Official Announcement: Nigeria Air's Mismanagement Unveiled - Sirika Identifies Key Figures Involved
In a recent interview on Channels Television, Hadi Sirika, the former Minister of Aviation, addressed the controversies surrounding the failed launch of Nigeria Air, the proposed national carrier of Nigeria.
Sirika stated that the bid process for Nigeria Air was transparent, with some local airlines participating. However, he claimed that the legal challenges initiated by certain local carriers ultimately stalled the entire process. The specific names of the airlines involved in the lawsuit are not publicly disclosed.
The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) regulated the process for Nigeria Air. The ICRC issued a certificate for the OBC and ABS for Nigeria Air, indicating the approval of the project's plans.
Sirika asserted that there was no fraud in the establishment of Nigeria Air. He claimed that if there was fraud, it would have been exposed. He also suggested that people should go to the ICRC to get the documents and establish where any fraud occurred.
The total budget for Nigeria Air was ₦5 billion, and the total amount released was ₦3 billion. Nearly a third of the ₦2 billion spent on Nigeria Air went into consultancy fees. The balance of the money spent was used for staff salaries.
Sirika also suggested that Nigerians should invoke the Freedom of Information Act to access the documents on the project. He did not arrogate to himself the knowledge of aviation alone during the bid process for Nigeria Air.
A partnership with Ethiopian Airlines was in place for Nigeria Air. Ethiopian Airlines, which has been operating for 79 years and has made a statement on how to run an airline, won the bid for Nigeria Air fair and square, according to Sirika.
Sirika challenged the current Aviation Minister's submission that the deal for Nigeria Air was a bad one. He left with over a billion naira after the process for Nigeria Air, but the specifics of the financial arrangements are not clear.
The failure of Nigeria Air has been blamed on the activities of Air Peace, Azman, and United Nigeria Airlines by Sirika. However, he did not provide specific evidence to support this claim.
Despite the failed launch, Sirika stated that all relevant documents on the project can be obtained at the Ministry of Aviation. He encouraged transparency and invited the public to scrutinise the documents to form their own conclusions.
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