The Senate Committee on Marine Transport met with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) over their performances in the 2020 budget and the 2021 proposed budget.
Dr George Moghalu, Managing Director, NIWA, in a statement on Tuesday, said the NIWA’s total appropriation for 2020 was ₦6,349,834,548, made up of recurrent estimates of ₦877,941,048 and capital estimates of ₦5,471,893,500.
“This means that the recurrent budget comprises 13.8 percent and capital estimates 86.2 percent of the total 2020 budget appropriation for implementation. Although, a recent review shows that about ₦591,121,713.73 representing 67.3 percent of the total recurrent budget was used.
“The review showed by October 2020 that ₦844,891,399.63, which constitutes about 15.4 percent of the total capital budget, was used. “Though the financial performance stood at 76.3 percent of the total capital budget, actual project implementation performance for the period was very poor. This is due to a delay in capital releases occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic that posed a very great global economic threat.
“The authority’s goal to actualize its objectives remains the primary focus with the fiscal year yet to elapse, ” he said.
Moghalu, however, said that a total of ₦6,625,057,455 was proposed for 2021 for favourable considerations, adding that it hoped to complete all on-going projects and generate revenues.
The authority re “In line with the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) of President Muhammadu Buhari, the authority reiterates its determination to upscale the development of Inland Water Transportation in Nigeria.
“I, therefore, seize this opportunity to appeal to Mr Chairman and members of the committee to use their power to ensure and facilitate a conducive financial and legal environment. This will provide the boost needed for NIWA to achieve its full potentials.”
Commodore Duja Effedua (Rtd) the Rector of MAN, in a remark, said that ₦2,163,692,734 was appropriated for 2020, while ₦1,561,001,781 was released.
Effedua stated that the total sum of ₦2,254,341,534 was proposed for 2021.
According to him, the total recurrent estimates for 2021 was ₦1,165,939,238, while the total capital estimates was ₦1,088,402,296.
He said that most of the projects at the academy were ongoing because of non-completion by the past administration, stating that 99 percent of what was released in 2020 had been used.
He stated that no new projects would commence at the academy until the current projects were completed. Responding, Sen. Danjuma Goje, Chairman of the Committee, asked the organizations to give a breakdown of their ongoing projects, so as to avoid a repetition of the same projects.
