Ex-Minister Sirika Exposes Cabals Behind Nigeria Air Collapse

Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has attributed the collapse of the proposed Nigeria Air project to opposition from some domestic airlines operating under the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The ex-minister emphasized that the entire process was transparent, having passed through the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC). However, he accused Air Peace, Azman, and United Nigeria Airlines of frustrating the plan because of Nigeria’s limited ownership stake in the project.

Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television, Sirika clarified that contrary to reports that ₦100 billion was spent, the total budget allocated for the project was ₦5 billion, with only ₦3 billion actually released. He added that a significant portion of the funds went into consultancy and staffing.

Sirika explained that the partnership with Ethiopian Airlines was strategic, as no local carrier possessed the capacity to compete with global mega-airlines. He lamented that lawsuits filed by domestic airlines stalled the project, which had already reached its final stages.

Defending the deal, he insisted there was no fraud, challenging critics to invoke the Freedom of Information Act and obtain documents from the Ministry of Aviation and ICRC to verify the transparency of the process.

According to him, “This airline, whether now or in the future, will eventually take off. Ethiopian Airlines won the bid fairly, and everything was done by the book. The project was not fraudulent.”