopping $1.6m (about N225m). Many stakeholders had been calling for her sack or resignation while the Presidency had so far kept mum on the matter. State House correspondents who had resolved to take up the matter with the minister before or after the FEC meeting were disappointed as she failed to show up at the time the meeting started a few minutes after 10am. |
Thursday, 24 October 2013
Stella Oduah Absent At FEC Meeting Today
Cholera Outbreak In Lagos, Three Dead
The Lagos State Government has confirmed the outbreak of Cholera in the state.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who confirmed the development in Lagos on Wednesday that out of the 13 cases reported, three persons have died.
Worst affected places are, Ajeromi, Apapa, Lagos Island, Oshodi and Surulere.
The commissioner attributed the epidemic to contaminated wells, local food and non-washing of hands.
He urged residents of the state to report any known case to the nearest health centre.
The police in Abuja on Wednesday arrested the Executive Director, Anti-Corruption Network, Dino Melaye, after the former House of Representatives member led pro-democracy activists on a protest, calling for the removal of the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, over the armoured car scandal.
The minister has recently come under fire for allegedly ordering the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to buy her two bullet-proof BMW cars, worth $1.6m (about N255m).
The protest, which held at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja, around 11am, was not without drama as some groups also staged a counter-protest, to drum up support for the embattled minister.
While the police averted an impending clash between the two groups, the security operatives, led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Sunday Olukoya, allowed the pro-Oduah protesters to leave, but stopped the bus conveying Melaye supporters, declaring that they are under arrest.
Melaye, however, protested, asking the police the rationale behind the arrest of the protesters and offering to be arrested in their place.
The former lawmaker said, “When the police pension fund was stolen, we protested on behalf of the police; we were not arrested. When we protested against the theft of fuel subsidy fund, we were not arrested.
“Now that we are protesting the theft of the nation’s money by the action of the minister, who used Nigeria’s money to buy armoured cars in the midst of lack, we are under arrest. The money was not budgeted for, not appropriated.
“The protest affects everybody; the police are also affected because they are taxpayers. I’m also a taxpayer.”
Melaye and others were later arrested by the police and whisked away in a Toyota Hilux van, marked NPS 21280 at about 1pm
Nkiru Sylvanus New Photos
Just weeks after she was fired by the Governor of a south- eastern state, she is back better, stronger and brighter
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Nigeria Needs A Female President says Oshiomhole andFashola
Governors Adams Oshomhole and Babatunde Fashola of Edo and Lagos States respectively say it is time for Nigeria to have a female president as male presidency has clearly failed the nation.
The duo spoke at the opening ceremony of the 2013 National Women Conference organized by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials, COWLSO, held at the Eko Hotels and Suits, Victoria Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Tuesday.
Speaking at the conference, with the theme: See Beyond Today: Enhance the Quality of Life, Oshiomhole, who declared the conference open, said the nation had decided to hold a national conference to deliberate on ethnicity and the geographical set up of the country, but wondered why the issue of female presidency was not brought into the front burner.
The Edo state governor stressed that it was time Nigeria deliberate to have a female president at the helms of affairs in the midst of absolute failure by the male counterpart who had been ruling the nation since 1960.
Oshiomhole said the feat achieved by the late former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher had not be rivaled till this moment, saying that the woman was able to take Britain to an enviable height.
“There are evidences around the world where women have led. There is no question in my mind that we need to create a level playing field for the women,” he stated.
In his goodwill message, Fashola said there was the need for women to take over the leadership of this nation as they had shown that they could be better leaders more than the male folk.
“We are waiting for the women to take over. Our world will be better if women take over. The best emerging economy today in the world is being driven by women. The women have been there with me in my government,” he said.
The governor also spoke on the need to control the burgeoning population of the nation, in the midst of pervading and rising cases of hunger in the land.
Fashola stated that statistics had it that two-third of the world’s seven billion population lived in abject poverty and that Nigerian women had the power to control the rising population of the nation.
“Can we consciously start slowing down the way we grow our population? If two-third already live in poverty, what chance for those coming after us if we are already in poverty?” He asked.
According to Fashola, “people are shy discussing this issue; the earlier we talk about it, the better. In 1970, the population of London was 8.5 million while Lagos was then 1.4 million.
“Today, London has dropped about one million population while Lagos has gone up to reach about 20 million. We can march out of poverty if we plan well.”
Fashola added that the Lagos State Government was already undergoing registration of all Lagosians for adequate planning for the population, urging the women register and to mobilize others to do the same so that government could plan for the future of their children.
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