EFCC probes Nigeria Air officials over project denounced fraudulent by lawmakers
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika has been summoned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to explain the Nigeria Air project, which he claimed cost N3 billion, but is denounced as a scam by federal lawmakers.
Sources said the EFCC will investigate the N3 billion spent, an amount some stakeholders insisted is actually more than N80 billion.
“I can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation in that regard,” the source told The Guardian.
“We have already questioned some officials of Nigerian Air. We have invited the former Aviation minister, Hadi Sirika. We are expecting him within the week.”
Sirika had, at the twilight of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, caused the supposed launch of Nigeria Air on May 26 using an Ethiopian Airline aircraft.
Stakeholders were enraged when an Ethiopian Airline jet arrived in Abuja with Ethiopian Airline particulars was presented as Nigeria’s national carrier.
Sikira explained on Arise TV on June 11 the landing of the aircraft was “a marketing strategy.”
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Lawmakers declare Nigeria Air a fraud
The House of Representatives Aviation Committee declared the launch of Nigeria Air a fraud after the major stakeholders in the deal between the federal government and Ethiopian Airlines denied having knowledge of the launch.
The committee urged President Bola Tinubu to constitute a panel to do a holistic review of the process and advice the government on the way forward.
The committee directed the Ministry of Aviation and its partners in Nigeria Air to immediately suspend flight operations and all other activities about the project.
Lawmakers ‘dissatisfied’ with Sirika’s actions
“After careful evaluation of the issues on deliberation [the committee] is totally dissatisfied with the actions of the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirka, in going ahead to flag off the operations of Nigeria Air despite a standing court injunction against such and without any provision for sustaining the operations of the airline,” Committee Chairman Nnolim Nnaji said, per ThisDay.
“We are equally irked by the role played by Ethiopian Airline in this whole process. It does not speak well of the excellent brotherly relationship existing between our two nations.
“A careful review of the process indicates the exercise to be highly opaque, shrouded in secrecy, shoddy and capable of ridiculing and tarnishing the image of Nigeria before the international community.
“We want to put on record that the committee and indeed the National Assembly had no role in the purported launch of Nigeria Air or anything related thereof.
“While the committee and indeed the Parliament is not opposed to Nigeria having a national carrier, as a matter of fact having a national carrier is highly desirable to us as a people and Nigeria, as a nation. However, such a process should be transparent and all embracing.
“We as a committee would not accept any attempt by any individual or group of individuals or organisation to hide under the project and siphon our commonwealth.”
The committee demanded that all individuals, or groups, “or organisation involved in the controversial shenanigan named Nigeria Air take off be brought to book, prosecuted and sanctioned.”