Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has dismissed allegations that the controversial Nigeria Air project under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was a scam.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday, Sirika insisted that the project followed due process and was structured as a public-private partnership, regulated by the Infrastructure Concessioning Regulatory Commission (ICRC).
“It is a lie that I spent N100 billion and it is lost in the process. The total budget for the national carrier was N5 billion, the total amount released was N3 billion, and I left the ministry with over N1 billion,” he stated.
Sirika, who has been facing trial for alleged corruption and abuse of office since leaving office in 2023, is accused by the EFCC of awarding multi-billion-naira contracts to companies linked to his daughter, Fatima Sirika, and son-in-law, Jalal Hamma, including an alleged N1.3 billion contract awarded to Al Buraq Global Investment Limited for an unexecuted aviation project.
On speculations that his recent visit to the Presidential Villa was an attempt to secure a soft landing, Sirika denied, stressing that the matter was before the court and not for media trial.
“The purpose of the meeting was to officially pay condolences to the President after the demise of our leader, Muhammadu Buhari, and to assure him of our party’s support. I am a very clean man. The government has every instrument to check my character,” he maintained.
The Nigeria Air project was launched in the final months of Buhari’s administration but has remained mired in controversy
