Aviation
Nigeria’s armored car debacle: why Stella Oduah must be fired!
By Yemie Adeoye
HOUSTON – Nigeria’s aviation sector since the new political dispensation in 1999 has been through unspeakable woes that leave the sanest minds wondering if it is physical or spiritual the problem rocking the nation through this highly essential sector.
Why it remains sad that the globally acclaimed safest means of transportation has remained a nightmare in Nigeria, it is also a noted fact that previous ministers have lacked the necessary focus or direction to drive the sector positively and have only being majorly concerned about what personal deals can be closed before they are ousted.
This sad development I would want to blame on the office and person of the President of the federal republic of Nigeria and by extension the ‘Take a Bow’ National Assembly.
Appointment into certain offices should never be political as we have seen in Nigeria’s highly technical sectors from Energy to Aviation to defense, Power, Transport, works etc all these have been headed by people that can best be described as extremely incompetent. Hence we are saddled with aircrafts that crash at take off due to technical problems, and these are planes certified fit for commercial operations by the regulating Agency, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. If these Agencies had heads formulating technical and globally competitive policies over 75 percent of the Air accidents since 1999 could have been averted.
The Aviation sector is hugely important to the economy of any nation. One of the largest contributors to the United Kingdom economy is the Aviation sector and there is no limit to the amount of advancement that the UK government would give to that sector starting from the selection of the person to man the sector and formulate highly needed policy for guidance and advancement.
It is however unfortunate and grossly so that the most visibly working Minister since 1999 in the person of Princess Stella Oduah has also been affected by Nigeria’s worse and most nightmarish virus ‘corruption’ I’m sure a careful study would reveal that corruption kills more people career–wise in Nigeria than AIDS kill people physically. We have undergraduates across our Universities in Nigeria waiting to graduate and become a millionaire same year! How? That’s another topic.
Oduah it would be recalled resolved quite a number of seemingly irresolvable crises in the sector immediately she assumed duties as the nations Aviation Minister. The Maevis contract that tends to shortchange the FAAN rather than improve on its income. The agreement with the Agency was obnoxious and it was to say the least hampering developments of the 22 airports under its management.
There were other issues like the highly controversial Bi-Courtney concession which she has handled professionally to a large extent especially her stoic refusal to hand over the Grand Aviation Terminal (GAT) to Bi-Courtney after bringing it down and rebuilding it under a year.
I’m a frequent international traveler and the transformation I see at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport is simply unprecedented since its inception, and such modification is ongoing nationwide under her watch. A co-traveler once told me she is the best Aviation Minister since the new democratic dispensation in 1999 and even if I found it hard to accept I couldn’t summon enough points to refute that claim because in the city of the blind the one eyed man is king.
But inspite of all this I still strongly opine that Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, Nigeria’s Current Aviation Minister Should either resign or be fired by President Jonathan.
The reason for this seemingly aggressive posture is simple. Firstly, there is a claim of an ongoing anti-corruption war by the federal government which is already looking clumsy. The Federal Government is an institution and should be predictable because it is guided by a constitution.
Secondly, a precedent has been set, Former Minister of Health, Professor Adenike Grange was forced to resign by the Presidency under the Late Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua over a N300 million scam, after which she was arrested and prosecuted by the Nation’s anti graft Agency, EFCC. It is my strong opinion that in order to serve as a deterrent to future pilferers who are yet to be appointed this precedent must be upheld.
Her appearance at the House of Representative committee on Aviation enquiry panel last week is an attempt to rub salt into injury by further taking Nigerians on a needless ride through her disgraceful defense of the undefendable. “Do the needful” in a Country as corrupt as Nigeria does not mean anything. It is totally meaningless and a daft at the NCAA could have interpreted it to mean just anything. Do the needful can be ‘get the cars stupid, and park them in my private garage”. It could mean ‘get it, sell it and stash the proceeds in an account for me’. It could mean just anything, and no responsible Minister in a corrupt environment like ours, where sycophancy in Government circle is the order of the day would say such nothing and not expect something.
It is however not so pleasant to Nigerians when the President sets up a committee simply because one ‘privileged’ person misappropriated N255million naira, when we know that her approval limits is only about a hundred million naira. That simply means the Bureau for Public Procurement which is totally unaware of this transaction should have been the approving Agency after the FEC’s initial approval. But all this did not happen and in clear-cut terms it is a breach of due process as approved by the nation’s constitution.
Now it become more annoying and reminds Nigerians across board of the Bode George trial days for the Minister either directly or through proxies to mobilize youths and women from the Eastern part of the Country to protest over her ongoing travails. It is not just unprofessional but so nauseating to see highly impoverished youths and women protesting on behalf of someone whom they probably have not and would not meet in this lifetime. If she had done the needful as professionally as possible no one would have castigated her, especially at a time when the only Airlines we have running the Country professionally are just Arik and Aero, Medview is also trying but that is at best the befitting description.
For these and other reasons, the Minister should be fired, since she has refused to do the honorable because it is un-Nigerian to resign from public office even in the face of proven guilt.
Need I say that there is no politicking about the matter on hand, so building tribal sentiments about it insults the sensibilities of Nigerians. A lot is happening in other ministries but until those involved are exposed in this manner we may not be able to do or say much. In the mean time if we as a nation desires to be taken seriously by the west and other international investors then Government at all times needs to be predictable and must always do the needful no matter who is involved.
Mr. Adeoye a media consultant and Public Affairs analyst writes from Houston, Tx.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has declared that airlines operating in Nigeria have come under financial pressure following a sharp increase in the price of Jet-A1, also known as aviation fuel.
According to the group, the price of aviation fuel, has surged to about N1,800 per litre in many parts of the country, from about N1,000 per litre two weeks ago. This amounts to almost an 80 per cent increase within a short period.
Aviation fuel remains the largest cost component in airline operations, accounting for about 30 to 35 per cent of total operating expenses.
Industry stakeholders have linked the latest spike to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has pushed up global energy prices.
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Speaking on Channels Television on Friday, the spokesperson for the Airline Operators of Nigeria, Prof Obiora Okonkwo, said the surge had placed airlines under severe financial strain.
According to him, most carriers have so far refrained from immediately transferring the additional cost burden to passengers, despite the pressure on their operations.
“Two weeks ago, we were getting Jet-A1 at about N1,000 per litre, which today is about N1,800, and even more in some stations. We have experienced an increase of about 80 per cent. That’s quite a spike,” Okonkwo said.
He explained that airlines were currently absorbing the losses in order to avoid worsening the economic burden on the travellers.
“We are not in a business where you can easily adjust your ticket price. Right now what we are doing is that we are bleeding. We are taking the blow. We are selling tickets at very non-profitable prices. We are losing a lot of money,” he said.
Okonkwo warned that the situation might not be sustainable if fuel prices continue to rise without government intervention.
“Obviously, adjustments will be expected anytime soon. But again, we are very sensitive to the economic situation of Nigerians and our travellers,” he added.
He noted that developments in the global oil market, particularly the recent release of reserve crude oil, could influence fuel prices in the coming weeks.
Okonkwo also urged the Federal Government to explore engagement with the Dangote Refinery as part of efforts to stabilise aviation fuel supply locally.
“We were more hopeless in a situation where there was no refinery in Nigeria in the last two years. Now that we have a refinery, we are hopeful that we can find a solution around it,” he said.
According to him, if the spike persists, some airlines may struggle to continue absorbing the losses associated with the rising cost of aviation fuel.
Meanwhile, the AON spokesperson also reacted to the decision by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to sanction about five airlines over alleged price fixing.
Okonkwo said while the commission has regulatory powers, the aviation sector remains deregulated, making coordinated price fixing unlikely.
“There is no meeting of airlines where they agree to fix prices. Fixing prices would mean operating as a cartel, and that is not the case,” he said.
He explained that airline ticket pricing varies widely because different aircraft types attract different operating costs.
“Each airline determines its fares based on its own operational costs,” he said.
Okonkwo added that airlines must also demonstrate financial viability to regulators as part of the conditions for maintaining their operating licences.
“At every point in time, you must prove to the regulators that you are financially viable and capable of sustaining operations,” he said.
He urged regulators to take into account the fragile nature of the aviation industry when making policy decisions affecting airlines.
An Air Peace flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt has suffered a disruption, after the aircraft was affected by a bird strike on arrival at the Port Harcourt International Airport.
The airline made the disclosure on Thursday in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Osifo-Whiskey Efe.
He added that the incident necessitated safety checks on the affected aircraft and the deployment of another aircraft to convey passengers on subsequent flights.
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“We deeply empathise with passengers affected by this unforeseen incident and are working diligently to minimise disruptions,” Efe said.
The latest incident adds to the growing challenge of bird strikes faced by local airlines.
In December 2025, Air Peace disclosed that it recorded 49 bird strikes across Nigeria between January and September, stressing that even a single strike could ground an aircraft for weeks.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the airline, Allen Onyema, had said on Arise TV that bird strikes constituted a major operational challenge, often leading to costly repairs and serious disruptions to flight schedules.
“One bird strike could cripple your aircraft for the next month. At that moment, there is no two ways about it. These bird strikes often lead to costly delays and serious disruptions in flight schedules,” he said.
He added that losses from such incidents compound other challenges facing Nigerian airlines, including heavy taxation and operational constraints.
With the firm belief that it is both sadistic and absolutely despicable, the recently announced outrageous hike in airfares to South East from Abuja to Lagos for Yuletide of 2025 by over 131 percent by Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines, the owners have been asked to immediately have a rethink and review backward these harsh, toxic and unfriendly airfares targeting Igbo passengers exclusively.
Making the charge to the chairmen of Air Peace and United Nigeria airlines, Mr. Allen Ugochukwu and Mr. Obiora Okonkwo, the prominent civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) expressed anger that these businesses whose proprietors are Igbo by birth are fond of making it so difficult for hundreds of thousands of Igbo passengers residing outside of the South-East to travel home on Christmas festivities.
The rights group say that for many years now, because Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines are monopolies and then Igbos have the tradition exclusively in Nigeria of going home to South East from all over the globe during Yuletides, these few airlines have decidedly fixed toxic ticketing airfares for Igbos whereas northerners who also travel during their religious festivities of salah are not subjected to such exploitative treatments.
The HURIWA accused the two airlines of price fixing, which is anti-competition just as the Rights group said it is giving these two Igbo-hating airlines to review backward their toxic and discriminatory airfares within ten working days from today or it will petition the federal government publicly funding consumer rights body[Federal Competition and Consumer Rights Commission) in Abuja.
The HURIWA wonders if these Igbo owners of private airlines known for making their planes available to government for free during emergencies are in a conspiratorial plots with haters of Igbo land who are unhappy at the convivial and happy atmospheres in the South East during Yuletide, just as the rights group has appealed to Igbo governors to immediately intervene and urge Mr. Allen Ugochukwu and Mr Obiora Okonkwo to treat the Igbo just as they treat for instance northern Muslims who also migrate home to northern Nigeria from around the globe during their Muslim festivities because what is good for the goose, is good for the gander.
The HURIWA said that if Air Peace Airlines have gotten involved in many humanitarian efforts of airlifting Nigerians from outside of our shores for free, it becomes of the Airline ought not to maltreat their clients of Igbo extraction.
The HURIWA quoted from the business official website of Air Peace in which it described its latest humanitarian effort to be an addition to a growing list of interventions by Dr. Allen Onyema and Air Peace.
Quoting Air Peace website, HURIWA stated that Air Peace said thus: “In 2019, the airline airlifted 503 Nigerians free of charge from South Africa amidst xenophobic attacks. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Air Peace conducted multiple repatriation flights. In 2022, the airline flew Nigerian evacuees out of war-torn Ukraine. In May 2023, Dr. Onyema again deployed Air Peace aircraft to evacuate 277 stranded Nigerians from Sudan.
As the rescued women prepare to begin a new chapter, supported by medical care and reintegration efforts, one truth stands out: Air Peace is more than just an airline — it is a bridge of hope for Nigerians in crisis, and a national symbol of empathy, courage and service,” HURIWA conclusively quoted Air Peace.
The HURIWA therefore strongly condemns the two airlines for hiking and fixing unaffordable airfares indiscriminately against Igbo passengers, even as the festive season draws near, Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines have raised their return ticket fares to N677,000, a move that could add financial strain on travellers. The rise in airfares reflects the high demand expected during the holiday rush.
Key Points
Air Peace and United Nigeria increase return ticket fares to N677,000 for the yuletide season.
Airfares on routes to the South-East, including Enugu and Anambra, experience the highest surge.
Ibom Air offers comparatively cheaper tickets, with return fares at N381,600.
Air Peace’s one-way fare for December to January peaks at N350,500.
United Nigeria will also charge N350,500 for select routes between December 11 and the end of the year.
Northern routes, including Lagos-Kano, face smaller increases, with fares starting from N106,900.
Experts predict even higher airfares, with one-way tickets possibly reaching N500,000.
The rise in flight prices signals the start of a challenging holiday travel season, with airfares higher than usual due to increased demand. Travelers must be prepared for the surge, with some routes seeing even higher fare projections.
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The HURIWA is hereby warning the two airlines to withdraw their price fixing malpractices against Igbos or else the Rights group would seek justice and redress for the millions of Igbos who would return home for the 2025 Yuletide from the Federal Competition and Consumer Rights Commission and the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria. The HURIWA threatened to drag the two airlines to the Nigerian President through the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Transportation.
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