11th June, 2023
The Immediate past minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has alleged that the former Chairman of the house committee of Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, asked him for 5 percent of Nigeria Air project.
Sirika made the damning allegation on Sunday while speaking to Arise News.
The former minister said it was wrong for Nnaji to declare Nigeria Air project a fraud.
“He asked me to please indulge him and give him 5% of the airline and carry him along and his people. What I told him in private is that it belonged to the owners and I believe they will still be willing to give him if he had the money.”
Sirika also rubbished claims that Nigeria Air project was done in secret.
The former minister said there was nothing secretive about the project as its activities were carried out in public before the unveiling.
“There is an allegation that the whole thing was shrouded in secrecy and that, I find mind boggling and disturbing. This airline we advertised during the procurement stage and there was a business conference and members of the airlines operations of Nigeria participated in this conference.
“The whole world knew that we were bidding and everyone bidded and even asked for extension of time. It was open. So, where is the secrecy?
“We held 6 stakeholders conference and presented it to the public”. He said
Also speaking on the unveiling of the carrier against a court order, Sirika said there was an existing motion to vacate the court order restraining them from unveiling.
He said “I remember there was a court order and I also remember there was a motion to vacate the order immediately by our counsel. But I am not the court and I cannot determine here whether it is contempt of court or not, so I’ll leave that one to the court.”
Sirika also said in the 8 years of his service, the total money voted and budgeted for the carrier was N5bn with only about N3bn released and not N85bn widely reported.
He further said the N3bn was not fully expended as at the time he left office.