Former Minister, Sirika accuses HOR Committee Chair of demanding stakes in Nigeria Air

Hadi Sirika, the former Aviation Minister, has accused Honorable Nnolim Nnaji, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, of demanding a 5 per cent stake in Nigeria Air during the formation of the national carrier.
Sirika, speaking during a programme on ARISE TV on Sunday, Nnaji, approached him and asked for the shares for himself and ‘his people’.
“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 queried the decision of Nnaji and his committee to label the launch of Nigeria Air as a fraud and accused the committee of 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.
“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,” Sirika said.