A witness in the trial of former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has alleged that contracts were awarded to companies that lacked the qualifications to secure them.
During proceedings on Monday, January 27, 2025, the fifth prosecution witness (PW5), Musa Odiniyan, testified before Justice S.C. Oriji at the Federal Capital Territory High Court that Al Buraq Global Investment was unfit to handle a contract for repairing Katsina Airport, which was awarded by the Ministry of Aviation under Sirika’s tenure.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Sirika alongside three others—Fatima Hadi Sirika, Jalal Sule Hamma, and Al Buraq Global Investment—on a six-count amended charge of contract fraud amounting to N2.8 billion.
Under cross-examination by Michael Numa, SAN, counsel for the fourth defendant, Odiniyan maintained his position that Al Buraq would not have met the requirements in an open and competitive bidding process.
“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 said.
He further explained that payments for the contract were expedited to ensure the project was completed and commissioned before the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari ended.
“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. The accounting officer sourced money from every relevant route to actualise the project. The N800 million is a budgetary allowance to support the actualisation of the project,” he stated.
Odiniyan, a retired director from the Procurement Department of the Ministry of Aviation, also disclosed discrepancies in how contracts for the Katsina Airport’s Apron and Terminal Building, awarded to Al Buraq and Enginos respectively, were recorded.
While they were listed under separate budget codes, they appeared under a single code in the Procurement Department.
Justice Oriji adjourned the case to March 10, 2025, for the continuation of the cross-examination.
