Mark’s absence stalls Oduah’s appearance before senators

Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah

Embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, could not appear before the senate on Thursday as scheduled because Senate President David Mark was absent at plenary.
The minister has therefore been directed to come before the senate Thursday next week when Mark is expected to personally lead the probe of the minister over the crisis in the aviation industry, especially the recent crash of an Associated Airlines plane conveying the corpse of ex-Ondo State Governor Olusegun Agagu from Lagos to Akure.

Our correspondent learnt on Thursday that the minister and her aides were already on their way to the senate when they were told that their appearance had been shifted to next week.

Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, based on the Order Paper, had asked his colleagues to receive the minister and other aviation executives who were invited to brief the senate on state of aviation sector and the higher number of aviation incidents.

But the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, informed his colleagues that the minister and her team would not be received again on Thursday because Mark was not available.

Ekweremadu said Mark had signified his intention to personally preside over the session before he travelled to the United Arab Emirates as the head of the Federal Government delegation to render moral support for the country’s Under-17 footballers, Golden Eaglets, who will play in the final of the global tournament in Dubai on Friday (today).

He said, “I think we should oblige the Senate President that opportunity to preside over the session because he was passionate about it and he would have been around today but for the last minute national assignment given to him.”

Ndoma-Egba therefore moved another motion for the postponement of Oduah’s visit to Thursday while the Minority Whip, Senator Ganiyu Solomon, seconded him.

It will be recalled that Oduah could not appear before the Senate on Wednesday during plenary because she sought a last minute permission from the Senators to attend the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.

Oduah had been summoned by the upper legislative chamber to explain her roles in the ill-fated crash involving a 23 year – old Propeller aeroplane on the fleet of the Associated Airlines, last month.

The senators, it was learnt, would also be free to ask the minister specific questions on the purchase of two armoured cars at N255m.

The Senate Committee on Aviation on Monday postponed indefinitely a public sitting where officials of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority were already seated to answer questions on the controversial purchase.