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Tag: Hadi Sirika

EFCC Invites Hadi Sirika, Probe Controversial Launch Of ‘Nigeria Air’
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has summoned the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, to appear before the commission regarding the controversial launch of Nigerian Air in Abuja recently.
The anti-graft agency has reportedly also questioned officials of Nigerian Air, whose launch has continued to generate concerns among industry stakeholders.
The controversy surrounding the Nigerian Air launch intensified after reports indicated that an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft, painted in Nigerian Air livery, was used for the inauguration.
Stakeholders expressed their dissatisfaction, arguing that a national carrier should not rely on a foreign airline for its launch.
Responding to the allegations, Sirika said the use of the Ethiopian Airlines aircraft was a “marketing strategy.”
Meanwhile, findings have shown that Sirika has yet to honour the anti-graft agency’s invitation.
It was gathered that some officials of the controversial national carrier, including the Acting Managing Director, Captain Dapo Olumide, had been invited for questioning.
An official close to the development said, “The former aviation minister, Sirika has been invited by the commission over an ongoing investigation which includes the Nigeria Air project.
“Although Sirika is yet to honour the commission’s invite, some other officials of Nigeria Air have been questioned, and the acting MD was invited for questioning too,” a source revealed.
“Sirika wasn’t the only person that was invited, other officials were invited too, and some of them have been interrogated and their statements taken by the commission but Sirika is yet to appear for questioning.”
Confirming the development following an inquiry by our correspondent, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said Sirika had been invited by the anti-graft agency over an ongoing investigation.
He, however, said he could not confirm whether the ex-minister had honoured the invitation or not.
Uwujaren said, “I can confirm that the commission has invited former minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika over an ongoing investigation.
“But I’m not sure and I can’t confirm whether or not he has honoured the invite. Concerning other officials being questioned, I can’t confirm that too, but an investigation is ongoing.”
June 16, 2023
Nigeria Air to Fly Before May 29 – Sirika
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has announced that the proposed national carrier, Nigeria Air will fly before May 29th, 2023.
Speaking at the 10th Aviation stakeholders forum on Thursday, March 23, Sirika revealed that the project is 98 percent complete. He added;
“The airline will fly before May 29th this year”.
March 23, 2023
COVID-19 Red List: Nigeria Has Initiated Steps To Overturn Decision – FG
Nigeria has initiated diplomatic steps to reverse the country’s inclusion into a red list by some nations.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who represented the Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, stated at an emergency briefing by the committee on Monday.
According to him, the move is in the best interest of all parties, noting that the country is expecting a positive response within a week.
He noted that the PSC has also evaluated the developments on the relationship between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), stating that the Federal Government’s position is in line with established ICAO Protocols and the spirit of the BASA signed with the UAE.
Sirika insisted that Nigeria’s sovereignty remains paramount and that mutual respect will be upheld as a guiding principle in the best interest of the nation.
The minister promised that the PSC will reveal the next line of action on Monday, 20th December.
According to him, so far, the death toll from COVID-19 in the country has been below 3,000.
Sirika added that Nigeria is yet to receive a letter circulating on social media and indicating a revised travel restriction update purportedly from the UAE.
Earlier in the day, a memo complete with a reference number and allegedly from the United Arab Emirates had emerged stating that owing to an increasing number of COVID-19 infected passengers at destination, it has decided to stop accepting Nigerian passengers into the country.
December 13, 2021
FG to Restrict Airlines from UK, Saudi Arabia, Others in response to Omicron travel ban
The Federal Government is to ban flights from the United Kingdom, Canada, Argentina and Saudi Arabia in retaliation against their decisions to have included Nigeria in red list countries.
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed this in a leaked audio, where he revealed that the ban on the three nations would be announced on Monday or Tuesday by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19.
The Federal Government had repeatedly kicked against the ban on Nigeria by the UK, Canada and Saudi Arabia after the outbreak of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
In the leaked audio, Sirika was providing explanations on why the Federal Government reduced Emirates Airlines daily flights into Nigeria to only one weekly flight, and went ahead to stress that countries that placed Nigeria on red list would receive similar fate from Nigeria.
He said, “Also, there is a case of Saudi Arabia, which put Nigeria on the banned list – no visa, no travel, etc. So also Canada. So, today, there was a meeting, I participated in a zoom meeting, COVID-19 task force, just for your information also.
“We have given our input in aviation, it is not acceptable by us and we recommend that those countries – Canada, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and Argentina be also put on red list, as they did similarly to us.
“If they don’t allow our citizens to go into their countries who are their airlines coming to pick from our country?
The minister added, “So, I am very sure that in the next few days, between now and Monday, or perhaps Tuesday, at maximum, all those countries will be put on the red list from the PSC (Presidential Steering Committee) from the task force of COVID-19.
“Once they are put on the red list, which means they are banned, of course, their airlines will be banned. I’m so sorry, we are going through a difficult moment, but we have to do it in the interest of our country.”
The outbreak of COVID-19 had led to various forms of disagreements between the Federal Government and some nations, particularly in the aviation sector.
December 12, 2021
‘We never left Sharjah Airport’ — Air Peace denies UAE’s claim
Air Peace says claims by aviation authorities in the United Arab Emirates on why the country denied its flight slots are untrue.
In a letter addressed to Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, on Saturday, Oluwatoyin Olajide, chief operating officer, Air Peace, described claims by UAE as false and deliberate attempts to damage the airline’s perception in the eyes of the public.
The airline, however, requested the UAE aviation authority to retract the statement and tender an apology.
On Saturday, TheCable reported how the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority blamed Air Peace for pulling out of Sharjah Airport and “so should not expect to retain its flight frequency there”.
Earlier, the federal government had cut Emirate’s slots from 21 to one in retaliation to the UAE’s treatment of Air Peace. The move made the Dubai-based Emirates suspend all its flights to Abuja and Lagos.
“We do not see what wrong Air Peace has done in this whole saga. We are the ones being wronged, and now we are being attacked from a quarter we least expected,” Air Peace said.
“Air Peace has only operated flights into Sharjah Airport alone. The letter went further to deliberately damage our perception in the eyes of the unsuspecting public by stating ‘it would be unreasonable for an airline to expect any airport to maintain their slots when they ceased operating at that airport’!
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“We did several evacuation flights out of Sharjah. So, we never left Sharjah Airport nor did we at any time ‘shifted’ and operated out of DXB (Dubai Airport). The letter deliberately painted us as unserious while at the same time suggesting that we look for other airports in the country to operate from.
“We do not want to join issues in the public space with them as it is unhelpful to both countries. To this end therefore and, for the fact that this falsehood contained in the said letter has painted us in a bad light and gone viral.
“Even though the UAE Minister of Economy may have been misinformed by his aides, we, still, and humbly demand a retraction of the offending accusation of “stopping, shifting and returning” and an unreserved apology tendered to Air Peace.”
December 12, 2021
We rejected 90% of airlines’ applications for expatriates – FG
The federal government says it rejected about 90 percent of the applications by airline operators for expert quotas in their business.
Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, disclosed this in his office in Abuja.
According to the minister, the rejection was basically to ensure that Nigerians are prioritised for such jobs, particularly when there are qualified citizens who could deliver on the positions.
Commenting on the need to preserve jobs in the sector for Nigerians, the minister said his ministry has set up a policy in conjunction with the federal ministry of interior that Nigerians who have the same competency and proficiency as foreigners will be given preference for highly-skilled jobs.
“In other words, if you bring an A380 aircraft, A350 or a B737 Max, if there is a Nigerian captain who is proficient and competent by his licence to fly, that Nigerian will be considered first,” Sirika said.
“Government is not going to lord it on Nigeria Air how they operate, but we are warning the owners of Nigeria Air that Nigerian jobs are paramount. And this is also for every single airline.
“Daily, I receive applications from airlines, Air Peace, Ibom Air, Max Air, Azman, a lot of them, they apply daily to have expert quotas to bring in people.”
Sirika said when the airlines apply to the ministry of interior, the application will be forwarded to his desk and he would send it to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), “for it to advise us whether the person for that job is not available in Nigeria before I will sign my signature”.
“And I can guarantee you that 90 percent of the applications are rejected. And this policy will be strengthened so that Nigerians will get jobs,” he said.
The minister said the federal government had been receiving applications from airlines to bring in airplanes into Nigeria on a daily basis. He said all requests by the airline operators has been granted since he assumed office.
“We will support every single airline in the country. Since I became minister, there is no one who applies to bring in aircraft and I have refused, not one. And they come in daily,” he said.
“And since I became minister, there are about 20 applications by an aircraft company and I haven’t refused anyone yet. And I don’t think I would have refused any.
“This is because it means growth of our industry, jobs for our people, service for the country, and as social democrats, it is the people that matter.”
The minister said the government has been guiding airline operators on the kind of aircraft to deploy for profitability.
According to him, the profit margin in the airline business is meagerly and as such, operators must use airplanes that consume less fuel and deliver efficient services.
Sirika expressed hope that within the next few quarters, aviation will return as the fastest-growing sector of the Nigerian economy.
November 28, 2021
Federal Government Cries Out Over N37bn Debt Owed By Airlines
The Federal Government has raised concerns over a 37 billion naira debt owed by airlines.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika told a media conference today that the airline debt owed agencies like Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has accumulated for over thirteen years and contributes to the poor management of Nigeria’s civil aviation sector.
According to Mr. Sirika, the Federal Government will, in line with current reforms double down on such debtors like the Bi-Courtney which owes 13 billion naira.
Sirika said the government is in the process of intensifying plans towards the concessioning of international airports in the country by the early second quarter of 2022. He said labour has been duly consulted.
The minister also stated that a total of 67 accidents have occurred in the last five years, of which 48 have been reported under the present administration to drive transparency in the system.
July 8, 2021
BREAKING: FG reopens all domestic airports
The Federal Government has announced the reopening of all domestic airports for flight operations.
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika made the announcement at the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Monday.
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Details shortly…
September 14, 2020
FG reiterates commitment to timely completion of Enugu airport
Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika has reiterated Federal Government’s commitment to reopen the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu on or before April 2020.
Sirika disclosed this on Thursday in Enugu while inspecting ongoing rehabilitation works at the airport.
The airport was closed in August 2019 following safety concerns by the ministry on the state of the runway and others facilities.
The Federal Government, then, awarded contracts for the upgrade of the facilities with a view to addressing the concerns.
The minister expressed satisfaction with the level of work at the airport and the competence of the contractor, PWD Nig. Ltd, adding that the date of the delivery of the project had not changed.
He said that the upgrade of the airport was in the best interest of Nigerians, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari was passionate about the ongoing work.
“The contractor is one of the few companies in Nigeria with airport runway experience. We are taking this work very seriously knowing the importance of the airport.
“Every single equipment, system or item that will be needed for operation in this airport will be provided as we hand over to the state.
“We have fortified our approach, including the perimeter fence and soon we will secure them according to the international practice,” he said.
Sirika said that the Federal Government would partner with the state government to provide potable water in the airport.
Also, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Mr Nnolin Nnaji commended the governors of the South-east states for the level of support they have given to the project.
Nnaji expressed optimism that the job would be delivered as schedule.
“As legislators, we have done our part and we pray that the executive will do theirs also to make this work achievable in due time,” Nnaji said.
Enugu State Deputy Governor, Mrs Cecilia Ezeilo, thanked the Federal Government for the job done so far and assured the minister of the support of the state government.
Ezeilo, however, said that the closure was affecting the people of the area, adding that the state government would do what was needed for the work to be completed within stipulated time. (NAN)
January 3, 2020