Nnaji Nnolim, a federal lawmaker and former chairperson of the House of Representatives committee on Aviation, has responded to former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who alleged that Nnolim requested a five percent equity stake in Nigeria Air. Sirika made this claim during an interview on Arise TV while addressing the controversies surrounding the rushed unveiling of Nigeria Air before the end of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration.
In his reaction to Sirika's allegation of the launch of the national carrier being "fraudulent," Nnolim labeled them as lies and fabrications by a "drowning man." He challenged the former Minister to tell Nigerians the truth about the Nigeria Air project. Nnolim stated that his committee received numerous petitions from stakeholders after the announcement of Ethiopian Airlines as the core investor. He emphasized that his demand for transparency and due process in all matters relating to the aviation sector, especially the Nigeria Air project, seems to have made Sirika unhappy.
Nnolim clarified that during a meeting with the Minister and his team, his committee requested evidence of the bid process that awarded Ethiopian Airlines the project and the full business case prepared by the Nigerian Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) detailing the investors and their equity contributions. However, Sirika failed to provide these documents before the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) obtained a court injunction restraining the Ministry from proceeding with the project. Nnolim highlighted that discussions and inquiries were suspended due to the court involvement.
The lawmaker also recounted an encounter with Sirika when there was a potential threat of mass resignations by key personnel of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) due to pressure from the Ministry to grant waivers to Nigeria Air for obtaining an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC). He explained that he issued a statement warning the former Minister against undermining the authority of NCAA, emphasizing the severe consequences it could have on Nigeria's air transport sector. Additionally, Nnolim mentioned that the institutional investors Sirika mentioned as participants in the project have all denied their involvement.
Nnolim concluded by stating that Sirika's allegations against him are baseless and an attempt to divert attention from the main issue. He urged the former Minister to focus on revealing the truth about the Nigeria Air project, emphasizing that he, Nnolim Nnaji, is not Sirika's problem.
