LAGOS NOVEMBER 5TH ( URHOBOTODAY)-Former Delta State Peoples Democratic Corruption Charges against Oduah has no Legitimate Basis- Delta PDP StalwartParty (PDP) Governorship aspirant in 2007 general election, Chief Sunny Onuesoke has described corruption charges leveled against Minister of Aviation Princess Stella Oduah over purchased of N250m bullet proof cars as lacking any legitimate basis.
Onuesoke who made the statement while speaking to group of journalist at Ughelli, Delta State said Nigerian Aviation Authority did not purchase the vehicle for Oduah as her personal property, but as official car for the Ministry of Aviation for the use of counter terrorist attack.
According to Onuesoke, “The cars were not bought for her personal use. They are bought for official use. Such vehicles are bought for officials of ministry of aviation of international airports in other parts of the world like in the United States of America, (USA), Britain, France and other developed part of the world. They use them for counter terrorist attack on planes hijacked by terrorist.”
He said despite attempts by some people to rubbish her names, Oduah remains the best most performing aviation Minister in the country since 1960, adding that he respected her effort in turning around Nigerian aviation industry.
“We are talking about spending N250m in purchase official vehicles. What about those who embezzled N18b pension funds? Can we compare N18b pension scheme scandal to N250m used to purchase of official vehicles for Nigerian Airport Authority (NAA)? Her track records are there. She has done things no one has ever done in the Nigerian aviation industry. So why must we prosecute her for the vehicles purchased by Nigerian Aviation Authority. They should live this woman alone. This is a woman of virtue. This is a woman who had seen the pains of our aviation sector and turned it around,” Onuesoke who is presently Special Project Director in the office of Delta State Governor disclosed.
Exonerating Oduah of any complicity in the purchase of the armoured cars, Onuesoke said the vehicles were bought at a low price compared to what is sold in the international market, added that the vehicles were sold at subsidized rate.
“She has not committed any fraud in view of the purchase of the vehicles. In the international market the vehicles are more expensive than the price at which he Aviation Authority bought them,” he stressed.
He appealed to the National Assembly to jettison the idea of investigating Oduah, stressing that it would have been better for them to focus on serious cases like that of Chief Femi Otedola against member of House Representative Hon Faruk Lawan and the case of N18b pension fraud scam which seems to have been swept under the carpet.