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| Hadi Sirika |
Hadi Sirika, former Aviation Minister, has strongly rejected claims that the Air Nigeria project initiated under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was a scam.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday, Sirika emphasized that the project was founded on sincere and well-meaning intentions.
He further assured that the government adhered strictly to due process throughout the development of the initiative.
He stated, “I had no intention to speak about my time in office for now, I intend to bring up a book.
“It is a public-private partnership which was regulated by the Infrastructure Concessioning Regulatory Commission which gave certificates and participated actively in the process.
“It is a lie that I spent N100 billion and it is lost in the process. The total budget for the national carrier was N5bn, the total amount released was N3 billion and I left the ministry with over N1 billion,” he stated.
Recall that Nigeria Air was launched during the final phase of Buhari’s administration.
Since leaving office in 2023, the former minister has been facing trial on charges of corruption and abuse of office.
He is alleged to have awarded multi-billion naira contracts to companies owned by his family members, including his daughter, Fatima Sirika, and son-in-law, Jalal Hammaby, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Specifically, he is accused of splitting a federal aviation contract worth N2.7 billion to avoid regulatory scrutiny and awarding it to companies controlled by his family.
The EFCC also claims that Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, a company owned by his daughter and son-in-law, received N1.3 billion for an aviation contract that was never executed.
When asked if his recent visit to the Presidential Villa on Tuesday was intended to secure a favorable outcome in his case, he responded that the matter is still before the court and that it would be inappropriate to comment at this time.
He added, “The purpose of the meeting was to officially pay our condolences to the President, who acted commendably following the passing of our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari.”
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