Jonathan sacks Oduah, three other ministers

Less than 48 hours after ordering his Chief of Staff, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, to resign, President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday sacked four ministers from the Federal Executive Council.

The affected persons are the ministers of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah; Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godsday Orubebe; Police Affairs, Navy Cpt. Caleb Olubolade; and the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama.

All the ministers, except Oduah, attended the FEC meeting on Wednesday at which Jonathan announced their exit.

Oduah had been in the eye of the storm since last year over the purchase of two bulletproof BMW cars for N255m on her behalf by a parastatal under the ministry, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

Apart from the amount spent on the cars, which was found to be grossly above the market value, Nigerians also queried the propriety of the purchase by a parastatal that was finding it difficult to train key personnel responsible for aviation safety.

The House of Representatives, based on the report of a committee it set up to investigate the matter, had asked Jonathan to review Oduah’s appointment.

Although he had on November 24, 2013 publicly acknowledged receipt of the panel’s report, the President did not disclose the content of the report nor take any decision based on the report for many weeks.

Briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the weekly FEC meeting on Wednesday, the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, said the President informed the council that he had asked the affected ministers to step out of his cabinet to enable them to pursue other political and private interests.

He said, “Today, the President announced further changes in the Federal Executive Council. He said a number of ministers have been asked to step out of the council to further their own interests; some in politics, others in their own private focus.

“Clearly, what the President did today (Wednesday) was to allow the ministers who have indicated interest in pursuing further goals in the polity, in the economy and in the life of the country, to go.

“Those asked by the President to go include the following: Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Yerima Ngama; Minister of Police Affairs, Navy-Capt. Caleb Olubolade (retd.); Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe; and Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah.”

Maku added, “In announcing the acceptance of their decision to participate in the polity, the President thanked them very sincerely for the great job they have done in helping the government realise the goals that have been achieved under the transformation agenda.