Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, has dismissed one of her predecessors, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, as a man of an unsound mind who speaks under the influence of a mind-altering substance.

The minister did not, however, name the substance allegedly being taken by Fani-Kayode, who last week called for her sack in connection with the air mishaps witnessed in the country since June last year.

Oduah replied Fani-Kayode said yesterday in Abuja at an aviation safety event organised by the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation and hosted by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency. She accused Fani-Kayode of misleading innocent Nigerians and advised him to bury his head in shame.

Her words: “I have huge sympathy for them, the ignorant people in particular. Because when you speak out of context, when you speak under the influence of whatever it is you are under, you speak incorrectly and you mislead innocent Nigerians and that is what he has done. And he really should hide his head in shame.”

News Express reports that the controversy-loving Fani-Kayode had launched an unprovoked attack on Ms. Oduah in an article entitled “Rumours Of Sacrifice, Agagu And Stella Oduah”, which he wrote in the wake of last Thursday’s Associated Airlines crash in Lagos that claimed the life of 15 of the 20 on board.

Detailing air crashes and near-crashes that have been recorded in Nigeria since last year, Fani-Kayode wrote: “All these unfortunate events occured under the tenure of Princess Stella Oduah, who is the current Minister of Aviation. Under her watch close to 200 souls have been killed in air crashes in the last two years alone.

“This does not surprise me given the nature of the individual that is involved. What does surprise me however is the fact that just one day after those that perished in the latest crash were killed, before the victims were buried, before the site of the crash was cleared, whilst the charred bodies and burnt parts of the victims still lay at the crash site and before any formal investigation into the causes of the crash have commenced, the ruling PDP, through their spokesman Chief Olisa Metuh, has told the world that they have “full confidence” in Stella Oduah and that “she should be allowed to continue her good work”.

“Is there any greater evidence of the fact that the PDP is a sick party that is led by sick people than this? Such insensitivity is rarely seen anywhere in the world. Only in Nigeria can this happen. Not only am I surprised but I am also utterly disgusted. How many more people have to be killed in air crashes before our President realises that he needs a new Minister of Aviation?”

•Photo shows Femi Fani-Kayode.