We Need Adequate Funding To Make Air Force Varsity World Class- Commandant

…Give us more money for new units, platforms and FOBs, CAS tells FG

The Nigeria Airforce made a passionate plea at a budget defence meeting with the House Committe on Airforce demanding adequate funds to translate the Airforce Institute of Technology in Kaduna into a world class varsity

It is also asking the Federal Government to improve its budget ceiling because it has acquired more plartforms ,units and field operational base for sustained air fire power in the troubled North East and West zones ravaged by bandits and Boko Haram insurgents

Speaking separately at a budget defence, commandant Air Force Institute of Technology, Air Vice Marshall AbdulGaniyu Olabisi, noted that it was the Federal Government’ s dream and mandate as encapsulated in the Act setting up the tertiary institution to make it a world class varsity of excellence

He however decried poor funding , which accordingly has slowed the pace of achieving such feat

For instance, AVM Olabisi disclosed that it needed funds to engage in research in aeronautic engineering, build enough classrooms, ICT centre, Libraries and hostels for the increasing intake and population of students which from the initial 909 has reached 4000 and expected to rise to 5000 in the next academic year.

“As a federal University, we news funds to become a first class institute”

According to him about N2.35bn was appropriated in the 2020 budget for the institute, with a breakdown of N152m for overhead , 311m, capital of which only N288million was released, representing about 87.5 present of total releases and budget performance for the year 2020.

Desirous of student hostels, laboratories, there is need to step up funding and increase overhead, capital, upon which in the 2021 budget the institute is demanding for the sum of N3.5billion with a breakdown of N2 Personel cost, N152m overhead and N997Million for capital.

He explained that even though it requested for more funds in the 2021 budget, the envelope system was a constraint to achieving the institution’s dream of becoming a research institute of note, and the mission to be a world class varsity

He lamented the non completion of the only existing road leading to the school and noted that since there was no take off grants awarded the school like any other institution since it was established in 2017, it was expedient to provide at least a take off fund of about N4bn to build at least 6 hostels initially, 4 for males and two for females, in addition to other infrastructures, like ICT, staff quarters among those other requests

Meanwhile the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar has demanded more funding for the service to sustain the fight against insurgents and bandits in the North so as to continue to protect the Territorial integrity of the nation

He praised the support of president Muhhamadu Buhari to the NAF but requested for more money to maintain recently acquired plartforms, field operational base, aircrafts, arms and other armaments the Airforce has acquired that requires extra budgetary funding beyond the ‘Envelope’

The CAS while briefing the House Committee during the budget defence, said the Air Force has delivered on its constitutional mandate such that Nigeria’s Territorial integrity is not undermined

He noted that though releases for the 2020 budget has not been complete, a reasonable percentage of between 65 and 97 percent have been achieved

For instance, he said the NAF budget of 2020 was N136 billion of which N106 is for Personel and overhead and N26 bn for capital, all of which achieved a reasonable level of releases in terms of percentage.

For the 2021 budget, N142bn, comprising, 191bn for PE and overhead and N32billion for capital. He noted that even though the service has been enrolled in FG’ s IPPIS, so much is needed for both capital and Overhead because operations of the service has increased because of increasing insecurity in the country that the NAF has been critically involved.

Air Marshall Sadique explained further that it has built new units in Agatu , Ipetu- Ijesha, Birnin Gwari and many more , with additional men and logistics for which increased funding is required in the 2021 budget

He said we are have built new units in Agatu, Ipetu- ilesha and Birnin Gwari. We need more funds. About 12000 from 11000 Personel , we are expecting 17 more aircrafts. We need more in our Capital budget to bring in new plartforms, ongoing infrastructures, 3 war aircraft from Pakistan costing about 17bn. We need arms , ammunition. . Others are Spares, Upgrade of barracks and rehabilitation of the Kaniji runaway which we want to use our own engineers and direct labour to bring in the super tulcano”.

“We need new consideration. We pledge our loyalty. Pls approve our budget with our appeal for review so that we can continue to perform our constitutional role” the CAS, stated.

Meanwhile chairman of the Committee, Dr Shehu Koko, commended president Muhhamadu Buhari for the support he has given the service and assured that the committee will look into the fresh demands of NAF and do the needful because of the successes and the enviable role the service has played in the fight against bandits and insurgents and general aeriel security the force has offered in the entire nation