ABUJA, Nigeria (Chatnewstv.com) — Former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika has rejected claims that the Nigeria Air project launched under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari was a scam, insisting funds for the stalled national carrier were properly accounted for.
Speaking Tuesday on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, Sirika defended the project as a legitimate public-private partnership overseen by regulators.
“It is a lie that I spent N100 billion and it is lost in the process,” Sirika said. “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.”
Sirika said the project was conceived with “good intentions” and certified by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, which he noted “gave certificates and participated actively in the process.”
Nigeria Air was unveiled in the final days of Buhari’s administration but has since faced scrutiny. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has accused Sirika of awarding multibillion-naira contracts to companies linked to his family, including his daughter and son-in-law. Investigators say a N2.7 billion aviation contract awarded to their firm was split to bypass approval and not executed.
Sirika dismissed speculation that his recent visit to the Presidential Villa was an attempt to seek a deal.
“The purpose of the meeting was to officially pay our condolences to the president after the demise of our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari,” he said. “Unfortunately, this matter is in the court of law and it is not a matter that should be subjected to the press.”
Maintaining his innocence, Sirika added: “I am a very clean man. I have worked with people. The government has every instrument at their disposal to find my character.”
