HOW BUHARI’S FORMER MINISTER AWARDED N2.8BN CONTRACT TO SON-IN-LAW’S UNQUALIFIED COMPANY

HOW BUHARI’S FORMER MINISTER AWARDED N2.8BN CONTRACT TO SON-IN-LAW’S UNQUALIFIED COMPANY

A witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has testified at an FCT High Court in Abuja, alleging that Hadi Sirika, a former aviation minister, awarded contracts to Al Buraq Global Investment Limited, a company linked to his daughter, Fatima Hadi Sirika, and his son-in-law, Jalal Sule Hamma.

Sirika, along with Fatima and Hamma, is facing a six-count charge of contract fraud amounting to ₦2,825,032,220.97.

The EFCC claims that Sirika used his position to influence the award of a ₦1.49 billion contract for the Apron Extension at Katsina Airport to Al Buraq, despite the company’s alleged lack of qualification for competitive bidding.

Musa Odiniyan, a retired director in the procurement department of the Ministry of Aviation, testified under cross-examination that the company would not have qualified for the contract had an open competitive bidding process 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,” Odiniyan stated.

He further revealed that Al Buraq received 100 percent payment upfront, with the aim of completing the project before former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration ended in 2023.

“The time of issuing the contract letter to the company (Al Buraq) was at the twilight of the Buhari administration. That was why the contract had a period of six months,” he explained.

Odiniyan added, “The reason for the prompt payment (for the contract) was for it to be completed and inaugurated before the exit of the Buhari administration and not for the purpose of variation.”

The EFCC is pressing charges against Sirika for allegedly conferring undue advantage on Al Buraq by awarding contracts through improper influence, breaching procurement regulations, and defrauding the government.

The judge has adjourned the case until March 10, 2025, for the continuation of the cross-examination.