Senator Hadi Sirika, former Minister of Aviation, has accused Hon. Nnolim Nnaji who called the launch of Nigeria Air a fraud of wanting 5% ownership of the National Carrier Air.
During a House of Representatives hearing, the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, labelled Nigeria Air’s debut a fraud.
He had pointed out flaws in the project and chastised the federal government for its inadequate management.
Nnaji stated that after thorough consideration, his committee was displeased with Sirika’s activities.
“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,” he had said.
But speaking when he appeared on ARISE TV on Sunday, Sirika said the lawmaker approached him and asked for five percent shares of the airline for “him and his people”.
“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 has taken place, and some people won. So, I think you should go to those people and ask for the 5 percent.”
When Reuben Abati, anchor of the show, asked the former Minister to clarify if the lawmaker indeed asked for a bribe for himself and other legislators, Sirika 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 be his family, his members, or his 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”.
‘I was a member of the House of Representatives 20 years ago, and 10 years ago, I was a senator.” I know the workings of the National Assembly. He called for a public hearing. And right under the public hearing, he just turned the paper over and read the riot act. The practise in the National Assembly is that after hearing people complain, you now go and sit down as a committee, discuss the issues, raise them, approach the whole house of reps, take the 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.”
