A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress ( APC), Haruna Gololo, has given the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) two weeks to arrest and investigate the immediate past minister of aviation over the purported launch of Nigeria Air.
“We are giving the EFCC two weeks to arrest and investigate the former Minister of Aviation and other key participants in the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.”
Mr Gololo said if the EFCC could go after “Yahoo Boys” for alleged scam, the anti-graft agency could as well go after the government officials for alleged monumental fraud.
He made the call while addressing a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
Mr Gololo was reacting to the disclosure by the Acting Managing Director of Nigeria Air, Dapo Olumide, at an investigative hearing of the Senate Committee on Aviation over the state of the Nigeria Air project under Hadi Abubakar Sirika’s tenure.
Mr Olumide had disclosed at the investigative hearing that the supposed Nigeria Air aircraft that flew in with the logo of the airline was chartered from Ethiopian Airlines for the purpose of unveiling the logo.
He also disclosed that the airline was yet to secure an operating licence for full flight operations, contrary to submission of the past minister of aviation.
Mr Olumide had told the Senate committee that the aircraft was used pending the completion of the processes required for the operation of the airline.
Mr Gololo, who was Coordinator of the North-East Tinubu/Shettima supporters group during the general elections said further:
“Only yesterday the Senate Committee Aviation confirmed the fear and suspicion of many Nigerians, when it unearthed the issues in the aviation sector by the immediate past minister, on indicating that procurement of Nigeria Air was a scam which gulped billions of taxpayers funds.
“What happened to the M11.3 trillion spent on the Turn Around Maintenance ( TAM), of the Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt refineries.
“But today the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, who awarded the contracts, has gone to run for governorship election to seek immunity.
“There are several other MDAs that were looted under Buhari’s administration.”
He expressed displeasure on the appointment of the new Executive Director of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) by the outgone administration, saying that the appointee was in NNPC while refineries remained unfunctional.
(NAN)
