June 11, (THEWILL) – Former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has accused Hon. Nnolim Nnaji of bribery in relation to the Nigeria Air project, while he was still serving as a Minister.
During a hearing by the House of Representatives, Nnaji, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, had declared the launch of Nigeria Air a fraud.
He also faulted some aspects of the project, criticising the Federal Government for what he described as poor handling.
In response to the fraud allegation, Sirika, on Sunday, during an interview on ARISE TV, accused the lawmaker of demanding five percent shares of the national carrier from him.
He said, “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 Air 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” on the Nigeria Air project.
“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 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 complaints, you now go and sit down as a committee, discuss the issues, raise them, approach the whole House of Reps and take a 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 it’s pre-determined,” Sirika added.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
