Say No Campaign Calls On EFCC To Arrest and Prosecute Indicted Aviation Minister Stella Oduah, Calls 2014 Budget ‘Insensitive’

Nigerian Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah

 

By SaharaReporters, New York

‘Say No Campaign,’ a rising anti-corruption group, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to exercise its powers by conducting an investigation into the corruption allegations against the Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah, concerning the illegal purchase of two armored BMW cars at the outrageous price of N255 million, and arrest her.

At a press conference addressed by its co-conveners today, the group warned that should the EFCC fail to take the appropriate and required action, it will institute a legal action against the Commission within 14 days.

Say No Campaign recalled that the public outcry against Mrs. Oduah’s conduct caused President Good-luck Jonathan to institute a probe panel, as did the House of Representatives, the committee of which subsequently released a report indicting the Minister.

“The report amongst others recognized that the transactions relating to the purchase was not captured and approved in the 2013 Appropriation Act,” Say No said.  “It also opined that the due process was not observed, complied with and respected in the purchase. The house also faulted the diversion of waivers meant for other purposes to import the bulletproof cars. The House in its report requested the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to properly investigate the matter.”

Also recalling the powers of the EFCC under Section 6 and Section 7 (1) of the EFCC Act to cause investigations to be conducted as to whether any person, corporate body or organization has committed any offence under the act or other law relating to economic and financial crimes, the group declared that while the report of the House clearly indicts the Minister, it was worrisome to observe the absence of the political will to prosecute the culprit.
Say No Campaign also dismissed the 2014 Budget as demonstrating that the government is yet to acknowledge its primary duty of providing for the welfare and security of the people of Nigeria, saying that the document confirms the government is insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.
“Say No Campaign is concerned with the growing cost of governance and government’s reluctance to cut down the cost of running government. This is evident in the 2014 Appropriation Bill where recurrent expenditure gulps 70% of the total budget while capital expenditure is miserly struggling with 30% of the budget. Say No Campaign is of the strong view that no nation develops economically with such style of budgeting.”
It noted that the concept of “inclusive growth” in the theme, “Budget for Job Creation and Inclusive Growth,” implies that every sector of the economy and country is not left behind in the course of development, but stressed that the issue of security cannot be disintegrated from development because where there is insecurity development is comatose.
“It is thus surprising that the 2014 budget caters more for the servicing of militants than for our security outfits,” Say No Campaign said.  “The major abuse of power and lack of motivation by military and paramilitary personnel is mostly fueled by the poor welfare and social security provided. It is therefore an injustice that a total sum of 59 billion is allocated to cover the stipends and allowances to 30,000 Niger Delta Militants and reintegration of transformed ex-militants under the Amnesty Programme while the total capital budget allocated to the Nigerian Army, Ministry of Defence Headquarters, Amy, Navy, Air force and the total budget for all police formations and commands is at N45 billion. This injustice carries a message that encourages militancy rather than promotes selfless service to the Nation.”

The group further underlined related shortcomings in the budget, saying that job creation presupposes a viable measureable human capital which has over time depreciated with the constant irregularities in the education sector.

“While illiteracy remains prevalent, the trend of institutions of learning producing under qualified graduates is becoming alarming. Despite the N439 billion allocated to the education ministry in the budget, Say No Campaign posits that it doesn’t conform with the UNESCO 26% education budget benchmark.”

Say No called on the National Assembly to ensure proper scrutiny of the budget before passage, stressing that budget heads or proposed expenditures that are not targeted at improving the lives of average Nigerians should not be approved.

“We reject in totality, the proposed plan to secure another presidential jet under the 2014 budget,” it said.

The press conference was addressed by co-conveners Ezenwa Nwagwu, Auwal Musa (Rafsanjani), Samson Itodo and Jaye Gaskia.