‘Nothing fraudulent about Nigeria Air’ – Sirika

Amid claims of fraud leveled against the national carrier project, the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has put the investment value of Nigeria Air at $200 million, just as he disclosed that the total amount of money released by the Federal Government for the national carrier was N3 billion over a period of seven years, and not N85 billion as widely claimed in media reports.

Sirika further added that it was during the unveiling of the aircraft that he announced that Nigeria Air would take off after the issuance of the AOC by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), as, according to him, ‘there was nothing fraudulent or secret about the process leading to the naming of preferred bidders and equity partners for the national carrier.’

Oracle Today recalls that the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Aviation, last week, labeled the Friday, May 26, launch of the national carrier, Nigeria Air by ex-Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, as ‘fraudulent.’

The reaction followed public outcry which trailed the dubious launch of the Nigeria Air project, as the National Assembly (NASS) intervened through its various committees on Aviation which visited the Ministry of Aviation over the last-minute action of the ex-minister, Sirika.

Speaking during a meeting with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Aviation, Mr. Emmanuel Meribole, the Interim Managing Director, Nigeria Air, Capt Dapo Olumide, and heads of aviation agencies, ex-Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Biodun Olujimi, expressed disbelief as to why the former Aviation minister tried to launch the national carrier ‘on the last work day of the Buhari administration.’

According to Senator Olujimi, ‘the aircraft used during the unveiling was a legitimate chartered flight from Ethiopian Airlines and after the unveiling, the owners went back with their aircraft.’

Also speaking, theex- Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, described the launch of Nigeria Air as ‘a fraud.’

Rep Nnaji explained that after meeting stakeholders in the aviation sector, ‘they largely denied knowledge of the launch.’

However, management of the Nigeria Air clarified that what took place on Friday, May 26 was not a launch as claimed by the ex-minister, Sirika, but ‘an unveiling’ of Nigeria Air.

According to Capt Dapo Olumide, ‘Nigeria Air was unveiled at the time it was to prove to Nigerians that the project was not a fluke.’

Meanwhile, fielding questions by journalists amid controversies raised over his handling of the national project, which had been dubbed ‘fraudulent‘by the National Assembly, the ex-minister of Aviation explained that the project’s majority shareholder, Ethiopian Airlines would pay 49 percent of the $200 million with the Nigerian government contributing five percent, while the remaining 46 percent was to be taken up by private investors, including; aviation ground handling firm, SAHCO Plc and downstream petroleum company, MRS.

Explaining the N3 billion Federal Government cash injection into Nigeria Air, Sirika said contrary to speculations, only N3 billion was spent on the National carrier project and not N85 billion, adding that N5 billion was budgeted for the project but only N3 billion was released.

“Between the years 2016-2023, all the money budgeted for Nigeria Air, was about N5 billion but not all of it was released. Perhaps about N3 billion was released.

“Part of the N3 billion has so far been spent on the acquisition of offices, payments of consultancy fees, workers’ salaries and processing of Air Operators ‘Certificate (AOC).

“A lot has been said about me but I try to state the facts as we have done and what we have done is deposited in the records of the ministry; our modest attempt to change civil aviation had succeeded.

“During our time aviation became the fastest growing sector of the economy. The number of airlines and airports doubled and the number of passengers tripled. There are very many airlines now in the country and more than 50 percent of that happened during my tenure.

“So, I think that we have done our best to set up the National Carrier, the maintenance repair overhaul facility, a leasing company, a university, all these things. So I think we have done well as far as I am concerned,” Sirika stated.

Meanwhile, the ex-minister has dissociated himself and the Federal Government from complicity in the hiring of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max aircraft that was unveiled at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on May 28, 2023 as the national carrier.

Sirika, who denied he was ever given the opportunity by the House of Representatives to state his own side of the story, blamed the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, for causing the delay in the national carrier’s takeoff.

“I think what the committee was a bit mischievous of the Chairman because I was in the House of representatives 20 years ago and the process of public hearing is to listen to the people and then take it to the committee, where clerks will put everything together then the committee will discuss it, take a position and inform the leadership of the House who decides whether it will go to the committee of the whole and then give a verdict.

“But in this case, the committee came, did the so called public hearing and the next thing you heard was that at the same place, same time without discussing the matter, the Chairman said to arrest Hadi Sirika. Such is unheard of and uncalled for.

“Maybe I should use this opportunity to say that the five percent stake shareholding of the company Nigeria air which the Chairman of the committee, Honourable Nnolim asked me for in camera, during executive session, is still available for him.

“But the answer I gave him then is still the same I will give him now. He should please go to the owners of Nigeria Air. I don’t do anything in secrecy. I am a public official and responsible for my actions and inactions. So I am saying that what he asked me in private, I am telling him now publicly that he should go and approach the owners of Nigeria Air,” the former Minister disclosed.

He further claimed that while the airline operators under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), begged him to truncate the project, Nnolimi Nnaji demanded a five percent equity in the project as a precondition for the support of the House committee.

The Minister said his refusal to consent to the demand must have made Nnaji describe Nigeria Air as a fraud.

The former minister said he made a recording of his conversation with Nnaji, whom he alleged did not do a thorough job as a House committee Chairman.