Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, reveals that the federal government released only N3 billion for the Nigeria Air project in the last seven years.
This is even as he declared that the country did not pay a dime for the Chartered Ethiopian Aircraft showcased a few days before the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. He said Ethiopian
Reacting to the allegation that the Aviation Ministry under Sirika had spent N85 billion on the Nigeria Air project, the former Minister said:
“No contract was awarded by Hadi Sirika, these are the things the money was used for. And there is the Freedom of Information Act, people can apply and get all the information about what the money has been used for. The N85 billion being mentioned is only in the imagination of the people carrying it about.”
While admitting that the Ethiopian aircraft that was showcased as the success of the project was chartered, Sirika said the government did not pay for the aircraft as it was brought by Ethiopian Airlines to demonstrate their commitment to the project.
“The AOC owned by Ethiopian Airline is known to Nigeria and the NCAA, they are permitted to come in either with scheduled passengers, chattered or cargo. They have to come in under one of the 3. So, they came as chartered. Being chartered does not mean that anybody paid for anything. The government did not pay a dime for that aircraft to come in.
Several individuals and groups have been calling for the arrest and investigation of the former Minister over allegations of fraud through the Nigeria Air project.
While some argued that the whole project from the beginning lacked transparency, others are saying that the last-minute unveiling of an Ethiopian Airline repainted as Nigeria Air was a fraud for which the Minister has to be prosecuted.
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