Kaduna State Governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero was also one of the honourees ; while the Aviation Minister was given an award for “Aviation transformation and best performing minister in Nigeria”,
The event, which held at the Radison Hotel, Central London, was organized by the Global Peace Movement to present “Peace, Development and Security” award to Governor Yero; while the Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, (NAMA) Nnamdi Udo, was recognized for “excellence” in airspace management.
The chaos started when the citation of Ms. Oduah, who was represented, was being read as prelude to the presentation of the award. Suddenly, a woman who gave her name as Taiwo Akpabio started speaking and shouting, condemning the conferment of the award on Ms. Oduah.
Speaking at the top of her voice, Ms. Akpabio said it was shameful and insulting for the organizers to give an award to the minister after series of air mishaps in the country under her watch, which resulted in loss of many lives, as well as the alleged scandal in the purchase of the bullet-proof BMW cars involving the minister.
Chaos and confusion descended on the venue for sometime as all efforts to calm down the protester failed. Insisting that she had the right to speak out and criticize the insensitivity of the organizers, Ms. Akpabio had to be dragged out of the venue by security officials of the hotel.
As Ms. Akpabio was being bundled out, another protester who gave her name as Maryam Awolowo took the floor and rained invectives against the organizers for giving an award to Ms Oduah. She too was dragged out of the venue of the awards event. Both women asked rhetorical questions, including how much the organizers were paid to give the awards to the recipients.
It took a while before normalcy was restored and the event continued with the presentation of the peace and security award to Governor Yero.
