Nigeria Air: Northern Forum Demands Probe Of Sirika

Concerned Northern Forum (CNF) has called for the arrest and prosecution of immediate past aviation minister, Hadi Sirika over the controversial Nigerian Air.

The forum in a statement signed by chairman of the forum Ali Muhammad said the call for arrest of the former minister followed the recent revelation by the interim managing director of Nigeria Air, Captain Dapo Olumide, when he appeared before the Senate committee on aviation, where he stated that the aircraft used for unveiling of the Nigeria Air was rented from Ethiopian Airline.

“No wonder the unveiling was quick. No details were made available, no one has the eyes to say he saw any features of the plane or anything,” he said.

 The managing director also disclosed that the airline was yet to secure an operating licence for full flight operations, disagreeing with earlier declarations of the former minister, Sirika.

The forum explained why the minister was so adamant and insisted on going ahead with the unveiling of the Nigerian Air even when there was a court order acting against that same matter, because it’s a half-baked project, driven by lies, deception, corruption and personal money benefits to the Minister amounting to billions of Naira.

According to the group, “this is deception and breach of trust should not go unpunished. Sirika must be brought to face the law.

It is also a disregard for the rule of law and the entire justice system to proceed on matters against the order of a competent court of law.

“The minister has acted with so much impunity on several occasions as if the law cannot get to him. He has continuously operated as a tyrant minister, refusing to listen to no one, the aviation experts, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) who advised against this project.

“This national embarrassment and waste of resources incurred on the country would have been averted if he had listened to advice, yet Sirika went ahead knowing it was a charade, to deceive Nigerians and pocket billions to himself,” it stated.

The forum described the act of the minister as fraudulent, very much within the reach of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should as a matter of national urgency immediately arrest and investigate Sirika for committing financial and other related crimes, as he has been deceiving Nigerians for eight years and now he is lobbying for Ministerial appointment.

“We therefore caution and call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to consider him for Ministerial position or any appointment in his administration, rather he should be behind bars for siphoning public wealth and covering it with more lies and deception.

“The EFCC must not waste any more time in arresting Hadi Sirika alongside all his co-perpetrators that took part in deceiving Nigeria, and shaming it before the international community, they should be investigated thoroughly, and provide reasonable and acceptable answers with respect to Nigeria Air Project or be made to lie on their bed as they have so made it,” the forum stated.