The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, clarified on Friday that the House of Representatives did not request him to revoke the airstrip license for Oyedepo’s Living Faith Church or those of other private individuals.
He shared this statement on his X platform, formerly known
as Twitter.
Earlier reports had claimed that the House of
Representatives called on the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to
halt the issuance of airstrip licenses to private individuals and organizations
and to revoke existing licenses, including those granted to Living Faith
Church, as a measure to safeguard national security.
Reacting to this Keyamo opined: “I think this is not
correct. The House of Reps. as a body did not call on the Minister to revoke
the license of any private airstrip.
“I think what happened is that someone moved a motion in
that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look
into it.
“Whilst the intention of the Hon. Member who moved it is
very patriotic, it was based on a complete lack of knowledge of the aviation
sector. By the time we explain to them how private air strips work and the
processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be
satisfied.
“The responsibility of the owners of private air strips is
just to build the runway and terminal building. But after they build the
control tower in particular, it is completely handed over to the Federal
Government through NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) which is in
complete control of the entire airspace in Nigeria. An MOU is usually signed
with NAMA in this regard before the airstrip is approved for operations.
“It is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and
Engineers in ALL AIRPORTS and AIRSTRIPS IN NIGERIA. And the privates air strip
owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services. No object
flies into Nigeria without the prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a
clear flight plan, eg, where it is taking off from and where it intends to
land.
“And I have recently directed that all aircraft coming into
the country MUST first land at our international airports where they would be
properly processed and checked before they make their local flights into
whatever airport or airstrip they intend to go. So, it is COMPLETELY AND
TOTALLY impossible for any private airstrip owner to just jump on an aircraft
and fly in and out of the country through that facility.
“The Federal Government does not permit that. You will not
be cleared for take off or landing without prior request and authorisation. I
thank the Member for his patriotism, but I wish he contacted us first to
explain to him before rushing to move such a motion. I attach herewith for
public consumption the NAMA Act that gives exclusive control of the Nigerian
airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA”.
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