The House of Representatives Committee on Nigerian Navy has passed a vote of confidence on the Nigerian Navy for good performance of the 2020 budget.
Rep. Yusuf Gadi, the Chairman of the House Committee during the budget presentation by the Nigerian Navy on Friday in Abuja, said he was happy that the Navy had nothing to hide.
He called on Rep. Olumide. Osoba (APC-Ogun) to move a motion for the adoption of the 2020 budget performance of the Nigerian Navy, which he did.
Gadi said that the committee had decided to complete its oversight function in some of the places it could not visit as a result of the lock-down occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that the oversight function would enable the committee to add value to the Navy’s 2021 budget to enable it performed optimally.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, commended the committee for its untiring effort in ensuring that the Navy functions optimally.
He added that the committee’s effort to reposition the Nigerian Navy was yielding the desired result.
He said that the Nigerian Navy had been occupied with its national policing role, adding that it had curtailed the activities of illegal bunkering, pipeline vandals, insurgency among others.
Ibas said that the Federal Government recently boosted the moral of the Navy with purchase of requisite weaponry and other equipment needed to combat criminality on the sea.
He stated that in 2020, over N16 billion was released to cover eight projects, adding that 75 per cent of the 2020 appropriation was released for capital projects.
The navy chief said that over N11 billion was appropriated for overhead cost in 2020 budget, but added that only 74 per cent of the budget was released.
He said that the Nigerian Navy generated over N884 million in 2020 as its internally generated revenue, adding that the Nigerian Navy had contributed to the nation’s economic recovery.
Ibas added that the revenues were generated from stamp duty, auction of unserviceable equipment among others, adding that there are now progressive decreases of attacks on ships.
The chief of naval staff said that N182. 612 billion was proposed for the 2021 fiscal year.
(NAN)
