Aviation
Oduah’s PhD certificate is fake –U.S. Education Agency
…Scandal, indictment on Presidency, NASS, says Agoro
LAGOS – The scandal surrounding an alleged certificate forgery by Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, is not likely to fizzle out quickly, as the American National Centre for Education Statistics told an online medium, ‘Premium Times’, on Thursday that the Pacific Christian University, Glendale, which she claimed awarded her a doctoral degree, does not exist.
The National Centre for Education Statistics is an agency under the U.S. Department of Education.
Responding to an inquiry from the medium, the spokesperson for the agency, which maintains a comprehensive and up-to-date database of all American public and private educational institutions, said: “Thank you for your inquiry. I do not see a university in our database that is Pacific Christian University in Glendale”.
She, however, suggested that the closest to Pacific Christian University in the database might be Hope International University in Fullerton, which, she believed, used to be known as Pacific Christian College.
Contacted, Every Delarosa of the registrar’s office at Hope International University confirmed that the institution used to be known as Pacific Christian College and not Pacific Christian University as Oduah indicated in her resume.
Even at that, Delarosa insisted Oduah could not be referring to Hope University because the institution changed its name from Pacific Christian College in 1997 while Oduah claimed she was awarded a doctorate in Business Administration 1998.
The Hope University official also explained that the institution, even when it was known as Pacific Christian College, had never had a campus in Glendale.
She said the university was based in Long Beach city at the time.
“We do not have any records of any candidate by the name Stella Oduah or related names,” Delarosa said, after poring through the university record. “Whether now that we are Hope University and in the past when we were Pacific Christian College, we did not give any such person a degree here.”
The aviation minister had claimed on oath to the Senate during her confirmation hearing on July 2, 2011 that a Pacific Christian University awarded her an honorary doctorate in 1998.
On page four of the document, the minister claimed the university, which, she said, was based in Glendale, awarded her an honorary doctorate in Business Administration.
It was based on this document that she was grilled and eventually confirmed by the Senators.
But investigations have revealed that no university called Pacific Christian University existed in the United States.
Hours were spent on Wednesday searching the U.S. Department of Education’s National Centre for Education Statistics database by state (California), city (Glendale) and name of institution (Pacific Christian University).
Yet, nothing came up in the name of the university Oduah claimed gave her an honorary doctorate.
According to the database, there are six colleges (universities) in Glendale, a city of 191,719 inhabitants in Los Angeles County, in the state of California.
The colleges are American Medical Sciences Centre, Brand College, Glendale Career College, Glendale Community and North-West College.
There is no such university known as Christian Pacific College as claimed by the minister.
Efforts to get the spokespersons for the minister to comment for this story were unsuccessful.
Joe Obi, her special assistant on media, did not answer or return calls.
Yakubu Datti, spokesperson of the aviation agencies, who usually speaks for her, answered the call by the online medium but immediately said he would call back but he did not.
Oduah, and her associates have been cleaning up the minister’s biographies on the internet, following allegations that she lied about her academic qualifications.
The minister claimed she got Bachelor and Masters Degrees from St. Paul’s College.
But after it became clear she might not have earned a Master’s from that university, Oduah edited her biography on the website of the Ministry of Aviation, with references to St. Paul’s College removed.
The Wikipedia page of the minister was also edited and it now has no reference to the university Oduah attended.
All links and reference materials on the Wikipedia page capable of linking the minister to the university were also deleted.
Even the minister’s personal website was reviewed to remove any reference to St. Paul’s College.
Oduah had since October been enmeshed in N255 million armoured cars scandal in which she was accused of compelling an agency under her supervision, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), to buy her two exotic bulletproof cars at suspected inflated prices.
The House of Representatives has since asked President Goodluck Jonathan to sack the minister but the President has failed to act.
Presidential candidate of the National Action Council (NAC) in the last general elections, Olapade Agoro, while reacting to the certificate scandal on Thursday in Ibadan noted that the certificate scandal, said it is a great indictment on the National Assembly.
Speaking in an interview with Daily Independent, Agoro argued that Nigerians would ask questions on how the “Oduah who possibly never has more than school certificate got cleared for the ministerial appointment by the National Assembly.”
He called on the minister to resign her appointment, saying “if Oduah has a name to protect, she should have resigned during the N250 million bulletproof cars scandal, rather than waiting for the worst scandal to unveil”.
Agoro also called on the Inspector General (IG) of Police and other security agents to immediately set up a probe of the minister, and to ensure that she does not only resign, but that she was made to face the law.
“Show me your friend, and I will tell you whom you are, says an English adage. Also, they say that birds of the same feather flock together. The Oduah’s case is a great indictment on the Presidency and the National Assembly members.
“Character and way of life of those leading a nation will definitely have effects on the people of the nation. Stella Uduah should not be allowed to remain as a minister in Nigeria if the allegation of certificate forgery against her is true.
“One can see that in her time, Nigerian has recorded the worst of accidents in the aviation industry as if the gods are angry,” Agoro added.
– DAILY INDEPENDENT
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced stringent measures against pilots and crew members who work for multiple airlines concurrently, a practice it describes as a serious safety violation.
In a letter dated November 6, 2024, Acting Director-General, Chris Nojomo warned that pilots operating for more than one airline without specific safety protocols pose significant risks to Nigeria’s aviation sector.
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The directive, titled “Prohibition of Ad-Hoc Flight Operators for Multiple Airlines,” noted that NCAA surveillance reports revealed multiple cases of unauthorized cross-airline work by flight crews, which the agency now plans to address.
According to the NCAA, simulator and proficiency checks endorsed on a pilot’s license are valid only for the specific airline and training program under which they were issued.
The letter stated, “With effect from the date of issuance of this directive, all operators and holders of pilot licenses are informed that this action will be treated as a violation of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.”
The NCAA’s new policy, effective November 11, 2024, warns that violators will face strict enforcement actions. Moving forward, simulator renewals will also be filed directly with individual operators, further tightening the agency’s oversight.
In a bold step to strengthen Akwa Ibom’s position in Nigeria’s aviation industry, Governor Umo Eno announced the addition of two new Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft to the fleet of the state-owned airline, Ibom Air, on Friday.
The two aircraft, registered as 5N-CED and 5N-CEE, mark a milestone in the state’s commitment to strategic investment, with the governor stressing that the acquisitions were fully funded by state resources without loans from financial institutions.
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At a welcoming ceremony attended by local officials and residents, Governor Eno emphasized his administration’s mission to drive revenue-generating ventures for Akwa Ibom rather than relying on debt.
He called the move a step toward breaking the cycle of government investments that only serve to pay off loans, vowing that the state’s funds would go towards projects that bring returns to the people.
The governor challenged Ibom Air to turn a profit by 2025, stating that the airline’s management should ensure routes in and out of Uyo remain dependable to prioritize the needs of Akwa Ibom travelers.
“As long as I remain governor, we will continue to use state funds for the benefit of all, not for private gain,” he said, noting that his administration aims to ensure that public investments deliver real value to the state.
Governor Eno also provided updates on several ambitious state projects, including an 18-story commercial complex underway in Lagos and an upcoming 4-star hotel in Abuja, both designed to generate revenue for Akwa Ibom.
Plans for an international market in Ikot Ekpene and the phased opening of a new terminal at the Victor Attah International Airport were also announced, with the airport terminal set for partial operation by December and full activation in early 2025.
Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, commended Eno’s financial management, highlighting that the administration has avoided seeking loans over the past 18 months despite launching significant development projects.
Ibom Air’s Chairman, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob, expressed appreciation for the state’s investment in the airline, which has seen its fleet grow to nine aircraft.
Jacob credited the governor’s support with enabling Ibom Air to boost flight capacity, meeting demand on popular routes such as Uyo-Lagos-Abuja.
Captain Mfon Udom, CEO of Ibom Air, stated that the expanded fleet will improve efficiency and allow the airline to scale up its operations in time for the Christmas travel season.
Udom also noted that the airline anticipates the delivery of nine additional Airbus planes, which will further strengthen Ibom Air’s market presence.
Traditional leaders, including HRM Edidem Ita Edet Okokon III of Okobo Local Government Area, lauded the governor’s leadership, pledging continued support from the traditional institutions.
Anie Essienette, Group Manager for Marketing and Communications at Ibom Air, noted that demand for the airline’s services has surged nationwide, with the new CRJ900 aircraft helping meet this increasing need while the airline awaits further fleet expansion.
Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo is of the view that there’s no cause for alarm over the approval of a private airstrip for a religious organisation, which attracted the attention of the House of Representatives.
He took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Friday morning to shed light on the subject, and explained that it could be a great source of revenue for Federal Government.
Keyamo asserted that the issue was raised by an honourable member at plenary, out of ignorance, but was “unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into.”
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Keyamo expressed confidence that by the time his Ministry was done enlightening them, “they will be satisfied”.
He added that “the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.”
Keyamo wrote, “I think this is not correct. The House of Reps. as a body did not call on the Minister to revoke the license of any private airstrip.
“I think what happened is that someone moved a motion in that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it.
“Whilst the intention of the Hon. Member who moved it is very patriotic, it was based on a complete lack of knowledge of the aviation sector.
“By the time we explain to them how private air strips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be satisfied.
“The responsibility of the owners of private air strips is just to build the runway and terminal building. But after they build the control tower in particular, it is completely handed over to the Federal Government through NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) which is in complete control of the entire airspace in Nigeria. An MOU is usually signed with NAMA in this regard before the airstrip is approved for operations.
“It is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in ALL AIRPORTS and AIRSTRIPS IN NIGERIA. And the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.
“No object flies into Nigeria without the prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a clear flight plan, eg, where it is taking off from and where it intends to land.
“And I have recently directed that all aircraft coming into the country MUST first land at our international airports where they would be properly processed and checked before they make their local flights into whatever airport or airstrip they intend to go. So, it is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY impossible for any private airstrip owner to just jump on an aircraft and fly in and out of the country through that facility. The Federal Government does not permit that. You will not be cleared for take off or landing without prior request and authorisation.
“I thank the Member for his patriotism, but I wish he contacted us first to explain to him before rushing to move such a motion.
“I attach herewith for public consumption the NAMA Act that gives exclusive control of the Nigerian airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA.”
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