Since
the controversy over the N255m bulletproof cars bought for her by the
Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency started, Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella
Oduah, has been avoiding the Presidential Villa, SUNDAY PUNCH can authoritatively report.
Oduah, who is seen as one of the closest
ministers to President Goodluck Jonathan, had been a regular face in
the seat of power since her inception as minister up until the scandal
broke out.
Apart from the weekly Federal Executive
Council meetings, which she attends religiously on Wednesdays, the
embattled minister is also known for attending meetings and consulting
from time to time with the President.
Since the controversy started, Oduah has only been seen publicly in the Presidential Villa once.
That was when she attended the FEC meeting on Wednesday.
Before that time, Oduah was said to have
sneaked into the Villa on October 18 to give a verbal explanation to
the President on the car scandal.
She was absent at the FEC meeting of
October 23 when she was said to have travelled ahead of Jonathan to
Israel in preparation for the signing of a Bilateral Air Services
Agreement between the two countries. FEC meeting did not hold on October
30.
On her arrival for the FEC meeting on
Wednesday, the embattled minister managed to exchange pleasantries with a
few of her colleagues as she found her way to her seat on the left of
the President.
She remained calm up until the meeting started and journalists were asked to excuse them.
She had arrived the venue of the meeting at about 9:45am ahead of the 10am kick-off time.
Apparently trying to avoid journalists,
Oduah left the premises after the meeting in the official car of the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim.
Sensing that State House correspondents
might be waiting to engage her on the scandal, Oduah quickly engaged
Anyim in a discussion as both of them stepped out of the Council
Chambers venue of the weekly meeting.
She walked with the SGF to where his
Sport Utility Vehicle was parked in the forecourt of the presidential
villa, from where both of them were driven away.
It was not clear whether they left the
Villa together or she later joined her aides who were waiting for her
with her car at the other end of the Villa.
Jonathan had set up a three-man
administrative panel to probe the minister at the peak of public
outcries that trailed the purchase of the bulletproof cars.
The panel, which is chaired by a former
Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Isa Bello, also has the National
Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) and Air Vice Marshal Dick
Iruenebere (retd.) as members.
In announcing the establishment of the
committee, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr.
Reuben Abati, had said members were expected to, among other things,
ascertain whether the procurement of the vehicles followed due process,
ascertain the purpose of procurement and inquire into any other
incidental matter.
Source: Punchng
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