The Concerned Northern Forum (CNF) has demanded Hadi Sirika, a former aviation minister, be detained and the Nigerian Air Scandal be looked into.
In a statement released on Thursday, Ali Mohammed, the Forum’s chairman, stated: “The call for the arrest of Hadi Sirika followed the recent revelation by Captain Dapo Olumide, interim MD of the so-called Nigeria Air, who claimed that Ethiopian Airlines provided the plane used for the unveiling of Nigeria Air.
”No wonder the unveiling was quick, no details were made available, and no one has the eyes to say he saw any features of the plane or anything.
“He also said the airline was yet to secure an operating license 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 Nigeria Air, even when there was a court order 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.
“This is deception and a breach of trust that should not go unpunished, Hadi Sirika must be brought to face the law.
”It is also a disregard for the rule of law and the entire justice system to proceed on a matter against the order of a competent court of law.
” The minister has acted with such impunity on several occasions as if the law cannot get to him. He has continuously operated as a tyrant, refusing to listen to anyone, including aviation experts, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), who advised against this project.
“This national embarrassment and waste of resources incurred by the country could have been averted if he had listened to advice, yet Sirika went ahead knowing it was a charade, to deceive Nigerians.
“The EFCC and other anti-graft agencies should, as a matter of national urgency, immediately arrest and investigate Sirika, as he has been deceiving Nigerians for eight years and now he is lobbying for ministerial appointment.
“We, therefore, caution and kindly call on President Tinubu not to consider him for a ministerial position or any appointment in his administration; rather, he should be behind bars.”
“The EFCC must not waste any more time in arresting Hadi Sirika along with all his co-perpetrators that took part in deceiving Nigeria and shaming it before the international community.
”They should be investigated thoroughly, and asked to provide reasonable and acceptable answers with respect to the Nigeria Air project, or be made to lay on their bed as they made it,” he concluded.