Hadi Sirika, the ex-Aviation Minister, has alleged that the legislator who labeled the Nigeria Air launch as a fraudulent act attempted to solicit bribes.
Sirika stated that the lawmaker, Nnolim Nnaji, approached him and requested a five percent stake in the national carrier for himself and his associates during an interview on ARISE TV on Sunday.
“Hon Nnaji asked me that I should give him 5 per cent of Nigeria Air to carry him along with his people.
“I said to him at that time, Honourable, a bidding process has taken place, and some people won. So, I think you should go to those people and ask for the 5 per cent,” Sirika said.
Sirika also criticised Nnaji and the House Committee on Aviation for conducting a “predetermined hearing” on the Nigeria Air project.
“I was a member of the House of Reps 20 years ago, and 10 years ago, I was a Senator,” Sirika said. “I know the workings of the National Assembly. He [Nnaji] called for a public hearing. And right under the public hearing, he just turned the paper and read the riot act. The practice in the National Assembly is that after hearing people and their complaints, you now go and sit down as a committee, discuss the issues, raise them, approach the whole House of reps and take a position of the House plus leadership and come back and make your findings known, but not immediately you just read the riot Act out. It means is predetermined.”
