The trial of former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, continued on January 27, 2025, with a prosecution witness, Musa Odiniyan informing Justice S. C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, that the company, Al Buraq Global Investment was unqualified to execute the repairs of the Katsina Airport.
Sirika, his wife, Fatima Sirika, Jalal Hamma and Al Buraq Global Investment are being prosecuted for contract fraud totaling about N2.83 billion.
The witness informed the court that the company wouldn’t have qualified for the bidding or contract award if a fair and competitive process had been followed.
“We use some criteria for determining the award of contracts for companies. I still maintain that if it was an open competitive bidding, the company, Al Buraq may not have qualified,” he stated.
He also disclosed that the reason for why the contract was paid for was simply to ensure that it was completed and commissioned by former President Muhammadu Buhari before he left office.
“The reason for that payment was for the project to be implemented and commissioned before the exit of the former president. It was not for variation.
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“The accounting officer sourced money from every relevant route to actualize the project. N800million is a budgetary allowance to support the actualization of the project,” he said.
Odiniyan, a retired director in the Procurement Department of the Ministry of Aviation, also informed the court that two of the ministry’s contracts awarded to Alburak and Enginos on the apron and terminal building of the Katsina Airport respectively, were captured under two different budget codes but appeared in a single code in the procurement department.
The judge adjourned the matter till March 10, 2025, for continuation of cross-examination.
