Top aviation sources have revealed to SaharaRepoters that Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, was deliberately holding on to workers' salaries and allowances in a bid to raise enough money to contest the next governorship election in Katsina State.

It was also gathered that the minister in a bid to raise funds needed to realise his ambition, was doing all he can to sell the country's airports.

He is said to be working hard to prove that government could no longer manage the facilities just so he can auction them off and raise some money for his governorship ambition.

He is said to be keen on selling the four major airports in Nigeria -- Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.

Sirika has also been accused of using his cronies to head agencies like Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, National Airport Management Authority, Accident Investigation Bureau, and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

The minister is believed to be raising money illicitly through these agencies to fulfill his governorship ambition in Katsina State.

Despite owing salaries, the minister has just recruited 280 more staff into FAAN, who are all from the Northern part of the country, it was gathered.

About 26 of them have been posted to Lagos international airport and have started documentation without taking any tests as normal employment procedure demands.

Angered by this and other issues affecting their welfare, aviation workers under the platforms of National Union Of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association Of Nigeria, And Association Of Nigeria Aviation Professional, in a letter addressed to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, said that they would embark on immediate strike action if their demands were not met.

"Due to continuing unilateral actions by the management of FAAN resulting in ever increasing delays and staggering of salaries payments which has become unbearable, our unions have decided that the situation can no longer be tolerated due to the uncontrollable damage to workers welfare and smooth operation of FAAN.

"Accordingly, management is hereby notified that if within seven days from the date of the notice all shortfalls in salary payments are not fully rectified and settled, our unions will commence an indefinite industrial action against the authority," the letter partly reads.

NaijaRoyalty:
Government of thieves and crooks .

Government of corruption and shameless looters .

Government of pen robbers in agbada .

The way Sirika is going about this airport concessioning, you would think its for the nations interest .

There is nothing honourable about this shameless thieves in the corridors of power.

How can a sane minister withold workers salaries just for his selfish interest ..
This is madness taking too far .

Ehiscotch:


So you are willing to throw all the achievements of the ministry under the bus because of some unsubstantiated claim based on rumours or half-truths?

Has there been anything or clause in the contract that even gives reason for you to believe something so preposterous as this?

Na wa oh, una suppose dey add filter to everything we una dey believe nau.

Mysticwebb:
Katsina State! Na them full Aso Rock, thieves and wicked souls.

NaijaRoyalty:


Which achievement has he achieved apart from his never ending plan to concession 4 international airports to his friends ?

Our airports are not for sale

andyanders:
This too bad. A friend of mine with FAAN has not been paid and his wife hospitalized. How can this government be so wicked?

andyanders:
This too bad. A friend of mine with FAAN has not been paid and his wife hospitalized. How can this government be so wicked?

NaijaRoyalty:
The way Sirika is going about this airport concessioning, you would think its for the nations interest .

Iolo:


Sorry to hear about this. But let’s not blame the government if its not necessary. FAAN is a self run parastatal - cost and revenues is solely on them and they don’t draw from the budget. Best government can do is to provide them some palliatives or intervention to meet the revenue shortfall to meet up to its obligations.

andyanders:
I understand ur submission as stated above. In a situation of the covid pandemic where lots of funds were donated to the FG, just tell me where and what they did with those funds.

A minister was given an a/c of billions of funds her ministry spent on feeding Nigerian school children during the lockdown. How did she get that done when no schl was opened. No single child student I knew that they feed during the lockdown.

Now, why shouldn't I blame the gorvernment?

ican2020:
The inflated Abuja airport runway contract is not enough for you, ole

Bhelamblog:
This is according to Oke Omurhohwo the Manager Itel Mobile, He is alleging that The Nigerian Government Paid over N200m to Bahrain in other to create the National Carrier Logo, He said only the Logo cost $600,000, Thats over N200million.

Remember the FG unveiled the National Carrier 'Nigeria Air' at Farnborough Air Show in London Few days ago? Ok.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/7446039_nigesss_jpegd1e680afc5d1cfb017b3cb02c0bcaae3

Nigeria has “suspended” plans to launch a new national airline
September 20, 2018

Nigeria will not be getting a new national carrier in December or early 2019 as previously planned.

The national minister for aviation tweeted this evening (Sept. 19) that plans for the airline have been suspended. The plans for the new carrier, named Nigeria Air, complete with a logo unveiling, were announced at Farnborough, a renowned international aviation exhibition in London back in July.

The government claimed it would not own more than 5% of the airline, ceding control to private investors expected to invest $300 million in the new airline at inception.

https://qz.com/africa/1395926/nigeria-air-national-carrier-plans-suspende/