THE Former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika has dismissed allegations that the Nigeria Air project introduced under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was fraudulent.
Speaking yesterday on Channels Tv, Sirika insisted that the initiative was a properly regulated public-private partnership.
He explained that the Infrastructure Concessioning Regulatory Commission (ICRC) actively supervised the process, issuing certificates to ensure compliance.
“It is false that I spent ₦100 billion and it got lost in the process,” he said. “The total budget for the national carrier was ₦5 billion, with ₦3 billion released. I left the ministry with over ₦1 billion still intact.”
Nigeria Air was unveiled towards the end of Buhari’s tenure, but the project was met with skepticism and legal opposition from domestic airlines under the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), who sued the Federal Government.
Since leaving office in 2023, Sirika has been on trial for alleged corruption and abuse of office.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused him of awarding multi-billion-naira aviation contracts to companies linked to his daughter, Fatima Sirika, and son-in-law, Jalal Hamma.
According to the EFCC, one of their firms, Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, received ₦1.3 billion for a contract that was never executed.
When asked if his recent visit to the Presidential Villa was to secure a “soft landing,” Sirika denied the claim, stressing that his case remains before the courts.
He explained that the visit was to condole with President Bola Tinubu following the passing of former President Buhari and to reaffirm his party’s loyalty.
“I am a very clean man,” Sirika maintained. “The government has all the instruments to assess my character. Unfortunately, since the matter is in court, it should not be subjected to public debate.”