Rep member who called Nigeria Air fraud asked me for bribe – Hadi Sirika
The immediate past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has reacted to claims emanating from the House of Representatives alleging that the launch of the national airline, Nigeria Air, was a fraud.
According to the former Minister, the lawmaker credited with the comment had tried to pressure him into allotting to him some shares of the national carrier.
It’d be recalled that the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji had, during a hearing by the House of Representatives, alleged that the launch of Nigeria Air was a fraud.
While picking holes in the project, Nnaji criticised the Federal Government for what he called poor handling of the entire process.
He also said, after a careful evaluation of the matter, his committee was dissatisfied with how Sirika handled the project.
“We are equally irked by the role played by Ethiopian Airlines 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,” Nnaji had said.
Responding to the allegation, the former Aviation Minister said the lawmaker approached him and asked for five per cent shares of the airline for “him and his people”.
Sirika disclosed this when he appeared on an ARISE TV program on Sunday, June 11, 2023, to clear the controversy surrounding the launch of the airline.
He said, “On the issue of Hon Nnaji who called Nigeria Air launch a fraud, I will respond now. I will say exactly what I told him in private when we spoke.
“Hon Nnaji asked me that I should give him 5% of Nigeria to carry him along with his people, and I said to him at that time, Honourable, a bidding process that has taken place, and some people won. So, I think you should go to those people and ask for the 5 per cent.”
When the show anchor, Reuben Abati, asked the former Minister to explain in clear terms if the lawmaker asked for a bribe for himself and other legislators, he said “Let’s be fair, Hon Nnaji didn’t say other members.
“He said he wants it for himself and his people. His people could his be his family, could be members and it could be leadership. I don’t know, but he insisted on 5%. I said that he should relax and approach the owners. That’s exactly what I told him.”
The former Minister also criticised Nnaji and the aviation committee for conducting what translated to a “predetermined hearing”.
Sirika said, “I was a member of the House of Reps 20 years ago, and 10 years ago, I was a Senator. I know the workings of the National Assembly. He [Nnaji] called for a public hearing. And right under the public hearing, he just turned the paper and read the riot act.
“The practice in the National Assembly is that after hearing people and then complain, you now go and sit down as a committee, discuss the issues, raise them, approach the whole house of reps and take position of the house plus leadership and come back and make your findings known, but not immediately you just read the riot Act out. It means is predetermined.”
