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Tag: Oduah

  • Youths are leaders of today, says Oduah

    The senator representing Anambra North, Stella Oduah, has said youths are leaders of today.

    She spoke at a youth convention in Anambra State.

    A statement yesterday quoted the senator: “They say youths are leaders of tomorrow but I believe contrary. I believe youths are leaders of today. All they need is the support and enabling environment. Also, youths can reach their full potential if they are productively enabled. This is one of the underscoring points of my action for what I call Fundamental Human Capital Development.

    “The need to build a constituency of independent enterprising and self-reliance young men and woman has always been my motivating factor for seeking elective office. I believe that our young people, that is the youth, all they need is a mentor, guidance but most importantly great skills and talents built in them.

    “My talk today is about the amazing life that is in all of us. The amazing life that the youth can have if only we can train them; If only we can give them the opportunity to emulate that which is good. If only we can provide the way to go. In doing so, we need nothing less than 2,500 youths in different skills. Our goal as a constituency is to polish that potential in every youth until it shines. Just like jewelry becomes beautiful after being polished. The thing is, when you see a diamond, it does not look good when it is unpolished but when it is polished it starts to glitter. That is what skill and requisition, human capital development that is what it does. This is what each and every one of us must understand.”

  • Fed Govt charges Uzodinma, Oduah with non-declaration of assets

    THE Federal Government has filed charges against Senators Hope Uzodinma and Stella Oduah, accusing them of failing to declare their assets.

    The charges, of two counts each, were filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) in the name of the Federal Government.

    It was learnt yesterday that the one with Oduah as defendant has been assigned to Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu. The one filed against Uzodinma is assigned to Justice Babatunde Quadri.

    The charge against Oduah reads: “That you Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah (F) on or about March 29, 2018, being a public officer with the National Assembly Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court , committed an offence to wit: refused to declare your assets without reasonable excuse and upon notice to declare your assets before the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Abuja contrary to and punishable under S. 3 (3) (1) (a) of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provision) Act 2004.

    “That you, Senator Stella Adaeze Oduah (F) on or about March 29, 2018, being a pubic officer with the National Assembly Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court committed an offence to wit: neglected to declare your assets without reasonable excuse and upon notice to declare your assets before the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Abuja, contrary to and punishable under S. 3 (3) (1) (a) of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provision) Act 2004”

    The one against Uzodinma, reads: “That you, Senator Hope Uzodinma (M) on or about March 5, 2018, being a public officer with the National Assembly Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court ,committed an offence to wit: refused to declare your assets without reasonable excuse and upon notice to declare your assets before the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Abuja, contrary to and punishable under S. 3 (3) (1) (a) of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provision) Act 2004.

    “That you Senator Hope Uzodmma (M) on or about March 5,2018 being a public officer that the National Assembly Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence to wit: neglected to declare your assets without reasonable excuse and upon notice to declare your assets before the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Abuja, contrary to and punishable under S. 3 (3) (1) (a) of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provision) Act 2004.”

  • EFCC grills Oduah over N9.4b contract

    EFCC grills Oduah over N9.4b contract

    After about 10 months of dilly-dallying, former Aviation Minister Stella Oduah yesterday appeared before an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) panel.

    She was grilled for about eight hours by detectives over a N9, 443,549,531.25 contract awarded to I-Sec Security Nigeria Limited for the procurement and installation of security equipment in 22 airports.

    She showed up as the agency got set to declare  her wanted.

    A United States (U.S.) firm, Psybernetix Limited, has alleged that the ex-minister hijacked the contract for a firm  in which she has a stake.

    The EFCC may invite the representatives of the US company to testify against Mrs. Oduah, it was learnt yesterday.

    According to a source, Mrs Oduah, who arrived at the EFCC Abuja office at about 11am, was immediately taken to a team of detectives for interrogation.

    The source, who pleaded not to be named, said: “After shifting many appointments in the last 10 months, Sen. Stella Oduah came for grilling on the N9, 443,549,531.25 contracts awarded to I-Sec Security Nigeria Limited for the procurement and installation of security equipment in 22 airports across the country.

    “We invited her since 13th June, 2017 but she kept giving excuses. We were about to declare her wanted when she appeared before our team.

    “The allegations against her include non-execution of the project in some airports, abandonment of the contract in a few ones, diversion of part of the contract sum and suspected case of money laundering.

    “We have taken her statement and from this preliminary interrogation, she will still need to come again because many people and organisations are coming up with figures.”

    Psybernetix Limited was originally awarded  the contract. It alleged that the contract was unilaterally awarded to I-Sec Ltd without any approval by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The firm, in a status report  obtained by The Nation, said: “We are a successful and experienced US-based Firm of National security Consultants, with projects across the world.

    “We also have an office in Abuja, amongst other strategic world capitals. Aviation Security, being one of our areas of practice, we wrote the 88-page proposal for the Nigerian project under reference, spent millions of dollars bringing in various experts to make presentations in Nigeria, local logistics, travel, and sundry fees.

    “Our senior executives lived at the Abuja Hilton for over a year, working exclusively on securing these contracts.

    “We still have the original award letters, but we had to walk away from the projects two days to the full (100 %) disbursement of the contract value, as approved by the President in writing, because of the outrageous, brazen, extortionate, and criminal demands made.

    “The question that should interest all serious-minded people should be: Why did Psybernetix that had spent a lot of money and time chasing these two contracts reject the contracts two days before the full payment for the first contract (N9.4 billion) was to be made?

    “ We wasted a year and a lot of money chasing these opportunities, but our principles dictated that we should  not accept Ms. Oduah’s demands.

    “One of her principal demands was to engage a newly-incorporated company with zero experience in Security, Program Management, Project Management, or Global Logistics, as our technical partners. On what basis really? What impudence?

    “ She also wanted us to issue post-dated cheques totaling several billions of Naira in favor of this her preferred company (I-Sec Ltd, as well as Zuren Ltd), front companies belonging to her friend and business partner, Walter Wagbotsama.

    “This man has just been jailed in the UK for international money laundering and fraud. His associates are still in Nigeria, and we know them all. We know her bankers and all their modus operandi. These details have been shared with our Attorneys in the US and Nigeria, as well as certain law enforcement agencies in the US.

    A few valid and germaine posers:

    “•       We refused outright to have anything to do with Stella Oduah’s companies, especially I-Sec (a company that was hastily incorporated to perpetrate this fraud). This company had zero Security, Program Management, Project Management, or Global Project Execution experience, so, on what basis would a company of our stature and reputation engage them as our technical partners?

    “•  It will be appropriate to see the so-called (obviously forged) document(s) purporting to reflect this so-called technical partnership. We can easily provide our standard letterhead and specimen signatures as well as our standard Technical Partnership Agreement, for easy comparison, if required.

    “•Can Stella Oduah and her cohorts please provide the documents evidencing the approvals and contract awards to I-Sec? We have ALL our documents, and there is zero mention of I-Sec on any of them.

    “ It is offensive and preposterous for Stella Oduah to claim that we rejected the contracts because the contract value was reduced from N10 billion to N9.4 billion. This is silly, false. The contract value was never N10b. We rejected the contracts because we rejected her demands and conditions. We refused to stain our reputation by acceding to her requests, including writing cheques totaling several billions of Naira upfront in favor of her front companies, including I-Sec.

    “When we rejected the contracts, she altered and forged documents, and unilaterally awarded the contracts to I-Sec Ltd; this was her preferred position ab initio.

    “Can Stella Oduah provide documents to show that the President, FEC, BPE, etc., approved the formal transfer of the contract to I-Sec? She cannot, because no such approvals were  sought or obtained. She arbitrarily and fraudulently converted our rights under the contracts to her front company, I-Sec Ltd., on the false, criminal, and wicked representation that they were our Technical Partners !!!

    “Even if theoretically, there was ANY technical partnership between the two companies (and there was none, as I-SEC had zero value to add to us, and we had determined that I-SEC was clearly incorporated by Stella Oduah and Walter Wagbotsama for the purpose of defrauding both ourselves and the Federal Government), the proper thing to do when we (the sole awardee of the contracts) reluctantly decided to forgo the contracts was to start the Procurement and Approval process all over again, and not to casually forge documents, misrepresent facts, and assign the contracts to one’s front company— a company that had zero pedigree, track record, or known to the Approving Authorities.

    “Our international reputation and track record was, thus, used to secure the contracts, only for Stella Oduah’s company with zero experience to inherit the benefits. A classic case of fraud.”

     

  • How Oduah, others shared N3.9b airports contracts cash

    How Oduah, others shared N3.9b airports contracts cash

    EFCC grills 61 suspects

    Director returns N240m

    WHO GOT WHAT

    •N839, 780,738.09 was remitted to Broadwaters Resources. The cash was diverted to liquidate a loan.
    •N1, 629,250,000 was paid into the account of Global offshore and Marine Limited out of which about N840m went to Crystal TV Limited. The signatories to the account of Crystal TV are related to Stella Oduah
    •About N780million was transferred to Tip Top Global Resources Ltd belonging to the family of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim. Anyim’s staff were discovered to be signatories to the account

    There is N9.4 billion meant for the installation of security devices at the 22 airports?

    This is the knot the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is battling to untie.

    Its detectives have traced about N3.9billion of the N9.4billion to a company belonging to a former Minister of Aviation, Sen. Stella Oduah and five other firms.

    The firms are Broadwaters Resources Company Limited; Sobora International Limited; Global offshore and Marine Limited; Tip Top Global Resources Limited and Crystal TV .

    About 61 suspects have been grilled by the anti-graft agency in connection with the alleged diversion of the cash.

    The EFCC has obtained a court order to impound six dredging vessels, quarry equipment and some equipment bought for Crystal TV under the Interim Forfeiture clause in its Act.

    The commission has raised a team to interrogate Mrs Oduah, a senator.

    According to a fact-sheet, which was obtained by our correspondent, Tip Top Global Resources Limited, which is linked with the family of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, was paid N780million for unknown services.

    The document states: “The contract is for the sum of N9,443,549,531.25 for the procurement and installation of equipment in 22 airports. No evidence that due diligence was carried out before the contract was awarded.

    “ This contract was initially awarded to a company called Cybernetics Limited. Ex- President Goodluck Jonathan approved the award to Cybernetics and  the Bureau of Public Procurement issued a certificate of no objection. But due to the reduction of  the cost from over N10b

    to N9.4b., Cybernetics rejected the award.

    “I-SEC, which was supposed to be technical partner to Cybernetics, was later proposed by the ex-Minister of Aviation for the contract.

    ”Out of the contract sum, N3, 911, 887, 753.56 was fraudulently diverted, misappropriated and laundered through some companies. Investigators have been able to trace the cash.”

    A director of I-SEC is said to have refunded about N240million to EFCC out of the slush funds traced to him. The EFCC has located six dredging vessels, quarry equipment and equipment bought for Crystal TV.  An interim forfeiture order has been obtained on these equipment.

    The N3, 911, 887, 753.56 was “paid to other beneficiaries who do not have direct or indirectly connection to the execution of the contract.”

    “About N839, 780,738.09 was remitted to Broadwaters Resources Company Limited N839, 780,738.09 which had no relationship with I-SEC.   The cash paid into Broadwaters was later diverted into another firm called Sobora International Limited to liquidate an existing loan into First Bank. The shareholders and signatories to the account are people related to Stella Oduah. Her cousin, who is a staff in her private company called SEA Petroleum and Gas Limited was a signatory into the account.

    Another N1, 629,250,000 was paid into the account of Global offshore and Marine Limited out of which about N840m went to Crystal TV Limited. The shareholders and signatories to the account of Crystal TV are related to Stella Oduah and the cash was used to liquidate existing loan by Crystal TV.

    “From the same N1.6b, about N780million  was transferred to Tip Top Global Resources Ltd belonging to the family of  a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim where Anyim’s staff were discovered to be signatories to the account.”

    Meanwhile, the EFCC has raised a panel to interrogate Sen. Oduah, who is scheduled to appear before the team on February 19th.

    “We are set for the ex-Minister’s grilling, it is left to her to keep to the appointment date which she has fixed,” a top source added.

    EFCC said: “Oduah was invited on three occasions to report for interview on the 13th June, 2017, 29th June 2017 and 13th November 2017 but she failed to honour any of the invitations.

    Rather than appear to face a panel that was raised by the EFCC to interrogate her, Mrs. Oduah, through a letter dated  January 5, 2018, informed the commission that she would  honour the invite on January 29, 2018.

    “The letter was duly acknowledged by the commission and just as the investigators were looking forward to her arrival Oduah played a fast one on the EFCC with another letter indicating that she would no longer be available on January 29.

    “She cited an invitation by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, to accompany him to London where he was scheduled to deliver a lecture at the House of Commons on January 25.

    “Oduah stated that her next convenient date to honour your invitation is 19th February, 2018.”

  • Alleged N9.4b contract: EFCC may declare Oduah wanted

    Alleged N9.4b contract: EFCC may declare Oduah wanted

    • Ex-minister writes EFCC, says “I’ll be available on February 19th”
    • Anti-corruption agency quizzes Sen. Nwaoboshi over N2.1b failed contracts, 30 undeclared accounts

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) appears to be running out of patience with former Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, over an alleged N9.4billion curious contract involving her.

    The agency believes she has been playing a ‘hide and seek’ game over repeated invitations to her for questioning in respect of the allegation.

    She may be declared wanted if she continues to be evasive, The Nation gathered yesterday, although sources said she had informed the EFCC of her intention to now make herself available on February 19.

    The anti-graft agency has already interrogated Senator Peter Nwaoboshi for alleged N2.1b failed contracts, securing questionable loan from NEXIM Bank and operating 30 accounts without declaring same to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

    Reliable sources said yesterday that Oduah had been invited thrice in the last seven months over the security contract only for her to fail to turn up on each occasion.

    This development informed the decision of the EFCC to consider the option of declaring her wanted.

    The former minister, according to a fact sheet sighted by The Nation, is wanted by the EFCC in “respect of investigation into a N9, 443,549,531.25 contract awarded to I-Sec Security Nigeria Limited for the procurement and installation of security equipment in 22 airports across the country.

    “The contract was awarded when she held sway as Minister of Aviation in the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

    “There were issues surrounding the contract, including alleged non-execution of the project in some airports, abandonment of the contract in a few ones, diversion of part of the contract sum and suspected case of money laundering.

    “These are allegations she is expected to respond to in order to clear the air on the security contract. She is only expected to explain her roles.”

    Attempts to interrogate Oduah over the last seven months have failed following excuses from her.

    An EFCC source said:  “ She was invited on three different occasions to report for interview on the 13th June, 2017, 29th June 2017 and 13th November 2017 but she failed to honour any of the invitations.

    “Rather than appear to face a panel that was raised by the EFCC to interrogate her, Oduah, through a letter dated  January 5, 2018, informed the commission that she would  honour the invite on January 29, 2018.

    “The letter was duly acknowledged by the commission and just as the investigators were looking forward to her arrival, Oduah played a fast one on the EFCC with another letter indicating that she would no longer be available on January 29.

    “She cited an invitation by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu to accompany him to London where he was scheduled to deliver a lecture at the House of Commons on January 25.

    “Oduah stated that her next convenient date to honour your invitation is 19th February, 2018”.

    The source said it was obvious that this suspect “is not willing to submit herself to the Commission for interview in relation to the ongoing investigation, which leaves the Commission with a few options.”

    The source added: “The Commission has been very patient with her but she may be declared wanted if she continues this hide and seek game”.

    It was also  gathered that after several efforts, the EFCC has succeeded in  interrogating Senator Peter Nwaoboshi  over alleged failed N2.1b contracts;  obtaining loan from NEXIM Bank while still on the board of the bank; and for operating 30 accounts without declaring same to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

    A source said: “As regards your enquiry, Nwaoboshi finally presented himself for interrogation by the Commission on 27 November, 2017  and, for two days , was grilled by operatives of the Commission on sundry allegations bordering on abuse of office, criminal breach of trust and under declaration of assets.”

    Nwaoboshi, who represents Delta North in the Senate, is alleged to have “used his company, Bilderberg Enterprises Limited, to secure contracts worth N2.1 billion to supply new equipment to two agencies of Delta State Government but defrauded the state in the execution of the contract by importing and supplying used equipment which he passed off as new.”

    He is also accused of laundering the proceeds of alleged criminal activity to acquire properties in Delta State and Lagos.

    Listed among such properties are a 12-storey building at Apapa in Lagos belonging to Delta State Government which Nwaoboshi bought for N805million and an N800million warehouse at Apapa Wharf, Lagos

    The 12-storey building property was allegedly acquired through one of his companies, Golden Touch Construction Project Limited.

    The warehouse is already subject of interim forfeiture by the EFCC.

    Continuing, the source said: “besides, Senator Nwaoboshi allegedly diverted proceeds of a NEXIM loan to acquiring properties, objectives which contravene the conditions for which the facility was granted in the first place.

    “The senator equally failed to disclose his interest in about 30 bank accounts in the assets declaration form.

    “Preliminary findings indicated that he has a case to answer. So, he might face trial accordingly.”

     

  • GEJ, Abdullahi, Oduah and the missing verses

    GEJ, Abdullahi, Oduah and the missing verses

    Even days ahead of its unveiling, a new book by ace journalist and APC spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, is surely stirring the political waters already. Since teasers began to appear in Simon Kolawole’s TheCable last week, many can hardly wait anymore for tomorrow’s presentation in Abuja to grab copy and see what fresh angles “On A Platter of Gold: How Jonathan Won and Lost Nigeria” brings to Segun Adeniyi’s earlier block-buster, “Against The Run of Play”.

    Abdullahi is by no means a casual chronicler of the momentous events that shaped the Jonathan presidency; he was an insider having served as minister.

    Perhaps the juiciest extract featured thus far by TheCable is the sensational claim by Stella Oduah that she lost her Aviation portfolio in the last dispensation due to the machinations of now embattled Diezani Allison-Madueke (then the powerful oil minister) in what seems to illuminate intensely the psycho-sexual tension within the Jonathan presidency. History reminds us that empires had risen and fallen over nothing more than lust or wounded love, and the remains of many great men were found near discarded skirt and camisole.

    According to her, Diezani strongly believed leaks of her incurring a bill of whopping N10b jetting around “privately” emanated from the Aviation ministry. To exact a pound of flesh, Oduah alleges that Diezani funded sustained media spotlight on her own N250m bulletproof BMW cars scandal.

    (A presidential panel headed by then NSA Sambo Dasuki had found the Aviation minister culpable in the shady $1.6m auto deal.)

    “She thought I was the one who leaked the issue of private jet that put her into trouble with the House of Reps,” she says, adding “For her, it was payback time. Diezani was paying people to keep the story alive. At the same time, she was whispering in (the president’s) ears that he had to take action.”

    But the real meat is in her next comment: “I knew all along that Diezani could not deal with having another female around who had the kind of access I had to the president.”

    In what suggests more than official relationship with GEJ, Oduah was quoted by the author to be uninhibited enough to then pointedly demand of the president, “Did Diezani ask you to sack me?”, which he flatly denied.

    Of course, in power circles then, it didn’t require much political intelligence to know there were actually five powerful women around the President. Aside Oduah and Diezani, the three others included First Lady (Mama Peace herself), the president’s ebony-black mom and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the “Coordinating Minister” and thick-set Amazon of the exchequer.

    Romantics are likely to swoon over that and interpret as omen that GEJ was a “ladies’ man”.

    This however makes Jonathan the stark opposite of his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari, said to be very, very “shy among women” (apology Information Minister Lai Mohammed). It then perhaps explains why women today enjoy less visibility around PMB’s wooden paternalism.

    Responding to a question posed by a foreign journalist in faraway Germany following First Lady Aisha’s philippic against the presidency last year, Buhari hardly betrayed any emotion in dismissing her sense of political judgement outside what he considered her exclusive jurisdiction: “My wife belongs to the kitchen, the living room and the other room.”

    Now, the puzzle is the definition of the “access” Oduah alludes to. Of course, everyone agrees that, both in and outside office, GEJ remains a perfect gentleman, with amazingly charming smile and killer athletic build capable of making the opposite sex drool, ordinarily.

    So, could Oduah be referring to a “special pin no” from which other top female officials around Jonathan were restricted? The kind that conferred extraordinary privileges like having their proposals or memos approved with dizzying dispatch, without second look, let alone scrutiny.

    The only conclusion that could drawn from Oduah’s revelation is that she and Diezani were both shamelessly locked in a cold war over long-suffering Madam Patience’s fine husband. Now, if a scavenger gets swollen-headed over the possession of a treasure found by accident, what’s expected of the original owner? Between the feuding princesses, every waking moment seemed spent agonizing over which plot the other might be hatching to monopolize the king’s attention.

    In the circumstance, the puzzle then: what time did they really have left for official duties? We can, therefore, only continue to speculate and imagine the titanic battle poor Jonathan must have waged against falling into the sort of temptation Adam found irresistible in the biblical Garden of Aden.

    When similarly charming Bill Clinton found himself in such tight corner as president at the Oval Office in Washington in the 90s, he succumbed to curvaceous Monica Lewinsky. The ghost of that affair with its salacious details would come back to exact a price that almost cost him the presidency. Though he survived narrowly, he would endure the shame for the rest of his life.

    One of Clinton’s predecessors, John F Kennedy, was not that lucky. His hyperactive testosterone is believed to have been largely fueled by the side effect of a medication he took for Addison’s disease. Compulsive philanderer, aside the steady stream of paramours smuggled into the White House through the back door, among his other conquests were government secretaries and one Judith Campbell who incidentally happened to be linked to mafia boss Sam Giancana. This shred of evidence formed the basis of the enduring conspiracy theory that JFK’s assassination in 1963 involved the mob.

    Elsewhere in Zimbabwe about the same time Clinton was being tempted, Robert Mugabe had also come under the bewitching spell of Grace inside the White House in Harare. Sashay after tantalizing sashay up and down the presidential office, the salivating ex-guerrilla apparently began to see his dashing secretary in a totally different light. Incentives then came to work longer hours in the office. The death of the much-beloved Ghanaian-born First Lady would finally open the door for Grace to be formally unveiled to the nation as the new presidential consort.

    Following Mugabe’s ignominious fall from power last week, pundits may still be divided today over the political epitaph to engrave on his political tombstone. But regardless, there is consensus already that Grace’s vain ways contributed in no small measure in stoking public anger against the old comrade.

    Well, the good news is that GEJ left office in 2015 through the electoral door, certainly not through any proven peccadilloes. Maybe, the ghost would have been finally laid to rest had the usually blunt Oduah, presently a senator representing Anambra, taken a step further to stave the ambiguity that incriminates. By either confirming or denying the long-standing rumour in some mischievous quarters that that “access” had, in fact, some amatory taste.

    Or, since she is known to be single and available, did she ever, at any time, have a crush on the Prince Charming from Otuoke?

    With the raft of grave charges still pending at the British court, we wager Diezani would, on her own, wish to be spared this sort of question, at least for now.

  • Diezani pushed Jonathan to remove me as minister, says Oduah

    Diezani pushed Jonathan to remove me as minister, says Oduah

    Senator Stella Oduah has alleged that she was removed as Minister of Aviation in 2014 at the prompting of the then Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

    Oduah’s claim is contained in a book, ‘On a Platter of Gold: How Jonathan Won and Lost Nigeria’, authored by Bolaji Abdullahi, a former minister of sport and youth development in the Jonathan Presidency.

    The book will go on sale after its public presentation on November 30.

    According to The Cable, Oduah said when the scandal broke over the $1.6 million BMW armoured cars bought for her by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in 2013, Jonathan invited her to explain herself.

    According to Abdullahi, at the meeting were Alison-Madueke, who was perceived to be extremely influential on President Goodluck Jonathan and Anyim Pius Anyim, who was the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

    The president seemed satisfied with her explanation that there was nothing untoward in the deal.

    Mrs. Alison-Madueke also appeared sympathetic and even promised to speak to her friends in the National Assembly and the media “to back down” on the issue.

    “I thought she had my back. I did not know at the time that she was actually fuelling it and orchestrating all the media attacks,” she told Abdullahi.

    “I knew all along that Diezani could not deal with having another female around who had the kind of access I had to the President. But she went too far. She thought I was the one who leaked the issue of private jet  that put her into trouble with the House of Representatives (Diezani was accused of spending N10 billion on chartered jets). For her, it was payback time.”

    Twice, she had offered to resign before her sack but Jonathan asked her not to, according to her, yet the issue did not go away.

    “Diezani was paying people to keep the story alive. At the same time, she was whispering in [the president’s] ears that he had to take action,” Oduah alleged.

    Abdullahi wrote that Mrs. Alison-Madueke asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest Oduah, but the plan was countered by other members of the cabinet.

    A presidential committee headed by Sambo Dasuki, then national security adviser, eventually indicted  Oduah.

    When the president told her that she had to go, Oduah asked: “Did Diezani ask you to sack me?”

    Jonathan answered no, but there and then it was agreed that she should be eased out of government.

    On January 12, 2014, she was removed as minister.

    Abdullahi, the author, was fired as minister of sport in March 2014 by Jonathan allegedly on account of his “godfather”, Bukola Saraki, who had joined other PDP rebels to defect to the APC.

     

  • Vote to avoid state of emergency, Oduah tells voters

    Vote to avoid state of emergency, Oduah tells voters

    Senator Stella Oduah (Anambra North) has urged the electorate to come out en masse and vote peacefully in Saturday’s governorship election to avoid creating a vacuum of governance in the state.

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, Princess Oduah said: “Therefore, if we fail to cast our votes, if we fail to come out to vote and have a new governor, what will happen is that the Federal Government will provide an administrator and declare a state of emergency.

    “That is not what we want. It means that democracy will elude us; who is governing us would not be who we voted for or who we desired…”

  • I didn’t buy $1.2m house in London, says Oduah

    I didn’t buy $1.2m house in London, says Oduah

    SENATOR Stella Oduah (Anambra North) has debunked allegation that she bought a $1.2 million house in England while she was Minister of Aviation, saying it is untrue.

    She said at a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja yesterday that the allegation made in an online publication was false.

    The online medium alleged that the senator purchased the property under another name and that the ownership of the property was uncovered when she attempted to rent it out in March.

    Oduah described as “unfortunate”, the medium’s penchant for continual publication of falsehood about politicians and people in government.

    “Of course, the allegation is not true; it cannot be true.

    “It is unfortunate that we have a country where journalists will copy a story without verifying the authenticity of that story.

    “When you read my statement on it later, then it will be for you to make up your mind. But, categorically it is untrue and it is unfair,” she said.

    The lawmaker recalled that the same online medium had reported that she purchased two BMW cars when she was minister.

    She said the medium only published lies, adding that the vehicles were property of the Federal Government, which she never bought for herself or took away when she left as a minister.

    “That was the same way they carried a story about bullet proof cars. Bullet proof cars were never bought by me; not even by the agency they alleged.

    “In fact, bullet proof cars were never a transaction that was not approved.

    “They were two vehicles that were on higher purchase by the agency and the ministry directed that because of the need as proposed by the agency, they should go ahead and do the higher purchase.

    “Suddenly, for the online medium, higher purchase turned into procurement; I don’t know if there is a similarity between higher purchase and procurement.

  • PDP screens Oduah, Ubah, Ikpeazu, others for Anambra poll

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday screened Senator Stella Oduah, oil magnate, Dr. Patrick Ubah and House of Representatives member, Lynda Ikpeazu, for the November 18 Anambra State governorship election.

    Others also screened include a former Minister of State, John Okechukwu Emeka, Dr. Alex Obiogolu, Oseloka Henry Obaze and Mr. Akolisa Ufodike.

    The screening, which held yesterday at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, witnessed a mild drama as the committee complained about indiscipline among the aspirants.

    Committee Chairman Adamu Maina Waziri said it was unfortunate that some aspirants showed up at the venue 90 minutes behind schedule.

    Waziri, a former Police Affairs Minister, fingered Oduah and Ubah as the late comers.

    He expressed the committee’s displeasure at their action.

    The committee chairman urged the aspirants to display the spirit of sportsmanship in the overall interest of the party, adding that the PDP has everything to lose if another party wins the election.

    Waziri assured the aspirants justice and fairness in the screening, remind that in line with the party’s constitution, none of them would be required to pay above the N6 million nomination fees.

    According to him, the party decided to waive the fees for women aspirants to enable them take active interest in partisan politics.

    Also, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said the PDP would welcome back some of its high profile defectors to the party in the days ahead.

    Okowa spoke yesterday while inspecting the Eagles Square in Abuja, venue for the party’s convention billed to hold on Saturday.

    The Delta governor said necessary arrangements had been put in place for the convention.

    He said: “We just came to see what is on the ground. I believe our people will be safe because we have everything under control. We are not expecting any hitches at all.

    “We are doing very well as a party and as a committee. In this kind of planning, you will have some challenges here and there, but there are solutions for everyone. We are confident that we are on the right track, and it shall be well on Saturday.

    “This is a new PDP. With the excitement we saw after the Supreme Court victory, we did see among Nigerians and not only PDP followers, I believe a lot of people who thought the party was going to implode will realise that we are back alive and ready to offer what it takes to better the lives of Nigerians.

    “Many of our members, who left earlier due to one form of disagreement or the other, will return to their party because the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) has constituted a Reconciliation Committee as well as a Contact and Mobilisation Committee to reach out to them.

    “From the way things are going presently in this country, I believe Nigerians will realise that PDP is the only alternative that can bring Nigeria out of her current economic challenges.”

    Also, the party’s National Chairman, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, assured members that the disagreements in the Southwest had been resolved.