Senator Hadi Sirika, former Minister of Aviation, on Sunday, disclosed that the House of Representative member who branded the launch of Nigeria Air as fraud demanded five percent shares of the National Carrier Air from him.
An aircraft purportedly belonging to the national carrier was unveiled by the immediate past Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport premises in Abuja on 26 May.
The Managing Director of Nigeria Air, Dayo Olumide, disclosed that the aeroplane was a chartered one from Ethiopia Airlines.
Olumide made this known while answering questions from senators on Monday, adding that it was launched in 2018 and that his responsibility was to secure an operating certificate for the airline.
Some Nigerians on the internet had called for the arrest and prosecution of the immediate past Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika,
The House of Representatives also poked holes in the purported launch of Nigeria Air at the twilight of the administration of former President, Muhammadu Buhari, declaring it a fraud.
Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, declared the launch of Nigeria Air a fraud after the major stakeholders in the deal between the Federal Government and Ethiopian Airlines denied knowledge of the launch.
The House Committee called for the suspension of the establishment of Nigeria Air, and prosecution of those involved in the unveiling of the national carrier by the previous administration, describing the exercise as a fraud.
The resolutions were reached on Tuesday during the committee’s interactive session with some government officials and other relevant bodies in the sector at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
However 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.
“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, 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”.
‘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 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 the 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.”