Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, clarified on Friday that the House of Representatives never ordered the revocation of the license for the private airstrip owned by Bishop David Oyedepo, the founder of the Living Faith Church, News About Nigeria reports.
In a statement shared on his official X account, Keyamo explained that the motion passed in the House of Representatives against private ownership of airstrips was made with patriotic intent.
He noted that private airstrips do not pose a threat to the country or its security, as there are modalities that owners must abide by.
The Minister further explained that while the House of Representatives has good intentions for the country, they should have consulted the Ministry for a proper understanding of how private airstrips operate before moving any motion.
The statement partly reads, “I think this is not correct. The House of Representatives, as a body, did not call on the Minister to revoke the license of any private airstrip. What happened is that someone moved a motion in that regard, and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee for review.
“While the intention of the Honorable 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 airstrips work and the processes they undergo with our agencies before final approval, they will be satisfied.
The responsibility of the owners of private airstrips is simply 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. Private airstrip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services. Therefore, 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.”
