Fani-Kayode, Dino Melaye Commend Jonathan For Sacking Oduah, Others.
Group wants Alison-Madueke sacked also
A group, Anti-Corruption Network, ACN, which in 2012 accused the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, of corruption and abuse of office, says it has been vindicated over the allegation.
The group said it would press ahead with criminal proceedings against the former minister and his former counterpart in the Aviation ministry, Stella Oduah.
Mr. Orubebe, alongside Mrs. Oduah and two others were sacked on Wednesday by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The other ministers affected in the purge were Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade; and the Minister of State for Finance, Yerima Ngama.
The Information Minister, Labaran Maku, announced their sack while briefing journalists at the end of the weekly meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation, FEC. Mr. Maku said some of the outgoing ministers were leaving to pursue their political ambition.
In a statement, the ACN Executive Secretary, Dino Melaye, said his group had been vindicated on the allegation that the Mr. Orubebe accepted as gratification a palatial mansion on the property allocated to him in Abuja contrary to Section 12 of the Act establishing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.
Stating that “the voice of men is the voice of God,” the group said it had been vindicated because it also submitted corruption history of Mr. Orubebe, Ms. Oduah and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to the United States of America last year.
“I am vindicated, power truly belong to the people. When we protested against two of these criminals, many abused us; but today we are happy. We salute the courage of Mr. President, although he delayed too much because they ought to have been fired since,” ACN said.
“We submitted the corruption history of three Ministers to the United States of America last year – Stella Oduah, Godsday Orubebe and Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke. Deziani too must go. The President must take hard decisions in the interest of Nigerians.
“Now that they have been sacked, we will institute criminal charges against Orubebe and Oduah. The voice of the people is the voice of God. We encourage Nigerians to continue to protest vehemently against mal-administration, ineptitude and corruption. For me it is a no retreat, no surrender. No amount of arrest, intimidation, blackmail or name calling will detract my attention from fighting all forms of injustices.”
Also reacting to the sack of the ministers, a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, in a statement praised Mr. Jonathan for finding courage to fire Mrs. Oduah and his Chief of Staff, Mike Ogiadomhe.
“I commend President Goodluck Jonathan for finding courage to sack Stella Oduah and Mike Ogiadomhe. This is a right step in the right direction,” Mr. Fani-Kayode said.
Premium Times