29th July, 2012
Simon Ateba
Veteran Nigerian pilot and President of Aviation Round Table, Captain Dele Ore, has alleged in a statement that Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, has threatened to “deal with him” in a telephone conversation today.
“Deal with me,” Ore explained later in a telephone conversation with P.M.NEWS may mean to “kill me.”
Ore, who has been a staunch critic of the Nigerian aviation industry since the demise of Nigerian Airways, said he decided to release a statement “for posterity and immediate action by relevant authorities”.
He said: “At 11:13am today 27 July, 2012, the Honourable Minister of Aviation Princess Stella Oduah called me from a number “08055024340” and she showered unprintable insults on my person threatening my life while promising to deal with me.
“This conversation lasted for 3mins and 8secs, and she claimed that I have been writing rubbish, lies, and fabrication about her in the media. She accused me that I am the one spoiling the industry and grounding aviation to a halt in Nigeria. She said and I quote “Capt Dele Ore, you are nothing, you’re a useless old man and I will deal with you”
“In the light of this her outburst , by a public officer of this country to rubbish what I have worked for all my life since 1963 in Aviation industry I have done nothing and said nothing except for the survival and genuine interest of Aviation in Nigeria.”
Ore said that as president and co-founder of Aviation Round Table, he has stood for nothing except the truth.
“May I use this medium to appeal to the President and Commander-In-Chief, the National Security Adviser, the President of the Senate, and the Inspector General of the police to safeguard my Personal Safety as a loyal senior citizen of this country?
“A public officer like this Hon. Minister of Aviation has gone below the minimum moral standard expected from this highly exalted position,” Ore said.
The Minister Special Assistant on Information, Mr. Joe Obi, did not return our message at the time of writing this report.