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Oduah Denies Ownership Of Bullet-Proof Cars
The Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, yesterday denied reports that the two BMW armoured cars, bought by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), from Coscharis Nigeria Limited, were bought for her. Appearing before the committee looking into the purchase of the armoured cars, Oduah said the controversial cars were bought for the safety of foreign aviation visitors in line with Nigeria’s growing role in ICAO certification.
“It is totally untrue that NCAA bought cars for me. “They were not registered in my name”, she said.
The Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah apologised to the committee for her non appearance last Wednesday, noting that it was not out of disrespect for them.
Meanwhile, a group of women gathered at the Federal Secretariat Abuja to protest against attacks on the embattled Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah.
But their hopes of carrying their message to the National Assembly was dashed as the police dispersed them barely 20 minutes after the protest started.
The protest which started at about 10:15 am from the Ministry of Aviation in Abuja comprised largely women numbering over thirty.
The women carried placards with inscriptions like: “Leave Stella Oduah Alone” “Aviation Minister has transformed the aviation industry” “External interference affecting the aviation sector”.
President, Women Solidarity Group for Goodluck 2015, Rita Audu, who led the group said, “we are here to tell Nigerians that even in previous regimes, people have been buying armoured cars and they did not do anything to them. This same thing they did to Stella was what they did to Patricia Etteh, that they removed her from her post. Is it only Stella that bought bullet proof car in this country?
They will go and do set up to remove her from that post. Any post for the women, the men will go and dig and remove them from the post, please they should leave her alone. People that have been buying bullet proof cars, governors, ministers, did they remove them from their posts? Have they sent EFCC after them? I am not saying it is good or bad but anytime women are given a post, the men will look for something against them”
However, policemen who came in a Toyota Camry with Reg no: NPF 6640C less than 20minutes after the protest started dispersed the protesting women, threatening to use tear gas on them if they insisted on carrying on. “They just said we should go because we are women,” the leader of the group said.
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.