“Government did not pay any money for Ethiopian Airlines to bring in the aircraft. It is the airline’s marketing strategy as a partner. No penny was paid to Ethiopian airlines. There is no iota of truth in reports indicating that federal government paid money to bring in the aircraft,” were part of the words with which former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, brushed off allegations of underhand dealings in the unveiling of Nigeria Air, Nigeria’s proposed national carrier.
Breaking his silence on Sunday, the former Minister, who had come under intense attacks, since the incident, with Nigerians calling for his arrest by President Bola Tinubu, dismissed all the allegations levied against him and the organisation.
But he did not stop there, but actually revealed that contrary to him committing any fraud, it was actually persons in the National Assembly, who had accused him of soiling his hands that were the culprits, particularly accusing the Nnoli Nnaji, Chairman of the Committee on Aviation, of asking for five per cent equity of the new airline through the back door.
Sirika, a guest on Arise TV/Thisdaylive programme, revealed how after the bidding process, Nnaji called him on the phone and asked that he and his people be given the shares, said that he declined, explaining to the lawmaker that since bidding had been concluded he should access the needed shares from the shareholders.
Both the House and Senate committees had upbraided the former Minister over the process employed by him and his team, describing it as total fraud, while demanding that Tinubu, should order the arrest of all those involved.
But in a major push-back on Sunday, to the call, which other Nigerians have joined in demanding, especially after the arrest of Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria by the Department of State Services (DSS), Sirika, hinted that the data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and Compilation of Budgetary Allocations alleging that N85 billion was spent on the national carrier in eight years, was not true.
His words: “Between 2016 to 2023, all the money that was approved was five billion naira and only three billion naira was released and not all has been spent. The money spent so far was spent on transaction advisory, salaries, office in Abuja, consultancy and Air Operating Certificate (AOC) processes.
He explained that Nigeria Air is 95 percent private sector driven with 49 percent shares owned by Ethiopian Airlines, 15 percent owned by SAHCO, 31 percent owned by others and just five percent owned by the federal government
He said Ethiopian Airlines will be investing 49 percent of 200 million dollars into the project as the main investor.
Speaking on the launch of the airline, the former minister said Ethiopian Airlines did not want to wait to be issued an AOC before they do the unveiling, adding that Ethiopian airlines decided to carry out the unveil of the airline as part of their marketing strategy.
He said he did not know why SAHCO, one of the investors wasn’t invited for the unveil, adding that just as others were he invited to witness the unveil, he Sirika was also invited by the owners of the airline.
“The Unveiling of Nigeria Air was done by the owners of the airline and not the federal government. The owners led by Ethiopian Airlines will be ready to fly when the AOC is ready. The unveiling of Nigeria Air was just to showcase the brand,” Sirika said.
He said Ethiopian Airlines are permitted by law to operate into Nigeria as scheduled flight, chartered flight or cargo flight.
The former minister said Ethiopian Airlines chose to operate Nigeria Air as charted flight and government did not pay any money for them to bring in the flight or brand the aircraft.
“Ethiopian Airlines took back the aircraft after the unveil since the AOC is not ready. Ethiopian Airlines are masters at the game. They will not keep an aircraft on ground to be accumulating debts. So, when the AOC is ready, the airline would be ready to fly,” Sirika explained.