The House of Representatives has asked its Aviation Committee to summon former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika to conduct a briefing on the Nigeria Air project. The briefing is scheduled to discuss the project’s development since it was handed over and address its controversies.
This resolution was adopted following a motion titled “Need to Investigate the National Air Carrier Project,” moved by Tarkighir Dickson, representing Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency, on Thursday.
The House expressed awareness that the previous administration spent billions of naira on acquiring a new national carrier. Despite the huge expenditure of funds provided by taxpayers, the project’s status remains unclear.
The House has also asked Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, to offer insight into the national carrier project and Sirika.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has also been invited to update the committee on the Nigeria Air project and its certifications, especially those pertaining to the national carrier.
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The House extended invitations to eight local airlines. This move aims to provide the House with a full understanding of the initiative.
The committee has also been entrusted with undertaking a forensic audit of the Nigeria Air process, with a report due in four weeks, clearing the path for more legislative action.
The House has also called on the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Budget, National Planning, and Finance ministries to provide necessary data and financial resources related to the project.
Mr Sirika first presented the aviation roadmap in 2015, with the national carrier as the marquee project, intending to deliver it to Nigerians by the conclusion of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
Days before President Buhari departed from office on May 26, Mr Sirika introduced the Boeing 737-800 with a paint job “Nigeria Air” as the national carrier’s first aircraft
It has since been discovered that Sirika approached Ethiopian Airlines shortly before the handover to provide an aircraft that could be made available to Nigerians as an aircraft belonging to Nigeria Air.
