House of Representatives Committee on Aviation has applauded two aviation agencies, Air Accidents Investigation Bureau, (AIB-N) and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NIMET) for their 2021 budget performances.
The Committee under the chairmanship of Honourable Nnolim Nnaji gave the commendation during an oversight inspection visit to the agencies’ offices and their projects’ sites at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja on Tuesday.
The oversight team led by the Deputy Chairman of the committee, Honourable Musa Pali was conducted round the various projects captured in the 2021 budget.
At the office of the AIB-N, the Director of Engineering, Engineer Mohammed Wali who represented the Commissioner, Engineer Akin Olateru who was said to be on official assignment outside the country told the committee that the agency was repositioning for the additional responsibilities that would result from the amendment Bill waiting for passage at the National Assembly.
Wali also took the visiting parliamentarians round the N645 million training school which was almost 95 percent completed and other projects like the additional office block and the wreckage hangar as well as the Flight Safety Laboratory which was being relocated to the training school complex following the rail line that was constructed through the initial location.
The training centre which Engineer Wali described as regional training organization has accommodation facility for thirty students to take care of students from other African countries.
Also at NIMET, members of the House Committee who were on the oversight function were taken through the various projects and achievements of the agency for the year by the Director-General of NIMET, Professor Bako Matazu.
Matazu told the visiting legislators that NIMET has been designated regional centre of excellence by the World Meteorological Organization, (WMO) and that the agency provides capacity building for other African countries.
He however appealed to the committee to assist NIMET to expand its revenue base stressing that currently the agency’s internally generated revenue, (IGR) comes majorly from aviation despite the fact that almost every sector makes use of NIMET predictions.
The Deputy Chairman, Honourable Pali assured the NIMET boss that the amendment Bill just concluded by the committee would take care of such once it is signed into law.
