That Woman Called Stella Oduah… And A Little Bit Of Dino Melaiye

That the minister of aviation popularly called “Madam Princess” is in some trouble is not in doubt and hasn’t been for the past one or two weeks. She had it coming in my opinion and she played right into the hands of her detractors. Every political office holder in Nigeria has three broad categories of enemies. The first are those who want you, your principal and your political party out of power and will do all to discredit you just to make all the others look bad. The second are those who want you out of office because even though they support your principal and your political party, they feel you are not worthy to occupy the position you occupy. The third category are those whose financial, professional and survival interests are threatened by your occupying the office and they include contractors and civil servants whose toes you are bound to step on even if you stand still and they run into you from behind: you’re a stumbling block all the same.


When the three groups align, your own don be be dat and absolutely only one thing can save you in Nigeria but I’ll tell you that one thing shortly; let me tell you what I think of Stella Oduah first:

I think she’s not bad looking and she hasn’t done badly for herself professionally, building Sea Petroleum & Gas Company Limited into the company it has become. The problem with those who cross over from government to private business and back again into government is that they get confused: in private business, you can do whatever you like with the company funds so long as you know where and where to retire the expenses and that includes buying exotic bulletproof cars at inflated costs: nobody would ask questions if you have your cronies on the board of directors. When you do the exact same thing while serving in the government of a nation where people are hungry and angry, you’re sending a direct invitation to public criticism and anger. I believe Stella Oduah is doing a fine job as the minister of aviation but in this matter, she is as guilty as sin itself and it doesn’t matter whatever defence her team comes up with in the weeks to come: that’s a little too late.

It shouldn’t be any surprise to the reader that although this particular act of corruption took place several months back, it didn’t surface until there was a smaller crisis in the matter of the Agagu dead body plane crash which Madam Princess described as an ‘act of God’. That this scandal has broken so soon after that smaller scandal is not a coincidence but a deliberate media news manipulation to portray her as a woman who cannot get herself out of trouble or who casts her principal and his government in a bad light; her three broad categories of enemies who have this one permanent interest have aligned and will do all they can to see her out.

Stella’s team isn’t idle though, never mind the gaffe of her media gaffer who sees nothing wrong in the purchase of bulletproof cars at above market costs for his boss because her life is under threat. Dino Melaye is the one who alerted us to the overpricing of the cars by the way – he claims he got both of his at just NGN100m after serving Nigeria at the lowest level of the elected/political arm of the Federal Government which is the House of Representatives for a single term of four years. His most notable achievement I can recall was when he fought tooth and nail to protect his principal from being impeached. How the man is even able to afford cars of which just two are worth a hundred million naira beats my imagination. Why he has to talk about it at this time shows his mentality and my dislike for his hypocrisy is only equal to my dislike for FFK. Dino is a professional not only on the price of bulletproof cars but also governmental corruption. This man once granted an interview where he said:

“This woman [that is, former speaker Patricia Etteh] told us, on the floor of the House, that she’s got two boobs. That the old [House Members] can suck one while the new would suck one. Honestly speaking, we are sucking. We are enjoying the sucking. We are doing that right now.”

And the man never blushed while mouthing that rubbish.

Dino’s then principal (I wonder who he fights for these days), was under fire for corruption just as Stella Oduah is and she was eventually impeached but Madam Princess wouldn’t – she has the one thing that can save a public officer in Nigeria.

That one thing is absolute loyalty to your principal and there are only few officers more loyal to President Jonathan than Stella Oduah. In the murky world of politics, loyalty covers many sins and corruption isn’t the deadliest of sins especially if she can prove that the difference in the cost of actual purchase and the inflated price was to settle some pro-GEJ groups towards 2015. Princess Stella’s enemies have forgotten how much she raised in her capacity as the director of Administration and Finance for his 2011 campaign. If 2015 will be a very difficult election year and 2014 will be crucial for the PDP as a party, GEJ’s foot-soldiers will need much cash and they have obviously started already, pocketing some cash and bulletproof cars in the process. I don’t think Stella missed the memo about why she was brought into government: she was faithful in little, was rewarded with a juicy ministry and is expected to play a greater financial role towards 2015. The media is being manipulated to think that Princess Stella Oduah is in some trouble but I can bet my most beloved jeans that she is as comfortable as a bird in a nest. The only thing she’ll be told is to stay out of circulation till the wind blows over or a greater calamity overtakes her news. Even OBJ with all his craze needed loyal irritants like FFK, how much more President Jonathan of a meeker (not necessarily weaker) demeanour.

It’s a sad commentary about our country and our leaders, no doubt. The sadder commentary is in those who think their noise can push Jonathan to do anything right or wrong. This is the most stubborn president in Nigeria’s history in my opinion.

Source: www.demolarewaju.com