A witness has testified that former Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika awarded contracts to unqualified companies.
In his trial, which continued on Monday, 27 January 2025, the Fifth Prosecution Witness, PW5, Musa Odiniyan, informed Justice S. C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court that the company, Al Buraq Global Investment, was not qualified for the contract awarded for the repairs of Katsina Airport by the ministry under the leadership of the first defendant.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting Sirika and three others: Fatima Hadi Sirika, Jalal Sule Hamma, and Al Buraq Global Investment, on six-count amended charges bordering on contract fraud to the tune of N2,825,032,220.97 (Two Billion, Eight Hundred and Twenty-Five Million, Thirty-Two Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty Naira, Ninety-Seven Kobo).
During a cross-examination by counsel to the fourth defendant, Michael Numa, SAN, the witness reaffirmed his position in his evidence that the company could not have qualified for the bidding process or the contract award if open and competitive bidding was done.
“We use some criteria for determining the award of contracts for companies. I still maintain that if it was an open competitive bidding, the company Al Buraq may not have qualified,” he stated.
He also revealed that the reason for which the contract was paid for was simply to ensure that it was completed and commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari before he left office.
“The reason for that payment was for the project to be implemented and commissioned before the exit of the former president. It was not for variation. The accounting officer sourced money from every relevant route to actualise the project. The N800 million is a budgetary allowance to support the actualisation of the project,” he said.
Odiniyan, a retired director in the Procurement Department, Ministry of Aviation, also informed the court that two of the ministry’s contracts awarded to Alburak and Enginos on the Apron and Terminal Building of Katsina Airport, respectively, were captured under two different budget codes but appeared in a single code in the Procurement Department.
The judge adjourned the case till March 10, 2025, for continuation of the cross-examination.
