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Tag: Hadi Sirika

  • Nigeria Air project not a fraud-Sirika

    Nigeria Air project not a fraud-Sirika

    Former Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Hadi Sirika has defended the suspended Nigeria Air project, describing it as a good deal for the country.

    The former minister, in an interview on a TV programme on Wednesday monitored by The Nation, refuted claims that the project was fraudulent, saying that the process was transparent and followed the rules of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC).

    He tasked anyone who doubts the project to invoke the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to get details of the project from the ministry.

    He further charged those who claimed the project was fraudulent to provide evidence to support their allegations.

    Contrary to claims that about N100billion was spent on the national carrier project, he said only N5billion was earmarked for the project.

    Sirika also disclosed his plans to detail all that transpired while in office in a book that would be released by him

    Sirika said: “I had no intention to speak about my time in office for now, and I intend to bring up a book on that, but since you asked the question and people will be very interested, I will speak. The project is a Public Private Partnership which was regulated by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), which gave certificates of the Outline Business Case (OBC).

    “Nigeria Air is not a bad deal, and I read in the papers that we spent N100billion or thereabout, and it’s lost in the process, which is a lie. I did say in 2015 to 2023 that the total budget for the national carrier was N5billion and the total amount released was N3 billion and I left there with over a billion naira and the monies or about 2 billion that was spent; nearly a third of it went to the consultancy, that is the business case which is obviously the OBC and so many other consultancies that were given during that time and the balance for the salaries of the staff that we have”.

    He also stated that some airlines took the government to court for adopting.to establish a national carrier.

    He said: “Some airlines went to court; AirPeace, United Nigeria and Azman went to court to say that we cannot as a government establish an airline where we’ll take a stake of five per cent and if there was no court case and if the government that came in had pursued the court case by today, we’ll have the airline”.

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    On how Ethiopian Air emerged the winner of the bid, he said: “Talking about Ethiopian, I did say 95 per cent of all African airlines operating within Africa are non-African. They are the Emirates, Qatar, British Airways etc except for Ethiopian airlines and these people have been for many years running the airline, they have made a statement of how to run the airline and they are african and they came to partner with us to be able to open up the world.

    “Today, the price of tickets out of Abuja to London is more expensive than the ticket from Accra to London and the reason is because we do not have a strong formidable airline with the capacity to continue to do so. We have seen the likes of AirPeace before, they’ve come and gone and what is amiss is that the capacity that they need to build to compete with people who have many airplanes. I don’t think an airline that has one or even five aircraft that are old can compete in the global market with the well-established carriers that have 250 airplanes and expect to operate and make profits.

    He continued: “So, to sum it up, that was all that we did to establish the Nigeria Air before these people went to court”.

    Debunking the claims that the project was a fraud, he said: “There’s no fraud, if there’s fraud by now that I’ve said it, they would have said otherwise and if the minister is saying it, I don’t want to do anything with him because that may go to what they’re claiming to go to court on but if he’s saying it’s a bad idea, Niigerians should invoke the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) which is in place to go to the ministry of aviation where the gentleman sits as the minister and get the documents and also go to ICRC and get the documents and establish where the fraud is.

    “They should go and establish where there’s fraud. It’s all a lie.  it’s This airline whether it is done now or in the future it will come to become because we didn’t arrogate to ourselves the knowledge of aviation alone, those who train those who train those who trained us are alive but what we did is that I personally invited and also officially through official channels invited all of them to come and join and buy shares of that carrier and go into joint venture.

    He added: “The bid happened transparently to which some of those airlines participated in the bid and the airline that emerged won fair and square and it’s not our process, it’s the process of ICRC. They should go and ask ICRC whether they there’s corruption in it and the documents are there.

    “The day we will talk about Nigeria Air would come and my book also would come. I am not a fraudulent person and I didn’t lead a fraudulent ministry”.

  • BPP director testifies against ex-Aviation minister in ‘N19.4b fraud’

    BPP director testifies against ex-Aviation minister in ‘N19.4b fraud’

    Director of Certification, Compliance and Monitoring at the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Isaiah Yesufu yesterday testified against former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika.

    He told the  Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja that the Bureau was not informed that the contract for the construction of  Katsina Airport’s terminal building and apron was split during Sirika’s tenure.  

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged  Sirika,  his brother, Ahmad, and two companies with abuse of office and contract fraud valued at N19.4 billion.

    The former minister, Ahmad and the companies are being prosecuted on a 10-count bordering on abuse of office, criminal breach of trust, and use of position for gratification.

    The EFCC  alleged Sirika awarded various contracts to his younger brother to the tune of about N19.4 billion.

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    The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.

    Yesufu told the court that a bidder for any contract must submit an affidavit stating that the company does not have any relationship with the procuring entity.

    “If there is a relationship this shall amount to a conflict of interest and should be disclosed.

    “The affected officer of either the procuring entity or the BPP will recuse himself from participating in the process (of award of contract),” Yesufu said.

    “The Bureau was not aware how a single contract, titled, “Construction of Katsina Airport Terminal building and Apron was eventually awarded as two separate contracts.

    “I became aware of the split of the contract when I was invited by EFCC, where I made the statement,”  he added 

      At this stage, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), prayed for an adjournment to enable him to sort out some documents.  The defendants’ counsel did not object.

    The court subsequently, adjourned until today to continue PW3’s evidence.

  • Alleged N2.8b fraud: Why ex-Aviation Minister Sirika paid son-in-law’s firm 100 % Katsina Airport contracts sum-Witness

    Alleged N2.8b fraud: Why ex-Aviation Minister Sirika paid son-in-law’s firm 100 % Katsina Airport contracts sum-Witness

    A HIgh Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) heard on Monday that a firm linked with Jalal Sule Hamma – the son-in-law of the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika – was  paid 100 percent of the contracts sum before the execution of the contracts awarded in relation to the Katsina Airport.

    Sirika is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for among others, allegedly facilitating the award of contracts to a company – Al Buraq Global Investment Limited – in which his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika and son-in-law, 

    Jalal Sule Hamma have interests.

    This was made public on Monday by a former Director, Procurement at  Ministry of Aviation, Musa Odiniyan, who resumed his testimony as the fifth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Sirika, Fatima, Jalal and Al Buraq Global on a six-count charge bordering on corrupt practices.

    The prosecution alleged among others, that Sirika used his “position to confer unfair advantage upon Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, whose alter ego, Fatima Hadi Sirika and Jalal Sule Hamma, are your daughter and son-in-law, respectively, by using your position to influence the award to them, the contract for the Apron Extension at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1,498,300,750.”

    Fatima is said to be a staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, while  Jalal Sule Hamma is described as an employee of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.

    On Monday, Odiniyan was cross examined by the lawyer to Sirika and Al Buraq – Michael Numa SAN.

    The witness told the court that Sirika’s son-in-law’s firm was paid 100 percent fee for the project  with the belief that it would be commissioned before the immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari left government. 

    Odiniyan said: “The time of issuing the contract letter to the company (Al Buraq) was at the twilight of the Buhari administration. That was why the contract has a period of six months.

    “I learnt that both former President Buhari and the first defendant  (Sirika) are from Katsina State.

    “The reason for the prompt payment (for the contract) was for it to be completed and inaugurated before the exit of the Buhari administration and not for the purpose of variation,” he said.

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    Odiniyan added that the Ministerial Tenders Board (MTB) of the Aviation ministry considered the Katsina airport terminal building and the apron projects (which were the two contracts awarded Al Buraq) as critical.

    He was explained that such projects were considered as safety projects by the ministry.

    The witness claimed that Al Buraq may not have qualified to be awarded contracts by the ministry since it (ministry) had a number of criteria for companies to qualify for award of contract.

    He said that the Permanent Secretary of the ministry at the time, gave him (witness) a document, on which he claimed, the then minister (Sirika) minuted  on (in red biro), based on which he (the witness) prepared the letter of award of contract to the company. 

    He claimed  that although Al Buraq funded the bond for the project, it was allegedly varied by the Director, Legal in the ministry.

    He added told the court that he had retired before the delivery period for the contracts, adding that  as such, he  could not confirm if the ministry sued any company for breach of contracts.

    While being cross examined by lawyer to the second defendant, Efut Okoi, Odiniyan said Sirika was neither a member of the ministry’s tenders board nor procurement unit, but the Chief Executive of the Ministry. 

    He said, as a director in the ministry, he did not have direct access to the minister, adding that his relation was with the permanent secretary of the ministry.

    The witness further told the court that he did not receive any memo from Sirika but the permanent secretary gave him a memo and told him (witness) that it was from the minister.

    On whether he confirmed from the minister if the memo was truly from him (Sirika), the witness said, “We were guided by the Procurement Act and civil service rules. By civil service rules, I did not confirm from the minister if the memo was from him.”

    He added that it was not done in the civil service for a director to bypass his permanent secretary to meet the minister.

    The witness further told the court that Al Buraq was invited for the project as a result the permanent secretary’s directive.

    He added that the permanent secretary was the chairman of the ministerial tenders board of the ministry. 

    Justice Sylva  Oriji adjourned till February 10 for the continuation of trial.

  • Alleged N2.8b fraud: Sirika approved contract for son-in-law’s firm, witness tells court

    Alleged N2.8b fraud: Sirika approved contract for son-in-law’s firm, witness tells court

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, Abuja, yesterday heard how former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika approved contracts to a company – Al Buraq Global Investment Limited – in which his daughter, Fatima, and son-in-law, Jalal Sule Hamma, have interests.

    A former Director of Procurement in the ministry, Musa Odiniyan, said this while testifying as the fifth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Sirika, Fatima, Jalal, and Al Buraq Global on a six-count charge bordering on corrupt practices.

    In the charge, the prosecution alleged, among others, that Sirika used his “position to confer unfair advantage upon Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, whose alter ego, Fatima Hadi Sirika and Jalal Sule Hamma, are your daughter and son-in-law, respectively, by using your position to influence the award to them, the contract for the Apron Extension at Katsina Airport for the sum of N1,498,300,750”.

    Fatima is said to be a staff member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, while Jalal Sule Hamma is described as an employee of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

    During his cross-examination yesterday by Sirika’s lawyer, Michael Numa (SAN), Odiniyan insisted that for a contract to be executed, the minister must have approved it.

    When asked about the role of the minister in the award of contracts, the witness said the former minister gave the final approval before the implementation of the contracts approved by the Ministerial Tenders Board (MTB).

    Odiniyan, who was the Secretary of the MTB of the Aviation Ministry when the contracts in issue were awarded, said: “The role of the minister includes that before the award of a contract, the minister must approve before you issue the letter of award.

    “For the letter of award to be issued, it was the minister that did the final approval.

    “There were some projects that the minister did not approve and letters of award were not issued, and they were not implemented. The minister gave the final approval of the award of contracts. The ones he did not approve, we did not proceed to issue letters of award (for them) and the projects were not executed.

    “Without approval, you cannot execute a contract. There cannot be implementation without approval. The minister actually approved for implementation of the MTB.”

    Odiniyan, who said he retired from the Aviation Ministry about two years ago, told the court that he could not remember offhand all that transpired over the contracts, when Numa pressed him to give the details.

    He gave details about the process that led to the award of the contract in the civil service and under the Public Procurement Act.

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    When asked why he issued letters of award to the contractors for the projects in issue, the witness said as the Secretary of the MTB, his issuance of the letters of award was pursuant to the approval of the minister.

    In the course of the proceedings, Numa tendered some statements made to the EFCC by the witness and a record of proceedings in another criminal case involving Sirika and his brother, Ahmad Sirika, before Justice Suleiman Belgore (also of the High Court of the FCT) in his (Numa’s) effort to contradict the witness on his evidence on Sirika’s role the award of the contracts in question.

    At a point Justice Sylvanus Oriji adjourned further proceedings till January 27.

    Sirika, Fatima, and Hamma are accused of committing the following offences:

    *Alleged consultancy contract fraud for Nigerian Air (N1,326,731,670.97)

    • Alleged corruption related to the contract for Apron Extension at Katsina Airport (N1,498,300,750.00 ); and

    • Alleged gratification (N1,310,142,051.16)

    The EFCC alleged that the suspects committed the fraudulent acts between April 2022 and March 2023.

    The commission averred that all the offences are contrary to sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, to Section 17 (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532 Acts of the Federal Capital Territory and punishable under the same sections.

    One of the counts in the charge reads: “That you, Hadi Abubakar Sirika, while being the Minister of Aviation between April 2022 and March 2023, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did use your position to confer unfair advantage upon Tianaero Nigeria Limited, whose alter ego, Prof. Gabriel Tilmann, is your associate by using your position to influence the award to them, the consultancy contract for the Nigerian Air Start-up and extension of same for the sum of N1,326,731,670.97 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and punishable under the same section.

  • Alleged N2.7b contract fraud: Ex-BPP director testifies against Sirika

    Alleged N2.7b contract fraud: Ex-BPP director testifies against Sirika

    A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Musa Odiniya, yesterday told an Abuja High Court that Al-Duraq Investment Limited, which was registered in 2021, got the contract for the construction of the Apron Extension at Katsina Airport in 2022.

    Odiniya, who is a former Director of Procurement at the Bureau Public Procurement (BPP), said this while testifying in the alleged N2.7 billion contract fraud against a former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika.

    The EFCC is prosecuting Sirika and his daughter Fatima, Jalal Sule Hamma, and Al-Duraq Investment Nigeria Limited for abuse of office and contract fraud.

    They are standing trial before Justice Sylvanus Oriji on six counts.

    Sirika, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, is accused of abusing his office as minister through the award of contracts to a company in which his daughter and her husband had interest.

    The alleged offences and others, according to the prosecution, were in contravention of sections 12 and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, to Section 17 (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.

    Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the witness said every firm bidding for contract must submit an affidavit.

    “The reason is that no contract should be awarded to a company related to a member of staff in the ministry where the contract is to be executed.

    “My department cannot give a contract to a company in which, for instance, the minister is a signatory,” he said.

    When asked if he knew those behind

    Al-Duraq Investment Nigeria Limited, the witness said he did not know until he got to the EFCC office and was shown a document from the bank with the names of the defendants.

    “The defendants’ companies were registered in 2021 while the contract was awarded to them in 2022.

    “A company registered within a year of the award may not have the capacity to handle a project. The company is not qualified,” he said.

    Read Also:Alleged N2.8b fraud: Sirika’s in-law’s firm Al-Buraq not approved for Katsina airport project – BPP director

    Odiniya also told the court that the apron building and extension of Katsina Airport was valued at N800 million.

    After the evidence of the witness, counsel to Sirika (first defendant), Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), prayed the court for an adjournment to enable him cross-examine the witness.

    The lawyer also prayed the court for hearing of the motion seeking for leave to allow the first defendant travel abroad with his sick mother for medical reasons.

    Jacobs did not oppose to the adjournment but prayed the court to allow him speak with the EFCC on the motion.

    Justice Oriji adjourned till tomorrow to hear the motion and deliver ruling.

    He also adjourned till January 23, 2025 for the cross-examination of the fifth principal witness (PW5) and continuation of hearing.

  • Alleged contract fraud: Hadi Sirika, brother get N100m bail each

    Alleged contract fraud: Hadi Sirika, brother get N100m bail each

    • Court fixes May 28 for trial

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting at Garki yesterday granted bail to former Aviation Minister Hadi Abubakar Sirika and his brother, Ahmad Abubakar Sirika, following their arraignment on a 10-count charge bordering on contract fraud.

    The former minister, his brother (a worker at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources) and two companies – Enginos Nigeria Limited, and Samahah Integrated Investments Limited – were arraigned on fraud charge.

    While Sirika and his brother pleaded not guilty to each count of the charge, Justice Suleiman Belgore recorded a plea of not guilty for the two companies.

    After the defendants’ arraignment, prosecuting lawyer, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, sought a date for the commencement of trial.

    Lawyer to Sirika, Michael Numa (SAN), informed the court about the bail application he filed for his client.

    Mahmud Magaji (SAN), who represented the ex-minister’s brother (listed as the second defendant), also informed the court that he had filed a bail application for his client.

    Numa and Magaji moved the applications, which the prosecution did not oppose.

    Numa urged the court to grant his client bail on liberal terms and to adopt the terms and conditions attached to an earlier bail granted Sirika by another judge of the High Court of the FCT, in a separate case.

    Magaji said since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) granted Ahmad bail, the defendant had kept faith with the terms and conditions imposed.

    He said his client was not a flight risk, being a responsible Nigerian who was ready to stand trial.

    Magaji urged the court to grant Ahmad bail on liberal terms.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Hadi Sirika, brother plead not guilty to alleged N19.4bn fraud

    Atolagbe said the prosecution chose not to oppose the bail applications because the EFCC had granted the defendants an administrative bail before.

    He urged the court to impose conditions that would ensure that the defendant made themselves available for trial.

    Justice Belgore delivered two separate rulings on the applications the defendants filed.

    The judge granted bail to Sirika and adopted the terms and conditions imposed by Justice Sylvanus Oriji, who earlier granted the ex-minister bail in a separate criminal case.

    The judge directed the former minister to sign a bail bond of N100 million and should produce two sureties, one of whom must have a property within the FCT.

    Justice Belgore barred Sirika from traveling outside the country without first obtaining the court’s permission, upon filing a formal application.

    In granting Ahmad bail, the judge also adopted the same terms and conditions.

    He adjourned till noon on May 28 for the commencement of trial.

  • Reappointment of Sirika, good for continuity

    HON. Nnolim Nnaji has commended the reappointment of Senator Hadi Sirika as Minister of Aviation by President Muhammadu Buhari saying it was good for continuity

    Nnaji, who is the Chairman House Committee on Aviation, noted that he would expect the minister to hit the ground running because he was already familiar with the terrains.

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    “There are so much to be done within a short time to prepare the industry for the challenges posed by the emerging African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), so we don’t need a new person that will require a lot of time to learn the ropes,” he said.

    The lawmaker representing Nkanu East and West Federal Constituency, Enugu State, also stated that he is happy the minister is coming at the time the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) is commencing the reconstruction of the Enugu Airport Runway.

     

  • Save Enugu Airport

    The threat by the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to downgrade the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, has led to a frenzied demolition of structures around the runway to the airport. Sirika warned that the cluster of houses at a market and an abattoir close to the runway posed danger to aircraft which need the expanded runway to land. He also noted that the activities in the two places attract birds, and that could lead to a bird strike, which is detrimental to aircraft engines.

    After a state executive council meeting, Enugu State government swiftly directed the local council authority to immediately close the market and the abattoir even as efforts will be made to relocate them. While I sympathize with those who will be dislocated from the area, it is important that necessary measures be taken to ensure that instead of downgrading the status of the airport, the remaining facilities needed to ensure full operation of international flights from the airport be put in place.

    Sirika’s concerns for safety are genuine, as aircraft safety is of utmost importance in aviation industry. The immediate response of the state government is also commendable considering the significance of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport to the southeast zone. As the only international gateway to the southeast and parts of north-central, its continuous operation must be guarded jealously. If not for the duplicitous politics of our beleaguered federation, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport would be one of the busiest in the country and a top earner for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

    Thankfully, instead of playing politics with the threat of closure by blaming the APC-led federal government, the Enugu State PDP-led government took immediate steps to address the complaints. Going forward, more collaboration is needed to finish the international wing of the airport, and rehabilitate the runway. Considering the crisis experienced in inter-state road travel, worsened by roaming armed bandits and kidnappers on the highways, every reasonable effort should be made to save international travellers the agony of going to Lagos or Abuja or Port Harcourt to catch their flights.

    The security challenges faced by our country gets graver by the day, and the aviation sector should not add further stress to the national security apparatchik, by adding international travellers going or returning to Enugu from Lagos or Abuja or Port Harcourt to their worries. If the Enugu airport is downgraded, the pressure on the facilities in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt will further heighten, and those cities are having more than their fair share of over crowdedness. The Port Harcourt International Airport in the south-south zone is no less stressful to access, with the Enugu-Port Harcourt road in very deplorable condition.

    Travelling out of the zone to catch an international flight in other zones, is also a disincentive to economic activities, as hotels, local transporters and other service providers will be affected. For those travelling or coming into the zone, landing elsewhere and taking a connecting flight or entering the fearful road is an extra expense that can be avoided. Also the hotel bills and delayed arrivals and departures are all avoidable stress for citizens and visitors. The airport authority knows there are already more than enough stress inducers to go round.

    Indeed, this column has always advocated for sustainable regional economic activities as the lack of it heightens the very deplorable security challenges facing our dear country. Many of the idle youths in the state and even across the zone would be gainfully employed with an increase in economic activities at the Enugu airport. Honourable Minister Sirika must bear this in mind and should therefore take necessary measures to ensure the airport remains open and even enhanced for the use of more international flights.

    If he wants to be fair to all parts of the country, he must advise the federal government on measures needed to bring the airport at par with other regional hubs. The upgrade of Akanu Ibiam International Airport to international status was late in coming, and it will be a monumental disaster to contemplate a downgrade, when Nigerians are expecting a further upgrade to open the airport to more international flights. Currently only Ethiopian Airlines is approved to operate international flight from the airport, and that is not a fair deal.

    The south-east is a traders’ den, and to deny the region international gateways is unfair. The PDP government at the centre gave the Akanu Ibiam International Airport half-heartedly, so, I strongly urge the APC-led federal government to give it with their whole-heart, by finishing the international wing and opening it to more flights. With flights into the airport far-between, substantial upgrade of the runway can be achieved with minimal disruption of flight schedules, both local and international.

    Also important, is that mutually agreed measures to keep the airport running will starve the cries of marginalisation, which separatist groups feed on. The government of Enugu State which is averse to such distractions has that as one more reason to collaborate with the federal government to keep the airport optimally functional. Indeed, if it can muster the resources, it should support the airports authority to turn the bend to make the airport a truly regional hub. After all, states build federal infrastructure and seek refunds later.

    On a mutually agreed procedure, the state government can join resources with the federal authority to fund some of the immediate needs of the international airport. Of course, this is not a call for the federal government to abandon their responsibility to the people of the region, but rather a call for collaboration to sustain a much needed infrastructure in the region. After all, it is the people of the region and particularly of Enugu State who re-elected Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi that will benefit more than other Nigerians.

    As I was putting this piece to bed, the newswire reported that the incoming Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has promised to end the intractable Apapa-Oshodi expressway gridlock, within 60 days of assuming the reins of power. To do that, he will assume the responsibility of the federal authorities to solve a nightmare for the people that elected him into power. If he succeeds, his government would instantly become a toast of the people of the state.

    While Enugu State is not as rich as Lagos State, and may not have the financial muscle to do much, it must do what it can to save the Enugu Airport from the threatened downgrade. Of note, it has taken the first step, by demolishing the houses complained of by the federal minister. Governor Ugwuanyi should follow up by sending his officials to the airports authority to agree on further steps to avoid a downgrade. The watchword should be inter-agency collaboration.

  • FG upgrades night facilities at Benin Airport

    The Federal Government  at the weekend  upgraded navigational facilities at Benin Airport  to enable airlines and aircraft owners  perform  flights at night and periods when there is  low visibility.

    The upgrade of facilities at Benin Airport followed  the installation of Precision Approach Lighting System and Instrument Landing System Category II, commissioned by the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika.

    Speaking at the event, Sirika said government embarked on the project at Benin Airport as an intervention to complaints by the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, who had expressed worries on why aircraft cannot land at night, during bad weather and low visibility on account of lack of Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the airport.

    Sirika said : ” From now on, you have the Instrument Landing System which can allow pilots in reduced visibility and bad weather to be able to shoot on approach and land in Benin, just like they will do in London. And also, it is no longer closure from 6pm. The operational capability of the airport has improved with the installation of these equipment.”

    The minister said the  Federal Ministry of Transportation (Aviation) through Nigeria Meteorological Services (NiMET) has constructed and donated a meteorological station to University of Benin (UNIBEN).

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    He hinted on the plan to construct a cargo terminal at the Benin Airport.

    He said :  “Here in Benin, We will site an Agro-allied Cargo Terminal. We will soon commence civil works and the governor had promised the state participation.”

    Obaseki, in his response acknowledged a cordial relationship with the Federal Government to be able to partner on projects. “Benin Airport which was built over 60 years ago, is one of the oldest airports in the country because it was built in 1956. It is today being upgraded so that it can be ranked as an airport to match any other airport in this world by equipping it with the kind of instrument which a modern day airport should have.”

    On the airport landing aids and the proposed cargo terminal, the governor commented: “For you to have economic growth, you need to have the infrastructure. People must be able to come into your economy and leave freely. With these air transportation infrastructure, it will complement the effort we are currently making in the area of agriculture, industrialization, tourism and culture and even education. What it means for us is that there is no excuses. Once people know that you can get in and out of Benin, then it helps business”

    Obaseki expressed his appreciation to the minister on the NiMET upgrade of its facilities and the equipment donated to Edo State. “That donation in my view is one of the most significant investment anybody, any government and any city can make in the world today, because it helps you predict the weather accurately”.

  • FG to build agro allied cargo terminal in Benin Airport

    The Federal Government has announced its plan to build an agro-allied cargo terminal at Benin Airport to boost economic activities in the state.

    The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, disclosed this when he, alongside Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo, inaugurated the newly installed Category 2 (CAT3) Instrument Landing System at the airport on Saturday.

    Sirika said that the terminal was part of the government’s plan to promote economic growth through agriculture.

    He said that the government was committed to developing transport and airport infrastructure in Benin, adding that the commitment of the state government had encouraged the federal government do more.

    According to him, the upgrade of ILS to category two is to allow all aircraft to land at the airport at night and in poor visibility.

    “We will continue to do more for Benin and beside this, we will site the agro-allied cargo terminal for Benin and we will soon commence the civil work.

    “And your excellency, the governor has promised that he will participate in putting the civil structures for us to build that facility here to begin to export out of Benin.

    “We have been exporting before out of Benin, especially the culture, they have been stealing the artifacts but with this, we will be producing things and be exporting out of Benin.

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    “From now on you have the ILS, that which can allow pilots in reduced visibility, in bad weather, to be able to approach and land just like they do in London.

    “And now we will land in Benin and also that the Federal Ministry of Transportation (aviation) through our viable agency, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, had donated and constructed a meteorological station for University of Benin,” he said.

    On his part, Governor Obaseki said that the benefit of having up-to-date equipment at the airport was enormous for the state.

    He commended the federal government and the aviation agencies for their commitment to transforming Edo into an air transportation hub in the country.

    “Today, history is being made in so many perspectives in the sense that one, we are not just unveiling the key technologies for our airport, but we are celebrating a very unique privilege and honour for a state like Edo State to collaborate very closely with federal government agency.

    “The Benin city airport which was built over 60 years ago, making it one of the oldest airport on this country.

    “The airport was built in 1956, it is today being upgraded to be in the rank as an airport that could match any airport in the world by equipping it with a modern facility that any airport should have.

    “We also want to use this opportunity to thank our minister for the NiMet upgrade of its facility and the equipment it donated to us in Edo State.

    “That donation is one the most significant anywhere in the world because it helps you predict weather very accurately.

    “We also want to thank the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) which worked very closely and tirelessly with us in the last one to one and half years to make sure that we upgrade this airport.

    “We believe as a government that we are very uniquely placed as a state. Edo is a hub.

    “You cannot go from the western part of this country to the east or south without going through Edo State.

    “We know by nature that transportation mode, we have land transportation and now we want to make sure that our air transportation is up to per.

    “The reason why we insisted as a government that we must upgrade our airport is that Benin Airport is one of the top five airports in terms of passenger traffic in Nigeria and we believe we can do more.

    “With the night landing system we can now convince airlines to do night landing in Benin,” he said.

    According to the governor, the decision of the government to give Edo a cargo terminal will help the people to begin to transport thier produce like pineapples.

    He added that the cargo airport would be a boost to the state government’s plan to industrialise Edo in a very short time. (NAN)