By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
The Concerned Northern Forum has called for the arrest and investigation of former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika over the Nigerian Air scandal.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman of the Concerned Northern Forum, Ali Muhammad and made available to the media.
According to the statement, the call for arrest of Hadi Sirika followed the recent revelation by the interim MD of the so called “Nigerian Airline” Captain Dapo Olumide, when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Aviation and stated that the Nigeria Air 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,” the statement explained.
He also made known that the airline was yet to secure an operating licence for full flight operations, disagreeing with earlier declarations of the former Minister, Hadi Sirika.
This explains 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.
The statement added, “This is deception and breach of trust that should not go un-punished, Hadi Sirika must be brought to face the law. It is also a disregard for the rule of law and entire justice system to proceed on matter against the order of a competent court of law.”
It explained that the Minister has acted with so much impunity on several occasions, as if the law cannot get to him, saying that 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.
The statement said that the national embarrassment and waste of resources incurred on the country would have been averted if he had listened to advices, yet Sirika went ahead knowing it was a charade, to deceive Nigerians and pocket billions to himself.
According to the statement, it is a fraud, very much within the reach of the EFCC and the anti graft agency should as a matter of national urgency, immediately arrest and investigate Sirika for commiting financial and other related crimes, as he has been deceiving Nigerians for eight years and now he is lobbying for ministerial appointment.
The group, therefore, cautioned and called on President Tinubu to not consider him for minister or any appointment in his administration, rather he should be behind bars for siphoning public wealth and covering it with more lies and deception.
It said that 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 beds as they have so made it.
