Embattled former aviation minister, Hadi Sirika has been reportedly summoned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the whitewashed Ethiopian Airplane that was launched as Nigeria Air by the Sirika and some officials of the ministry.
A report Thursday said that while the former minister was due to appear before the Commission within the week to answer questions related to the launch of Nigerian Air, some official of the Ministry have earlier been questioned in connection with the same matter.
Wilson Uwujaren, spokesperson for the EFCC, was said to have confirmed that there was an ongoing investigation but could not give further details.
He was quoted to have said- “I can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation in that regard,” he said.
Sources were also quoted to have said that the EFCC would look at the N3 billion sunk into the project though some stakeholders insisted that over N80 billion was expended on the project.
It would be recalled that Sirika had, few days to the end of Buhari’s administration, hurriedly put up a ceremony to launch the so-called Nigerian Air, which hitherto, had gulped billions of Naira with no progress made in the past four years.
The launch saw the former minister and other government dignitaries, unveil an aircraft which was later reported to belong to Ethiopian airline.
The disclosure, and subsequent allegations of massive fraud and bribery had since set Sirika running from pillar to post as well as granting series of media interviews in desperate efforts to extricate himself.
The minister had said at a recent Arise News Channel interview that the landing of the Ethiopian aircraft in Abuja, was “a marketing strategy.”
One of the EFCC sources was quoted to have said- “We have already questioned some officials of Nigerian Air. We have invited the former Aviation minister, Hadi Sirika.
“We are expecting him within the week.”
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) disclosed last week that the airline was still on the first stage in a five-phase process of obtaining Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to operate as a commercial airline.
The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) had also consistently opposed the idea on several grounds