Former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, has pushed back against corruption allegations tied to the Nigeria Air project, insisting that he left office with a surplus.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Wednesday, September 3, Sirika denied claims that funds allocated for the national carrier were squandered.
“It is a lie that I spent N100 billion and it is lost in the process. The total budget for the national carrier was N5bn, the total amount released was N3 billion and I left the ministry with over N1 billion,” he stated.
Sirika, who served two terms under former President Muhammadu Buhari, said the project was approved and monitored by the Infrastructure Concessioning Regulatory Commission (ICRC).
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“It is a public-private partnership which was regulated by the Infrastructure Concessioning Regulatory Commission who gave certificates, participated actively in the process,” he explained.
His remarks come as the former minister faces trial for alleged abuse of office. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused him of awarding contracts worth billions to firms linked to his family, including his daughter and son-in-law.
But Sirika avoided direct comment on the case, saying it was before the courts. Instead, he stressed that his recent visit to the Presidential Villa was to pay condolences and reaffirm support for President Bola Tinubu.
“I am very clean man. I have worked with people. The government has every instrument at their disposal to find my character,” Sirika added.