[Gloria’s desk] In Nigeria, however, we should not be afraid to moralise. Our public officials need to be told in plain language what is good and what is bad. They don’t seem to know anymore. That is why in a country where poverty is grinding the people to dust and ashes, you just suddenly hear that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has blessed the Minister of Aviation, Mrs Stella Oduah, with two bullet-proof cars, valued at a quarter of a billion naira. And while we are at it, her spokesman, Joe Obi, says the cars are meant to protect his boss from “imminent threats” because she has taken decisions that put her life at risk. But the story now has a revised standard version – or is it new international version? The NCAA Director-General, Folayele Akinkuotu, says the cars are for the minister and “foreign dignitaries”. Oh, so the foreign dignitaries also received “threats”? They also need extra protection? If there is security threat, is it the NCAA or the police that should handle it? Under what subhead did the expenditure fall in NCAA’s budget? Security? Welfare? Entertainment? Nothing makes sense anymore here. NCAA is supposed to see to the safety of aviation in the interest of millions of passengers, but the agency is more interested in the safety of a government official. And then it buys two armoured cars, as if one is not bad enough. Akinkuotu is insulting us. He needs to be told what is good and what is bad – in plain language.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 10:30:30 +0000
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