Aviation Ministry Gots Only N19 bn This Year -Minister

The Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, has said that only N19 billion was released to the ministry out of the N34 billion appropriated for the ministry this year.

The minister noted, however, that about 72 per cent of the amount released had been utilised by the ministry.

Oduah made the announcement in Abuja on Monday after reading the ministry’s 2012 budget performance before the Senate Committee on Aviation.

She also gave a breakdown of the performance of the ministry and its  parastatal agencies, saying the average performance of the agencies was 63 per cent.

“The main ministry has accomplished 66 per cent, NIMET, 47 per cent, NCAT 46 per cent, NAMA 46 per cent, FAAN 53 per cent and AIB 47 per cent, bringing the average performance to 63 per cent.”

According to her, the airport modernisation embarked upon by the ministry is at 85 per cent completion.

In his speech at the occasion, Sen. Hope Uzodinma (PDP-Imo), Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, said that the budget was a veritable tool for economic management of political governance.

He said it provided the framework for providing goods and services to citizens and it brought hope for the economy’s transformation.

Uzodinma said the aviation sector was a critical component of the nation’s economic machine and that its impact must be felt by the citizenry.

“The surest way of achieving this is by ensuring that capital projects articulated in the budget are not mere white elephant projects but are properly implemented, ‘’ he said.