Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), has expressed serious concern over the actions of two former Ministers that served under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
HURIWA said that the two ministers involved in allegations of humongous sleazes are the immediate past Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika and his Humanitarian Affairs, Social Development, and Disaster Management counterpart, Mrs. Sadiya Umar Farouq.
While beaming light on Sirika headship of the Aviation sector, HURIWA noted that the former Aviation minister allegedly perpetrated a grievous scam by presenting a hastily repainted, chartered aircraft as the national carrier, deceiving the public just as it accused Sadiya Umar Farouq of failing to account for the expenditure of funds allocated for social investment programs, particularly school feeding.
These were contained in a statement by the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Mr. Emmanuel Onwubiko, in which he highlighted previous financial irregularities associated with Sirika to include the controversial spending of $600,000 on logo design and the questionable purchase of fire trucks at exorbitant prices.
It further said; “Sirika is accused of orchestrating the presentation of a chartered aircraft, hastily repainted and still bearing Ethiopian registration marks, as the national carrier on May 26, 2023.
“The audacity of such a blatant last-minute scam is seen as a challenge for the public to demand accountability. The Nigeria Air controversy is just one of the significant scandals linked to Sirika.
“In 2017, there were rumors that he spent $600,000 on logo design with a Bahraini company for the project, then named Air Nigeria, before it was halted. Sirika denied the specified amount but did not disclose the actual expenditure. Subsequently, between 2017 and 2018, the Federal Government allocated up to N800 million for the project’s revival.
“Sirika also faced criticism for allocating N12 billion to procure 10 fire trucks, translating to a staggering N1.2 billion per truck. These issues collectively contribute to a growing discontent with Sirika’s actions, prompting widespread demands for accountability,”
HURIWA therefore called for the arrest and thorough investigation of Hadi Sirika to address these allegations.
Turning the searchlight on Sadiya Umar Farouq, the association cited a litany of allegations, including corruption, abuse of office, and mismanagement of social investment funds during her tenure.
HURIWA therefore called for her immediate arrest and investigation by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
It further said; “Nigeria’s humanitarian crisis worsened despite the ministry overseeing mega-budget agencies and intervention programmes. Sadiya Farouq underperformed, and her time at the ministry needs to be investigated.
“The new administration cannot do anything satisfactory without interrogating, probing, and investigating what happened under that ministry”.
HURIWA insisted that Sadiya Farouq must be made to provide explanations to the DSS and the EFCC regarding alleged large-scale corruption during her tenure.
HURIWA urged the relevant law enforcement agencies, particularly the EFCC and the DSS to act swiftly and impartially in investigating the allegations against the two former ministers.
It stressed the importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring that those found culpable face the consequences of their actions.
