HURIWA seeks Sirika’s arrest, probe over Nigeria Air project
HUMAN Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, over alleged ‘fraudulent’ unveiling of Nigeria Air.
It described as indefensible excuses given for the “shabby” deal.
In a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group labelled as “conspiratorial, the silence and inaction of the anti-graft commission’s reluctance to arrest Sirika despite allegations of fraud levelled against him by both the Senate and House of Representatives.”
It charged the President Bola Tinubu administration to set up a presidential panel to probe the ex-minister’s time in office and make the report public.
HURIWA said: “Sirika’s empty explanations haven’t answered the critical questions. The issue is, where is Nigeria Air and why hire an aircraft from Ethiopia to deceive Nigerians? In fact, aside from the fact that the so-called national carrier has not secured a single aircraft for its operations, it has also failed to secure an Air Operating Certificate (AOC) from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
“The EFCC should stop pretending not to be aware of the case, not after the National Assembly declared it as fraudulent. The anti-graft commission should immediately arrest the former minister, while the new administration should set up a presidential panel to probe the whole sham.”
Recall that on Sunday, Sirika, who has been under fire over the national carrier project, said he spent nearly N3 billion to hire consultants, pay salaries and cater for the Abuja office of the airline.
On a national television, the erstwhile minister denied embezzling N85 billion meant for the project. He purportedly launched the carrier on May 26, two days to end of the Muhammadu Buhari government amid a standing court order halting the exercise.
His words: “In 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, all the money voted and budgeted for the national carrier was N5 billion. But all that was released is in the neighbourhood of N3 billion, not N85 billion. And all of the N3 billion has not been expended as of the time I left office.
“What was done with the money was nothing but transaction advisory services, the AOC process, salaries, consultancy services and the offices in Abuja. No contract was given by Hadi Sirika or the administration at the time. These are the things that the money was used for.”
He accused a House of Representatives member, Nnolim Nnaji, of allegedly asking for five per cent equity shares in the national carrier.
The lawmaker had described the controversial project as a fraud and condemned the use of an Ethiopian Airlines’ registered aircraft during the launch last month.
