Crime

Court Grants Ex-minister Sirika, Daughter, others  ₦100m bail

By Web News 573

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika; his daughter, and two others in the sum of ₦100 million with two sureties.

Sirika and others are being tried over an alleged N2.7bn fraud.

The sureties, according to the court, must have landed properties in Abuja and also responsible citizens.

Also, the sureties must depose to an affidavit of means. The court also restricted the defendants from travelling abroad without its permission.

Justice Oriji ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody if they failed to meet their bail conditions.

The allegations

Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in April, took the ex-aviation minister into custody and grilled him for days.

The anti-graft agency then slammed six six-count charge on Hadi Sirika, his daughter, and two others.

The anti-graft agency accused Sirika of conferring undue advantage on some entities between April 2022 and March 2023 in Abuja.

EFCC alleged that Sirika abused his office by awarding N1.3 billion consultancy contract for the Nigerian Air start-up to Tianero  Nigeria Limited.

According to EFCC, his actions were contrary to Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

Furthermore, in another count, EFCC alleged that on or about August 18, 2022 in Abuja, Sirika “did use your 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.”

Therefore, the charge noted, Sirika violated Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. And that he was liable to punishment under the same section.

Vanguard/Olaolu Fawole

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Transportation

Aviation Ministry Gets New Name

By Web News 652

The Federal Government on Wednesday renamed the Ministry of Aviation to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika said that aviation and aerospace were intertwined and Nigeria had the need to proactively set its policies to align with future occurrences.

The Minister made the announcement at the sidelines of the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja.

Sirika explained that the alteration became expedient because it is on the exclusive list.

He, however, maintained that the future of aviation had experienced an advancement such that aviation and aerospace were intertwined and Nigeria had the need to proactively set its policies to align with future occurrences.

The minister further linked the development to the establishment of the African Aerospace and Aviation University in Abuja

Culled / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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News Yoruba

Ijoba Apapo Fokan Awon Osise Papako Ofurufu Bale Pe Won O Nii Da Osise Duro Lenu Ise

By Web News 901

Ijoba apapo ti fokan awon osise papako ofurufu ile yi bale lori aheso pe boya won yo da awon kan duro lenu ise nipa igbese tijoba fe gbe lori ati yonda awon oju opo oko ofurufu merin Pataki fawon ti yoo soo di otun.

Alakoso eto irinna ofurufu nile yi Hadi Sirika lo fowo ero yi soya lasiko ipade ori ero ayelujara pelu awon toro kan leka eto iirina ofurufu nilu Eko nipa ini ti inkan de duro lori igbese tijoba fe gbe nipa awon papako ofurufu mereerin ti oro kan.

Ogbeni Sirika salaye wi pe, leyi ti joba yoo ba fid a awon osise kan duro, se ni won yoo tun gba osise sii, nipa bo se je, pe opo papako ofurufuloje pe osise ti won ni ko to won

Alakoso naa tenumo pe ijoba o setan lati ohun amusoro eyi lo je ki won fe yonda re fun awon ti yio soo di ti igbalode, lona ti yio tun fi le maa pawo sapo ile yi ju tateyinwa lo.

Awon papako ofurufu merin tijoba fe yonda ni papako ofurufu Mallam Aminu Kano, Papako Ofurufu Murtala Muhammed, Papako Ofurufu to wa nilu Port-Harcourt, ati Papako Ofurufu Nnamidi Azkwe.

Babatunde Salaudeen

Transportation

11 out of 22 Nigerian Airports Open to Flights

By Web News 2776

Since commencement of domestic flight operations in the country on the 8th of July, only 11 airports have been opened to flights out of the 22 airports owned and operated by the Federal Government.

Investigation by our aviation correspondent revealed that as at 19th of this month, Abuja, Lagos, Uyo, Kano and Port Harcourt Airports have resumed activities.

Others are Owerri, Kaduna, Calabar, Maiduguri, Sokoto and Yola airports.

These airports that have been opened are certified to have complied with the provision of post COVID-19 restart guidelines and health protocols in addition to being authorized by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.

Speaking during the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 briefing last week, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika said the ministry had been under a lot of pressure and received questions regarding the opening of some airports.

He explained that airports are opened based on their compliance to the Covid-19 Protocols.

According to him, they are at liberty to open and close airports depending on some many other operational reasons, adding that at any point in time whether there is Covid or not, airports can be closed if some issues were discovered and opened if certain gaps have been addressed.

“This is because once we said they are open, we now went back into those airports to ensure everything is okay and safe to operate, health-wise and operation-wise and some airports are so far apart and security reasons and difficulty in travel. We are lucky that we have an aircraft at our disposal which is meant to be for calibrating our equipment, we use that aircraft to enter into all of these airports to ensure they are safe.”

The Minister said inspections were still ongoing at other airports yet to be reopened, adding that if they meet the requirements of the restart guidelines and health protocols, they would be opened to flights.

Nosa Aituamen