Nnolim Nnaji, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, has refuted claims that he requested a five percent equity in Nigeria Air. Nnaji dismissed the allegations made by former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, stating that Sirika’s statements were an attempt to salvage his reputation amidst the criticism he faced following the controversial unveiling ceremony of Nigeria Air.
In response to Sirika’s accusations, Nnaji released a statement on Sunday, asserting that the former minister was unhappy with his demand for transparency and adherence to due process in all matters related to the aviation sector, particularly the Nigeria Air project.
Nnaji further explained that when the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) filed a lawsuit against the Ministry and Nigeria Air, obtaining an injunction to halt the project, the House suspended further inquiries. As a result, Nnaji emphasized that he would not have normally responded to Sirika’s allegations regarding the demand for a five percent equity in Nigeria Air. However, he felt obliged to set the record straight for the sake of his constituents and all Nigerians.
Nnaji clarified that when Ethiopian Airlines was announced as a core investor in Nigeria Air, his committee received numerous petitions from stakeholders regarding the announcement. Consequently, they invited the Minister and his team to provide the committee with project details. The committee requested evidence of the bidding process that led to Ethiopian Airlines being awarded the contract, as well as the full business case prepared by the Nigerian Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), which would outline the details of all investors and their equity contributions.
During the meeting, Sirika stated that the Full Business Case was still being developed by the ICRC and promised to provide it to the committee once it was ready. However, he failed to fulfill this promise before the AON took legal action against the Ministry, resulting in the court injunction.
Nnaji emphasized that all discussions and inquiries were suspended to avoid contempt of court. However, he encountered Sirika again when he issued a statement opposing the pressure from the Ministry to grant waivers to Nigeria Air for it to secure an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), which led to threats of mass resignations by key personnel of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
While Nnaji acknowledged the necessity of suspending discussions on the project due to court involvement, he stood by his consistent demand for due process. He called on Sirika to address the truth about the Nigeria Air project and refrain from diverting attention by making baseless allegations against him. Nnolim Nnaji emphasized that he is not Sirika’s problem; rather, the focus should be on the transparency and integrity of the project itself.
