Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Nigeria Aviation Ministry justifies purchase of N225 million vehicles for Minister Oduah

Haba! The more things change--the more they remain the same. Once upon a time in
Nigeria, the official car of government officials including the president was
Peugeot (404). This policy was implemented in an attempt to promote a culture of
"egalitarianism" in a society in which rich and ostentatious Nigerians flaunted
their wealth in the midst of extreme poverty. "This was leadership by example,"
echoed one of our political leaders at that time. It represented a spirit of
"simplicity and austerity measure" to be advanced by the government.

Folks, I just don't understand why this opulence in a country with such high
level of joblessness of her college graduates--not to mention our other social
problems. To paraphrase General Buhari after his coup "the character of a
society is a reflection of the character of its leaders." So, our leaders need
to change their wasteful ways--and very soon, too.

Ike Udogu
----- Original Message -----
From: Ikhide <xokigbo@yahoo.com>
Date: Thursday, October 17, 2013 7:37 am
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Nigeria Aviation Ministry justifies
purchase of N225 million vehicles for Minister Oduah
To: "USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com" <USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com>

>
>
>  First there was this revelation by Sahara reporters. Said
> revelation was roundly denied by "The Honourable Minister" of
> Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah. In the face of receipts, VINs and all
> sorts of "analysis" came this admission:
>
>
> ""The minister's spokesperson said the vehicles are 'protection
> from external threats.'
>
> After initial efforts by aviation officials to dismiss as mere
> rumours the purchase of multi million naira vehicles for Stella
> Oduah,
> Nigeria's Aviation Minister, the ministry, Wednesday, confirmed the
> purchase.
>
> Joe Obi, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, said that the
> two armoured BMW cars were to protect his boss from "imminent
> threats.""Yes, it is true that some security vehicles were procured
> for the
> use of the office of the honourable minister in response to the
> clear
> and imminent threat to her personal security and life following the
> bold steps she took to reposition the sector," Mr. Obi told the
> Punch newspaper, on Wednesday.
> "When she came on board as the minister, she inherited a lot of
> baggage in terms of concession and lease agreements in the sector,
> which were clearly not in the interest of the government and people
> of
> Nigeria," Mr. Obi continued.
> "And so, she took bold steps and some of these agreements were
> reviewed and some were terminated, and these moves disturbed some
> entrenched interests in the sector, and within this period, she
> began to receive imminent threats to her life; therefore, the need
> for the
> vehicles," he added.""
>
> There is no hope for Nigeria. None whatsoever. I give up.
>
> - Ikhide
>
>
>
> - Ikhide
>  
> Stalk my blog at www.xokigbo.com
> Follow me on Twitter: @ikhide
> Join me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ikhide
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-
> Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of
> Texas at Austin.
> For current archives, visit
> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue For previous
> archives, visit
> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html To post
> to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to
> USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it,
> send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
>

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.