Hadi Sirika said Nigeria Air collapsed because domestic airlines blocked the Ethiopian Airlines deal in court, insisting the agreement was transparent and not fraudulent.
Former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Hadi Sirika, has blamed domestic airlines for the collapse of the Nigeria Air project, saying the deal with Ethiopian Airlines was transparent and duly approved.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, Sirika said Air Peace, Azman and United Nigeria Airlines opposed the venture because Nigeria would only hold a five percent stake.
“We had an airline, but some people (Air Peace, United and Azman) went to court to say we cannot establish an airline where we take five per cent. That was what stalled it,” he said.
The former minister explained that the project, structured as a public-private partnership, passed through the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and the Federal Executive Council. He dismissed allegations of misappropriation, insisting that only ₦3 billion of the ₦5 billion budgeted was released, with much of it spent on consultancy and staffing.
Sirika argued that Ethiopian Airlines was the logical partner given its 79-year record and Africa-wide dominance. He urged Nigerians to use the Freedom of Information Act to verify documents and disprove claims of fraud.