Taiwo Popoola
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said the House of Representatives did not ask him to revoke the airstrip license for Oyedepo’s Living Faith Church or those of other private individuals.
Keyano said this in a statement via his official X handle on Friday.
There were reports that the House of Representatives asked 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 the report, the minister said it was incorrect, saying a motion was moved in the House in that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it.
According to him, while the intention of the Honorable Member who moved the motion was 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 built 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 private’s 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 like where it is taking off from and where it intends to land,” he said.
