Kehinde Fajobi
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, clarified on Friday that the House of Representatives has not instructed him to revoke the airstrip license for Bishop David Oyedepo’s Living Faith Church or any other private airstrip licenses.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Keyamo addressed reports claiming the House of Representatives had urged the Ministry of Aviation to halt issuing licenses to private individuals and organisations, specifically citing Living Faith Church, due to security concerns.
Keyamo explained: “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. What happened is that someone moved a motion, and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it.”
He added that the motion’s intentions were “patriotic” but based on a misunderstanding of aviation operations.
“By the time we explain how private airstrips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before approval, they will be satisfied,” Keyamo noted.
Keyamo further clarified that private airstrip owners are only responsible for building the runway and terminal, while the Federal Government takes over the control tower through the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).
He said, “An MOU is usually signed with NAMA before the airstrip is approved for operations, and NAMA provides air traffic controllers and engineers for all airports and airstrips in Nigeria.”
Emphasising strict security measures, Keyamo stated, “No aircraft enters Nigeria without prior clearance by NAMA. All flights must have a clear flight plan.”
Additionally, he has ordered that all international aircraft must land first at designated international airports for processing before proceeding to private airstrips.
Keyamo concluded by thanking the motion’s sponsor for their patriotism but suggested that the member should have sought clarification before moving the motion.
“I attach herewith for public consumption the NAMA Act that gives exclusive control of the Nigerian airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA,” he added.