Aviation minister Princess Stella Oduah hosted select journalists in Abuja where she vowed not to be distracted by critics whose sole aim is to thwart her efforts in reforming the sector.
Last year, Oduah suffered backlash over the purchase of bullet proof cars by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Oduah speaking to journalists shared reasons she thinks critics are always after her. She says it is all about the fight she is waging against “entrenched interest in the aviation sector who, for over 38 years, have held the sector by the jugular and refused to allow any meaningful development and change take place”.
She said:
“For the over 38 years that our airports were a damning commentary on our status as part of the civilised world; or when our airspace existed without the requisite navigational equipment and facilities to make the airspace safe; this category of persons saw no evil and heard no evil while they happily clapped their ways to the banks.
“This group has carried on with bitter venom, throwing decency and honour overboard, lying and misleading the Nigerian populace even when they knew the truth because my team and I changed the game in favour of Nigeria attaining her pride of place in the comity of nations.”
Oduah emphatically said that she owes no apologies stating that all she owes “the entrenched, corrupt and profligate individuals and entities who have caused the serious rot in the aviation sector,” is to inform them that the current generation has seen through them and are no longer willing to tolerate their antics.”
Oduah hailed the president for his “transformational policies and for taking very bold steps to addressing infrastructural challenges in order to bequeath to the next generation a nation that can compete favourably in the comity of nations and imbue our next generation with pride and patriotism.”
She added:
“The massive investment and the aggressive prosecution of this agenda in this regard have seen the aviation sector being transformed. Today, 22 Airports owned by the federal government are at various stages of becoming decent and world class terminals. Nigeria’s airspace has become one of the safest in the world with the deployment of modern navigational equipments and infrastructure. The oversight capacity of the whole sector has been strengthened with the relevant regulations in place and the training and retraining of personnel.
Our National Aviation Policy has been reviewed to chart the path to a safer and secure aviation sector. The plan to make Nigeria have a national carrier is at an advanced stage of implementation. The pursuit of an aviation sector that is self sustaining is being pursued with all aggression and vigour.
We have had to confront frontally very powerful forces that have held the sector hostage. My team and I are not people who will see things going very wrong, fold our arms and complain and not lift a finger to do anything. We dared to act, convinced that it was in the national interest to do so.”
