By Cecilia John
Abuja- The Senate Committee on Aviation has vowed to work within its powers to block leakages in the Aviation Sector.
The Vice Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Bala Na’Allah, made this known when agencies in the sector defended their 2017 budgets before the committee on Tuesday in Abuja.
The agencies include Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
He said the Senate would do everything possible to cut down wastage that had affected efficiency in the sector over the years.
According to him, the essence is to check the level of budget implementation to ensure accountability and transparency.
He urged the agencies to among other things, review agency’s tariff to encourage the use of Nigeria’s Airspace by foreign airlines.
He further decried the high personnel cost and emphasised the need for “ continuous improvement in the quality of service, particularly in securing the country’s airspace.’’
The vice chairman also urged the agencies to “ensure that care was taken for appropriate and judicious disbursement of money.
“Here in the Senate and under my watch, it will not be business as usual.
“For the AIB, it must be up and doing in its responsibility by ensuring that reports on accidents in sector are made available at the right time.”
He said the committee would call on the agencies for more clarification when necessary.
