Hadi Sirika accuses house committee chairman of soliciting 5% bribe in Nigeria Air project

The immediate past Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika has accused the Chairman of, the House Committee on Aviation, Hon. Nnolim Nnaji of soliciting 5% shares in the controversial Nigeria Air project.

Sirika alleged that Nnaji begged for the 5% shares for “himself and his people,’ but he said he directed him to the shareholders.

Speaking in a live programme on Arise TV on Sunday, which was monitored by this online medium, Sirika claimed that the failure of Nnaji to secure the 5%  shares from the Nigeria Air project may have been responsible for his persistent criticism of the airline and described the entire exercise as a fraud.

The live interview was anchored by Dr. Reuben Abati.

Sirika on the 5% bribe

Nnaji had called the entire project a fraud and charged the security agencies to carry out an investigation into the failed airline, which carried out the static display on May 26, 2023, at the Abuja Airport.

• He said: “You know I record all my things anyway and I have it very clear. What I said to him in private I will say it now just to give him some comfort. He asked me to please give him 5% shares of Nigeria Air to carry him along with his people and I told him in private that 5% belongs to the owners and II believe they will be willing to offer him if he has the money.
• “So, it is not me giving it, I didn’t get involved, it was a bidding process. I am very sure they would have reserved 5%  shares for him and his people. So he should approach them and gets the 5%  shares that he needed.
• “I want to assure you that at some point even the 5% shares owned by the Federal Government will go to the market. So, he should get his money ready and buy for him and his people.”

On whether Nnaji and the Committee members were asked to be bribed, Sirika exonerated other members of the committee at the Chairman’s request.

• “Let’s be fair, he did not say other members. He said he wants, him and his people. His people could be his family, members; it could be leadership, but I did not know what he meant, but he and his people was what he said.”

Nnaji could not be reached for comments as efforts made to contact him by our correspondent failed.