Former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, has dismissed claims that the Nigeria Air project, introduced under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was a scam.
Gatekeepers News reports that he insisted the initiative was conceived with “good intentions” and followed due process.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday, Sirika said: “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.”
He rejected reports alleging that N100 billion was mismanaged, clarifying that only N3 billion was released out of the N5 billion budgeted for the national carrier.
“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.
Nigeria Air was unveiled in the final days of Buhari’s administration. Since then, Sirika has faced scrutiny, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accusing him of awarding contracts worth billions to companies linked to his family. His daughter, Fatima Sirika, and son-in-law, Jalal Hamma, were alleged beneficiaries of a N2.7 billion aviation contract allegedly split to bypass approvals. Their company, Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, reportedly received N1.3 billion for a contract that was never executed.
Addressing speculations about his visit to the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, Sirika denied seeking a “soft landing,” stressing that the corruption allegations against him remain before the court.
“The purpose of the meeting was to officially pay our condolences to the President, who did extremely well after the demise of our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari. Also, to appreciate him for what he has done and to assure him of the support of our party for which he is our leader. Unfortunately, this matter is in the court of law and it is not a matter that should be subjected to the press.”
Sirika maintained his innocence, adding: “I am a very clean man. I have worked with people. The government has every instrument at their disposal to find my character.”
