Federal Government released N3 billion for Nigeria Air in Seven years – Hadi Sirika 

Following the allegations and criticism on the unveiling of Nigeria Air Limited by the Former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, few days to his leaving office, the former Minister has clarified that only three billion Naira was released for the Nigeria Air project and the funds were spent on consultative services and office maintenance.

The allegation has attracted lots of reactions from Nigerians and Aviation experts saying that the project was an avenue of money embezzlement and was failed since inception.

Sirika stated that the government did not pay for the chartered Ethiopian aircraft showcased as Nigeria Air, as it was brought by Ethiopian Airlines to demonstrate commitment to the project.

He refuted the allegation of spending N85 billion on the project, emphasizing that N5 billion was budgeted and out of that, only N3 billion Naira was released and expended during his tenure for the last seven years, and up until today, the money has not been completely spent, the Minister added.

Read Also: Aviation Minister unveils Nigeria Air

“The government of Nigeria did not pay a dime for Nigeria Air to come for the unveiling that took place on 26 May, 2023, so it is ridiculous to think that we will hire and paint an aircraft for N138 billion which could get us five new Boeing 777max.”

“They have to come in under one of these three options. So, they came as chartered. Being chartered does not mean that anybody paid for anything. The government did not pay a dime for that aircraft to come into the Country.

 “Secondly, there was no revenue passenger in the aircraft because that would have been totally against the law and wouldn’t have been allowed. It was their own marketing strategy as equity partners. 

 “They came to do this unveiling on a special allowance called chartered, and it does not mean that we paid for it. If anybody were to pay for it, it would have been the Ethiopian Airline, not the Nigerian government airline.

 The Air Operator Certificates AOC owned by Ethiopian Airline is known to Nigeria and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority and they are permitted to come in either with scheduled passengers, chattered, or cargo,” he explained.

Several individuals and groups have been calling for the arrest and investigation of the former minister over allegations of fraud through the Nigeria Air project.

Recall that weeks after the mister’s tenure ended, a public hearing committee was set up to investigate the issue, where the chairman House committee on Aviation, Honourable Nnorli Nnaji said the “purported launch” of Nigeria Air is a fraud and called for prosecution of the ministry officials involved in the  project.

He also called for the discontinuation of works leading to Nigeria Air launch.

The former minister reacted saying that “the House committee chairman on aviation demanded for 5% of Nigeria Air for himself and his people and I ask him to approach the owners of the airline.” 

While some argued that the whole project from the beginning lacked transparency, others are saying that the last-minute unveiling of an Ethiopian Airline repainted as Nigeria Air was a fraud for which the Minister has to be prosecuted.

Nigeria Air Limited is yet to begin operations after its unveiling during a live programme on Arise Television in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.